Hey designers, 3dcart just announced a Template Design Contest on 99designs! In an effort to offer 3dcart clients more design options, we need 20-30 more templates from designers like YOU. Each accepted design receives an award of $250.
To get an idea of existing templates:
View our free template library here: http://www.3dcart.com/ecommerce-free-templates.html
View our premium template library here: http://store.3dcart.com/ecommerce-ready-to-use-templates.html
For more details on design guidelines (MUST READ), visit http://www.3dcart.com/template-guidelines.html
READ More About The Contest and Submit Your Template Design On The 99designs Contest Page!
When it comes to eCommerce design, every decision matters because aspect of your design impacts conversion…even the colors. Offline merchants have been using color tactics for centuries to lure customers in with advertisements or window displays so it makes sense that online merchants use color to influence the consumer too.
KISSmetrics published this interesting guide to the affect color have on eCommerce:
Puzzled by Pinterest?
Turned-around about twitter?
Stumped by stumbleupon?
Help us make this the best webinar possible by telling us what you want to learn!
This year make resolutions that matter! We challenge you to make 2012 the year you kicked PPC’s butt – the year you tripled conversions!
Here’s 5 resolutions tips to help you meet your 2012 PPC goal!
Show Off Your Numbers
Distinguish your text ad with specific numbers and descriptions. As soon as a user clicks ‘search’, they are innindated with thousands of results and hundreds of ads. I think it is fair to say most users feel a little overwhelmed.
In the sea of wordy descriptions, numbers stand out and can be reassuring to a user flooded with intangible adjectives.
- $5 Shipping In The US
- 25 Unique Designs Starting at $30
- 15% Off Purchases Over $100
- Quality Production Since 1975
What stands out? Obviously, the cost ($50) and number of options (25).
Tip: Create custom landing pages for text ads that promise specifics like the above.
While numbers are great, they are sometimes hard to pin down concretely because of seasonal and inventory variables. So what do you do if your minimum price or inventory change throughout season?
Google’s Ad parameters allows you to use dynamic keyword insertion (DKI) to change your text ad based on what people are looking for check out our post on how to use DKI here.
The number of online shoppers keeps increasing, as well as the frequency of which they do so with 38 percent making at least one online purchase per month! And that’s not just a US trend, eCommerce is a global force! Online retailing breaks down the barriers of the brick and mortar world creating a virtual international market. To get a feel of just how global ecommerce truly is, check out this infographic by Kyle Anthony Miller,
With Santa’s sleigh and your store’s sales, there is little time for keeping up with eCommerce news during the holidays. So if you weren’t able to sneak a peak at your favorite publications between wrapping gifts and selling them, here’s 5 stories you may have missed:
Online Shopping Spiked 16.4% On Christmas Day, 7% Of Purchases Were Made On iPads
A growing number of shoppers apparently need only the briefest of breaks before diving back in, especially if they can log in to shop.IBM found that online shopping jumped 16.4 percent on Christmas Day over last year, and the dollar amount of those purchases that were made using mobile devices leaped 172.9 percent.
The Globalization of eCommerce in 2012
The growing number of US- and European-based companies that ship internationally will see revenues increase from these markets, but will start to hit a language ceiling: Close to two-thirds of online consumers in both France and Germany, for example, agreed with the statement, “I only shop from websites in my native language.” In the UK, the percentage is close to three-quarters. 2012 will not be the year that eCommerce organizations blanket the globe with localized offerings – they will, however, continue stepping into international waters.
5 Effective Online Marketing Tactics for 2012
Marketing techniques that worked in the past may be far less successful in this emerging era of mobile devices, personalization, and social media. What follows are five suggestions for potentially potent marketing tactics for the coming year. These are not wholly new techniques, but rather ones that could grow in importance and effectiveness in 2012.
How to Give Online Shoppers Confidence in Your Website
Over 60% of website visitors are more likely to buy from a site that posts information and details about the management of a small business.” So those About Us pages should be more than an afterthought.
Zen and the Art of Good Web Design
“Clean” design doesn’t have to be boring. And one of the fastest ways to distinguish your blog — minimalist or otherwise — is to inject your personality with a few strategic design decisions.
According to InternetRetailer.com more than 2,300 merchants are taking part in today’s celebration of Free Shipping Day – including some of our own 3dcart stores! If you are one of the thousands of online shoppers looking to make a few last minute holiday purchases, shop at one of the participating 3dcart stores to nab some sweet shipping savings!
Are you a 3dcart store who is joining in on the free shipping fun? Leave us a comment or reply to our free shipping thread on Facebook and we will add you!
3dcart Free Shipping Directory
MilkSmartMama.com is offering free shipping for all US purchases!
Mylittlelegs.com is also offering free shipping for all purchases!
Giftpens.com is offering free shipping on orders over $69!
Preemiestore.com is offering free shipping for orders $25 and over!
elegantweddingsplus.ca is also offering FREE shipping to all orders shipped to USA!
vedante.3dcartstores.com is offering fre ground shipping on orders over $25.00 (with coupon code: holiday) now through Dec. 31.
MagicTricks.com offers free Priority Mail shipping on ALL U.S. orders over $50- year round!
Thetshirtexchange.com is offering free shipping with the code:FREESHIP!
Weatherequipment.com‘ is offering FREE shipping to USA on orders over $50 – through the end of the year!
Camoyourdear.com is offering free shipping on USA orders!
(PRLEAP.COM) To enhance shipping for small and midsize customers,OrderCup today announced a tight integration with leading ecommerce software provider 3dcart to provide a hosted shipping management service that handles shipping, order tracking, returns and more through leading carriers USPS, UPS and FedEx.
OrderCup offers a simple, easy to setup, affordable and customizable solution for 3dcart customers that manages the entire shipping process end-to-end, without signing up for supplemental services. Additionally, through OrderCup, 3dcart customers gain access to many value added services like discounted postage and insurance, free address validation and returns processing. You can visit the following link to learn more about the key capabilities provided by this integration.
“OrderCup automates administrative tasks like sending order tracking information to the customer, handling returns if needed and managing split orders, saving time and money for 3dcart customers,” said 3dcart CEO Gonzalo Gil. “With the holiday season approaching, OrderCup will greatly ease the shipping burden for online merchants.”
Because the service is web-based and fully integrated, customers can easily generate and print shipping labels for product returns through an online store, helping build brand loyalty and return customers-especially around the holidays. The rest of the feature set is equally simple to use for online merchants.
“As a trusted leader in ecommerce, 3dcart gives us the ability to expand our target audience and reach a community of more than 10,000 online merchants looking to bring greater efficiency to their businesses,” said OrderCup CEO Aloke Nath.
To learn more about how OrderCup can help 3dcart customers streamline their shipping operations, visit http://blog.3dcart.com/streamline-shipping-like-the-pros/
Can you believe that it was only 150 years that the first transcontinental telegraph was sent? Wow, it just shows how far we’ve come and how FAST! For online merchants, cloud computing isn’t A PART of business, it IS business!
Check out this infographic by Salesforce on illustrating our expedition in communication technology .. all the way to the cloud!
‘Abandoned Cart’ - the words are enough to send chills down a merchant’s spine.
Every online retailer fights the good fight of skittish shoppers and abandoned orders. But when merchants arm themselves information on WHY customers click off without checking out, they can win the battle!
Here’s what we know:
- The average conversion rate for ecommerce websites is anywhere between 1-2%
- The average shopping cart abandonment rates is around 60-70%
- A study conducted by PayPal and ComScore found that 45% of consumers abandoned carts more than once with an average abandoned order of $109.00
- 37% of consumers abandoned a shopping cart because of comparison shopping.
- 27% abandoned a shopping cart to search for coupons
- 24% abandoned because they wanted more payment options
- 22% abandoned because were not able to easily find contact information for the merchant
Knowledge is power, but without action that power fails to pack a punch. Here’s some easy fixes that will help you convert higher:
Reach Out
If most cart abandoners are repeat offenders, catch them before their second round. Set email auto-responders to reach out to customers who have abandoned their cart reminding them of their cart AND offering a coupon.
Be Bold
Savvy shoppers will comparison shop. No way around it. If you feel that you REALLY are the best deal in town or that you offer the best value ( price, store security, loyalty points etc), be bold. List your competitions prices and explain how you are the best deal.
Show them the coups’
Customers don’t like to play hide the coupon. Display the actual coupon or a link to the coupon page on the product page as well as the check out page.
Tip: List ALL coupon codes and corresponding items on the checkout page. Unable to resist a good deal, savvy shoppers will add additional items to their cart.
Be Flexible
Don’t let payment options stand between you and a good deal. Check out 3dcarts 100+ payment solutions.
Don’t Hide
Be easily accessible.Give customers all options of communications: phone, fax, email, livechat – maybe even your Skype name. Display contact information at the top of the pag – every page.
Image credit: sascian.blogspot.com
