Curt Anderson, Author at Ecommerce Management Education

B2BTail.com

Feb 2 2020

Seeking Soulmates: Does Your Website Attract Dream Customers?

Seeking soulmates.

Isn’t that basically the goal or function of a business website?

Most websites play the role of matchmakers in some capacity or another.

Not in the sense of an actual date, but a website matches you with a solution to the problem you face at that moment.

For example, searching for clothes, a vacation, a restaurant, the latest news, or whatever crosses your mind at that moment?

Google has your back and matches you with the best search result (big eye roll from every SEO guru out there).

Amazon used to match you up with the perfect book. Now, Amazon matches you with basically anything and everything from A-Z.

Uber finds you a ride when most needed.

Airbnb finds you a couch to crash on.

Seeking cool videos? Head over to Tik Tok and “Make Your Day”.

The list goes on.

Think of your favorite website.

It most likely matches you with an article, product, service, an answer or a solution.

So as a business, in particular a manufacturer, does your website successfully play matchmaker?

Are you being paired up on exciting dates?

Are you finding the perfect match?

In other words, are you finding Soulmates?

Not to the movies or dinner.

Soulmates in the sense of connecting with that coveted dream customer.

Let’s discuss further.

Seeking Soulmates

What is the reason for a business website?

In one word, attract customers.

Ok, that was two words but you get the point.

Hopefully, your website attracts new customers that help grow your business.

Especially those ideal dream customers.

I like to refer to those ideal customers as “Soulmates”.

You know the type. Those coveted clients who would completely change your business.

For comparison, where does a single person find their Soulmate?

Especially for those who possess an insane schedule?

No social life and not into the bar scene? What to do?

Well, online dating is now the norm.

It’s almost surprising when a new couple meets outside of an online dating site or a social media platform.

The negative stigma of online dating is a thing of the past.

According to the statics portal, Statista, 30% of 18 to 29 year olds currently use a dating website with an additional 31% used a dating site in the past.

Online dating allows you to explore the personality traits, passions, interests, and hobbies of a potential partner.

It’s wonderful when you hear a friend or relative live out a wonderful success story by finding a companion and love interest on a dating site.

Online serendipity.

Well, what about your website?

Does your website currently help you connect with Soulmates?

Soulmates: The First Date

You have one chance to make an outstanding first impression.

With your website, you only have one chance to make that great first Webpression.

Let’s compare a first date to someone landing on your website for the first time.

So you are heading out on a first date.

You need to impress. It’s showtime. That first date typically gets the best you.

At least that is the plan if you hope for a second date.

Most first dates are not first thing in the morning when you wake up.

You probably would not go on a date straight after a killer workout either without freshening up or a complete makeover.

So what actually goes on before a first date?

Plenty of hard core preparations take place before a first date.

Guys will drop and knock off a few push-ups and sit-ups for last second physique improvements.

Shower. Deodorant. Cologne or perfume. Hair done perfect (well not in my case). How do the nails look?

Find your most appealing outfit. Dress for success. What is success? Hopefully a second date.

Find that shirt that brings the most confidence. Describes your personality.

Fresh breath. Nothing on your face or in your teeth.

Is the car cleaned?

What if that date ends up back at your place?

How do you feel? Do you feel squeamish?

Are you prepared? Is everything picked up? Tidy? Organized? Will they be impressed?

Let’s change gears and look at your website.

In the same fashion, if your soulmate is just about to land on your website, are you ready for that first date?

For example, let’s say a buyer at a Fortune 500 company is searching for the exact product or service that you provide.

Especially since you would completely WOW them if you connected face to face.

However, is your website up to the task?

Does your website provide enough information and reveal that you are truly a potential Soulmate?

As you take a hard objective look at your website, ask this question: Would you want to date YOU based on your website?

In other words, would you do business with you after looking at your website?

Does Your Website Make You Look “Soulmate Worthy”?

Does your website create a “love at first sight” experience?

If you are too broad on a dating site profile, you spread your net out too far.

In other words, you will most likely have little success in landing a date or find yourself on many dates that lack chemistry.

Well, the exact same process works when a customer searches for a new supplier or vendor.

They seek a partner who aligns with common goals.

Soulmate characteristics include:

Reliability
Trust
Common Values
Experiences
Strengths
Successes
Kindred Spirits

Business Date Traits to Attract Soulmates

So, instead of hobbies, interests, and goals that a dating profile would list, you need to state all of your attractive business date traits such as your vast experience and expertise?

Below includes a list of date traits to attract Soulmates (that you need to be displayed on your website):

Staff
Core Capabilities
Machinery
Tools & Equipment
Industries served
Testimonials
Case Studies
Resource Guides
List your Products & Service
eCommerce

Furthermore, you need to explain your value to the market as well as demonstrate how customers benefit by partnering with you.

A strong online presence and an eCommerce strategy both show that you deliver superior quality as well as high level solutions.

A thoroughly prepared website allows the opportunity to show that you help increase the profitability of your customers as well as make their business better. Dramatically better.

Make sure your website clearly and concisely demonstrates the problems you solve.

Blow them away like it’s your first date.

The bottom line, your website needs to reveal that your business is so darn lovable that Soulmates (customers) simply cannot live without you.

Wrapping It Up

Thanks for reading this post. I deeply appreciate it!

For additional info, check out these helpful posts:

Curt Anderson 0 Comments

Entreprenuertude

Nov 29 2019

“I’M DIVERSIFIED!” No, Actually You’re Doing Five Things Horribly

Are you Diversified?

Hopefully, you are a much better multitasker than I am.

Diversification does not agree with me at all.

Case in hand, walking and chewing gum at the same time is a huge challenge for me:

Well, I have a funny story to share with you on my disastrous plan of being “DIVERSIFIED” where being told how “Horrible” I was turned into brilliant advice.

It goes back 20 years ago to the year 2000 (time sure flies when you’re having fun).

Entrepreneurtude

First, what does it take to be an entrepreneur?

You need a trait that I refer to as “ENTREPRENEURTUDE.”

As an entrepreneur, you need a determined and relentless attitude.

Tenacity! Thus, ENTREPRENEURTUDE.

Unstoppable confidence, right?

Unfortunately, that confidence can sometimes lead to trouble.

Overconfidence creates delusion. Cloudy decision making.

Well, I am a recovering delusional entrepreneur (probably not fully recovered).

“I’m DIVERSIFIED” = Train Wreck

As an entrepreneur in 2000, truth be told, I was an absolute train wreck.

I was decent at growing sales……unprofitably though.

My running joke looking back, no one sold a dollar for $.97 better than me (do the math on that one).

Unless you sold your dollar for $.96, no one was going to beat me at $.97.

Impressive, right?

I found out the hard way that there is no guarantee of scaling your way to profitability.

However, I had a DIVERSIFIED business.

I had developed 5 separate sections of the business.

In 2000, I owned a wholesale business (with 2 separate product lines), that was trying to become an eCommerce business while trying to get into manufacturing as well as also attempting to become a drop shipper. Say that five times fast.

My logic was to reduce vulnerability.

Create a diversified business where if one area went down, the others would hold up the business.

In reality, I created a scattered mess.

Sales were climbing quickly but losses were mounting.

So I finally conceded I needed help.

I reluctantly brought in a consultant to analyze the business to help identify challenges and to discover the culprit causing the losses.

DIVERSIFIED = Doing Five Things Horribly

Once the consultant arrives, we get past introductions and she immediately requests, “tell me about your business.”

I proudly declare, “I’m DIVERSIFIED!” (Remember, I had Entrepreneurtude!).

I explain that If one area suffered or went south, I had four others backing it up to strengthen the business.

She was certainly going to be incredibly impressed, right? (Wrong!)

She then asked if I could explain each area of the business. Provide the details on why and how I had chosen these 5 areas to pursue.

She continued by asking what competitive advantages did the company possess for each area.

When I was done explaining everything (rambling), she quickly made her assessment and offered a statement that completely changed my life.

Said looked at me as said:

“Well, I know what your problem is. You are too diversified. Actually, you are doing five things horribly instead of one or two things exceptionally.”

Are you familiar with the expression, “When the student is ready the teacher appears”?

Well, my teacher appeared.

What Are You Absolutely Best At?

She continued on with this question, “What are you absolutely best at”?

Well, truth be told, we weren’t really good at anything at that point.

She was looking for our core which was hollow at that time.

Ouch! That was a tough pill to swallow.

We had explosive sales that were unprofitable. The business was sinking quickly.

Then she asked, “What do you feel is the future of the company? Where are the profitable growth opportunities?”

My answer: eCommerce.

This seems completely obvious writing this in 2019.

However, declaring this in 2000 was a huge risk.

The dotcom bubble was bursting and eCommerce companies were failing fast.

The business was floundering by pursuing areas where we had no competitive advantage.

I was exhausting time and energy by spreading company resources too thin.

Give It Everything You’ve Got

She once again looked at me and said, “Drop each area immediately that are draining your resources where you just explained that you have no competitive advantage.”

She then dropped another bomb, “Since you feel the future is in eCommerce, GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT!”

Placing a laser focus on a specific area became essential.

Unfortunately, many business owners foolishly pursue weaknesses. I certainly did.

Additionally, I lacked the resources, expertise, knowledge or finances to overcome those weaknesses.

Trying to be everything to everyone leads to being nothing to no one and I was guilty as charged!

Jack of all trades, master of none.

A common reason for a restaurant failing is the menu simply being too large. Too diversified.

Creativity is a blessing and a curse for many entrepreneurs.

Narrowing a focus when a ton of revenue ideas and possibilities dangle in front of you is tough. Extremely tough.

What road do you pick?

The challenge is narrowing the selection and picking the profitable path.

Please Pick eCommerce!

My heart, passion and dream was eCommerce.

A competitive advantage existed with eCommerce.

Competition was scarce in 2000 with eCommerce.

The benefits with eCommerce were tremendous and those benefits still exist today.

I have made thousands of mistakes over the years but choosing the eCommerce path has been an amazing ride.

Fortunately, years later our company ended up on the Internet Retailer Top 1000 Companies 3 years in a row.

I owe all of the company success to my eventual business partner.

Yet, hearing “You’re doing five things horribly instead of one or two things exceptionally” was brilliant business advice and changed my path.

Being told how Horrible I was, turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me.

If you find yourself struggling with your business, ask yourself the tough question: are you too diversified?

Focus on what you are ABSOLUTELY BEST AT & GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT.

Lastly, if eCommerce is on your radar, go for it & don’t look back!!

Wrapping It Up

Thanks for reading this post.

Check out these posts for additional info:

Curt Anderson 0 Comments

Ecommerce Checklist

Jul 27 2019

eCommerce Checklist: Manufacturing eCommerce Strategies

The time has finally come for you to join the massive B2B eCommerce party. In fact, it’s the $1.8 TRILLION B2B eCommerce party! One challenge though: Where to start? Wouldn’t it be great to have an eCommerce checklist to walk you through the process?

We have your back.

Especially since you’ve made the outstanding decision that you can no longer afford to be the “Best Kept Secret”.

However, if you are not tech savvy and have no experience in eCommerce, just getting started can be daunting and overwhelming.

Yet, embracing eCommerce offers a healthy dose of opportunity.

The goal here is to provide the necessary tools and guidance to help you reach eCommerce success.

Above all, put you on the right path.

Not only to catch up with the competition but also to create competitive advantages that surpass others selling similar products.

This discussion primarily targets manufacturers just starting out in eCommerce.

The intention is to help Scale your Proprietary Process with eCommerce.

Another powerful approach for manufacturers entering eCommerce is to turn your proprietary process into a proprietary product.

Most importantly, entering the world of eCommerce offers extremely exciting new opportunities.

Opens new doors.

The bottom line: Sell more products that you are an expert at producing.

Following an eCommerce Checklist dramatically helps your cause.

eCommerce Checklist: Settlers Reap the Land

I had a mentor who used to always say, “Pioneers ended up with arrows in their backs. Settlers reaped the land.”

At this stage, the pioneers of eCommerce from the 1990’s and early 2000’s paved the way for entrepreneurs today to easily navigate eCommerce strategies.

There is no reason to find arrows in your back. Therefore, come in as a settler and reap the rewards.

Take advantage of the avoiding the mistakes that others have made.

Following an eCommerce checklist helps you reduce stress while starting your eCommerce journey.

Especially since now is the time to join the exploding B2B eCommerce market.

To sum up, you have been in business for many years.

Selling through traditional sales channels.

You found your place in the supply chain that made sense and hopefully lots of Cents.

Now you feel like the world made a drastic change.

Yet, no one sent you a memo on these changes though.

Sometimes change is subtle.

That is until it is no longer subtle and hits you in the face.

Suddenly you find that the traditional supply chain is not following the rules as before.

For example, Alibaba provides a mammoth marketplace making Chinese-made goods much more accessible and easier to purchase.

In addition, Amazon is soliciting Chinese manufacturers to sell direct to American consumers.

How have these changes impacted your business?

Well, change comes hard. Especially when the change is uninvited.

However, change is inevitable.

So let’s dig right in on the necessary steps for you to enter the eCommerce arena.

The B2BTAIL eCommerce Checklist

The B2BTAIL eCommerce Checklist is a basic guide to help you get started.

The intention is to get you in the game and on the field as soon as possible.

This eCommerce Checklist targets two separate scenarios:

For the DIYer: You can use this as a tool if you are a Do-It-Yourselfer looking to tackle the entire eCommerce project internally or on your own.
Otherwise, if you are hiring a web design firm to create your eCommerce store, this checklist serves as a helpful guide to complete the project in a timely fashion. Most likely, your web designer provides their own eCommerce checklist with much greater detail.

With no further ado, here we go…………

eCommerce Basics

Domain Name
Website Host
Select your eCommerce platform (Ex: WooCommerce, Shopify, BigCommerce, etc…)
Responsive Design: Mobile Friendly
Company Logo
Color Scheme
Layout w/Strong Call to Action
Category Header of Products or Services
SSL Certificate
Install Google Analytics
Sitemap
Keyword Research

Company Info:

About Us
Company History
Contact Us: Phone, Email, as well as Social Links
Meet the Team Page
Privacy Policy
Security Policy
Terms & Conditions
FAQ

Payment Options:

Credit Card Processor
Payment Gateway
Payment Options: MC, Visa, AMEX, Discover, PayPal, Google Pay
Set up your state sales tax
Fast & Easy Checkout Process

Shipping:

Shipping Policy
UPS or FEDEX Map (show delivery times)
Show Shipping Rates
Expedite Options
Provide Tracking Info
Return Policy
Drop Ship Policy (if relevant)
Contact UPS, USPS and FEDEX for Discounts

Customer Service:

Separate dedicated phone number to track eCommerce leads
Designated customer service staff to handle eCommerce sales – train accordingly
Dedicated emails with your company domain name (@your company – avoid gmail, hotmail, etc..)
Set up relevant email accounts (Ex: info@, Sales@, RFQ@, etc…)

Product Listings:

Product images (multiple angles)
Short Description: Quickly describe what are you selling
Long Description: (detailed) sizes, dimensions, specs, all necessary info (do not assume your customer knows your product)
Price (single price, quantity breaks, blanket orders, as well as scheduled shipments)
Product warranty or guarantee
Safety Certifications (Ex: UL Certification)
Product videos

eCommerce Checklist: Keep it Lean

As you take the plunge into eCommerce, go into the process flexible and also lean.

Consider a similar strategy as the book, “The Lean Startup” by Eric Reis.

Eric Reis preaches flexibility and agility.

Furthermore, be laser focused with your strategic plan. However, be flexible enough to listen to customers.

You may think you have created the greatest mousetrap on the planet.

Yet, the market with confirm if you are right or not.

Give yourself timelines, benchmarks as well as specific goals.

Additionally, a major benefit with this strategy, eCommerce offers you the flexibility to change quickly.

Lastly, keep adjusting and tweaking until you find your grove.

eCommerce Checklist: Think Profit!

In conclusion, what do you think?

Are you ready now to make the leap into eCommerce?

Still questioning why go into eCommerce in the first place?

There is truly only one answer. Profit!

Profit by opening new doors as well as explore new markets.

If you are ready to launch your eCommerce store right now, let’s take the plunge.

You have my word, eCommerce will create new opportunities and reach customers that you never knew existed.

Following each item on the eCommerce Checklist is one step closer to reaching your goal.

Just put one foot in front of the other to finally…..get in the game!

Thanks for stopping by. You can also check out these helpful posts:

Curt Anderson 0 Comments