99 Tips for Poor Web StartUps from Aviva Directory

Posted on January 11th, 2007 by thetshirtnexus.
Categories: Marketing.

This a lengthy article so you might want to read it in spurts. I haven’t finished reading it all myself but there is some good solid advice here. I noticed Text Link Ads, which I had mentioned in a recent post is also in there.
Tip o’ the Hat to my friend Jean for sharing this bit.

1 comment.

Cyber Monday Myth But Self Fulfilling Prophecy?

Posted on November 27th, 2006 by thetshirtnexus.
Categories: Marketing.

Cyber Monday has been good but not spectacular for me as a shopkeeper, how was it for you?

According to Wikipedia and a few other resources I was reading on the web, Cyber Monday started as a marketing gimmick. It may turn out to be a self fulfilling prophecy though for some retailers who choose to offer great deals today designed to draw customers in.

For the rest of us, our biggest order day is expected to be between December 5th and 15th.

No complaints from me :)

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1 comment.

Reading Your Customer

Posted on November 20th, 2006 by thetshirtnexus.
Categories: Marketing.

Mysterion the Mind Reader Picture by miss rogueInteresting article from CNN Money on companies which exist to “read minds” by essentially looking at correlations and data.

Good to browse through even if you can’t do this for your own shop you can keep this in mind when setting up your store and design sets.

Link to article.

Photo at left from miss rogue’s flickr set.

0 comments.

Beta Version of the Tips and Tricks Shop - A Graphic Designer’s and Entrepreneur’s Library

Posted on November 18th, 2006 by thetshirtnexus.
Categories: Marketing, Showcased Posts, Design.

From Tips and Tric…

I’ve set up a shop with my recommended books and software for a graphic designer’s library and for a t-shirt entrepreneur’s library. I’ve included some gadgets as well based on things I personally own and added my own personal notes to each item.

You might want to leave a link to the shop lying around in case someone needs help doing Christmas shopping for you!

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0 comments.

The McDonald’s Post - Post Script

Posted on November 16th, 2006 by thetshirtnexus.
Categories: Marketing.

So I mentioned how I got the initial $10 because my post was picked. But it seems I will also get $2 because someone used my referral (Thanks Heidi!).

This apparently does not show up right away in one’s PayPal account like the first payment does but will come at the end of the “Conversation”.

Still, it all seems legit and I’m up $10 already :)

Link to the original McDonald’s post.

0 comments.

4 Lists for Getting Your Shop Ready for the Holidays

Posted on November 1st, 2006 by thetshirtnexus.
Categories: Marketing, Website Tips.


Yep, it’s that time already, Halloween is just over but you need to get your shop ready for Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa!

CafePress Tips
CafePress has already put up their tips on this handy Holiday Prep page. They have a lot of information including a “4 Day Program” guide which includes these topic highlights:

  • The right keyword can lead shoppers straight from a search engine to your shop
  • Target the Traffic
  • Add your top-selling merchandise to your shop for the Holiday season
  • Group your merchandise and shoppers will love you for it
  • Top Ten Holiday Products
  • Tag your images with words that work
  • Dress up your shop for the Holiday rush

5 Mistakes that could ruin your holiday sales
From Microsoft Small Business:

  • Betting too heavily on discount pricing.
  • Spending too little on advertising.
  • Marketing to some customers and not others.
  • Overlooking feedback.
  • Forgetting last-minute shoppers.

Last Minute Site Fix Ups
About.com gives us 5 tips for Last Minute Site Fix Ups

  • Use e-mail or themed e-mail newsletters to offer gift ideas to your current customers.
  • Offer Gift Certificates
  • Offer a discount or promotion for several items if purchased together (i.e. robe, slippers, and pajamas).
  • Discount items that aren’t selling well.
  • Make shipping info easily available.

TnT for TsE’s List
What I’ve already done:

  • Set up some SEO (Search Engine Optimization) terms on my sites
  • Sent out Pre-Holiday Newsletters with hints that shopping time is coming around and a coupon code
  • Purchased offline advertising

What I’ll be doing next:

  • Updating my Google Base feeds
  • Sending out a Christmas themed newsletter
  • Setting up/tweaking online advertising campaigns
  • Following up on PR opportunities

What I’ll do in December and What I’ll do, time willing:

  • Adding Holiday themed decorations to my shops
  • Sending out another newsletter with shipping deadlines
  • Reaching out with grass roots marketing (message boards, etc)

How about you? What have you got planned? Will you be running with any of the ideas listed here?

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0 comments.

McDonald’s Money Making Post - Follow Up

Posted on October 26th, 2006 by thetshirtnexus.
Categories: Marketing.

Well, it’s official. I have been paid to blog. I have $10 in my PayPal account because of the promotion. I haven’t seen any referral money (the second way you can benefit) but knowing that they did follow through on the “$10 if your post is picked promise” is reassuring.

They are still seeking posts if you’d like to try it for yourself. The link to the program is in the “widget” at the bottom of my original post on the topic if you missed it.

0 comments.

eComXpo Has Started

Posted on October 24th, 2006 by thetshirtnexus.
Categories: Marketing.

eComXpo

I almost forgot about this, having signed up so long ago.

eComXpo

It’s a virtual conference and floor show, you can watch presentations and explore the “floor show” where you can chat live with representatives from many companies, and get free goodies. Last time I attended I got $50 worth of free clicks from Yahoo’s ad network. There are also a lot of prize giveaways and a chat lounge for attendees.

While attending the expo you can still surf around and use your computer as you normally would, literally right now I am typing this while listening to the second keynote of the day about Google Analytics. Presentations are available after the show has ended but you need to pay to access most of the presentations.

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0 comments.

McDonald’s Monopoly Game and a Money Making Post

Posted on October 23rd, 2006 by thetshirtnexus.
Categories: Marketing.

McDonald's Monopoly

This post could alternatively be called, “Procrastination Can Lead to Strange Things”.

First, the back story. As most of you reading this probably know, I recently went on a road trip to attend CafePress Connect, a conference in San Francisco. On the way there I ate at McDonalds and took a cell phone picture meaning to talk about their Monopoly promotion. I didn’t get a chance to send it but it turns out it’s come in handy anyway.

Why? Two reasons. The first is now I can say what I meant to say then… McDonald’s Monopoly promotion, dispite having some problems, is their most popular promotion. I think it’s a great example of how a successful campaign taps into a shared theme. In this case, who among us has not played Monopoly? Who has not had the thrill of collecting all lots in a certain color group?

Heck, this promotion is so far reaching that when my friend and I arrived at my brother’s in San Francisco we talked about the promotion and he was saddened that I hadn’t remembered to take my pieces off the table after taking my picture so I could give them to him!
What does that mean for us T-shirt folks? Well it means go out and spend big bucks to tie into Monopoly! No. It means, go out and partner with McDonald’s because they are brilliant! Probably still not in your budget. But really, it means, tap into what your customers cherish in their childhood. Playing monopoly while eating my fries sure took me back. Though I must say I appreciated my chicken sandwich option which wasn’t available back then.

On to reason two of why the picture has come in handy. I’m sure you have noticed the widget in this post by now. It is a “Conversation widget”. If you join the conversation and also blog about McDonald’s I will get a referral fee, I believe I will also get money just by writing this blog post if it gets featured (one of the requisites is having a current picture from McDonald’s). Talk about another interesting promotion! Blog about McDonald’s, get featured in the widget and see what others have posted, and get money. Sounds a little snarky doesn’t it? Well it’s all “transparent” as you can see so to me this is better than folks posing as bloggers but really being ad folks. On my end, I’m just going to take advantage of the opportunity since I’m already procrastinating going to bed. We’ll see if it does as well as their Monopoly deal.

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4 comments.

Offline Promotion… Literally

Posted on October 12th, 2006 by thetshirtnexus.
Categories: Marketing, Offline Promotion, CP Connect.

When you have an online store does it do any good to do offline promotion?

Come on, you know the answer to this right? The old, “it depends”.

In the case of this trip and this picture, I already had a ready made sign which I’ve used at conventions so it wasn’t much effort and no additional expense to prop it up on the back of my rental car. We drove from Southern California to Northern California, a drive which has folks passing and repassing each other quite often. How many people saw it? Not sure, there wasn’t much traffic (thank goodness!). Will it generate tons of sales? I doubt it.

So in this case I’d say my OffLine promotion was worth it but the equation was.
0 Expense + Very little effort
- Versus -
Small Chance of Benefit

A side effect on this is, I have a picture to blog about, so bonus for me!

I believe that for stores that only have an online presence, a good portion of your time and money is best spent online where you know you are reaching pre-qualified folks. Meaning, they at least have a way to get online and the skills to browse around.

I do think that offline promotion opportunities should not be ignored though. Again, it’s time to think about your customer. Where are they? If they are not online then go find them offline.

Also, be aware of opportunities. They may present themselves in places you haven’t thought of before. More on that during my Niche Shop Panel Discussion ;)

2 comments.