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New Places to Sell Online

October 14, 2021 /

New Places to Sell OnlineWith the huge growth of e-commerce last year, due to COVID, more and more online marketplaces have been opening up. If you are looking for new places to sell online, check out these:

New Place to Sell Online: Michaels Marketplace

Michaels, the major craft retailer, is planning to launch the Michaels Marketplace sometime in 2022. Right now, If you are a high-volume seller of components, tools, or craft materials, you can fill in their online application for consideration. There will be no setup, monthly, or listing fees. It is also rumored that they may also allow people to sell their finished crafts on the marketplace as well.

New Place to Sell Online: Yahoo Shops

Yahoo Shops is expected to launch with roughly 50 sellers by the end of the year, with the ultimate goal to have hundreds, even thousands of sellers. For now, they want to remain small and invite-only, with the feeling of a boutique, where everything is handpicked. Therefore, you cannot submit an application, just hope that Yahoo finds you .

New Place to Sell Online: Lands End Marketplace

Lands’ End Marketplace had a soft launch in June 2020 with just 24 sellers. Now sellers span an assortment of categories such as footwear, home décor and intimates, alongside the full product range of the Lands’ End brand. They plan to focus on curating a smaller catalog of highly visible partner brands rather than an Amazon-type marketplace. If interested, you can fill out their online application.

New Place to Sell Online: Target Plus

Target Plus is an invite-only online marketplace featuring an exclusive, hand-picked selection of third party sellers and brands. Even though it is not new (it launched in 2019), a lot of people are not aware of it. They are accepting products in the categories of fashion, baby, beauty, entertainment, grocery, home, pets and personal care. You can fill in an application here.

New Place to Sell Online: Hudson’s Bay

After asking for applicants in the spring, the large Canadian retailer now has more than 500 small sellers offering products in categories such sports and recreation, tech, pets, health and wellness as well as vintage designer handbags and watches. You can fill out their online application here.

New Place to Sell Online: Simons

Simons is another large Canadian retailer who has a dedicated section on their commerce site just for artisans. They are looking for women’s and men’s fashions, jewelry, accessories, furniture, household items, art, kitchen items, toys, kids products, food products and beauty/ skincare. You can submit an application here.

  • Discover more places to sell online in my post, 50 Online Selling Sites.
  • Not sure how to drive more traffic to your online store or business? Check out my 12-Month Marketing Plan downloads, packed with tactics that work.
  • Need specific, one-on-one advice? Book a 30-Minute Phone Consultation with me.
  • This month, I’m even including a publicity pitch for FREE with every consultation call. I have written pitches that have gotten my clients featured in Real Simple, Apartment Therapy, House Beautiful, Vanity Fair, Houzz, Glamour, LONNY, DesignMilk, Emmaline Bride, Martha Stewart – just to name a few, so book your call today!new places to sell online
  • If you sell on Etsy, be sure to check out my best-selling 2021 Etsy Holiday Sales Planner that has tons of holiday selling tips, stats, top search phrases, planning pages and more.

 

 

 

© 2021 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. New Places to Sell Online.

5 Key Holiday Sales Tips

October 8, 2021 /

5 Key Holiday Sales Tips

Need some holiday sales tips?

The big holiday gift buying season is already starting, so here are 5 key holiday sales tips you need to know.

1. Start Your Black Friday Sale Now

I personally believe that this year’s holiday sales will be a mix of retail AND online because one of the biggest problems last year was the postal system was not prepared for the huge increase in online shopping.

As a result, many online stores had numerous customer complaints about packages not arriving in time for Christmas, even though the store themselves had shipped in plenty of time.

A lot of customers got burned by this, so they will either be shopping online MUCH EARLIER this year (way before Black Friday) or they will return to shopping in stores to ensure they have gift in hand.

This might be why Google searches for “Christmas gifts” have DOUBLED in the past week.

As such, I have been advising my ecommerce clients to offer their Black Friday sales as soon as possible, even now, and not make people wait until Black Friday. Even Amazon has already started.

The key is to let customers know this is the SAME OFFER you will be making on Black Friday, so if they are holding out for a better deal, there won’t be one. This way you get the early sales and not lose out to the bigger brands. So email all of your customers THIS WEEK with your early bird Black Friday offer.

2. Do Not Overestimate Demand

You might not want to base this year’s inventory on last year’s sales, since 2020 was an abnormality with retail shopping not being an option. Retail is not only back this year, but the number of online stores has also drastically INCREASED.

There are now 1.75 million Shopify stores, with 680,000 new stores opening in 2020. Etsy stores also increased from 2.7 million in 2019 to 4.3 million in 2020. On Amazon, 1.3 million additional sellers joined the marketplace last year.

So, I am advising my ecommerce clients to base this year’s holiday sales estimates on 2019 holiday sales to make sure they have enough in stock, but are not stuck with overstock, unless you think you can still sell your inventory for Valentine’s Day sales.

That being said, do DO NOT let Etsy listings get down to “1 in stock” or the listing will deactivate, fall out of search results and take forever to re-rank, and you will miss out on those holiday sales.

3. Fill Orders Quickly

Last year, a lot of Etsy shops had their shops temporarily put ON HOLD by Etsy, during the big Christmas rush, due to having too many outstanding orders. I am not sure what the magic number is before your shop is put on hold, but you will want to fulfill and close orders as quickly as possible, or else it could cost you days of valuable holiday sales.

4. Change Up Your SEO Game

You would be amazed at how many people search for Christmas gifts using the following adjectives: GOOD, BEST, COOL, THOUGHTFUL, HOTTEST, TOP, POPULAR, 2021, so incorporate these keywords into your holiday SEO. Discover hundreds more top holiday search phrases in my Best-Selling Etsy Holiday Sales Planner.

5. Up Your Social Media Game

If you want your business to get noticed on social media, try answering the Most Searched Google Questions in November, such as:

Or even just post the top searched recipes in November:

  • Pumpkins scones
  • Pumpkin bread
  • Hot buttered rum
  • Apple cider mimosa
  • Spiked hot chocolate
  • Thanksgiving leftovers

Always make sure that your shop url is on the post graphic!

Big Opportunity!

Last November, I wrote about Why Having Your Own Advent Calendar is an Amazing Marketing Tool. Well Etsy announced that searches for pet advent calendars have gone up 137% in the last 3 months, Google also shows that dog, beauty and kids advent calendars are breakout searches for the past 30 days. In fact, demand for advent calendars has DOUBLED in the last 4 years. Advent starts November 28th, so you need your advent calendar in your store today.

Book a 30-minute phone consultation with me to get personalized advice on how you can maximize sales this holiday season.


First time reader? Learn more About Me.

 

 

 

© 2021 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. 5 Key Holiday Sales Tips.

Common Mistakes Online Sellers Keep Making

October 1, 2021 /

I do many many phone consultations every day, and a lot of the same problems tend to come up. Therefore, I thought I would address a few of them, in case you are making the same ones. 

1. Thinking Traffic is Always the Problem: Many times online businesses come to me saying they are not getting sales, and they blame lack of traffic. However, when I look at their stats, I typically see that their traffic has actually increased, and it is their conversion rate that is low. If your sales conversion rate is below 1%, this is your problem. If you can double your conversion rate, you will likely double your sales without having to increase traffic. What you need to determine is what is causing your low conversion rate (and I can help you with that) and fix it. 

2. Pricing Too Low: Don’t be fooled into thinking people buy solely based on price. I have written about this so many times. Too low a price and people will think the quality is low as well. Also, too low a price and you might have priced yourself out of the gift market. For example, the average price spent on a wedding gift is $115, $200 for an anniversary gift, and $120 for a Mother’s Day gift. 

3. Not Zooming in on the Product in Photos: I can’t tell you how many times I see product photos where it looks like the person shot the photo from miles away. You want to crop in close on the product so that it stands out better in search results, and so customers can see the details. 

4. Not Including Store URL in Instagram Profile: Again, I will see an interesting product on Instagram, click over to the profile and there is no link to the store. The very last line in your Instagram profile is for you to add a direct link to your business, yet many sellers leave this blank. How do you expect anyone to find your shop?

5. No About Page: When buying online, especially from a small seller, people want to know who they are buying from. You need to have an About page with contact information (email, social media sites, etc.) and information on you and your background / experience. You have to use this section to connect with potential customers and tell your story, so that they trust buying from you.

6. Relying Solely on SEO: An SEO strategy should definitely be part of your overall marketing strategy, but not the sole strategy. Whether you are trying to optimize for Google, Etsy or Amazon, SEO is so competitive and greatly slanted towards advertisers. You want to have a marketing mix of SEO, advertising, content marketing, social media, publicity and promotions in order to drive the most traffic, and never be dependent on just one source. Something as simple as doing a giveaway on Instagram can bring you way more traffic and new customers than SEO.

More to Know
  • I was happy to be quoted in an article on Shopify’s blog called, How to Sell on Etsy.
  • While Etsy’s new collaboration with AirBnB is great, but it is actually an idea that I have been promoting in my 12-Month Marketing Plans for home goods and beauty products for a while now. Your local AirBnB market is a great opportunity for product sales or at very least, a potential free promotional opportunity to display your products in those AirBnBs who wish to do their part to support local.

 

 

 

© 2021 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Common Mistakes Online Sellers Make.

The Best Fall Theme Product Packaging Ideas

September 15, 2021 /

Fall Product Packaging Ideas

Need some great fall product packaging ideas

Did you know that searches for “fall gifts” has increased by 120% in the last three years, particularly house warming gifts? 

Needless to say, our love for fall makes it a big selling season. If you are a seller, either online or retail, it presents an opportunity. Simply by adding fall theme product packaging could help make the sale.

 

Fall Product Packing Idea: Candles

Simple packaging, such as using these elegant fall themed papers and simple twine with branded tag, elevate these pillar candles into the perfect housewarming gift.

Fall Theme Packaging

Fall Product Packing Idea: Candles

Swapping out your regular product label for a fall theme label is pretty easy to do. It is very affordable to purchase these types of customized fall theme labels on Etsy.

 

Fall Product Packaging Ideas

Fall Product Packing Idea: Scented Candle

Candles that come in fall themed containers, like this beautiful glass bowl above, again add more value and panache to your product offering and feel more gift-like.

Fall Theme Packaging

Fall Product Packing Idea: Serving Platter

Even simple packaging like a brown gingham ribbon and Kraft box still makes buyers think this is a fall gift idea.

The Best Fall Theme Product Packaging Ideas

Fall Product Packing Idea: Food

Even fall theme printed boxes, wrapping paper or orange tag and ribbon can do the trick in getting the gift idea across to the buyer.

Need More Marketing Help?

Need a marketing strategy tailored specifically for your business? Need more traffic and sales? Wondering if you are selling the right products or maybe you are just unsure what you are doing wrong. Maybe you just want to start selling online? I can help with any and all of these issues! Click here for more details on my phone consultations.

© 2021 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Fall Product Packaging Ideas.

My Simple Tip to Save Money on Product Packaging

September 6, 2021 /

how to save on product packaging small business packaging ideasI know a lot of small businesses want to make a big impression on their customers with their product packaging, as well as help build their brand. The problem is, it is an additional cost that is not always necessary. Now, I am not talking shipping packaging but product packaging.

For example, if I’m buying a gift for someone, then the packaging does matter to me because I care what my gift recipient thinks. However, if I am just buying an item for myself, especially online, the final product packaging doesn’t really make a difference to me, as long as it ships safely.

Now, if I am buying an item in person, as opposed to online, the product packaging can play a part in getting me to notice the product in the first place, and may play a part in how the store displays the product.

Therefore, if you are selling online, and you find your product packaging costs are really cutting into your profits, why not considering giving customers an option, but phrasing it in a way that makes it look like it is more of an environmental issue (which it really is as the US generates almost 80 million tons of packaging waste each year).

In the product’s drop down menu, consider giving the option of:

  • Item ships without Branded Product Packaging (we want to do our part for the environment)
  • Item ships with Branded Product Packaging

The “no branded packaging” option should obviously show a price that is slightly cheaper. Make sure to have product photos that show the two options, so customers are not caught off guard. You might be surprised at the number of people that go for the “no branded packaging” option, and it might also mean a lower shipping cost for you as well.

Cool Links

  • If you need to drive more traffic to your business, and have no idea how to market and promote it, my 12-Month Marketing Plans make it very easy!
  • Need a personalized business marketing strategy? Set up a phone consultation with me.

© 2021 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved.

7 Hot Product Ideas for Fall

August 10, 2021 /

Product Ideas for FallNeed some hot product ideas for fall?

In need of some fresh product inspiration for fall, the biggest buying season of the year? Here are seven products I found that I thought were innovative and served the needs of today’s consumer.

Product Idea for Fall: Uniquely Scented Candles

Searches for candles increased 35% last year, so the more clever the name of the scent, the more marketable it is, like these fall inspired candles from Anthropologie. If they are in containers in colors of the season, even better!

Product Ideas for Fall

Product Ideas for Fall: Halloween Countdown

Much like a Christmas countdown, this advent-style Halloween countdown calendar from Pottery Barn Kids allows you to place candy and small gifts in the pockets to get the kids excited about Halloween. Since a lot of kids didn’t really get to celebrate Halloween last year, this does make for a fun new tradition.

Product Ideas for Fall

Product Idea for Fall: Halloween Shape Pillows

Not your typical holiday theme pillows, these plush Halloween pillows from Pottery Barn actually take the shape and form of jack o’lanterns and ghosts.

Product Idea for Fall: Football Baby Hat

Fall is all about football, and this knitted football hat from MudPie is perfect for your little baby girl.

Product Idea for Fall: Pie Recipe Dish Towels

A great housewarming gift, these pie recipe dish towels from MudPie definitely mark the fall and Thanksgiving season.

Product Idea for Fall: Pumpkin and Candy Corn Earrings Set

If you can make Halloween theme jewelry a little more stylish, like this pumpkin and candy corn earring set from BaubleBar, then you will likely have a fall hit on your hands.

Product Idea for Fall: Candy Corn Dog Sweater

Anything holiday-related for your dog will always sell well, like this candy corn dog sweater from Mark and Graham. It will be even more popular if you can personalize it with the dog’s name.

How to Market Your Online Store

Marketing Strategy Plans TemplateEasily and affordably market and promote your small business with my sure-fire tactics, outlined in my 12-Month Marketing Strategy Plans, where everything you need to do is laid out for you, month by month. I have one for every type of shop. Download today!

About Me

As a long time marketing consultant who has been blogging about e-commerce since 2012, I advise, coach and mentor small businesses selling online.  I first got involved in e-commerce back in 2002, wanting to sell online a book I had written. After years of selling on Amazon I decided to take the experience I had in e-commerce, merge it with my professional marketing background and start a blog with marketing advice for small businesses selling online. My advice has been featured in the NY Times, Success Magazine, American Express Open Forum, Big Commerce blog, Business2Community and SheKnows to name a few.

 

 

 

© 2021 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. 7 Hot Product Ideas for Fall.

My Top Marketing Ideas for August

August 4, 2021 /

marketing ideas for augustAre sales a little sluggish? Need some marketing ideas for August? Here are a few things I recommend if you need to get things going for your small business this month.

August Marketing Ideas
  • If you’re a female-run business, pitch your success story now to your local newspaper’s business writer for any articles they are thinking of for National Business Women’s Day on September 22nd (they need a few weeks lead-time).
  • At very least, if you’re a female business owner, pose in a shirt with your business name on it, post the photo to your social media with the hashtag #nationalbusinesswomensday. Then ask followers to #like and #share for some free publicity. Also give a #shoutout to a few female businesses you support – maybe mine :).
  • Whether you sell online or in a brick and mortar, include a one-page holiday gift guide-type flyer for your business in every customer’s package, to get them coming back for those big Christmas sales.
  • Are any of your products a possible gift idea for a local business to gift to their employees and/or clients this holiday season? Then ready your pitch for early September as a way to get a few volume orders. Even if you are a service business, like a restaurant or travel agency, you can pitch gift cards or gift certificates for your business.
  • Did you know that “Labor Day sales” is the most searched sales weekend after Black Friday sales, and it accounted for $2.6 billion in revenue in 2020? So plan for an epic Labor Day Sale as a great way to clear out summer items and promote fall merchandise. Try something unique, like mystery boxes of products or other bulk purchase-type offers.
  • Fall is all about fairs, festivals and other Halloween and Thanksgiving events. So take advantage of your local market by seeing if there are affordable opportunities to advertise your business. This can be in flyers, signage and other marketing materials.

Easily and affordably market and promote your small business every month with my sure-fire tactics, outlined in my 12-Month Marketing Strategy Plans, where everything you need to do is laid out for you. Download today!marketing ideas for august

About Me

As a long time marketing consultant who has been blogging about e-commerce since 2012, I advise, coach and mentor small businesses selling online.  I first got involved in e-commerce back in 2002, wanting to sell online a book I had written. After years of selling on Amazon I decided to take the experience I had in e-commerce, merge it with my professional marketing background and start a blog with marketing advice for small businesses selling online. My advice has been featured in the NY Times, Success Magazine, American Express Open Forum, Big Commerce blog, Business2Community and SheKnows to name a few.

 

 

 

© 2021 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. My Top Marketing Ideas for August.

Tips for Getting Your Products in Holiday Gift Guides

July 15, 2021 /
holiday gift guide publicity

Holiday Gift Guide Publicity

Now is the time to be pitching to print media for inclusion in their holiday gift guides, due to their lead times. While appearing in a print gift guide might not have the immediate results that appearing in an online gift guide would, it does have its benefits. Being mentioned in a major print publication gives your shop instant credibility and can help if you are trying to get wholesale orders, as retail is taking off again.

This Year’s Tips
  • If you are a black-owned, Asian-owned, Latino-owned, LGBTQIA-owned or female-owned business, it will not hurt to mention this at the end of your pitch.
  • There is also still a big effort this year to support both local and nationally-based businesses, so mention your city, state/province and country as well.
  • “Personalized Gifts” was the top search on Etsy in November last year, so try to pitch a product that can be personalized with an initial, name, date, quote, photo, etc.
  • Family-oriented gifts (especially matching) will be popular this year, since many people didn’t get to spend last Christmas with their families. “Matching family swimsuits” is a top Google search right now (which could be people thinking ahead for the holiday photo) so think outside the box.
Gift Ideas to Pitch

Editors and writers also like it if you can position the product you are pitching for a certain gift category or recipient, such as:

  • Secret Santa, Stocking Stuffers, White Elephant Gifts
  • Gifts for Knitters, Sewers, Crafters, Bakers, Woodworkers
  • Gifts for Wine Lovers, Whiskey Lovers, Coffee Lovers, Tea Lovers, Chocolate Lovers
  • Gifts for Plant Lovers, Music Lovers, Nature Lovers, Gamers
  • Gifts for Dog Lovers, Cat Lovers, Bird Lovers
  • Gifts That Give Back
  • Gifts For You

Holiday Gift Guide PublicityMy Etsy 2021 Holiday Sales Planner has the names and contact information for 80+ writers who wrote gift guide editorial last year for major print publications and blogs.

Send out your pitches for print this week, and for blogs in mid-September.

About Me

As a long time marketing consultant who has been blogging about e-commerce since 2012, I advise, coach and mentor small businesses selling online.  I first got involved in e-commerce back in 2002, wanting to sell online a book I had written. After years of selling on Amazon I decided to take the experience I had in e-commerce, merge it with my professional marketing background and start a blog with marketing advice for small businesses selling online. My advice has been featured in the NY Times, Success Magazine, American Express Open Forum, Big Commerce blog, Business2Community and SheKnows to name a few.

 

 

 

© 2021 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Holiday Gift Guide Publicity.

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