The classic saying, “If you build it, they will come,” unfortunately does not apply to e-commerce sites. Millions of e-commerce sites are accessible on the internet, but unless you’ve directly contacted prospective customers and informed them of your site, they probably won’t ever know it exists. Therefore, e-commerce sites need well-developed marketing plans and carefully targeted investments that are aimed at increasing site traffic. A strong search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy to attract customers to your site is also a necessity. In this final part of our three-part series, we explore the common mistakes that new e-commerce sites make in creating and implementing their promotion and marketing plans.Mistake #1: Inadequate Planning
How will customers know that your site exists? How will they know when it is functional? And unless you offer something truly unique, why will customers opt to visit your site versus that of your competitors? If your business does not have a plan in place to answer these questions, then your site may never have a chance at success.All e-commerce sites should have a plan for attracting website visitors, whether that includes advertising, direct mail, promotions or marketing through industry associations. Identify complementary sites on which your companies advertisements would generate interest in your products. Evaluate whether a banner-ad, product placement, or pop-up ad would be most effective. Also, locate industry association sites where you can post press releases, make announcements, or place links to drive customers to your site. Also, consider conducting a promotion within your first few months of business that rewards buyers with a future discount if they refer friends and family members to your site.Mistake #2: Little Focus on Market Targeting
Unless you have the capital to become the next Amazon.com, focus your time and energy on a particular market niche or segment. Your entire marketing plan, site design and investment should be directed toward this target audience. The product mix that your site offers should reflect the tastes and desires of this audience, and your promotional messaging and site design should be based created for this audience.Without a specific target, your e-commerce site will be vague, unfocused, and ultimately unsuccessful.Mistake #3: Low Marketing Investment
Without a doubt, the upfront investment needed to create and operate an e-commerce site is less than that needed to open a brick-and-mortar store. But don’t underestimate the initial investment required to develop a successful online business.Most e-commerce sites allocate the majority of their funds to the technical side of the business and ignore other aspects of their company, like marketing and staffing. As we discussed in part two, it is critical to have an adequately sized customer service staff to respond to customer inquiries and orders. It is just as important to allocate funds to marketing, enhance link building, implement a thorough advertising plan and budget, and ensure that customers are driven to your site.Mistake #4: Poor Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Strategy
Many new e-commerce sites decide that an SEO strategy isn’t important, or think that they can put it off for a while. However, a well-developed SEO strategy should be a large focus of your business plan. Failure to implement an SEO strategy means that customers will not find your site, will not browse your products, and will not purchase what you are selling.Identify keywords that potential customers will search for when trying to find your product. Research and study the keywords and phrases that your target market is using to search for your items, and integrate them throughout your site. Do not assume that the words you use to describe your products are the same words that your potential customers are using. Your SEO strategy should be developed early on in the site-planning process, so that keywords can be incorporated accordingly into your website content.In this three-part series, we have explored the common mistakes that e-commerce sites make, from poor planning to confusing navigation and inadequate order fulfilment. The internet gives customers millions of options for online shopping, but common mistakes such as these ultimately determine where customers spend their dollars and which online business will succeed. Develop a strong business plan, follow this guide, and you’ll be on your way to running a successful e-commerce site.
Common Mistakes in E-Commerce – Part 3 of 3 – Promotion & Marketing
Pharmacy Technician Course – New Pharmacy Profession Opportunities For You
Pharmacy technician course it’ s a great chance for all the students that want to embrace a career in pharmacy but do not want to go on with their studies with a post secondary intensive learning course. A pharmacy technician course may have many recognition types. As a result, the basic stage is equal to a 6 months instruction program and scholars who attain this short-term course gain a certificate. The following stage encompasses generally twelve months preparation course, and its completion is in the end rewarded with a certificate.The superior stage for an accredited pharmacy technician course is in fact an associate’ s degree and its completion calls for a 24 month training program. A pharmacy technician course may vary in accordance to on-campus study or web-based study or any other distance preparation program. Accredited preparation must be your primary target when you would like to get certified as a pharmacist. After graduation, your accomplishments will be rewarded with a bachelor’ s diploma, and if such be the case with a master’ s diploma in pharmacy.A pharmacy technician course is a subject of great interest for many students. This training is absolutely reckoned due to monetary factor, to the increasing opportunities on the labor market and to the flexible attendance elements. A profession as a pharmacy tech could be the appropriate option for you. The most important responsibilities of a pharmacy tech are: the sale of drugs and pharmaceutical products, office duties, database operations and other. It’ s not so easy to execute these tasks, but with professional preparation courses you will be able to do it.As it is has been earlier stated, aspiring technicians may either take the first step with on-the-job preparation, or with an accredited pharmacy technician course. The first selection is quite limited, because pharmacists generally credit better proper accredited instruction. The pharmacists which already attended a formal pharmacy technician course are familiar with the technical terminology. The accredited preparation program already took charge of their lab and medical practice (they should be capable to calculate a sure amount of chemical substances using the proper technology). Additionally, the scholars are taught how to handle clients. It is essential to pay attention to the legislation regarding the pharmaceutical field. That is why, certified pharmacy technician course provides the necessary information on how technicians should deal with ethical issues and to avoid legal problems.Certification in this activity is optional, but successfully enhances your chances for promotion and for upper monetary compensation. The Pharmacy Technician Board and the Institute of Certification of Pharmacy are 2 institutions in US that offer certifications for the aspirant pharmacy techs. This activity demands permanent preparation, as the drug market enhances permanently its provide. A pharmacy tech course is as well intended to improve the essential skills for young aspiring pharmacy techs. If you consider that a career in pharmacy is interesting to you, get informed and choose the course that suits you best.
Nutrition Certification Programs in a Nutshell
Find Nutrition Certification Programs in the United States and Canada. If you enjoy a healthy lifestyle and would like to share your innate skills on leading a healthy life, then enrolling in any one of several nutrition certification programs will give you cutting-edge knowledge in eating nutritious diets to promote overall wellness and longevity.There are a variety of specialized training opportunities like holistic nutrition or sports nutrition; however, most nutrition certification programs include basic studies in biology (human, plant, animals, etc.), anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and chemistry. Other subject matter involved in nutrition certification programs are studies in nutritional assessment, preventive nutrition, digestion, metabolism, macrobiotics, soil ecology, herbology and biochemicals, herbs, vitamins and minerals, among others.Nutrition certification programs vary in course duration, and may be offered at a more advanced level for the established medical professional or more introductory for the novice. Typically, most nutrition certification programs run from 26 weeks to 72 weeks.Additional therapies that are sometimes integrated into nutrition certification programs include natural healing modalities like applied kinesiology, Ayurvedic medicine, aromatherapy, naturopathy, homeopathy, and other massage therapies.As a supplementary study, students participating in nutrition certification programs will gain essential education in prescription drug and nutritient interaction, and how adverse effects of these interactions or lack thereof (vitamins, minerals) can affect body functioning. Subsequently, many nutrition certification programs teach students about food allergies and how to identify these sensitivities and manage health through customized diets.Graduates of nutrition certification programs should know that the vast majority of the United States requires licensure, certification and/or registration. Once candidates have fulfilled all educational and training requirements, they can advance to becoming professional nutritionists or dieticians, where they can work in a variety of healthcare settings including hospitals, family practices, or other health-related facilities. Earnings vary, however experienced nutritionists have the potential to earn well over $63,000 annually.If you (or someone you know) are interested in finding nutrition certification programs, let professional training within fast-growing industries like massage therapy, cosmetology, acupuncture, oriental medicine, Reiki, and others get you started! Explore career school programs near you.Salary source: Bls.gov (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)Nutrition Certification Programs in a Nutshell© Copyright 2007The CollegeBound NetworkAll Rights ReservedNOTICE: Article(s) may be republished free of charge to relevant websites, as long as Copyright and Author Resource Box are included; and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN intact and active.