Web marketing is more straightforward than traditional marketing. We have great data made available for free through analytics packages like Google Analytics. We have the ability to accurately split-test content to improve our conversion rate. And, we have great clues as to what buyers are looking for when researching a purchase (keywords). It’s simple:

• analyze visitor behavior
• convert visitors
• attract the right people

Prior to the Web, most marketers had to make decisions in a data poor environment. Sure, we conducted research studies, and often found out what our target customers SAID they would do. But, we rarely had data on what those customers actually did – emperical shopping behavior. That is what makes the Web such a dream for marketers. Well, I should say a dream for those marketers who elect to use the visitor data that happens on their site everyday. This is where you have to ask yourself, are you using this data? When is the last time you made a Web marketing decision based on the data contained in Google Analytics, or another analytics package (like KISSmetrics)? If you’re using Google Analytics, have you connected it to your Google Webmaster Tools account? If you’re honest answer is that you’re not paying attention to analytics – you should probably stop reading right now and go crack it open and learn something today!

Conversion is one of the strongest, yet most underutilized tools of the Web marketer. What’s typical is to accept the default conversion rate – for most sites it’s about 1 out of 400 visitors. When you accept low conversion, your only tool for growth is to increase the number of visitors (a much more expensive option). The best approach is to determine which pages on your site get traffic, and starting with the one receiving the most, set up an A|B Split Test using a tool like Google Website Optimizer (yep, it’s free). Then, you can methodically improve that page’s ability to convert visitors to buyers or leads over time. Not hard, just work!

Finally, if you understand visitor behavior and your confident in your website’s ability to convert, now it is time to drive traffic. You can do this in a myriad of ways, but do not neglect search engine optimization. The vast majority of people will research their purchases using a search engine (most of them will choose Google). If you don’t participate, you’re essentially allowing your competitors to capitalize on that traffic uncontested. If done right, you’ll create a steady flow of qualified visitors to your website. You do this by getting into their heads and thinking about how they’re likely to go about finding your products. This is a creative exercise – and it pays to work with people who have creative writing skills and love language. They will find the alternate pathways to your products and services, that your competitors aren’t likely to discover.

So, that’s it! They’re not all that secret, but based on most marketer’s behavior – it seems like they are. Now get out there and analyze, convert, and drive qualified traffic!

Current economic trends indicate a slight overall recovery. Despite this fact a majority of small business owners are still feeling the strain of a volatile economy. Due to these pressures business owners are looking to alternative sales tactics and shipping methods to maximize profitability while maintaining a high degree of customer service. By utilizing wholesalers that dropship their products, small business owners are able to maximize profitability while offering quality products at competitive prices. Comprehensive drop ship programs allow resellers flexibility, low operating costs and best of all quality products at a competitive price for their customers.

By drop shipping their products wholesalers provide resellers with flexibility that is uninhibited by constraints inherent to localized inventory methods.  That additional degree of flexibility allows small businesses to operate in a variety of ways that don’t require a physical location to store goods and products.  This opens business owners to a variety of company models that are seldom possible when keeping an on hand inventory. Another added benefit is the ability for small businesses to operate remotely. This provides individuals with the ability to complete sales and ship products while attending conferences or meetings without the hassle of returning to the office and shipping the product. The added flexibility of partnering with a wholesaler who specializes in drop shipping can make doing business much more convenient, however, convenience is not the only benefit.

Maintaining profitability is the chief concern of any business owner, regardless of size. Unfortunately, that concern has been exacerbated due to a downturn in the economy. Despite this fact there are ways companies can minimize monthly expenditures in an effort to increase profitability. By partnering with a wholesaler that offers a comprehensive drop shipping program, businesses can drastically decrease operating costs in several key ways.  Firstly these programs allow business owners to reduce the size of their physical location or in some cases eliminate the need for it all-together. Secondly drop shipping provides resellers with the ability to generate purchase orders after a product has been spoken for. This removes the guesswork and future forecasting that is required when companies maintain on hand inventories. Often times this guesswork is a gamble that results in un-purchased products that drastically affect overall profitability.

Utilizing drop shipping through a wholesaler can be an exceptional tool for small businesses looking to reduce overhead and maximize profitability. Despite this fact the ability to dropship products directly to customers is of little use if the product being shipped doesn’t live up to their expectations. It is crucial to find a wholesaler that offers a quality branded product that it firmly stands behind. Additionally a quality wholesaler will work to forge a partnership with their resellers, often times by offering marketing assistance and a variety of other services. These additional services are just another incentive to utilize wholesalers who specialize in drop shipping over distributors with traditional inventory practices.
While there is a great deal of adversity for small business in today’s economy, there are ways for savvy business owners to reduce operating expenses and ensure their continued survival. By partnering with a wholesaler who utilizes drop shipping, businesses can increase flexibility, reduce monthly expenditures, all while offering quality products at competitive prices.