Social Media Tips for Online Marketing

Many businesses have primarily focused on getting listed in Google for no reason other than to drive Google’s search traffic to their own Web space. Social media is no different — businesses are looking to leverage social media traffic to help their own sites and brands. Not all businesses need a Facebook page or a blog to promote and advertise on the popular social media sites. In fact, you might do better simply by making your own online presence social media-friendly and let your users carry your product through to these places instead.

Learn more about social media marketing in this Webopedia Did You Know…? article.

Traceroute and Ping: What’s the Difference?

When data is sent over the Internet, it’s sent in small blocks of data, called packets. Messages are divided into packets before they are sent, and each packet is then transmitted individually and can even follow different routes to its destination. Once all the packets forming a message arrive at the destination, they are recompiled into the original message.

Sometimes when you are trying to send or receive data over the Internet you may experience timeouts, or a Web server may be down, which prevents you from accessing services and Web sites. There are two common programs that can be used to test your Internet connection and even help you diagnose congestion between your computer (your ISP) and the destination server you’re trying to reach. The programs you can use are called Ping and Traceroute.

The Difference Between Traceroute and Ping
By Vangie Beal, February 13, 2009

E-Commerce Marketing on Facebook

As the social network phenom Facebook turns five, we show you the steps to take to create ads and fan pages for your e-commerce business.

Facebook is aware that e-commerce site owners may want to capitalize on Facebook traffic, so they allow members to create free Facebook Business pages or pay-per-click advertising campaigns.

Leveraging Facebook business options can provide a new channel for your customers to interact, and at the same time help you acquire new customers as your Facebook fans spread the word about your business to their friends.

In this Facebook how-to guide, we will show you how to use two of the business solutions offered by Facebook. First, we’ll walk through the steps you need to take to create your own Facebook Business Page (also called a fan page) and then discuss the tasks involved in creating a Facebook Ad campaign, which can be used to send visitors to your Web site or new Facebook Business Page.

How-To Guide: E-Commerce Marketing on Facebook
By Vangie Beal, February 5, 2009

How To Create a Facebook Group

Facebook Groups are pages that you create within the Facebook social networking site that are based around a real-life interest or group or to declare an affiliation or association with people and things. With a Facebook Group, you are creating a community of people and friends to promote, share and discuss relevant topics. The types of groups people can join on Facebook are seemingly endless. Here are step-by-step tips for setting up your own groups.

How To Create a Facebook Group
By Vangie Beal, January 22, 2009

Ruby Lane is a Gem for Online Antique Sellers

Ruby Lane’s design is impressive and the site truly translates the experience of visiting an antiques market or fair to the online world. It is a trendy online forum that offers buyers a chance to purchase highly coveted items, such as glass, furniture, jewelry, dolls and many other types of sought-after collectibles —surprisingly, at decent prices as well.

As a new shop owner on Ruby Lane you will notice some very big differences between this marketplace and other online selling venues. To start with, Ruby Lane is a stickler for making sure that sellers are honest and provide accurate listings to buyers. Actually, a seller cannot even do business here unless they have at least a 50-item inventory. In addition to the store minimum, Ruby Lane screens all shop owners and sets quality-focused guidelines for sellers.

For example, a listing may not use the word “antique” unless the item is at least 100-years-old, and while sellers can include up to nine photos with each item, you may have to provide very specific photos, depending on what you list. Citing the vintage watches as an example, Pekarek said that a seller is required to not only show a picture of the watch face, but they must include a very clear image of the back which shows the manufacturer’s mark and other pertinent details to authenticate the item.

With Ruby Lane experts randomly checking listings to ensure shop owners maintain accurate listings, the site is able to offer buyers a site-wide return policy. Any buyer can return a purchased item within three days for a full refund. This is first worked out through the shop owner, and if needed, Ruby Lane ensures the refund is given to the buyer — something that almost no other eBay alternative offers.

Ruby Lane is a Gem for Online Antique Sellers
By Vangie Beal, February 12, 2009

How-To Guide: E-Commerce Marketing on Facebook

As the social network phenom Facebook turns five, we show you the steps to take to create ads and fan pages for your e-commerce business.

“Leveraging Facebook business options can provide a new channel for your customers to interact, and at the same time help you acquire new customers as your Facebook fans spread the word about your business to their friends.

In this Facebook how-to guide, we will show you how to use two of the business solutions offered by Facebook. First, we’ll walk through the steps you need to take to create your own Facebook Business Page (also called a fan page) and then discuss the tasks involved in creating a Facebook Ad campaign, which can be used to send visitors to your Web site or new Facebook Business Page.”

How-To Guide: E-Commerce Marketing on Facebook
By Vangie Beal, February 5, 2009

Microsoft Explorer Mouse with BlueTrack Technology Review

Microsoft says its new flagship mouse’s glowing blue bottom is the key to better tracking and higher precision than any optical or laser mouse has offered to date. Vangie Beal throws her mouse pad away to test the company’s claim that BlueTrack works on virtually any surface: Denim? Tile? Skin? Carpet? Kleenex? Lego? Read the full review on HardwareCentral.com.

Microsoft Explorer Mouse with BlueTrack Technology Review
By Vangie Beal, December 1, 2008

December E-Mail Marketing Tips

Cyber Monday’s over and we’re officially in the count-down to the holidays. We provide five timely tips for e-mail campaigns, among them, target those tardy male shoppers.

“In December, you will really want to pick up the pace as we get closer to the final shopping days. Normally, subscribers might start clicking their spam button due to the frequency of some e-mail newsletters, but for online vendors, this month is the one time of year when you can send more e-mails out and not get blacklisted by subscribers. Right now subscribers really want those promotions and shopping deals. In December, you should focus less on branding and more directly on products in your inventory.”

December E-Mail Marketing Tips
By Vangie Beal, December 2, 2008

Understanding Router Settings

Here is a list of many common broadband wired and wireless router settings and a description of what function it performs. It is important to remember that the exact names of different settings and options will differ, depending on your router manufacturer and the device’s firmware. However, most will have similar settings and options.

By Vangie Beal, November 21, 2008
Webopedia.com

Tealeaf Offers Insight to Mobile Customer Behavior

For e-commerce business owners who want to capitalize on the m-commerce trend, Tealeaf offers analytics for the growing mobile shopper base.

“With this mobile user information, e-commerce business owners can then determine any bstacles in the transaction path, gaining a better understanding of trends; such as changes in conversion rates, dropped shopping carts and spikes in customer service calls. They can gain insight on why these issues are popping up, regardless if the customer is using a desktop or mobile platform.”

Tealeaf Offers Insight to Mobile Customer Behavior
By Vangie Beal, November 26, 2008