My review of BigCommerce

For the past several months, I have helped some of my customers host their eCommerce with BigCommerce and for what they offer, I find it to be a good deal.

You can find online reviews about Big Commerce versus other hosted platforms but here is my take on them:

Pros: 

• Ease of Customization:
  For even the average person, you can use their templates and make it your own with or without knowledge of html or php. However, their templates in my opinion "look" like templates and I highly recommend the use of a designer or webmaster to at least customize your front page to make it look more like a unique website.
• SEO Marketing:
  They have put lots of thought into making sure your site is search engine friendly and have some marketing strategies built into your store at no extra cost. However, there seems to be a problem or two recently regarding the Google Base feed.
• Integrated Apps:
  One of my favorite would be the integrated Facebook app that is included in your hosting package. They also offer free of charge a mobile version of your website however, even with a paid subscription both apps say hosted by BigCommerce.
• NO Transaction Fees:
  None. Zilch. Nada. Some people will prefer this to added functionality.

Cons:

• Customer Service:
  As customer service goes, I have found some quick response times on some matters but when your site is down or an upgrade messed something up and that happens to fall on a weekend or after hours, you are out of luck. Being that they are a younger company, possibly trying to maintain their growth and expansion by cutting back some support hours. Some people would prefer a 24/7 customer support.
• Options:
  When I say options, I mean product options also known as variations. Much progress has been made for product options but they still need to work on it if they want their platform to appeal to everyone. If you have a highly customized product with multiple options of personalization, you will have to hire a "scripter" to help display your products without endless and redundant option boxes.
• Sales Team:
  I found that the sales team does its job of selling you their product and might even fib a little to get you hooked. Make sure you take full advantage of the 15 Day Trial and know before you start up a store that their solution is perfect for you.

VERDICT:

I have no problems recommending Big Commerce as a whole. It is very important to discuss with your webmaster or designer all e-commerce options available to you. They are currently rated #3 in TopTenReviews.

If you want to know if BigCommerce is for you, let me know. I offer many eCommerce platforms and solutions and am sure to find the right one for your needs and pocketbook.

How about it?

So here in "9 months of winter land", it seems Summer has finally arrived and I can't tell you how excited and happy everyone I meet is lately. Truly something to be said about fun in the sun.

Today's little business blog is about customer service report cards. Everyone knows that your business is only as good as the service you provide. Good customer service is vital to the longevity and growth of your business whether that is online or by store front.

So how is your customer service? When someone emails you a question, how long is the average wait time for your response? Do customers prefer emailing or calling? Study after study still shows people prefer the phone for service issues.  Part of our "Instant Gratification" generation can't help it, but what about our younger generation who would rather text away then pick up a phone? I can't help but think they have less patience then we have already because I am a mother of a teenager, and I have somehow arrived at that conclusion.

So if you want to be in business or already have a business, don't forget to look at how you are doing with your customer service. Building loyalty and brand awareness starts with your most excellent service.  Make sure to post your business hours on your website and have a section dedicated to your store policies.

E-commerce for established businesses has become a given over the past few years and for some, customer service is in need of a wake-up call. Everyone can benefit through the ability to easily service customers in remote areas but not everyone knows how to. You can't please everyone 100% of the time but a good customer service report card builds loyalty, positive outcome and continued sales.

Are you looking to expand your business online with e-commerce? I would be glad to tell you about some awesome choices available to you. Call or email me for a free consultation. It doesn't hurt to ask!

E-Commerce... Can You See the Forest through the Trees?

Ever wonder how expensive it would be to have an online store?

I suppose there are a myriad of answers depending on who you talk to however, I am here to tell you that you can do it!  Business doesn't just come by itself as most of you entrepreneurs may already know.  I don't believe there is one magical success theory that applies to everyone.  So with that in mind, AnchorWebb would love to consult with you to explore your options.

I have many different choices for you and will tell you your best options and how much effort and costs you are looking at.  I have several ecart solutions for the do-it-yourself enthusiasts as well as serious turn-key e-commerce that starts at $24.95 per month. Consultation is free by appointment only.

In this electronic age where even books have become a digital media, you can best bet that your chances of capturing new and repeat customers will continue to grow via this new electronic media. Smart phones make it easy to buy that pre-paid phone refill card or flowers for mother's day.  Why not help your existing customers by simplifying their purchase power and at the same time, reach out to new customers. Even if you are a local business only, you would be amazed at who surfs the net to find their next hair dresser or pet supply store.

Being tight and on a budget should not scare you away from exploring your endless possibilities.  Pick up the phone and call me for a free consultation at 916-550-8057.

Viral what you say????

When you hear viral, you think virus such as the flu or that dang virus that killed your computer and somehow propagated itself to all your friends and family… Those kinds of viral/virus have no problem infecting you, in fact, they are sneaky little bastards that are hard to get rid of.

Viral marketing describes a promotional strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a message to other people.

This creates the potential for exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence, with people 'infecting' their friends and loved ones before they even know what they're doing.
So don’t panic, viral marketing is not a communicable disease, it’s more of a word-of-mouth strategy via the internet.

There is definitely some good and bad to this strategy. I personally don’t like my emails inundated with unsolicited stuff that I am suppose to pass on to the next 15 people at risk of being cursed for the next 3 weeks.  I do however enjoy subscribing to blogs or websites that have super deals or special upcoming events. 

Take a look at HOTMAIL, their viral campaign worked great! They offer free email accounts and generated a huge subscriber base without spending a whole bunch of money on advertising. (though it brought me millions of junk email too)

Perhaps your business could use a little viral marketing. Give me a call if you are interested and let’s see what we can do to spread a little viral marketing of your own.

Suzanne Carreau (AnchorWebb.com)
916-550-8057

Reach Out and Advertise, I say...

So here I am, trying to figure out what would be the best way for me to advertise and I came to the conclusion that I drive around a whole bunch, so why not use my car?

My budget does not allow the really neat looking car wraps and I honestly think that is just a bit too much for me but check them out at CAR WRAPS.

What I was thinking about was either one of those magnet car clinger or using my back window. Those magnet things are inexpensive but they are removable and I don't think I would be happy to see that someone played a trick on me and removed it permanently for me... so, I choose the back window.

My back window always gets dirty because of the way this car is designed, so this will make me keep it clean! Take a look at these guys who make custom or template rear window Graphics at SIGNAZON. Yes, this is where I am going to spend some advertising money.

So in the near future, you will be seeing my car with a really cool rear window advertising AnchorWebb. 

Does time really fly or does it just run away?

Sometimes you want to keep your schedule and other things get in the way of this. Thankfully, this past week's hiccups have not been completely unproductive. For those of you who have also come down with a cold or illness, I hope you all get better soon.

Today Bret's Plane website has been updated and continues to grow as he builds it. He welcomes any comment or contact you wish to send his way!

Stay Tuned for ...

Easy Living Senior Home requested a website facelift. They have such a lovely place in Lemoore, California and need to show it off a little. They loved the green scheme which I borrowed somewhat from their brochure and developed a user friendly site with a little more design flair to it than their pre-existing one. So stay tuned for their website launch some time next week.

Befit for Life has come to me wanting to develop a simple business presence online. In the past, I have helped them with AV Yoga Spa (no longer online) and they are happy return customers. I am developing a Joomla! website for them so they can eventually update their own content as they grow. So stay tuned for their website launch in the next couple of weeks!