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Websites for Ecommerce

January 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

Last week I asked if you thought Ecommerce was something you should explore.

Today I want you to have a look at 2 sites that I think are great examples of how you, a wedding vendor can do it right. First off, let’s get one thing straight, I am not saying that I think you should abandon your current business and try to recreate Amazon. Nope, not by a long shot.

The 2 sites I want you to look at combine many of the things I have been talking about for years, personal branding, niche marketing, becoming an expert in your field, giving people a reason to return to your site and, oh by the way, selling a ton of stuff!

Enough suspense!

Rachel Ray

Whether you love her of hate her, she knows how to do it. If you will notice, her site is all about information, recipes and tips, guest bloggers and show news. 1001 ways for the site to be found in search and as many reasons for visitors to keep returning.  It does a very good job of establishing her authority and making you trust and like her. Her ecommerce play comes across as helpful rather than pushy. On each recipe is a box listing products from her shop that would be useful in that recipe. She has already earned your trust, of course you are going to buy what she recommends.

 

Micheal Chiarello

You may or may not know who Micheal Chiarello is, he does have a few cooking shows but unlike Ray, he never really rose to stardom on the FoodTV roster. His shows are more about publicizing his already existing brand.

His website is more pure ecommerce but he still uses the same tools; recipes, commentary and tips. (all things you could be using in your site)

How  does this help you?

If you have been listening, I keep encouraging you to find ways to leverage what you already do and are known for to increase your bottom line. Like the florist that that started increasing her stock of cool vintage props and started pushing their rental. Like the planners that have started marketing the custom invitations, signs and decor pieces they were already creating for their clients anyway. Like the cantor that was doing weddings and found a whole new market doing the classes for Bar/Bat mitzvahs. Like the officiant in the Caribbean that doesn’t wait for people to find her, she connects with the cruise ships to plan weddings for their passengers on layovers on her island. Like the catering hall that is ubër successful with Murder Mystery Dinner Theater on Friday nights.

There now, I have given you some ideas and I have shown you how to do it well.

Go take a few days off and let it all roll around in your brain.  What do you do that you can leverage.?

When you figure it out, I want to know, so leave me some comments.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Ask Christine, Ecommerce, Trends, Website Design Tagged With: , ,

Is E-commerce Something You Could Do?

January 6, 2012 By 1 Comment

I am seeing the twinkling of a trend among small independent wedding vendors. E-commerce is beginning to come into play more and more as either an additional service or product or a full on pure play. Monday I’ll start my third E-commerce site in the last 2 months.shopping carts and ecommerce for wedding vendors

How, you ask, are wedding vendors using Ecommerce? They are using it in a variety of ways. I’m not going to give away their ideas, but I can tell you that it runs the gambit from hand-crafted products, to personalized design services to gift cards.

This all ties into what I have been saying about really thinking about what makes you unique and how you can use that to enlarge both your offerings and your niche.

Capitalize on your reputation to expand your business.

Think about what you can pre-package, so to speak. Suppose I were still baking. Now my wedding cakes were all one of a kind designs and not something I could have sold on the internet, but my hand made truffles would have worked. For that matter, if I had really wanted to go for it, I could have sold just the designs, cake blue prints, if you like. Brides could have then taken them to their auntie or local baker to bake and decorate.  Do you see where I am going with this?

Put on your thinking cap and go for a walk outside the box. 

One of the amazing things about the internet, is that you can try these kinds of things out relatively cheaply. Put a page on your site with your products and a simple shopping cart for a small investment. If it works, then you can think about really investing in it. If it doesn’t, take down the page off your site and you are out a couple of hundred buck, tops.

Next week, I’m going to take you on a tour of what I think are a couple of the best sites to emulate to market both your current business and an eCommerce play.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Ask Christine, Blog, Building Your Business, Trends, Website Design, What's Hot Tagged With: , , ,

Are you Selling “Happy”

December 16, 2011 By 2 Comments

I was doing some much needed maintenance today on my Google Reader and ran across a post from last week on Broke Ass Bride and had another one of those light bulb moments. Take a second to run through the images on that post and see if you get they same “well damn” flash.

There are few moments in life that should evoke “Happy” the way a wedding does. It is at its heart a day of joy and hope.  Shouldn’t  a smile be one of the symbols used to market it? Now look at all those faces in that post. One, only one shows any real joy. Guess who’s ad it is.*

I know, you are thinking, “But C, those ads are about the dress, not the wedding.”  Hold it right there Bucko!  Everything we do is about the wedding, it’s about the fairy tale, it’s about the JOY!  Are you selling JOY or just some item or service?

Have a look today at your marketing materials. Is there JOY? Are people smiling?

There is an old saying, that no one ever goes to Home Depot because they need a drill; they go because the need a hole.

Your client needs JOY, not a flower or a planner or a dress. Those things are there to help create the fairy tale that she envisions. The fairy tale that, in her mind, will bring her JOY.

* Oh ya, the ad is from David’s Bridal. Any wonder why so many brides gravitate to them. There is a sense of pure joy in their photographs, not high fashion.

Filed Under: Ask Christine, Back to Basics, Marketing Tagged With: , ,

Get Married Folds. What’s Next?

December 1, 2011 By 6 Comments

All the buzz yesterday in the Wedding Water Cooler was about the demise of Get Married. According to their press release, the once promising platform will cease operation on December 16th, 2011.

When they first hit the scene, it looked like a winning idea; the marriage of print, online and TV. Sadly, they never got the kind of support from TV that was needed.  Web TV is still in it’s infancy and didn’t come fast enough for the folks at Get Married. They needed big backing from networks like Bravo or Lifetime and it didn’t come. Now whether that was a money thing or the programming they were producing just wasn’t that good, it was still a fail. Without the TV component being big, really big, Get Married was just another national wedding portal. Yawn.

Another nail in their coffin was the deal with Taylor Corporation. While I’m sure it brought a much needed cash infusion, it came at a price. The magazine became little more than a catalog for Taylor’s products. That was a slap in the face of any small local advertiser that Get Married hoped to attract. It also brought the unwanted problem of corporate masters. As long as Get Married retained it’s independence, it could remain nimble. Not so much with old school corporate investors breathing down your neck every quarter.

In short, another one bites the dust.

There was much discussion yesterday about whose next on the chopping block.  Here is how I see it:

The big boys aren’t going anywhere. Oh they may hunker down, shrink and layoff some folks, but I don’t see them folding. For instance, I can’t see Conde Nast folding their one remaining bridal title. David’s and the Knot have enough cash to ride out the economic storm for a while longer. They are the exceptions. What I don’t see them doing is gobbling up the small competitors as they start to devalue. Get Married tried that and no one was buying.

 

Here are the losers:

The Gajillion small websites that thought they could be the next Knot. National portals are dead and they are going to start folding quietly but at an amazing rate.

You will probably see more closings along the line of Encore Studios. I don’t just mean in the invitation business, but bloated, old-school thinkers that deal in volume rather than service. This group may or may not include some more bridal gown manufacturers.

I think a large percentage of the folks that rushed into the bridal world when they lost their corporate gigs or graduated university and couldn’t find a job will give up. It isn’t the “paved in gold”  party all the time, recession proof industry they thought it was.

What does this mean for we that remain? Hunker down, market local, build your own online presence and sit back and watch. It’s gonna be fun!

Filed Under: Ask Christine, Horror Stories, Trends Tagged With: , ,

Hire a Photographer!

November 29, 2011 By 3 Comments

I hear it and see it all the time: wedding vendors that do fabulous work but have lame photos to show for it. They spent hours sweating over the perfect food display or those gorgeous tissue paper pom-poms hung perfectly from a tree or the centerpieces on top of the perfect linen. Then after the fact, often months after the fact, the wedding photographer, after much arm twisting and begging sends them a file of stunning prints of the B&G, the wedding bands and a picture of shoes! Wow, score!

Now whose fault is this? Well it damn sure isn’t the photographers. They were hired to shoot the B&G and the list they sent them, not your details. (unless they were on the brides list, that is)

Here is a tip: 

Hire your own photographer!

Then they are working off of your list. You should get the images in a timely fashion and have just the shots you want.

OK, here it comes…

I am about to get hit by photographers that forbid other shooters at their weddings. In this instance, get over it. These vendors are hiring their own professional so they get the marketing materials that they need and have every right to own. Besides, you obviously aren’t shooting what they need in a way that helps them. Your client is the bride. You need to find a way to work this out. I mean come on, 9 times out of 10 this outside shooter will be done before the guests arrive and you won’t ever see them.

But WAIT! There’s more!

Hey you photographers just starting out…

I am always asked how you can break-in with the top designers and planners. How about you start hitting them up to shoot their details? Do a good job over a period of time and they may just add you to their roster.

In my outsider, twisted opinion that is a win for everybody.

  • The vendors get exactly what they need.
  • The wedding photographer doesn’t have to worry about shooting for the vendors.
  • The new photographer gets some real world experience and some new contacts.
What’s not to love?
Oh, and I get great images to work with when marketing my clients.
Filed Under: Ask Christine, Back to Basics, Building Your Business, Marketing, Outrageous Marketing, Website Design Tagged With: , , , ,

Wedding Blogs. Good Guys or Bad Guys?

November 10, 2011 By 1 Comment

So what’s with all the hate lately?

It seems that photographers are stepping up on their blogs to trash wedding bloggers. Really?

First this from Hindsight Bride.

Then this from Jonas Peterson, The Mason Jar Manifesto.

Then Off-beat Bride stepped up to defend Mason Jars.

Heck I have even had my own say in the matter a few months back.

Here is the deal, gang

Photographers want to get published on the top blogs. Bloggers want to do what pleases their readers.  Those aren’t always the same goal.

Heck it has even gotten to the point where brides will tell their planners, ” I want my wedding published on Style Me Pretty.”

Ya’ll are acting like Kim Kardashian. It’s supposed to be about the wedding, not the publicity.

but that isn’t my point…

You, photographers, your job is to give the client what they want. In most cases, that is pictures of people. Their friends and family.

Bloggers, your job is to give your readers what they want. In most cases that is detail. Who gives a rats ass about people they don’t know? All they want are ideas they can be inspired by and snag for their own wedding.

You are both right. You are both servicing your client.

So here is the deal. Photographers, if your goal is to get published, give the blog editors what they want:details. If that means hiring a second or third shooter to get those shots then that is what you have to do. You can’t expect the blog editor to throw their readers under the bus.

Read the editorial guidelines on the blogs you want on and follow them. When you interview your bride ask them questions about the details of their wedding. Is it going to be worth you paying another shooter to get them?  Notice I said ‘you paying’ not the bride. It’s your goal to get published, not hers.

It is time for everyone to stop the madness and start working together.

Know what you want and what it is going to take to get it. don’t just whine about it.

For the record, I’m not a big fan of mason jars, but if that was what my readers wanted to see they would be all over my blog! Check out Wedding Dish? Do you really think I love candles all THAT much?

I big hat tip to loyal reader and friend June Hoffman for pointing this nonsense out to me.

Filed Under: Ask Christine, Back to Basics, Rants & Raves Tagged With: ,

The Encore Invitation Debacle

October 24, 2011 By 3 Comments

Have you been following the Encore Invitations bankruptcy story? Paul Panonne has been doing a great job on it on his website eWedNewz.com. 

While Paul reports the news, my role is analysis and here is my take on this whole mess.

If you have been watching the trends, DIY is huge and invitations and the entire paper suite are at the top of the list.  Additionally, more and more couples that are having them professionally done are opting for one of a kind, hand crafted invitations from artists like Michelle  Mospens.

My feeling is that as word of the Encore failure and the deplorable way they handled it filters down to the consumer the net effect will be to drive more and more brides away from the large traditional invitation companies and into the waiting arms of the hand-craftsman. Whether those hands are their own or those of a professional artisan.

And why not?

Brides today are hell bent on as much personalization as possible. This is just going to increase an already hot trend.

Let’s take it a step further. If you add this mess to other things like Priscilla’s of Boston and countless other closings, you begin to see a picture being painted for today’s brides that leaves them fearful of ordering anything. They want it in their hand, or they want to find a small, reputable craftsman that cares about what they create that they can build a relationship of trust with.

If you are one of these small craftsman, as am I, now is your time to shine. Build trust, build relationships, show them that you aren’t some large corporate entity that sees business only in spreadsheets and ignores the human quotient.

Filed Under: Ask Christine, Horror Stories, Trends Tagged With: ,

Marketing to Grooms

June 3, 2011 By 1 Comment

Now that we have established this new dynamic going on in the wedding industry, specifically grooms having more input, how do we use it?

First things first, you have to decide if your service or product is one that is likely to fall in their laps. Some things like gowns and flowers probably won’t. Face it,  you show a groom a bouquet of all white carnations and another of white phaleanopsis orchids and most are going to see two white bouquets. Just about everything else is fair game.

Next, let’s take a look at where he is mentally on this whole thing. He is probably going to have an attitude of “Well heck ya I can do this and I’m going to look damn good doing it! i’ll knock this out of the park.” Underneath all that is doubt and fear at entering an arena in which he has never been. Add to that the knowledge that this is the first really big thing he has undertaken in his budding role as “husband” and the outcome will forever color the opinion of not just his wife but also her mother and sisters. Let’s not forget that he still wants to look manly to his bros. No pressure.

Men Shop Differently

Much of the marketing we do aimed at women can best be summed up as ‘wooing’. We strike her emotions and become her friend. She buys the team, he buys a commodity.

Your first goal will be to put him at ease. A little humor will work wonders here.

You will want to clearly state the benefits of your product or service. Even go so far as pictograms and charts of why you are different. Remember, the nuances that she would see must often be pointed out to the men. Also, men are visual.

You need very clear calls to action. Don’t just list your phone number or contact info. Put in a big button.

Give them clear steps to follow.

  • know your budget
  • know your guest count
  • choose your style (see options)
  • review our menu suggestions (click here for menu)
  • set a tasting
  • book your event

    •  

    Here is the deal, women shop a bit like the students in a Montessori program learn, by seeking out and discovering on their own. Men want a clear orderly list of actionable steps to success. Your goal is to give it to them.

    In the end, your couples are probably going to make the final decision together, but an increasing portion of the leg work is going to fall on him. You need to be ready.

     

    Disclaimer: I am not talking about all men, nor am I talking about all couples or all women. I am in the most general terms trying to help you be ahead of a trend I see on the horizon. As with most trends, this is happening first in the more urban areas with the couples least bound by tradition.

    Filed Under: Ask Christine, Trends Tagged With: , , ,

    My Take on The Royal Wedding

    May 2, 2011 By 2 Comments

    I have been watching the flutter about the Royal Wedding and how it was going to heavily influence the American wedding. You know I am not going to sprinkle fairy dust or cloud the view.

    So in short order, here are the trends that I think we will see popping up out of this wedding.

    1. The gown. It was simple,elegant and modest. Look for lace sleeves and necklines. Seriously, how long have you heard people screaming for sleeves?
    2. The bouquet. No not a replica because that was one damned expensive bouquet. Look for smallish bouquets in small white flowers with green accents. Look also at the structure of the bouquet; it’s not a hand tied bouquet. The construction on that bouquet was labor intensive and very traditional. More power to the florist that can come up with a reasonably priced  rendition.
    3. Timing. This may well be the biggest trend to come out of this. An afternoon reception with passed hors d’oeuvres, cake, champagne and punch. Period. It’s cost-effective and elegant. Brides have been struggling for a way to be more cost effective with out thinking they will look cheap. Here it is and it’s endorsed by a Royal Wedding.

    It’s just how I see it. Please, add your thoughts below.

    Filed Under: Ask Christine, Blog, Inspiration Tagged With:

    Game Changers in the Wedding Market

    April 8, 2011 By 3 Comments

    I talk to a lot of different wedding businesses over the course of a week. I also talk alot about change and our changing marketplace.

    When I run across the former that really gets the later I want to jump up and down with joy. You have heard me talk about photographers that are switching focus, florists that are changing to showcase rental and planners that are putting thier talents into an Etsy store with all the things they make for weddings.

    Here are two that are jumping into the wedding fray from other industries that might just be game changers.

    My Flip Wedding:

    My Flip Wedding is the brainchild of Storymix Media. These guys have been doing editing and fusion media for pro-photographers for a long time. Now they are jumping into the retail side.

    Couples can rent Flip Video cameras and have their closest friends and family members video their wedding, shower, stag & hen nights or any other part of their celebration. Then they send the cameras back in the pre-paid envelope and let the Apple Certified pros create a highlight reel. It’s fun, it’s easy, it’s really inexpensive and couples are loving it.

    I know that videographers are going into convulsions right now. Look, this doesn’t have to be about cutting you out, it is about adding a different POV. It is also an option for the 70% of couples that weren’t going to hire a pro anyway.

    Here is a company that read the numbers, found a new solution using cutting edge tech and are poised to be the hot new trend.

    Just an example of reading the market and giving them what they want in the way they want it.

    Something Borrowed NY:

    We have all watched the changes happening in the bridal gown market. Vera Wang saw it coming and hooked up with seemingly strange bedfellow, David’s Bridal.

    I had the pleasure of speaking with Brittany Haas last night of Something Borrowed NY. Haas and her business partner met while in university studying fashion, both design and business. As they watched their older sisters and friends search for the perfect wedding gown and grapple with the cost, they listened and learned.

    It seems that the newest generation of bride still longs for that high end designer fairy tale gown, but don’t attach the same sentimentality to it as generations past. Yes they want to wear it, but once the wedding is over, they could care less. After the wedding, these same brides tried, mostly in vane, to sell their very expensive gowns. Despite the now seeming abundance of resellers and consignment sites on the web, they had no takers.

    As a response Haas is working the plan and building the foundation of what may well be a new trend. Rentals. It may not take off tomorrow or next week, but mark my words, as more and more Gen Y brides enter the marketplace this will become acceptable. They are already comfotable with concepts like Rent the Runway and Bag, Borrow or Steal. When it comes time to decide what to wear on the big day, well, Something Borrowed NY will look pretty good.

    Yes, it is a fledgling business in a fledgling concept, but when it hit’s; look out world. Something Borrowed NY is an idea whose time may very well have come.

    (I purposely did not include Something Borrowed website because is isn’t ready for prime time, but give them a follow on Facebook and watch these dynamic ladies leap forward?)

    How are you changing the game? Or are you content to just stand there and get run over.

    Filed Under: Ask Christine, Rants & Raves, Trends, What Brides Say Tagged With: ,
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