From the monthly archives:

October 2008

Why is Differentiation in E-Commerce So Critical?

by Brock October 31, 2008
black sheep

While you probably don’t want to be the black sheep in your marketplace, you most certainly don’t want to be Waldo either! Differentiation is making changes to and emphasizing the differences between products, offerings, and companies to achieve competitive advantage. Creating and communicating a reason why they should buy from you and not your competition. [...]

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How to Reduce Chargebacks

by Brock October 30, 2008
headache

Why is it important to reduce or eliminate chargebacks? Because they are costly, create higher fees for you, and your merchant account can eventually be canceled altogether. Not an ideal situation for a growing small business to be in. Better to be proactive than reactive. Also realize that proof falls on the shoulders of the [...]

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Should You Have a Liberal Return Policy?

by Brock October 29, 2008
handshake

What ever happened to the handshake agreement and our word actually standing for something? What happened to companies doing their best to fill the needs of their customers regardless if it costs them extra? Why has it become so difficult and often dangerous to trust one another? Mainly because of two evil villains, greed and [...]

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Will You Allow the Urgent to Strangle the Important?

by Brock October 27, 2008
nooses

These days, there are too many things to do and not enough time to do them all. There is an endless supply of distractions to keep us from doing what we know we should. The world is bent of shifting our focus away from anything that leads to true happiness so that we keep trying [...]

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The Last Thing We Need is Another Great Idea!

by Brock October 26, 2008
danger sign

“The Last Thing We Need is Another Great Idea!” If you don’t already have this sign up in your office, you should consider adding it. It could save you a ton of time, money, and heartache. Ideas are literally a dime a dozen. While there is a time and place for new ideas; it is [...]

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Are You Trying to Reinvent the Wheel?

by Brock October 25, 2008
wheel

Are you guilty of reinventing the wheel? Too often when creating a new business or product, we shoot for ingenius and original instead of taking what already works and improving upon it. We feel that if we think hard enough, we will come up with something that nobody else has ever thought of before. We [...]

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Want to Spy on Your Customers?

by Brock October 24, 2008
spy plane

As a child, did you once dream of being a spy or secret agent? You may have had visions of using high-tech gadgets, lurking in the shadows, changing identities, and feeling the adrenaline rush as you nearly got caught. You may have even read fictional books, watched movies, or played video games in the espionage [...]

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Are You Listening to Your Customers?

by Brock October 23, 2008
dog food

Can you hear the honest truth about what your customers think about your company and products? No, I am not talking about via phone, email, forums, focus groups, and surveys; I am talking about through their actions on your website. Actions speak louder than words, are more accurate, are more measurable, and can lead to [...]

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How Much is a #1 Google Ranking Worth?

by Brock October 22, 2008
money

The following assumes you already have a website, have analytics (such as Google analytics, Hitslink, or ClickTracks) installed, and already rank somewhere on the first page of Google for a keyword phrase which converts. First, go to the Google AdWords External Keyword Tool. Enter your keyword phrase, turn off synonyms, and fire away. Next choose [...]

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