Tom SchwabLeader in Inbound-HubSpot to drive eCommerce Sales
Bio

A leader in using Inbound for eCommerce for increased traffic, automation and lifetime value.One of the first eCommerce businesses to use an Inbound Marketing Strategy and the HubSpot platform to go from a regional player to a national leader in under 3 years. Tom is a speaker, author and leader of the eCommerce HubSpot User Group. He helps business owners grow beyond chasing transactions with PPC and SEO into growing a brand with high-quality organic traffic and an automated sales machine.


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Yoast hands down is the best. If you are using New Rainmaker by Copyblogger their native one is powerful and super easy to use.

Ultimately engaging content that answers your ideal buyer' personas questions will be the best SEO tool to attract visitors that convert to customers.


I'd encourage you not to look at this as a sole quest. Ideas are easy and have little value until executed. Most creative people are more than willing to share great ideas that they have no intention of executing. The abundance mentality that made them successful also makes them willing to share great ideas. Being around these people either in person, at conferences or even through blogs and videos will expose you to new ideas that have already been thought through and vetted by an expert. As an example Gary Vaynerchuk is always sharing ideas on his videos. Even though millions of people watch it, few probably take action to make it a reality.

Derek Sivers has great insights here on this video https://vimeo.com/26825327


Finding a great partner in business i much like finding a great partner in life. It takes time for both of you to know and understand each other. Rushing in because it's the thing to do is a recipe for disaster. Make sure you have the similar world view, values and vision for the future. Working on projects together is a great way to "date" - get to know a prospective business partner. I'd recommend it as part of the due diligence for anyone looking to form a legal partnership. As one entrepreneur shared with me "I've been through a divorce and a break up with a business partner. The divorce was easier".


Let customers decide if it's dumb. Only people voting with their dollars are experts. There is a great booked called the "7 Day Start Up" by Dan Norris in which he talks about having some minimally viable product that people can buy as quickly as possible. Only then can you get honest feedback and begin building the service that people really want. All the best, Tom


The search engine's love content....just not duplicate content. Google claims there is no such thing as negative SEO. They don't punish sites Rather they don't reward sites with duplicate content. This is like saying "No Dessert" is not a punishment, but instead you weren't rewarded.

There is a white hat way to "have your cake and eat it too". If one of the sites adds additional content to each page (at least 200 words) or simply rewrites the content, it will most likely not be viewed as duplicate content. You both can get SEO credit. Finding a writer to do this should be very easy on oDesk or Zerys. Depending on the technical aspects of the content, you might even be able to find a college intern to work on the project.


How you handle customer service can have a major factor on how delighted customers are after the transaction. Even more important it can drastically impact your initial conversion rate. Buyers often look for "trust items" like a phone number, email or even a physical address prior to purchasing.

The most inexpensive dedicated phone number can come from setting up a free Google Voice number. Have the recording identify it as your business and let they caller know when to expect a response (after 5pm, with in 24 hours, etc). Then you can call them back from your personal phone (you can block the number if you choose) at your convenience.

With regards to email avoid the free YourCompany@gmail.com and opt for the website name to be after the @. This can be set up via GoogleApps or Go Daddy for $5/mos. Set up an autoresponder that assures them their email was received and lets them know when to expect a reply.

Many customer service calls can be avoided by being proactive after the sale. Set up autoresponders that sends them the tracking number, directions for the product and even a video of how to use the product. Our experiences have shown that customers amerce more likely to read and watch the instructions via email prior to the package arriving. This cuts down on questions and ultimately makes for a more delighted customer.

Finally avoid the urge to outsource customer service. This is customer feedback that you need. You can use it to improve your product and process as well as great content for FAQs and blogs. If one person asks you can be sure there are hundreds more with the same question. You want to be the one providing the answers and winning trust, traffic and thought leadership.


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