Dale Traxler - Practical Ecommerce

Ecommerce Lessons from the 2008 Crash

Dale Traxler — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 14:04:50 +0000

Back in 2008, just before the Great Recession, I was managing a thriving ecommerce business selling jewelry supplies to crafters, artisans, and professional jewelers. More than 30 percent of our revenue came from selling sterling silver at a very high margin.

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3 Inventory KPIs to Drive Ecommerce Profits

Dale Traxler — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 21:45:26 +0000

Basic inventory management involves tracking quantities by channel, location, and return rates. Key performance indicators, however, are far more critical for driving profits. In this post, I'll address three essential inventory KPIs: turnover, carrying costs, and opportunity costs.

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8 Key Personnel Roles for Ecommerce Success in 2020

Dale Traxler — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 14:12:58 +0000

It is easier than ever to launch an ecommerce business. Sourcing products is not a problem. Platforms equalize the capabilities of competing stores. Success, therefore, depends on your execution.

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The 2 Universal KPIs for Ecommerce Retailers

Dale Traxler — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 14:58:01 +0000

A business's key performance indicators typically change over time with new opportunities and challenges. But Gross Revenue and Gross Profit are universal KPIs for all ecommerce retailers, all of the time.

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Want More Ecommerce Conversions? Improve Your Product Search

Dale Traxler — Wed, 09 Oct 2019 14:23:54 +0000

Retailers have greatly improved their online stores in the past few years. User flows are streamlined. Designs are better tuned to tell the brand's story. But for many online stores, site search is weak.

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17 Ideas to Reinvent Your Ecommerce Business

Dale Traxler — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 14:47:38 +0000

When was the last time you did something innovative with your online store? Innovation involves taking a risk. In this post, I'll offer ideas that have the potential to reinvent your business. Most involve investing in design, development, tools, or support services.

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How to Choose a Digital Agency for Your Ecommerce Business

Dale Traxler — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 13:39:14 +0000

Outsourcing aspects of an ecommerce business can help management focus on critical areas. It can also deliver sophisticated skills and insights that are unavailable in-house. But choosing the right outsourced partner is not easy.

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Without Compelling Content, Ecommerce Success Is Nearly Impossible

Dale Traxler — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 14:03:27 +0000

As I work with clients to improve conversion rates, average order values, and market share, content strategy becomes critical. Without compelling content, it’s nearly impossible to be successful in ecommerce. In this post, I'll describe the benefits (and challenges) of compelling content.

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7 Old-school Selling Tips for Ecommerce

Dale Traxler — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 15:14:22 +0000

Many online retailers don’t focus on selling. An online store is a digital sales agent. It must interpret a buyer’s needs, pitch relevant products, and close the deal — much ...

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Should Merchants Consider Voice Commerce (Yet)?

Dale Traxler — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 22:50:47 +0000

Shopping is too complicated to conduct by voice, at least thus far. Does this mean voice shopping is a low priority? Absolutely not. It’s an opportunity that manufacturers and retailers should be investing in right now.

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6 Ways to Differentiate Your Online Store

Dale Traxler — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 16:30:40 +0000

Why would a shopper buy from your online store? Do you offer unique products? Are your prices lower than Amazon and other competitors? Is your store more fun to shop ...

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10 Ingredients for Ecommerce Success

Dale Traxler — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 18:41:28 +0000

There is no fast track to success in ecommerce, or any other type of business.
I owned and operated a successful ecommerce company for 10 years. We sold that business, and ...

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For Success in Ecommerce, Figure Out the ‘What?’

Dale Traxler — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 16:02:59 +0000

Last month, in “For Success in Ecommerce, Answer ‘Why?’,” I explored reasons for launching an ecommerce business. Understanding the “Why,” “What,” and “How” is critical to succeeding in any type ...

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For Success in Ecommerce, Answer ‘Why?’

Dale Traxler — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 16:12:51 +0000

Since you are reading this on Practical Ecommerce, you presumably run an ecommerce business or are thinking about it. The purpose of this article is to ask you “Why?” That ...

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B2B Ecommerce Success Starts in the Boardroom

Dale Traxler — Mon, 18 May 2015 13:31:10 +0000

Business-to-business ecommerce revenue in the U.S., at $780 billion in 2015, is roughly twice the size of B2C, according to Forrester Research. But that amount represents less than 10 percent ...

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4 Keys to B2B Ecommerce Success

Dale Traxler — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 07:00:20 +0000

Online B2B revenues in the U.S. are rapidly growing, to $1 billion per year according to published reports. The reasons for this growth are twofold.
First, more manufacturers and distributors are ...

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B2B Ecommerce: Overcoming Conflict with Sales Teams

Dale Traxler — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 07:00:33 +0000

When online retail took off roughly 10 years ago, many manufacturers and distributors were resistant about opening an online store. There were many reasons for this then, and now, including ...

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12 Keys to a World-class Ecommerce Company

Dale Traxler — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 13:22:39 +0000

What makes any company stand out from the crowd? Is it the products? Customer service? Profitability? Growth? Something else?
Many observers would answer all of the above and likely add other ...

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How B2B Distributors Compete with AmazonSupply

Dale Traxler — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 10:35:26 +0000

In “Distributors Beware of AmazonSupply.com?,” my previous article, I suggested that wholesale distributors recognize the threat presented by Amazon in the B2B marketplace and find ways to compete. This article ...

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Distributors Beware of AmazonSupply.com?

Dale Traxler — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 19:00:29 +0000

As B-to-B online revenues approach $1 trillion per year, there are still many wholesale distributors who are hesitant to aggressively sell their products online.
I frequently ask executives in the distribution ...

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Local Businesses Migrating to Ecommerce

Dale Traxler — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 16:43:09 +0000

Local businesses with brick-and-mortar stores have not been early adopters of ecommerce. But, with the proliferation of mobile devices and with changes in how consumers research and buy products, most ...

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Brand Manufacturers All In for Ecommerce

Dale Traxler — Tue, 27 May 2014 12:35:53 +0000

I attended the “IRCE Focus: Brands & B2B” conference in New York last week. There were many presentations that covered both B-to-B and direct-to-consumer ecommerce strategies that are being used ...

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Driving B-to-B Ecommerce with Personas

Dale Traxler — Mon, 19 May 2014 13:21:37 +0000

In “Ecommerce Key for Manufacturers and Distributors,” I addressed some of the challenges that manufacturers and distributors face as they grow their ecommerce operations. In this article, I’ll explore the ...

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Ecommerce Key for Manufacturers and Distributors

Dale Traxler — Mon, 05 May 2014 15:59:53 +0000

Many B-to-B companies are still not aggressively pursuing ecommerce. Most have an online presence — in fact, an extensive one. They likely have a corporate site, an online product catalog,

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Ecommerce Marketing vs. Shopper Annoyance

Dale Traxler — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 14:29:58 +0000

As an online merchant, you have an enormous number of marketing tactics and tools available to convince shoppers to purchase your products. Here are some of them.

Personalization. Rules based on ...

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20 Tools, Tactics to Improve Online Merchandising

Dale Traxler — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 09:00:46 +0000

I look at a lot of online stores in the context of my profession. I shop online and am involved with many companies as they plan a new or upgraded ...

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B-to-B Ecommerce: How to Implement, Improve

Dale Traxler — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 13:22:36 +0000

The number of mid-size manufacturers and distributors implementing initial ecommerce projects is rapidly increasing. Manufacturers are utilizing ecommerce to reach new markets, bring products to market more quickly, and protect ...

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Searching ‘iPad Mini Retina’ on Google, Comparison Engines

Dale Traxler — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 18:11:44 +0000

In “Evaluating Site Search on Target, Walmart, and Amazon,” I reviewed site search for the three retailers using the term “ipad mini retina.” I went directly to those sites as ...

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B-to-B: 7 Reasons to Invest in Social Media

Dale Traxler — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 09:00:26 +0000

Should manufacturers and distributors that sell primarily to other businesses invest in social media? Today most businesses utilize Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest. But, many lack a strategy for ...

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12 Key Job Roles for B-to-B Ecommerce Success

Dale Traxler — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 15:32:01 +0000

One of the biggest challenges that brand manufacturers and distributors face with their B-to-B ecommerce operations is hiring the right team. B-to-B companies need to identify required job roles, and ...

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