Today, giants define our world. A few big companies like Apple, Facebook, and Google shape our social lives, curate how we consume information, and influence what we buy. For the most part, this isn’t a bad thing: these titans offer wonderful products and services that make our lives better andContinue Reading
There’s a frustrating truth every business deals with early into its growth. To reveal that truth, I’ll start with a song title by hip-hop legend, The Notorious B.I.G.: “Mo money, mo problems.” The Notorious B.I.G. is literally saying “more money, more problems.” And although this hit song doesn’t dive intoContinue Reading
You’ve heard the term “break even.” It’s a popular way to describe a time when you spent exactly as much money as you made. “We gambled $200 at the casino and won $200, so we broke even.” But in a business context, it’s not that simple. Your break even pointContinue Reading
Direct-to-consumer companies cater to people’s desire for simplicity. They eliminate the hassle of researching brands and choosing from hundreds of options, making shopping practically effortless. D2C brands manufacture, market, and distribute their own products without using middlemen, which enables them to reduce costs, interact directly with consumers, and provide aContinue Reading
When you first start a business, you’re laser-focused on the quality of your product — polish the idea, build it, rebuild it, test it, go to market. Money doesn’t matter much yet. You might have initial funding, but all of it goes to research and development. But when that productContinue Reading
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a stunning product picture is worth a thousand website visits. I don’t have data to back up that statement (yet). Nevertheless, product photography can become this valuable to your ecommerce website strategy. According to Trellis, 51% of Americans with internet access preferContinue Reading
In 2012, J.C. Penney stopped promoting sales and offering coupons. Instead, they advertised new “everyday low prices” — which seems like a pretty good idea, right? Except, in 2012, sales for J. C. Penney actually dropped 25%. J.C. Penney found they actually made more money when they raised the pricesContinue Reading
Big brands realize they need so much more than a picture and description to sell products. They’re all about selling a lifestyle, and that means bigger, better content is needed to engage shoppers. If you’re not sure what that looks like, or how you can use creative content in yourContinue Reading
Ecommerce is predicted to account for 17% of all U.S. retail sales by 2022. As ecommerce grows, so does competition, making it hard to differentiate your website from everyone else’s. It isn’t enough to have a one-of-a-kind product: to attract your ideal audience — and more importantly, to turn thatContinue Reading
It used to be that Snapchat was seen as a platform geared mostly toward teens and pre-teens. But over the last several years, Snapchat has added features and made changes that have helped to move it into a much broader space. No longer is it a niche photo-messaging service — it’s becomeContinue Reading
Before the internet was more widely available, your business may have relied on printed directories, such as the Yellow Pages, to be found and discovered by new customers. The greatest likelihood someone would call you over your competitors was if you paid for larger print ad placements, or if your brand’s nameContinue Reading
There have been plenty of predictions for the commerce industry in 2016. From drones and year round same-day delivery, to AI and wearable technology woven into our everyday fabrics. Google, Amazon and the like have all made strides in these arenas, but outside of those technology behemoths, 2016 has been a relatively slow shopping year from the point of view of retailers.