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22 Questions to Ask Before You Use Any Shopping Cart System
Many seasoned professional speakers agree that you can make more money selling your knowledge in the form of products than you can speaking. You can use traditional methods to sell products such as direct mail, catalogs and advertising. However, if you have a great online presence, the entire world is your marketplace at a fraction of the cost of most traditional methods. To easily sell to this worldwide marketplace, you need a great shopping cart system. Choosing a shopping cart system is perhaps the most important single decision you'll make in your online marketing career. This is because: You're stuck with the decision for a long time. If you buy into a system that isn't adequate, it can cost you money--big money- because it won't maximize the amount of money spent by each visitor. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of off-the-shelf, free and alternative products out there vying for your money, time or both. And most of them are junk. Don't suffer like I did I learned the hard way. When I started on the Internet I couldn't find a decent shopping cart program, so I took one that was highly recommended by my ISP (I now know the only reason they suggested it was because it made them the most money. They didn't care if it was the best one for me or not). What a headache! The system wouldn't do anything but take the order, but you had to have a PhD in computer science to work on it. Here are 21 questions you absolutely, unfailingly must ask anyone trying to sell you a shopping cart. If you don't hear positive answers to the majority of these questions, put your wallet back into your pocket and evaluate the next option. Don't get stuck with a crappy shopping cart, even if they give it to you free. If you have a poor shopping cart, get rid of it. I know that hurts, because you may have spent lots of time and money getting it going, but a bad one will cost you many thousands of dollars by waiting to replace it later rather than sooner. Oh, and one more thing: if you hear the shopping cart programmer answer one of the questions below by saying, "Well, we could make it do that," run away even faster, because you're going to get stuck with a big custom programming bill with no guarantees that the cart is going to work the way you expected. Every question below is very important when it comes to having a quality shopping cart system that gets more money out of the same number of visitors. 1. Will it calculate shipping and tax? 2. Does it handle specialized shipping like FedEx and UPS? 3. Will it automatically deliver hard goods and soft goods (e- books and other digital products) in the same transaction? 4. Does it offer customizable "Return to Shopping" pages without needing custom programming? This is important so you can send your customers to the most likely product they will buy next. Standard carts just send customers back to the main catalog, which forces them to search for related products. This is both irritating and time-consuming. Any delays in finding what they want could mean a lost sale, when they finally throw their hands up in disgust and move on to your competitor's site. 5. Does it offer customizable "Thank You" pages based on what the customer just bought? These are pages where savvy marketers put affiliate links and other offers specifically related to the customer's interests. When a customer clicks on one of these links and buys something from someone else, you get a commission. 6. Does it deliver receipt and confirmation e-mails automatically? The customer wants to know immediately that the order went through. If he or she is unsure, you are going to have to field many wasted e-mails and phone calls letting the customer know everything is OK. 7. Does it allow multiple order and dropship e-mails? In many cases, several different people in your organization and/or outside your organization need notice of an order. Again, you don't want to have to do this manually. 8. Does it have a Web-based administration page so you can work on your cart from any computer that has Internet access? 9. Does it include encryption technology and a secure server? Many companies make a fortune by sucking you in with a cheap or free cart and then make money on selling you an overpriced secure server. 10. Does it deliver easy output to your accounting software? You want to be able to import and export data easily between the cart and whatever programs you have that need to share the customer and sales information. 11. Does it have its own associate/affiliate program or is it easily compatible with other major brands of associate software? An affiliate program lets other people promote and sell your products on their Web sites. You don't pay them unless they sell something. When I tried to get an associate/affiliate program to work with my old cart, it cost me six months of down time and untold amounts of money lost because it wouldn't work. The associate program people blamed the shopping cart people and vice versa. But ultimately I was left holding the bag. 12. Does it have integrated up-sell modules? The ability to offer more related products to customers making a purchase makes me a small fortune each month. We call it, "Do you want fries with that?" If you don't have this ability, you are leaving many thousands of dollars on the table from people who would have spent more if your cart just gave them the chance. 13. Does it have an integrated sales and prospect database? In the old days I would have to print out orders and then retype them into ACT or some other database program. A good shopping cart system eliminates all this hassle and potential for error and gives you instant access to your sales reports and clients. 14. Does it have broadcast e-mail capability? Good shopping cart systems are able to manipulate your customer database instantly and send e-mails to any segment or sub-segment of your clients and handle unlimited e-mail magazines. Again, in the old days I would have to be genius enough to pick out segments of the database, export them to a file, import them into a mail program and then an hour later send the darn e-mail. Now this is all done in a few seconds. 15. Does it have mail merge capability? The e-mails sent are personalized to the recipients in any number of ways. Their names can be popped in to the subject line and in various portions of the body of the e-mail. You can merge "what they bought," "when they bought," "where they live" or just about anything that will make them feel the e-mail was just for them. Virtually all studies show that mail merge gets a much higher response than plain broadcast e-mail. 16. Can it handle coupons and other discounts? You can make a deal with Joe Blow that everyone coming from his Web site gets an automatic discount -- either a percentage or dollar amount. This makes Joe look great to his visitors and makes more sales for you. Here's a secret: Joe is your affiliate and makes money on the sale too, so he's got a great incentive to keep your discounts and coupons in front of his visitors. Good shopping cart systems can automate all of this and also handle any quantity discounts you offer. 17. Can it work for multiple Web sites with no extra fees? When I first started I had to get a separate (and expensive) license for each site and a separate merchant account too. Not only was this a great deal of expense, the hassle with installation every time you wanted a new site to go up was enormous. Modern carts can sell bras on one site and bibles on another, and no one knows the difference. The carts run on their own servers so there is no expensive installation and set-up is immediate. 18. Does it have unlimited and fully integrated "sequential" autoresponders? This is one of the most powerful features when it comes to Internet marketing. This feature follows up automatically over and over again to your clients and prospects to provide them customer care and to sell them more products and services. You can even provide free or paid e-mail courses, and each part of the course is delivered automatically. 19. Does it have ad tracking tied into actual sales? Simple ad tracking can be had all over the 'Net, but it is pretty much worthless unless it is tied to actual sales. This is called the "conversion ratio." Your cart system should be able to tell you how many people clicked on a particular promotion and how many people bought. This is the only way you can determine if an ad paid off. Good carts will also automatically split test one of your sales pages against another and tell you which page sells more. You keep the page that sells more and get rid of the page that sells less. 20. Does it have a pop-up box builder? Even though many people hate popup boxes, they work. I use them judiciously to make all kinds of offers, and I have the sales figures to prove they get more money out of the same number of people. If you know how to use them properly, no one gets upset. 21. Does it have a printable off-line order form? Believe it or not, many people are still afraid to put their credit card numbers into a Web site. I still get lots of fax orders and phone orders. If you want to maximize your sales, your cart must take these kinds of orders easily. 22. Does it provide free training? You'll need training in both the basic set up of using your shopping cart and determining your online sales strategy, so that you maximize the amount of money spent by each customer. You may not understand what all the above questions mean right now, but I can assure you they are important in putting more money into your bank account. If you want to know even more about this subject, you can download a free e-book, How to Pick a Shopping Cart System That Makes You Money at www.public- speaking.org/ebook.htm. What shopping cart system do I use? I have my own private label called www.KickStartCart.com. www.netaim.info http://www.netaim.info/bios/tom.htm
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news Myanmar's Suu Kyi to get family letters, news mags (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Detained Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has managed to wring small concessions from the ruling generals in the form of letters from her family and some international news magazines, her lawyer said on Friday. JCDecaux in talks for News Outdoor Group in Russia (AP via Yahoo! News) French outdoor advertising firm JCDecaux SA said Thursday it is negotiating to buy Russian rival News Outdoor Group from global media company News Corp. News Corp tightens grip on Premiere with new CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Rupert Murdoch tightened his grip on German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere by appointing News Corp executive Mark Williams as CEO in a move to get the company back on track. SEC Looks Into UAL Stock Scare; Implications For Online News? (CBS News) A ton of digits have been devoted to this in other spots but the SEC's decision to investigate takes it to another level. The backstory: a six-year-old news story about UAL declaring bankruptcy made it into the Tribune-owned Sun-Sentinel 's current news flow, was picked up by a Google (NSDQ: GOOG) News bot and, via a reporter for a newsletter, made it onto Bloomberg News. After a lot of buck ... JCDecaux and News Corp. in talks to combine outdoor ad groups (International Herald Tribune) The News Corp. chief executive, Rupert Murdoch, has recently expressed nervousness about investments in Russia, where News Outdoor generated the bulk of its revenue last year. Asia Markets: Financials in rally mode, as Lehman news helps (Market Watch) Asian markets advanced early Friday, with financials such as Mizuho Financial Group and Macquarie Group rallying after a rebound on Wall Street and on news Lehman Brothers was looking for a buyer. SEC Looks Into UAL Stock Scare; Implications For Online News? (paidContent.org via Yahoo! Finance) A ton of digits have been devoted to this in other spots but the SEC's decision to investigate takes it to another level. The backstory: a six-year-old news story about UAL declaring bankruptcy made it into the Tribune-owned Sun-Sentinel's current news flow, was picked up by a Google News bot and, via a reporter for a newsletter, made it onto Bloomberg News. News Corp says Mark Williams interim Premiere CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News) News Corp. executive Mark Williams has taken over as chief executive of German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere in an interim capacity, News Corp. said after the move led to renewed takeover speculation. News Corp. says Mark Williams interim Premiere CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Mark Williams, a News Corp. executive named late on Wednesday as chief executive of German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere, has taken over in an interim capacity, a News Corp. spokeswoman said on Thursday. JCDecaux in talks to buy News Corp. billboard unit (AP via Yahoo! Finance) In a deal that would create the world's largest outdoor advertising company, French conglomerate JCDecaux SA said Thursday that it is in talks to buy Russian rival News Outdoor Group from global media company News Corp. Site: news - Google News Palm Shares Soar As New Smartphone Wins Wall Street Praise - CNNMoney.com
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for affiliate revenue Top 1,000 Shoppers Will Share in 25% of Total Site Profit/Revenue (PRWeb) Top 1,000 shoppers will share in 25% of total profit generated by epricesearch.com. Internet entrepreneur Kevin Adams of Dallas, Texas provides a fundamentally better way for consumers to shop. A new website set to change the way internet advertising revenue is distributed by giving a large portion back to the shoppers/members. (PRWeb Sep 11, 2008) Read the full story at ... Top 1,000 Shoppers Will Share in 25% of Total Site Profit/Revenue (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) Top 1,000 shoppers will share in 25% of total profit generated by epricesearch.com. Internet entrepreneur Kevin Adams of Dallas, Texas provides a fundamentally better way for consumers to shop. A new website set to change the way internet advertising revenue is distributed by giving a large portion back to the shoppers/members. AsiaTiv Offers White Label Affiliate Program for Travel Partners (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) AsiaTiv.com, a highly popular hotel reservations portal offering a lowest rate guarantee, has announced that it is now taking an even more active role in its goal of helping its clients to succeed by providing a high-performance room reservation system built on a foundation of flexibility and scalability through a new affiliate program offering fully managed white label services. Fitch Rates $90MM ThedaCare, Inc. (Wisconsin) 2008 Bonds 'AA-'; Outlook Stable (Centre Daily Times) Fitch Ratings has assigned an 'AA-' underlying rating to approximately $90 million of Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority revenue bonds, series 2008, issued on behalf of ThedaCare, Inc. (ThedaCare). Additionally, Fitch assigns an 'AA-' underlying rating to approximately $175 million of outstanding revenue bonds issued on behalf of ThedaCare. The Rating Outlook is Stable. Fitch Rates $123.270MM Oklahoma Capital Improvement Auth State Facilities VRDBs 2006D 'AA-/F1+' (Centre Daily Times) Fitch Ratings assigns a rating of 'AA-/F1+' to the $123,270,000 Oklahoma Capital Improvement Authority state facilities revenue bonds (Higher Education Projects) multi-modal variable rate demand, series 2006D, consisting of: Fitch Rates NCMC's (Colorado) $55.5MM Revs 'A+'; Outlook Stable (Centre Daily Times) Fitch Ratings has assigned an 'A+' underlying rating to the Colorado Health Facilities Authority's approximately $55.5 million hospital revenue bonds (NCMC, Inc. Project) series 2008A&B. The 2008A&B bonds are expected to sell via negotiation during the week of Oct. 14 and will be issued as variable-rate demand bonds backed by a letter of credit. In addition, Fitch has affirmed the underlying ... Fitch Confirms Intermountain Power Agency VRBs, Ser 85E & F Maturing 2014 & 2015 'AA-/F1+' (Centre Daily Times) Fitch Ratings confirms the 'AA-/F1+' rating assigned to the Intermountain Power Agency (IPA) variable rate power supply revenue and refunding bonds, 1985 series E maturing July 1, 2014, and variable rate power supply revenue and refunding bonds, 1985 series F maturing July 1, 2015. The confirmation of the rating is in connection with a substitution of the standby bond purchase agreement (SBPA) ... Fitch Rates Indiana Municipal Power Agency's 2008A $30MM Rev Bonds 'A+'; Outlook Stable (Centre Daily Times) Fitch has assigned an 'A+' rating to Indiana Municipal Power Agency's (IMPA) $30 million power supply system revenue bonds, series 2008A. Fitch also affirmed the 'A+' rating on IMPA's $1 billion of outstanding parity power supply system revenue bonds. The 20-year fixed rate bonds are scheduled to price Sept. 25. Proceeds from the series 2007A bonds will fund capital improvements to IMPA's ... Fitch Rts $397MM AZ Health Fac Auth Revs (Banner Health), Series 2008 E-H 'AA+/F1+' (Centre Daily Times) Fitch Ratings assigns an 'AA+/F1+'rating to the following series of Arizona Health Facilities Authority revenue bonds (Banner Health) $124,195,000 weekly rate securities: Fitch Rates $90MM ThedaCare, Inc. (Wisconsin) 2008 Bonds 'AA-'; Outlook Stable (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance) NEW YORK----Fitch Ratings has assigned an 'AA-' underlying rating to approximately $90 million of Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority revenue bonds, series 2008, issued on behalf of ThedaCare, Inc. . Site: affiliate revenue - Google News A Detailed Look at the Ties Between MLB, MiLB, and Independent Leagues - The Biz of Baseball
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