Miscellaneous

Find out about the science behind eye tracking and its diverse applications across industries, enhancing research, user experiences, and more.

Discover what is behavioral marketing and how it leverages consumer behavior to deliver personalized campaigns that drive engagement and boost conversions.

The power of your marketplace on Shopify is to seamlessly connect you with diverse vendors and their unique products. Whether you're a tech expert or a novice, Shopify equips you to confidently manage an online marketplace on your own.

But in today's crowded digital landscape, how can your Shopify marketplace stand out? The secret lies in niche mastery, vendor empowerment, and customer experience enhancement.

Many marketplaces excel at carving a niche, yet stumble in the other two areas.

Why?

Without external plugins, Shopify falls short in vendor registration, product and order management by vendors, and commission calculations. Moreover, it lacks advanced order processing features like automated labeling, shipping, tracking, and invoicing, as well as essential marketing tools.

Enter Shipturtle, your Shopify multivendor marketplace plugin. This powerful plugin unleashes your Shopify marketplace's true potential.

Fortunately, we devised a comprehensive 9-point checklist to consider before building a marketplace on Shopify.

Shopify Marketplace: Tick This Checklist To Build a Thriving Multi-Vendor Marketplace

1. Choose the Right Shopify Multi-Vendor Marketplace Plugin:

• Begin by defining your marketplace's niche and value proposition.
• Then, select the right marketplace apps from Shopify's extensive app store:
• Multi-Vendor Marketplace Apps: Choose from Onport, or Flxpoint for vendor onboarding, product listing management, and commission tracking.
• Inventory Management Apps: Syncio, or SyncLogic can synchronize your inventory in real time across multiple stores.
• Shipping and Fulfillment Apps: Consider Pluginhive, or Indian Logistics Services for automated shipping and order fulfillment.
• Brand Partnerships: Connect with similar brands using tools like Carro or Shopcanal
  
  

Shipturtle stands out as a comprehensive solution for enhancing Shopify's capabilities, offering a range of features for marketplace optimization.

2. Theme Selection & Mobile Optimization

• Select a Shopify theme that is visually appealing, functionally rich, and responsive across devices.
• It should support vendor storefronts, product search filters, and a streamlined checkout process.

Find curated Shopify themes for your e-commerce marketplace here.

3. Legal Compliance

• Ensure your marketplace adheres to e-commerce and data privacy laws. This includes terms of service, privacy policies, and dispute resolution procedures.

4. Vendor Recruitment

• Focus on attracting the right vendors and facilitating their smooth integration into your platform.
• Create compelling recruitment materials and highlight success stories to attract potential vendors.

5. Onboarding & Vendor Vetting

• Streamline the registration process and provide dedicated support during onboarding. Utilize Shipturtle for automated vendor acquisition and management.

6. Product Quality Control

• Define meticulous guidelines for product descriptions, images, pricing, and shipping.
• Ensure vendors accurately portray their offerings and surpass platform quality standards.
• Empower vendors with gold-standard resources like training and best practices. Let them manage products at their end with Shipturtle’s amazing Vendor Website Sync
• This prevents you from manually uploading pages of product data at your end. Shipturtle also tracks every move your vendor makes on your marketplace website, making troubleshooting a breeze.

7. Payment and Commission Structure

• Establish a transparent payment system and commission structure.
• Integrate secure payment gateways and automate payment disbursements using apps like Shipturtle.

8. Shipping Options

• While Shopify tracks order fulfillment, integrating with Shipturtle with 200+ partners can streamline the entire shipping process, including label creation and tracking.

9. Analytics and Performance Tracking

• Utilize Shopify's analytics and third-party apps to track vendor performance, customer acquisition, and retention.
• Make sure to identify trends and make data-driven decisions.
• Offer responsive support across multiple channels. Implement a robust customer support system, including FAQs, and live chat.

Getting Started

Shopify's ecosystem is vast and varied, offering numerous opportunities for marketplace owners.

Launching a marketplace on Shopify is ideal for startups. Explore the range of apps and tools available, and how they can be integrated into your marketplace to enhance functionality and user experience.

Eventually, you need to foster a sense of community among your customers and vendors. Engage with your audience through social media, forums, and events. Building a strong community can lead to increased loyalty and word-of-mouth referrals.

Schedule a call with our e-commerce marketplace experts or explore our success stories and live chat for more insights.

Ever wondered how some people run a thriving online store without ever touching the products they sell? Let us introduce you to the magical world of dropshipping, where you can sell products without even keeping them in stock.

It's time to unlock the secrets behind starting a dropshipping business and find out how Shopify can help you take the e-commerce world by storm.

So, grab a coffee, and let's dive right into Shopify dropshipping!

What Is Dropshipping, and Why Use Shopify?

Dropshipping is a business model where you sell products without physically stocking or handling them. You team up with a supplier who handles the shipping and inventory management. Whenever you make a sale, you forward the order details to your supplier, and they ship the product directly to the customer.

Now, why Shopify? It's a platform designed to make starting a dropshipping business a breeze. With Shopify, you get:

• A user-friendly platform to set up and manage your store
• A wide range of Shopify dropshipping apps for seamless integration
• Access to thousands of suppliers through those dropshipping apps

Ready to dive deeper? Let's explore the roles and benefits of dropshipping and how to make it work with Shopify.

The Role of Dropshippers

As a dropshipper, your primary responsibilities include:

• Finding and partnering with suppliers
• Choosing products to sell
• Managing your online store
• Marketing your products
• Processing orders

The success of your dropshipping business depends on how well you handle these tasks.

Finding and Partnering with Suppliers

The backbone of your business is choosing a dropshipping supplier. Look for:

• Reliability and reputation
• Product quality and selection
• Shipping speed and costs
• Customer service

Start by researching suppliers within your niche, comparing their offerings, and reading reviews from other dropshippers. Make a list of potential suppliers, contact them, and negotiate terms that work for both parties. Building a strong relationship with your supplier is crucial for long-term success.

Choosing Products to Sell

To maximize profits from dropshipping, pick the right products. Consider:

• Demand and competition
• Product pricing and profit margins
• Shipping size and weight
• Supplier stock availability

Use market research, keyword analysis, and competitor analysis to help you make informed decisions. Monitor trends, and don't be afraid to pivot to new products if necessary.

Managing Your Online Store

Shopify makes it easy to manage your store. Customize your store design, add product listings, and set up payment gateways, all within the platform. Shopify's user-friendly interface is perfect for beginners and seasoned e-commerce enthusiasts alike.

To optimize your store, focus on:

• Clear and attractive product images
• Engaging product descriptions
• Simple and user-friendly navigation
• Fast and secure checkout process

Marketing Your Products

Attracting customers is crucial. Use tactics such as:

• Social media marketing
• Content marketing
• Influencer marketing
• Email marketing
• Paid advertising

Monitor your marketing efforts, refine your strategies, and watch your business grow. Track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of your marketing campaigns and make data-driven decisions.

Processing Orders

When a customer places an order, your job is to forward the order details to your supplier. Shopify automates this process with the help of Shopify app dropshipping integrations, making order management simple and efficient. Stay in close communication with your suppliers to ensure smooth order processing and shipping.

Benefits of Dropshipping

There are plenty of perks to running a dropshipping business. Some key benefits include:

• Low startup costs
• No need for inventory management
• Scalability
• Flexibility in product offerings
• Reduced shipping complexities

With dropshipping, you can test new products and explore different niches without breaking the bank. It's an excellent opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to minimize risk while building a successful online business.

Customer Service in Dropshipping

Providing top-notch customer service is essential for any e-commerce business, and dropshipping is no exception. Even though your supplier handles the shipping, you are still responsible for ensuring customer satisfaction. Focus on:

• Prompt and professional communication
• Addressing customer inquiries and concerns
• Handling returns and refunds
• Collecting and acting on customer feedback

By prioritizing customer service, you can build trust and loyalty, leading to repeat customers and positive reviews.

Legal Aspects of Starting a Dropshipping Business

Before you start selling products online, covering your legal bases is important. Here are some steps to consider:

• Register your business and obtain the necessary permits or licenses
• Understand and comply with sales tax regulations
• Create clear and comprehensive policies for your store (e.g., shipping, returns, privacy)
• Protect your business with appropriate insurance coverage

Consult with a legal professional to ensure you meet all legal requirements and protect your business.

Making Shopify Dropshipping Work for You

Shopify offers numerous apps designed to simplify the dropshipping process. Some of the best Shopify dropshipping apps include:

• Oberlo
• Spocket
• Modalyst
• Printful
• AliExpress Dropshipping

These apps help you find suppliers, import products, and automate order processing. Choose the app that best suits your business needs and niche.

Oberlo

Oberlo is a popular Shopify app that connects you with suppliers and allows you to import products directly to your store. With Oberlo, you can:

• Easily search and import products
• Customize product information
• Set pricing rules
• Track orders and shipments

Spocket

Spocket is another Shopify app that focuses on US and European suppliers. It offers unique features like branded invoicing and faster shipping times. Spocket's benefits include:

• Access to high-quality suppliers
• Quick shipping times
• Branded invoicing for a professional touch

Modalyst

Modalyst is a Shopify app that connects you with suppliers of niche and luxury products. It's perfect for dropshippers looking to target a more upscale market. Modalyst offers:

• Curated selection of unique products
• Real-time inventory updates
• Automatic order processing

Printful

For those interested in print-on-demand dropshipping, Printful is a must-have Shopify app. Create custom products like apparel, accessories, and home goods with your designs, and Printful will handle the printing and shipping. With Printful, you get:

• Wide range of customizable products
• No upfront inventory costs
• Easy integration with Shopify

AliExpress Dropshipping

AliExpress is a massive online marketplace offering millions of products at competitive prices. The AliExpress Dropshipping app lets you import products from AliExpress to your Shopify store with ease. The app provides:

• Access to a vast selection of products
• Customizable product listings
• Automated order processing

Your Path to Dropshipping Success

The world of dropshipping is a thrilling place, full of potential for those willing to learn the ropes and put in the effort. You have the tools to build a successful online store with Shopify and the right Shopify app dropshipping integrations. Focus on your responsibilities as a dropshipper, prioritize customer service, and always be ready to adapt to changing market trends.

So, are you ready to embark on your dropshipping journey with Shopify? The e-commerce world awaits, and it's time to make your mark! If you want some help along the way, don't hesitate to get in touch!

If you're not utilizing the latest e-commerce trends in your Etsy business, it's essential to brush up on your knowledge. 

If you're one of the more than 1.7 million sellers currently using the Etsy ecosystem, you already know the power of e-commerce.

Selling online is a great way to reach a wider customer base, build brand recognition, and improve profit margins.  As such, investing your attention and efforts in an Etsy store is a great way to tap into this potential.

Yet, it's evident that technology is quickly accelerating. In fact, it's expected that in five years, technological advancements will be 32 times ahead of where they are today. This also affects how e-commerce operates.

Today, we're discussing five ecommerce trends that are shaping the way sellers work, communicate, and earn money. Understanding these industry shifts is essential to succeeding in the online marketplace.
Ready to get started? Let's go!

1. A Focus on Personalization
Today's digital consumer expects more from online sellers than ever before. He or she expects a personalized shopping experience to the greatest extent possible.

As such, one of today's top ecommerce trends is to incorporate personalization into your Etsy shop where appropriate. This is also a tactic at the forefront of digital marketing.

Depending on your store, this might mean sending a personalized note on company-branded stationary with each order. Or, it might mean including a discount code for future purchases -- anything to put the buyer in the spotlight.

2. Omnichannel Integration
To make the customer journey as seamless as possible, it's important to tie together all aspects of your online business into an omnichannel user experience. 

If you have an Etsy store in addition to a physical storefront, a website, a social media presence, or another ecommerce platform, make sure that the branding across all of these is consistent, and that they all link up with each other consistently.
 
Doing so will not only make the path to purchase smoother -- the ease of use could also improve customer satisfaction.

3. Diverse Shipping and Delivery Options
Did you know that 63% of customers say that excess shipping costs are the #1 reason they decide to forego buying from a brand?

Alternatively, 88% of customers say they'd be more likely to buy from an online site if it offered free shipping.

Thanks in part to Amazon Prime and other online options that are rapidly changing the price point of shipping and altering delivery expectations, consumers today don't just expect to receive their goods in a timely manner -- they want them as quickly and as inexpensively as possible.

As such, another one of the top ecommerce trends to implement in your Etsy shop is reevaluating how you handle shipping and handling. 
Can you absorb some of those costs if it meant gaining more sales? Do you have the workload capacity to offer sooner delivery? What about local pickup? Consider what you can do and how you'd benefit by doing it.

4. Mobile-Friendly Accessibility
Today, 95% of Americans own a mobile device of some kind. As such, ecommerce trends are leaning toward making online stores as mobile-friendly as possible.

This is especially important for Etsy sellers, as more than half of the site's sales are generated by a mobile device.

To start, take a look at your shop from a mobile user's perspective. Then, consider how you can adjust your pictures, layout, and text to best display your message when viewed from a handheld perspective.

5. Social Media Connection
We've already touched on the importance of omnichannel integration. Now, let's take a look at one channel that's set to transform the ecommerce landscape: social media.

Today's top Etsy brands are those that make it easy for shoppers to learn more about their brand on social media.

This can be as simple as including a link in your Etsy profile that users can click to learn more about you, engage with other like-minded shoppers, and "follow" you for updates.

If you're looking to boost the sales and ROI generated from your ecommerce website, we'd love to help.

We'll work with you to understand the ins and outs of your business to determine your ideal path to growth. Contact us today to learn more and get started!

If you've overlooked Shopify's Sales Channels, you might want to check them out.  It's Shopify's way of making it easy (and sometimes free) to get traffic.

Here's a quick rundown of them:

Facebook

Does your business use Facebook to promote its products? Wouldn’t it be great if you could somehow give users the option to buy while they’re browsing your Facebook page? Well, thanks to fully-integrated Shopify Facebook pages, you can. Just click on the Facebook sales channel to automatically sync product details, images, and inventory.

Fee: Free!

Pinterest

You can also promote your store through Pinterest. Shopify will automatically sync your products with Pinterest to create Buyable Pins that pinners can save for later, repin or use to purchase your items. If your business qualifies for Buyable Pins, you can sell on Pinterest for free.

Fee: Free!

Ebay

Easily list all of your products and inventory on Ebay which will make your product available to over 170 million buyers!

Fee: Normal Ebay fees apply.

That's all for now.  We will be updating this article again and again as Shopify continues to build world class integrations!

* Disclosure: We are official partners of Shopify because we believe that it's the best e-commerce solution out there.  

More consumers are turning to Google for their online shopping needs. In this post, we're giving you the facts on Google shopping ads and how to use them.

If you're using regular PPC ads to get clicks to your online store (or any other ads) your next step should be Google Shopping ads.

Utilizing these paid ad positions guarantees a higher click-through-rate (CTR) and higher conversion ratio than PPC alone or most other online advertising.

These ads also lead to better, more qualified leads since they clicked directly on a product. These PPC text ads and Google Shopping Ads can even appear in the same search query. We all know that means broader presence and more opportunity for clicks.

What are Google Shopping Ads?

Searching on Google will pop up a number of different types of results.

In addition to traditional text results, you will also receive video, Q&A responses, and Google Shopping ads.

The shopping ads appear first in the results if you are searching for a specific product. For instance, a query for "organic baby food" in Google will give you five shopping ads as the first results before moving on to PPC text ads and then to organic search results.

These pretty product images and price info at the very top of the results are the Google shopping ads. If I own an online store, I want my products in those listings.

The product feed for these ads lives in the Google Merchant Center and you'll build your campaigns in Google Adwords.

Are These Ads Worth the Added Time and Expense?

So, really, my products can be placed in the top rung of Google, above even the very first paid ad?

That's powerful stuff. As a user, why would I bother scrolling to any of the other results when what I need is available to buy with one click on the top of the page?

In a word? Yes, these ads are absolutely worth it if you have an online store and want to sell your products.

Now you see what these ads are and how powerful they can be. However, Google does not give away these prizes easily.

These campaigns are labor intensive. Firstly, loading all the products you'd like featured in a Google Shopping Ad into their Google Merchant Center can mean hours, if not days, of work. 

To ensure all this work is worth it, make sure to perform quality keyword research on your product base to see what people want and are searching for. This way you can strategically add products into the Merchant Center knowledgeably.

The good news? After doing that initial keyword research on what you're selling you no longer have to worry about keywords. 

Google Shopping Ads do NOT use keywords to rank. They rank on product titles ONLY. Pick your chin up off the desk. You can cry a little, it's ok. 

Granted, while you won't have to be an expert at keyword dropping you will need to make sure your product titles and descriptions are specific and detailed. This will give you the most opportunity to appear in that coveted 5 pack at the top of the page.

Properly Loading Your Products into the Google Merchant Center

This is truly key when attempting a Google Shopping Ads campaign. 

Luckily, depending on the type of store you're running, there are plugins who will pull the data for you. Here are some tips to find the best e-commerce platform for your online store.  If you're on Shopify, this app works pretty well.

You can also choose to enter it manually.

Here are the most important things you'll want to remember when loading your products: 

• Use those great keywords you found in your research of the product title.  Users searching for "organic baby food" won't get targeted with ads for "pureed bananas". 
  • A good example would be "Organic Baby Food - Baby's Best - Bananas & Apples" not "Baby's Best - Bananas & Apples". The second example will be missing the traffic from "organic baby food".

• Use the Most Commonly Used Name for Your Product.  If you sell riding lawn mowers then you wouldn't call them automatic grass clipper. Most people will search for lawn mowers. Make sure you are using the most commonly searched for terms for your products.

• Differentiate Products by Color, Brand, Size, Flavor, Etc. - Online sales depend on the details. The customer wants to know exactly what they are buying and want exactly what they are looking for. 
  • Say you sell pool toys. What would be the better online product title, "Inflatable Giraffe Pool Toy" or "Inflatable Giraffe Pool Toy - Brown and White - 7'5" Fully Inflated". The second example gives the customer the information they need to make an informed purchase. If my pool is only 8'x10',  I don't want a 7' Giraffe toy for my 6-year-old. I'll purchase something smaller.

• Put the Highest Volume Keywords at the Beginning - If your highest volume keyword is "vintage signed baseballs" you wouldn't want to name your product "Used Baseballs - 35 Years Old - Signed" you would name it "Vintage Signed Baseballs - Circa 1947 - Jackie Robinson". Search volume drives rankings. 

• Be As Specific As Possible - Include model numbers, serial numbers, model years, etc. When buying online people like details. So does Google.

• The 150 Character Limit, Use It - While you don't have to use the whole space it can help. Add more details and use up all those characters. 

How Do I Pay for These Ad Campaigns?

Once you've loaded your products into the merchant center you will move into Adwords to create your Google shopping ads campaign. The process changes from text ads when you choose your campaign type. Turn to Google for a thorough and detailed process. Here are the simplified steps to creating your campaign:

1. Once you've clicked "+Campaign" choose "Shopping".
2. Give your campaign a name.
3. Provide a Merchant Identifier: this should be the merchant ID associated with your Google Merchant Center Account.
4. Select your country of sale.
5. Choose the geographical locations where you want your ads to appear.
6. Enter your maximum cost-per-click (CPC) bid next to "Default Bid". Don't worry you can adjust this later.
7. Choose your budget type and enter the amount.
8. Click Save and Continue.

There are also a number of additional/advanced settings you can choose but that's the basic process. Simple enough right?

Where Will My Ads Appear

Your ads will appear in a couple different places. The 5 Pack at the top of the results is one. Your products will also appear in the shopping tab (in some countries) and in Google Search Partner sites like YouTube and Image Search (if you set the ads to appear in search partners).

Google Shopping Ads are currently available and shown in:

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Germany 
• France
• Japan
• Italy
• Spain
• Netherlands
• Brazil
• Australia
• Switzerland
• Austria
• Belgium
• Denmark
• Mexico
• Norway
• Poland
• Sweden
• Turkey
• Czech Republic
• Canada
• India
• Russia

Got the Hang of it? Add an Ad Extension

Now that you have your products loaded with superior descriptions, it's time to take advantage of ad extensions. 

Google offers ad extensions to make your products even more attractive to consumers. There are a few different types:

• Google Merchant Promotions - Think of these like a coupon attached to your ad. These give you the opportunity to give an incentive for choosing your product over others. Could be Free Shipping for example.
• Local Inventory Ads - These are cool because they give real-time inventory updates to customers in your local area. This creates urgency as they see your supply creep towards zero.
• Product Ratings - New and awesome. This extension combines your reviews and ratings from all over the internet. It then displays the products star rating underneath your ad. If four merchants have that last copy of the latest NY Times bestseller but you have 5 stars, you win the click.

Keep in mind that Google is still in control over when and how these are displayed. Google Merchant Promotions and Local Inventory take precedence over ratings for the time being. 

Google picks the products it shows using its algorithm. You always have to remember who you're paying after all.

Things to Avoid When Using Shopping Ads

Similar to PPC text and organic search, Google uses an algorithm to determine the placement of their shopping ads. 

You don't want to shoot yourself in the foot by making simple mistakes.

• Becoming Your Own Competition
  • Make sure you don't end up competing with yourself by placing the same product in multiple categories. While this may seem like a great idea to add visibility it will actually just confuse Google's algorithm and make you look spammy.
• Quality Rules the Day
  • Focus on the quality of your product listings. Similar to other content on Google, they favor the good stuff. Be intriguing, write good descriptions, use descriptive and detailed product titles. This will get you pushed up faster than simplistic info.

If this all seems a little too overwhelming for you, you don't have the time to devote to it, but you still know it would greatly benefit your business...hire a professional. 

All too often, the best answer to all of this is to hire someone who knows their stuff and won't lead you astray.

Yep, this is our first blog post for my new brand: Ultrafade.  In case you were wondering, we specialize in helping Shopify store owners increase traffic to their website.  Why Shopify?  We've tried other e-commerce solutions over the past decade and have not found any that are as easy to use as Shopify.  Not only is it easy to use, but the support and community surrounding it are superb! 

If you're not convinced that Shopify is the best solution, then stick around.  The next series of blog posts, we will be comparing Shopify to some of the other e-commerce solutions out there.

I'm going to keep this first blog post short because I'm starting to sound like an ad for Shopify which is actually not like me at all.  I've spent the previous years prior to Shopify - complaining about other e-commerce solutions, so I guess I'm just excited that I don't really have a lot of complaints any more.   

OK, I'm gonna go now even though I'm breaking the rule of thumb of 250 words or more for blog posts.  Someday, I'll post about why that matters (and why I sometimes break the rules), but until then I need to start on my series.