I developed Bridge Network, an e-commerce platform, that is not included in this article. Here are some things I have learned over the last 20 years of e-commerce development:
1. The article’s ranking criteria includes themes and templates. I believe you don't need an assortment of templates to have a functioning (or successful) e-commerce site. Just look at ...
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July 21, 2019
July 21, 2019
I believe that offering greater online selection is increasingly important in retail.
Greater selection is important for many reasons including:
1. Giving shoppers more choices. More choices lead to more sales.
2. Helping stores be more competitive. Shoppers know that big online retailers like Amazon offer millions of products, and thereby millions of possible price points and features. Offering something similar is the natural route to get those orders back from Amazon.
3. Boosting a ...
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July 17, 2019
July 17, 2019
What is your abandoned cart rate? This and other factors arose in a shipping survey conducted by BigCommerce.
Some survey findings:
+ Fifty-eight percent stopped shopping certain retailers because of a negative shipping experience.
+ Amazon Prime has set a high bar with free two-day shipping. In the past 12 months, 84 percent of global survey respondents made an online purchase specifically because it offered free shipping, and half said they avoid shopping with retailers that don’t offer free ...
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First read:
There are millions of indie stores in the world who don’t get to succeed online. They get ripped off by web designers and coders, pay more in local taxes than big tech companies, don’t have access to cheap money from Wall St. (like big tech companies), and can’t protect themselves from hackers looking to steal credit cards. They are prevented them from running their business, helping their customers, and servicing their communities. Due to these expenses and ...
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June 26, 2019
June 26, 2019
I’m just back from the Dallas show. I met with some wonderful people from the mart and they’re ready to go digital.
In general, I’m seeing that more market buildings are finally taking digital seriously. Why are they finally doing so? Because Amazon is nipping at their retailers heels? Because Zola is stealing the indie store’s registry business? No. Sadly, the main thing that brought the markets up to speed on the weather outside is: their own livelihood. Faire, a startup tech company ...
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June 16, 2019
June 16, 2019
Business lunch: how retail is changing :)
Old retail is 80% analog. This consists of: the physical store, staff, customer service training, etc. What you’d expect walking into a Saks or Macy's. And it's about 20% tech: computers, cash registers (POS systems), mobile shopping, Google ranking, apps, hiring social influencers, Instagram, etc.
Today, the retailers that are well positioned, growing, and 'hot' carry the opposite equation: they're 20% analog and 80% tech.
Friday, July 12, 2019
Location: Skyros Showroom / AmericasMart
Wish to grow your gift registry business?
Join Skyros Designs and Jason Solarek for drinks and a free seminar. Jason Solarek will show you 7 free steps to grow your registry business.
Friday, July 12th 5 - 6 pm Skyros Designs Showroom Building 2 / 9th Floor / Suite 919 (next to the escalators) AmericasMart Drinks and lights snacks will be served Cost: Free
Why attend? • Retailers with gift registry services report selling 13% more. • Two million weddings will occur in the U.S this year. • The average ...
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June 7, 2019
June 7, 2019
Smaller margins are here for many businesses in many industries—not just tableware. Recently, a sales rep balked when I suggested its stores take a haircut on margins. Yet, I believe big money tech players are forcing these cuts and upending traditional profits—leaving stores with little other option. From media (see today’s AT&T article) to advertising (Facebook, goggle) to transportation (Uber, Lyft, Tesla) to gift registries (Amazon, MyRegistry, Zola), big money-backed tech companies are the...
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May 17, 2019
May 17, 2019
According to Google, Bridge is helping indie stores beat big box stores in the gift registry SEO race. In a study of searches by state, Bridge ranked above Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Dillards in Google's results.
Bridge conducted this study by using Google 'Incognito Mode' to search for: South Carolina Gift Registry Alabama Gift Registry Georgia Gift Registry
In the attached Google results screenshot, I’ve highlighted Bridge's stores in green, Target in orange, Dillard's in purple, and Bed ...
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May 11, 2019
May 11, 2019
The Michael Aram Goldsmith Collection is an homage to the simple beauty of the metal forger's craft. Hammertone techniques have been a cornerstone in jewelry and metal crafting for millennia, and each mark bears silent testament to the skill of the craftsman. The Goldsmith Collection of fine porcelain strives to capture the random and organic feeling of this age-old process. The porcelain is also designed to integrate perfectly with any of Michael Aram’s other dinnerware patterns.
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Thursday, June 20, 2019
Thursday, June 20, 2019
Location: Dallas Market Center
You're Invited...
Join us to learn the 7 secrets to growing your gift registry business.
Why Attend? • Sell 13% more ~ Retailers offering a gift registry service report selling more. • Two million weddings will occur in the U.S this year. • The average gift ...
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April 15, 2019
April 15, 2019
Are Indie Stores 'Digitally Poor'?
There are millions of indie stores in the world who don’t get to succeed online. They get ripped off by web designers and coders, have to pay local taxes unlike many Amazon sellers, don’t have access to cheap money from Wall St. like Amazon.com, and get attacked by hackers looking to steal credit cards, all factors which prevent them from running their business, helping their customers, and servicing their communities. Because of these expenses and obstacles, ...
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April 10, 2019
April 10, 2019
Does your brand have a high 'digital IQ'? Gartner shares that 62% of brands that deal with B2B have a low digital IQ.
Excerpt: "B2B companies have historically relied on manual and in-person methods to market and sell their products. Those include connections made at trade shows, tried-and-true sales team relationships, and channel partner agreements that have been in place for eons...[sic] Manufacturing brands must dramatically advance their digital competencies to keep up with massive shifts in ...
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April 8, 2019
April 8, 2019
We are delighted to be featuring the beautiful photography of Kathy K. Mills at Oh Kay's! Her stunning photography of Rio Grande Valley nature and wildlife, along with other special items such as canvas tote bags, beach bags, note cards, and pillows will be here now through April 20th. Come see us!
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March 24, 2019
March 24, 2019
Happy to see Diane Seidle’s lastest strategy article in Tableware Today below. Speaking of hashtags, Bridge created its own ‘$tag’ to similarly offer quick access to product info. Type a dollar symbol “$” before a SKU and the specific item will magically appear below your Chalk.
Tableware Today:
WHAT'S YOUR HASHTAG STRATEGY?
Just in case you’ve been living off the grid for a year or more, a hashtag is simply a word or phrase behind a pound sign. When you use a hashtag that word or phrase becomes ...
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March 21, 2019
March 21, 2019
Happy to see Diane Seidle’s lastest strategy article in Tableware Today below. Speaking of hashtags, Bridge created its own ‘$tag’ to similarly offer quick access to product info. Type a dollar symbol “$” before a SKU and the specific item will magically appear below your Chalk.
Tableware Today:
WHAT'S YOUR HASHTAG STRATEGY?
Just in case you’ve been living off the grid for a year or more, a hashtag is simply a word or phrase behind a pound sign. When you use a hashtag that word or phrase becomes ...
Read More
March 8, 2019
March 8, 2019
Kroger is spending millions on its digital operations yet keeping prices the same.
Kroger is buying startups and building private labels. Both expensive investments.
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February 23, 2019
February 23, 2019
“Wayfair reports it spent $196 each on its 3.6 million new customers this year. Customer acquisition costs have an adverse effect on the company's bottom line.” ~ CNBC
I looked up the above information after reading in today’s WSJ that Wayfair reported an increase in active users to 15 million—but it’s still spending amost $200 to acquire each new customer. Wayfair, which has negative cash flow (debt?) of $137m, appears to be open to exiting its predicament by selling itself to a larger retail ...
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February 19, 2019
February 19, 2019
Know a stuffy brand whose sales are flat? Well, maybe they did what Tod’s did. Tod’s is now on the defensive as it tries to recoup market share. It didn’t launch new products often enough, didn’t do limited editions, didn’t host events, and overall underfunded its marketing.
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February 5, 2019
February 5, 2019
For Retailers: Good news: the wedding registry season is here! Consider these facts:
1. This year 2.5 million weddings will occur in the U.S. That's 2.5 million potential gift registries for your store. :)
2. Amazon, Zola, and Crate & Barrel make millions from gift registry purchases. You will, too.
3. The average gift registry purchase is $142, and the average registry receives over $1,000 in gifts.
4. The online gift registry business is the one spot where indie stores are winning online.