Wow has this week been busy already! Of course, the past week was shorter due to Labor Day. But I guess that everyone’s back at their desks and ready to go. Well, it’s great to have you all back. Let’s get to it.
Here are this week’s top stories.
1. The Happiest Place on Earth … Maybe … Sort of … ‘Cuz People Take Drugs & Lie
File this story under “NEVER believe surveys.”
Each year on a slow news day, some know-nothing journalist will publish the results of some half-crocked survey about which country or city is the “happiest” this or has the “best quality of life” that. It’s all hogwash. The stories were probably written over a batch of martinis paid for by a chamber of commerce PR flack. Besides, surveys tell you almost nothing about anything real. For instance, for more than the last decade, Denmark has been in the top ten of all those “happiest countries” lists. Do you know what other list Denmark has been in the top ten over the same time? Anti-depressant drug use per capita.
I’ve got nothing against Denmark. Heck, who doesn’t like hard-to-assemble cheap furniture and old cheese? The point is – and you will hear us say this time and time again – never believe what people say, but trust what people do. We entrepreneurs are trying to live the dream of real happiness by actually doing something about it. But if you really want to know where people are the happiest, I say look where they are going to.
So, North American Moving is a big company that helps people move. Turns out that they have been keeping track of stuff. Here’s their latest report (through 2018) of the states people are moving away from and where they are going. (Pro-tip: people are customers too.)
Find out where people are going to get happy.
2. Dynamic Checkout Buttons in Shopify
I actually had this item slated for last week’s email, but that Facebook Messenger Sith-Lord story was a lot more fun, so I went with that one when I ran out of room. But this is actually kind of interesting.
In some of our presentations and in private consultations with customers, we’ve often used the Esté Lauder website as an example. With a few minor quibbles, they do a really good job. One of the things they do when is their checkout button. Well, Shopify hasn’t matched that level of coolness yet (not even close), but they have added a new Dynamic Checkout Button functionality that is pretty slick and modern.
Take a look at the new coolness in their Help files.
3. A Little Give and Take
Have you heard of BigCommerce? We worked on a few of those projects and have some friends over there. Anywho … they posted some content that we think might be really helpful for you folks.
Affiliate marketing is a thing. You get someone to host a link or linked content on their site and then you pay them a commission if a customer clicks through and buys. They have the traffic, you get the sale. It’s that easy. In a world that is ever more competitive for SEO and ads, it can work for you. But getting started can be intimidating and you don’t want to get yourself in over your head. And you need to make sure that you’ve got your analytics together first. BigCommerce did a great job of creating text and video snips that go over the basics.
Learn about affiliate marketing here.
4. Hello America … I’m Listening
Do you listen to podcasts? I do. It’s a great way to continue to study and get info that I share with you folks in these emails – YOU’RE WELCOME! The best part is that you can listen while driving, working out, doing yard-work … it can make the whole getting-smarter thing more efficient.
And it looks like a lot of folks are starting to agree with me. Internet Svengali-Guru Seth Godin says that 25% of all the folks in the US now listen to podcasts for 6.5 hours per week on average. Geeze … that sounds like a lot.
With all the attention on podcasts and marketing these days, music-streaming service Spotify is working on a not-so-secret project to allow people like you and me to fire up a podcast instantly, which is pretty cool.
Podcasts are NOT for everyone, but if you’re an eCommerce guy or gal channeling your inner Frasier Crane or Doctor Johnny Fever, give it a look on MarketingLand.
5. That Sound You Hear Is Opportunity Knocking
There is a disturbance in the Force. A presence I haven’t felt in a very long time.
Regular readers of this email know that we loves us some data! Wee-doggies! Mix us up a big heaping batch of datapoints and spice it up with a dash of analysis …. Mmmm-mmmm! Them’s Good Eats!
We wrote about this a few months back. But the trend is growing. We ALL know that eCommerce is a big thing. Heck, we're all trying to get rich doing it. But 99% of eCommerce stores are completely and hopelessly focused on consumers – what marketers call “B2C.” But we are on the cusp of something bigger than the two of us my friend. Because by Q1 2020 it is projected that businesses will buy more dollar volume online than consumers – this is called “B2B.”
Sure, this includes online portals where a truck repair shop buys a truckload of semi-trailer tires. But the point is the point. People have grown accustomed to buying online. People work at companies and salespeople can be annoying interruptions in a day when you already know what you want to buy. This means that more and more business purchases will be made online. And this means everything from office supplies and snacks to machinery and tools. This is one of THE big trends in the market right now. Read this and then take a look at this as examples.
Or better yet … just take a moment and think about your business and see if you have anything that a business would want to buy. If not, think about getting some. If you do, think about how to market to businesses.