Selling On The Web Newsletter

John Almberg's "Selling on the Web" newsletter focuses on website innovations and online marketing strategies for stamp, coin, and collectible dealers. Newest articles are listed first.

These articles may be reprinted, on the following conditions:

  1. Credit must be given to John Almberg and Identry LLC, the owner of the copyright.
  2. A link to the original article must be provided.

New Years Resolution

Business on the Web is going through the roof, but if your sales are flat or dwindling, it's probably because you're not showing up when collectors shop with search engines. Its as simple as that. So you have a huge, insurmountable problem that you must solve. Not 'someday', but as soon as possible. What can you do?
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Fire Site Search, Hire Salesperson

Can you imagine a real-world stamp store without a friendly, helpful dealer standing behind the counter? Of course not. Stamp collectors -- particularly those with real money to spend -- depend on their expert, friendly dealer to help guide them as they build their collection. So why are most stamp websites about as personal and helpful as a vending machine? Can't we do better? I think we can.
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No Items Match Your Query

To maximize the return on your website investment, your site search needs to be as helpful and knowledgeable as a good sales clerk. Last issue, I talked about the basics of site search. This time, we'll dive into some features that can help make your site search a smarter, more profitable seller.
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If They Can Find it, They Will Buy It

Site Search is the ability for visitors to search your site for stamps they want to buy. Why is Site Search important? * 30% of all activity on websites is search. * Visitors who use Site Search convert better than non-searchers. Why? Because searchers are buyers. * Visitors can only buy what they can find. Search is especially important for stamp dealers because they typically stock thousands or even tens of thousands of items. That's a lot of stamps to dig through by hand. Search isn't a luxury on your site, its a basic requirement.
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If you Want Visitors, Build Bridges

Google uses bridges – links from other websites to your website – to help 'rank' your website. Each link is a 'vote' for your website. The more votes, the higher your website ranks. So having lots of links helps in two ways: 1.They connect your site to the community of stamp websites, making it easier for collectors to find you. 2.They make it much more likely that Google will rank your website as an 'important' website. This article will give you tools to convince other website owner's to link to your site.
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More Keywords Hotspots

Last month, we talked about how to get search engine robots--like Slurp, CazoodleBot, and Googlebot--working to promote your site. In particular, we were focused on the best places to use your keywords--your Keyword Hotspots. This month, we'll tackle the other hotspots: Outbound Links, Navigation, and Page Copy. These are big topics and space is short, so let's dive right in!
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Writing for the Web

A robot visited your website today. In fact, there was probably a crowd of them. They've even got names like Slurp, CazoodleBot, SBIder, and Googlebot. And unlike many nasties on the Internet, you want these robots to visit your site. They are the legions of robots sent out by search engines to find your web pages and rank them against your competitor's pages. Their mechanical 'thumbs up' can push your page to the top of the search engine results; a thumbs down can kick it to the back of the pack, where no collector will ever find it. That can cost you real money. So what can you do to get these influential robots working on your side?
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Unlocking the Mystery of Search Engines

When you have a working knowledge of how search engines really work today, you'll know most of what you need to know to attract qualified buyers to your site. This article will show you that before a stamp collector can find your website, 4 things must happen.
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How Finding the Right Keywords can Build your Online Sales

Do you know how to use search engines to attract qualified buyers to your website? If not, you're not alone. It's the #1 question I hear from collectible dealers. Over half of all buyers start with a search engine. If you're not showing up, you really are losing money. The good news is, it's not rocket science and you don't need voodoo. With this article, we'll start with one of the most important—and misunderstood — search engine concepts: keywords.
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To Grow your Business, Narrow your Scope

Specialization also pays off in repeat business. Collectors – particularly those with money to spend -- might work with more than one dealer, but when they want a cover, they'll go to their cover specialist. Bottom line: specialization pays. This article will describe 7 Keys to Focusing Your Online Business
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Wow them, and they will come back.

If you have a sticky website, it means that your on-line store is getting lots good old-fashioned repeat business. How can you do that? It's not easy, but you need to do two things: 1. Deliver product (items and price) that exceeds your customer's expectations 2. Deliver process (how easy it is to buy) that exceeds your customer's expectations. If you exceed in both these areas, your on-line business will attract lots of loyal customers. If you really wow them, they'll tell all their friends about the great website they found.
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Build a Website and they will Come?

If you build a website, they will come, right? Wrong. No marketing, no visitors. No visitors, no sales. It's as simple as that. To generate sales, you have to attract potential customers to your website. There are lots of books filled with marketing ideas. Some work for stamp dealers, and some don't. Here are 5 techniques that actually work for dealers.
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Maximize the Value of your Customers

Previously, we've looked at how to convert online searchers into visitors, visitors into prospects, and prospects into customers. This month, we'll focus on the final and most important step – maximizing the value of your online customers.
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Double your Sales by Doubling your Customers

The key idea is V=>P=>C=>S, or Visitors give you Prospects give you Customers give you Sales. Last month, we looked at converting anonymous Web site visitors into prospects. This month, we'll focus on the next step – converting prospects into customers.
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Double your Sales by Doubling your Prospects

The key idea is V=>P=>C=>S, or Visitors give you Prospects give you Customers give you Sales. This article is going to focus on how to convert your Web site visitors into prospects. What's a prospect? A prospect is a new visitor to your Web site who contacts you because he thinks you might be able to help him, but isn't ready to buy, yet.
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Double your Sales by Doubling your Visitors

The key idea is V=>P=>C=>S, or visitors give you prospects give you customers give you sales. "The more Web site visitors I attract, the more sales I'll have. But how can I attract more visitors?" Website owners need a practical system.
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Selling by the Numbers

Here's a formula every online business owner should know: V=P=C=S. Visitors give you Prospects give you Customers give you Sales. If you don't have any Visitors, then you won't have any Prospects. If you don't have any Prospects, then you won't have any Customers. And if you don't have any Customers, then how can you make any Sales? How many Visitors do you need to make your Sales goals? And what conversion rates do you need? If you don't know these numbers (and most dealers don't), then your website probably isn't performing as well as it could.
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Permission Marketing

Permission Marketing recognizes the fact that people are never sold, but often buy. Its aim is to patiently turn strangers into friends, friends into customers, and customers into long-term customers. With Permission Marketing, potential customers agree to listen to your marketing message. In the terminology of the Web, they opt-in. By focusing on potential customers who have agreed to listen to you, you can tell your story calmly and in as much detail as necessary.
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More One to One Ideas

Last issue, we spoke about the benefits of converting more of your customers into loyal customers. This issue, we'll start to focus on specific ways you can put one-to-one marketing to work for your business.
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Increase your Profits with One-to-One Marketing

In this issue we will start to focus on specific ways you can put one-to-one marketing to work for your business. Focus your attention on the customers you already have. Figure out what they want, and which needs you can satisfy. Then use the knowledge you have of them, and the trust you've built, to make additional sales.
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Automate your Marketing

Most businesses spend the bulk of their marketing budget on advertising – trying to sell their current products to new prospects. But if your product line is right, the easiest and fastest way to increase your sales is to sell more of the same products to your current customers. In short—to increase your repeat business.
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