During a recent visit with family and with the fuel tank showing a big red Empty, my Mom was insistent that we had to get gas from Billy. “Who the heck is Billy?”, I wondered? (Bear with me, this gets interesting.)

We pull into the most ordinary of Shell gas stations (international readers: you might better recognize this company as Royal Dutch Shell) and are greeted by a very happy personality, Billy, who pumps the gas at this full service station.…

...continue to read "What Could Happy Billy Teach You About Your Business?"

I’m not gonna lie…what you’re about to read was inspired by a real-life online shopping experience.  I won’t mention the guilty site, but I’ll say they sell clothing and jewelry to young urbanites.

As I relate the following three eCommerce mishaps, be thinking about whether you can eradicate all of them from your business by the time the “Holiday Rush” hits. ALL are preventable, if you start today and take one item at a time.

Let’s start at the “precipitating event;” the spark…

...continue to read "3 Ways to Lose an Online Sale"

Very simply, reviews increase conversion rates.  And several studies point to the fact that, yes, even negative reviews help.

It all boils down to credibility.  Customer reviews simply have more credibility than your sales copy, so they inspire more confidence in the buyer.  And negative reviews lend credibility to the review process itself, standing as visible proof that the reviews are not edited.

Makes sense right?  Sure it does, until you find yourself staring at the (perceived) ability…

...continue to read "You Can’t Edit Your Way Out of Negative Reviews"

How far are you willing to go to convert a sale?

Would you be willing to lie? Cheat? Steal?

I didn’t think so. Most of us wouldn’t.

How about just ever so slightly burying a fact — one that’s essential and potentially harmful to your sales — at the bottom of the page?

Now you judge.

One day several weeks ago, I noticed my Apple MacBook Pro laptop battery was driving toward a slow and painful death. As so often happens with those…

...continue to read "To Be or Not to Be Transparent?"

When something goes wrong with a product or service and you’re looking to request an exchange, return or be compensated somehow for the inconvenience, you probably expect a fight when contacting the vendor. This is a result of companies missing the mark on successfully meeting our customer experience basic expectations.

I had to laugh at myself when I found myself in this exact situation. I had my boxing gloves on and I was ready to duke it out, expecting the worst. I…

...continue to read "Ecommerce Alchemy: Turning Disgruntled Customers Into Brand Advocates"