Snowflakes Improve Holiday Sales

Snowflakes Improve Holiday Sales

by: Marilyn Pokorney

Snowflakes are beautiful!

For the Winter Holiday sales season handcrafted snowflakes are the perfect touch. They lend an aura of a mystical winter wonderland to any room, house or office decor.

You may ask กWhat has snowflakes got to do with internet marketing?ก

A free gift with every order gives you the competitive edge over your competitors.

Everyone likes getting something for free. And what better time for gifts than Christmas time!

Reward your customers with the enjoyment of a unique free gift not available in stores. Youกll make your customers feel special! And that means more sales! Your customers will know that you have a real interest in them as people, not as mere sales prospects.

Include a beautiful snowflake free in your orders and youกll improve your Christmas sales 100 percent!

There are two ways you can do this:

You can tell your customers that they will receive a free gift with every order. The suspense of not knowing what the free gift is makes it even more exciting and fun! Some people will order just for the fun and expectation of getting a free gift! They wonder what could it possibly be?

Or simply send it along with the order. Finding an unexpected gift will greatly enhance your customers appreciation for your first rate service.

You don’t need to go to any great expense for your free gifts. Itกs the ‘thought that counts.ก

Unlike pens, pencils, calendars and other items that have a temporary lifetime give something that will last forever. It will always remind them of you and the excellent service they received by ordering from you.

It will make a huge difference in your sales for the upcoming year. Customers who receive exceptional service will order again and again. That means repeat sales and more money for you.

Snowflakes are available at my website listed in the box below.

About The Author

Author: Marilyn Pokorney

Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment.

Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.

Website: http://www.apluswriting.net

[email protected]

This article was posted on November 28, 2003

by Marilyn Pokorney

From Spyware With Love!

From Spyware With Love!

by: Doug Woodall

Itกs late. Youกve been scouring the web for that perfect present for your Aunt Bess in Idaho and finally you find it at presents4aunties.com. The site looks a lilก rough on the edges, weird colors and such, but they have that gift you know will make Aunt Bess add you to her will. You purchase the gift, log off and head to bed, tired but happy.

The next day, coffee in hand, you turn on your puter. Thatกs strange, you think, its awfully slow this morning. After waiting longer then it takes to make a pot of coffee itกs finally booted up and ready to go. You open your browser to check the Cow Tipping Blog for the latest posts.

Whats this you say, my homepage is now longer the Blog , but a site trying to sell me a DVD of the Smurfs vs the Terminator!

Oh well you say, not quite fully awake. You type in the URL for your Blog and wait. And wait, and wait. Finally its up! You start to read the mornings postings. You’re into the second post about the upcoming Cow Tipping Championship in Vegas when a Popup appears and says you need to go to heartburngone.com for the new revolutionary cure for heartburn. กClick here nowก it says and receive a free gift, the secret cure for Baldness!

Weird you think, you click the X to close it.

You don’t realize by clicking the X that a small hidden piece of code has just been downloaded to your puter.

You finish the Blog postings and decide to check your Bank Account. You type in the URL and wait, and wait. Finally the Bank Logon appears. You log in, completely unaware of the code, which is actually a Keylogger, is recording your every keystroke. The Transaction is there for Aunties gift, you’re so happy. You log off and remember you forgot to email that document for your Boss. Thatกs ok you say, I can log in from here and send it! Technology is so great ! You log into your work portal and access your email program, find the document, attach it to the email form and send it. You vaguely remember it had something to do with the updated personal info list for all of the employees at your job, it includes their Addresses, email addys and direct deposit account numbers, also their logon names and passwords to access the Computers at work.

Darn, now another Popup appears, whats wrong with this puter?

Well at least you didn’t forget the bosses document, after all you wouldn’t want to get in trouble with the bBoss. Youกve a great job, working for the Trans Global Bank after all. Offices all over the world don’t ya know.

Well time to check your antivirus program for updates. Hmmm it says no updates kneeded . You notice the Misspelling but what the heck, those things happen. Geez the puter is really slow! You decide to reboot, hoping that will fix it. Gripes, now it wont even boot! At least theres a lil extra money in the ole Bank Account to get it fixed.

The above is fiction. No animals were harmed. But its scary huh to think it could happen.

Granted itกs a worse case scenario, but I wonder…

Be smart out there people, learn how to use your AntiVirus and AntiSpyware programs. Keep them updated, and if they don’t work well for your surfing habits, find programs that will. Keep your puter protected, your well being may depend on it.

About The Author

Doug Woodall has a website at http://www.spywarebiz.com.

There he provides free information and recommended products to combat Spyware.

He is a member of the IWA (International Webmasters Association)

Doug can be reached at [email protected]

Article edited for proper content by Wendy McCallum

Permission to copy ok as long as about author info remains with article.

Copyright 2005 SpywareBiz

This article was posted on August 25

by Doug Woodall

Free Gift Registry SmallWishes.com

Free Gift Registry SmallWishes.com

by: Joe Piagentini

Introducing…. Smallwishes.com

Smallwishes.com is a completely free online gift registry site with over 10,000 products to choose from. With stores including Babies R Us, Toys R Us, Target, Bombay, Cooking.com, Sony.com… you are sure to pick out the perfect gift.

We realize how hard it is to go out shopping for someone’s birthday or wedding or another holiday not knowing what to get them. We know all the time that is involved in doing that process. You have to find free time during the week, fight traffic on your way to the store, try to find something they like, stand in line, drive all the way back home only to hope that they actually like the gift that you got them. Wouldn’t it just be easier if they sent you an email of things that they liked, go to smallwishes.com, pick out a gift they have on the list, buy it, and have it delivered to your door in a couple of days? I thought so.

We live in a rushed society with hardly any time for ourselves any more. Why not make it easier on your friends and family and let them know what you would really like and help them save time in the process? You know, even if you said you wanted nothing for your birthday, they are going to get you something anyway so it might as well be something that you want, right?

I invite you to check out smallwishes.com and see for yourself. If you are not interested, maybe someone else you know would be.

About The Author

Joe Piagentini

http://www.smallwishes.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on November 12, 2004

by Joe Piagentini

Tips for Increasing Your Profits with Gift Certifi

Tips for Increasing Your Profits with Gift Certificates

by: Rena Klingenberg

Offering gift certificates is an excellent way of increasing sales by solving your customers’ giftgiving problems. Often people would like to give your products as gifts, but are hesitant to choose a specific item for someone.

I’m a jewelry artist, and when I realized I was losing sales to these potential customers, I started offering gift certificates – and discovered a wonderful sales tool.

Wherever you sell your products – at retail locations, shows, home parties – be sure to have an eyecatching sign advertising กGift Certificates Available in Any Amountก. And tell undecided customers about it verbally, too, emphasizing the benefits of a gift certificate, and how much their recipient will enjoy choosing the exact item they want.

How to Make Your Own Gift Certificates

Use your computer and printer to make special, fancy certificates using perforated paper or postcard stock you can find in office supply stores, and have matching fancy envelopes to go with them. They don’t need to cost you very much, but they should really look like a special, festive gift to give them extra appeal!

Consider adding enticing photos of some of your most popular products. My gift certificates have a neat vertical border of jewelry photos on each side.

Here’s the information your gift certificates should have on them:

your business name and location, plus other contact info

a ‘to:ก line

a กFrom:ก line

an กAmount:ก line (for the dollar amount)

กcustom orders welcomeก, if applicable

the expiration date, if you want to limit the time period the certificate can be used

the certificate’s unique number – on your computer or by hand, print a unique number (101, 102, 103, etc., or whatever numbering works for you) on each certificate’s bottom corner, so each can be individually accounted for.

When you sell the certificate, you should write the dollar amount and expiration date (if any) on the certificate yourself, and then have the person purchasing the certificate fill out the To and From lines, so it will be in their own handwriting for the recipient to see. Then enter the certificate’s information in your log.

How to Keep a Gift Certificate Log

It’s important to keep a log of each gift certificate you sell. Keeping a record of each certificate sold will ensure that you don’t wind up honoring a counterfeit certificate, or one with a changed dollar amount when someone comes to use it. My log has 6 columns, and for each certificate I sell, I record in my log:

the certificate’s unique number

the purchaserกs name

the recipientกs name

the date sold

the dollar amount of the certificate

the date redeemed

optional seventh column: expiration date.

I keep my log sheet and a stack of readytosell certificates together in a twopocket folder, along with a fancy pen for filling out the gift certificates in style when they’re sold.

Use Gift Certificates to Their Fullest Profit Potential

Gift certificates can be a great source of backend sales. When the recipient comes to redeem the gift certificate, it’s easy to sell her an addon item or two. Often she is already predisposed to splurge on something to go with the item she’s getting for free with her gift certificate, and needs only a little encouragement from you to purchase extras. For example, in my case, the recipient will often purchase matching earrings to go with the bracelet she gets for free with her gift certificate. So be sure to show enticing things to the recipient that could accompany the item she chooses for her gift!

Use a gift certificate sale as an opportunity to add two new customers to your mailing list: the person who purchased the certificate, and the person who received it. Obtain permission from each to add them to your mailing list. Both of them are now presold on your products, your service, and especially on your solutions to their giftgiving problems. There’s a good chance they will respond favorably when they receive a special offer from you before giftgiving holidays.

About The Author

Jewelry artist Rena Klingenberg is the publisher of http://www.homejewelrybusinesssuccesstips.com , a free online resource of articles and tips to help jewelry artists achieve their goals.

This article was posted on January 26, 2004

by Rena Klingenberg

How to Tap in to the Holiday Publicity Bonanza

How to Tap in to the Holiday Publicity Bonanza

by: Bill Stoller

If your product or service can be given as a gift, a publicity windfall awaits at the end of the year but you need to start working in June. Each December, media outlets cover the newest, the hottest and the most unusual Holiday gifts. The reporters assigned to develop these pieces typically depend on two sources of information:

1. Phone interviews with local store owners

and

2. Press materials that have been sent by publicity seekers.

Let’s deal with Point 1. Here’s a cool trick: In early November, write a letter to stores and major websites that carry your product. Remind them that they may be hearing from journalists soon about hot gift ideas, and request that they consider mentioning your product when that happens. Point out a few reasons why your product is the newest, coolest, best or whatever. Ask the vendor to drop you an email or give you a call if a story results that mentions your product.

Now, on to oldfashioned publicity. When to contact the media depends on the publication or program’s lead time (how far in advance of publication or airing the material is developed). Magazines like Woman’s Day have a lead time up to six months, so get materials to them now. Newspapers have a lead time as short as a week for feature material, so send materials in November. In between are wire services, mediumlead magazines, กinflightก magazines and others. To learn the lead time of a particular media outlet, call the editorial department. If that doesn’t work, try the advertising department.

What you send should be kept simple a press release about your product/service, a pitch letter explaining why it’s such a great gift idea, and, if applicable, a disk with color product photos. See our articles กHow to Write a Great Pitch Letterก http://www.publicityinsider.com/pitch.asp and กHow to Write a Great Press Releaseก http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.asp for more details.

As you craft the materials, think about where your product/service fits. Based on its nature, cost, rarity or usefulness, it may work with a variety of typical Christmas Gift stories such as: Great Stocking Stuffer Ideas, Gifts for Teenagers, Gifts for the Person Who Has It All, Gifts for Executives, Gifts that Relax, etc. By suggesting a category for your product, rather than simply stating กHere’s a product that would make a nice holiday giftก, you’re making yourself stand out and maybe even giving the journalist an idea for a story angle that he or she wouldn’t have thought about otherwise. Either way, your chances of getting coverage are greatly improved.

About The Author

Bill Stoller, the กPublicity Insiderก, has spent two decades as one of Americaกs top publicists. Now, through his website, eZine and subscription newsletter, Free Publicity: The Newsletter for PRHungry Businesses http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp , heกs sharing for the very first time his secrets of scoring big publicity. For free articles, killer publicity tips and much, much more, visit Billกs exclusive new site: http://www.publicityInsider.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on June 03, 2003

by Bill Stoller

From Spyware With Love!

From Spyware With Love!

by: Doug Woodall

Its late. Youกve been scouring the web for that perfect present for your Aunt Bess in Idaho. You finally find it at presents4aunties.com. The site looks a little rough on the edges, weird colors and such. But they have that gift you know will make Aunt Bess add you to her will. You purchase the gift, log off and head to bed. Tired but happy.

The next day, coffee in hand, you turn on your computer. Thatกs strange you say, its awfully slow this morning. Finally its booted and ready to go. You open your browser to check the Cow Tipping Blog for the latest posts.

Whatกs this you say, My Homepage is now longer the Log , but a site trying to sell me a DVD of the Surfs vs the Terminator!

Oh well you say, not quite fully awake. You type in the URL for your Log and wait. And wait, and wait. Finally its up! You start to read the mornings postings. You’re into the second post about the upcoming Cow Tipping Championship in Vegas when a Popup appears and says you need to go to heartburn for the new revolutionary cure for heartburn. Click here now it says and receive a free gift, the secret cure for Baldness!

Weird you think, you click the X to close it.

You don’t realize by clicking the X that a small hidden piece of code has just been downloaded to your computer.

You finish the Log postings and decide to check your Bank Account. You type in the URL and wait, and wait. Finally the Bank Logon appears. You log in, completely unaware of the code, which is actually a Key logger, is recording your every keystroke. The Transaction is there for Aunties gift, you’re so happy. You log off and remember you forgot to email that document for your Boss. Thatกs ok you say, I can log in from here and send it! Technology is so great ! You log into your work portal and access your email program, find the document, attach it to the email form and send it. You vaguely remember it had something to do with the updated personal info list for all of the employees at your job. It includes their Addresses, email addresses and Direct Deposit Account numbers, also their Logon Names and Passwords to access the Computers at work.

Darn you say as another Popup appears, whatกs wrong with this computer?

Well at least you didn’t forget the Bosses Document. Wouldn’t want to get in trouble with the Boss. Youกve a great job, working for the Trans Global Bank after all. Offices all over the world don’t you know.

Well time to check your AntiVirus program for updates. Hmm it says no updates kneed ed . You notice the Misspelling but what the heck, those things happen. Gee the computer is really slow! You decide to reboot, hoping that will fix it. Gripes, now it wont even boot! At least thereกs a little extra money in the ole Bank Account to get it fixed.

The above is fiction. No animals were harmed. But its scary huh to think it could happen.

Granted itกs a worse case scenario, but I wonder…

Be smart out there people, learn how to use your AntiVirus and AntiSpyware programs. Keep em updated, and it they don’t work well for your surfing habits, find programs that will. Keep your computer protected, your well being may depend on it.

About The Author

Doug Wood all has a web site at http://www.spywarebiz.com.

There he provides free information and recommended products to combat Spy ware.

He is a member of the IWA (International Webmasters Association).

Article edited for proper content by Wendy McCallum.

Permission to copy ok as long as about author info remains with article.

Copyright 2005 SpywareBiz

[email protected]

This article was posted on September 11

by Doug Woodall

10 Tips to Use Giveaways Effectively

10 Tips to Use Giveaways Effectively

by: Susan Friedmann

Walk around any trade or consumer show and you will be able to collect a bag full of advertising specialties, or giveaway items all designed to promote. But look a little more closely. How many really do an effective job? How clearly do they get a message across? Is the message sufficiently visible? Is the giveaway useful or unique enough that you would want to keep and use it? All these questions, and more, need to be considered before jumping into the giveaway game.
Everyone enjoys receiving a gift, even if it is กjust a little something.ก Gift giving creates a favorable impression. It can build goodwill, be an incentive, communicate a message and create awareness.
When thinking about advertising specialties for your next show, consider the following ten questions:
1. What do you want to achieve by giving away a premium item?
Your giveaway items should be designed to increase your memorability, communicate, motivate, promote or increase recognition. It is important not only that the message have an impact, but also the premium itself.
2. How will you select your premium item?
There is a multitude of different items you could consider as a premium. However, which one will best suit your purpose? To select the right item, you need to decide your objective. Do you want it to enhance a theme; convey a specific message or educate your target audience? A clear purpose should help make your selection process easier. A promotional specialist can also help you make an effective selection. Remember that your company image is reflected in whatever you choose to give away.
3. Whom do you want to receive your premium?
Having a clear objective for your premium item will also help you decide who should receive it. You may consider having different gifts for different types of visitors. You might have different quality gifts for your key customers, prospects and general passers by.
4. How does your giveaway tie into your marketing theme?
Is there an item that naturally complements your marketing message? Have the message imprinted on the item and make sure that your company name, logo and phone number appear clearly. An important aspect of any gift is to remember who it was from long after the fact.
5. What is your budget?
The price range for premium items is enormous. Quality, quantity and special orders, all impact the price. Establish a budget as part of your exhibit marketing plan. Consider ordering the same item for several different shows. The greater the quantity of your order, the lower the individual unit price.
6. What must visitors do to qualify for a gift item?
There are several ways to use your premium effectively. For example, as a reward for visitors participating in a demonstration, presentation or contest; as a token of your appreciation when visitors have given you qualifying information about their specific needs; as a thank you for stopping at the booth. Avoid leaving items out for anyone to take. This diminishes value and has little or no memorability factor.
7. Will your giveaway directly help your future sales?
Consider handing out a discount coupon or a gift certificate that requires future contact with your company for redemption. Consider premiums that will help generate frequent visits to customers and prospects, such as calling you for free refills.
8. How does your premium item complement your exhibiting goals?
Premiums can be used to prequalify your prospects. One company uses playing cards. Prior to the show, they send กkingsก to their key customers, กqueensก to suppliers, กjacksก to new or hot prospects. They request that the cards are brought to the booth in exchange for a special gift. When the cards are presented, the booth staff already know certain information about the visitor. They can then act on their previous knowledge and use time with the visitor more productively.
9. How will you inform your target audience about you giveaway item?
A sufficiently novel or useful giveaway can actively help to draw prospects to your booth. So make sure your prospects know about it. Send a ‘ticklerก invitation with details of the giveaway, or create a twopiece premium, sending one part out to key prospects prior to the show and telling them to collect the other half at your booth.
10. How will you measure the effectiveness of your premium?
Establish a tracking mechanism to measure the success of your giveaway. If it is a redemption item, code it so that you know it resulted from the show. Postshow followup could include a question about the premium did visitors remember receiving it and how useful was the item. After the show, critique your giveaway with your exhibit team: Did it draw specific prospects to the booth? Was it eyecatching enough to persuade passers by to stop? Did your customers find it useful? Did it project the right corporate image?
There are plenty of exciting premiums for you to choose from so that you can avoid the usual pens, pencils and keychains. Make your premium work for you and it will be money well invested.

About The Author

Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: ขMeeting & Event Planning for Dummies,ข working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. Go to http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com to sign up for a free copy of ExhibitSmart Tips of the Week.

[email protected]

This article was posted on May 26, 2004

by Susan Friedmann

Why Don’t My Subscribers Listen to Me?

Why Don’t My Subscribers Listen to Me?

by: Alice Seba

I received a very good question from a subscriber and I wanted to share it with you:

กI have almost 500 people sigend up to receive my newsletter but each time I send it 89 open it and 1 =3 click onto the website. Now what do I do?ก

Honestly, there could a lot of factors involved in the low open rate. If 8 or 9 actually open it and then you get 13 click…thatกs pretty good. But the problem here, seems to be with getting people to open the darned email.

Hereกs a couple things to think about:

1. How much of your email is getting through? Could your email or the service you’re using be blacklisted by certain ISPs? I would check and see if you can see how many of your emails are actually going through.

2. How about a compelling subject line? Test out different subject lines to see what grabs your subscribers interest. If you’re still writing:

กMyDomain.com Newsletter Issue 1 Vol 14ก

Then cut it out!:) Thatกs not going to get people to open it. Try to give them a quick glimpse of whatกs inside and make it interesting. Youกll probably find certain things grab your subscriberกs attention than others.

3. What are the contents of your newsletter like? Is there a reason for people to open it if they don’t have their wallet ready to buy something? I know that many people who sell products only place information about product specials, etc….but if your subscriber is not in a buying mood, they may not open your email.

Go the extra mile and provide them with VALUE in your newsletter. Give them special tips and advice related to your product that will help them solve problems.

For example, if you sell corporate gift baskets give tips on developing client relationships or anything related to the goal of corporate gift giving.

4. If you reach a broad audience, customize your mailing lists. I happen to know the lady who submitted this question does sell gift baskets…but she sells all kinds of gift baskets. What kind of value can you deliver to your customers / prospects if some of them:

buy new baby gift baskets

buy corporate gifts

buy Valentineกs gifts

Itกs tough. Iกd look to Amazon as the ultimate model to emulate they customize information for you based on your interests. They know what you looked at when you visited their website and they also keep track of what you buy. Then they deliver relevant products and content to you.You can apply the same plan to your mailing lists.

You can give optin subscribers tell you what topics they are interested in or if you are putting your customers on your follow up list make sure that follow up list is related to what they bought.

Keep working at it and learning what your subscribers WANT and deliver it to them. Don’t give up…just get better. Also, do yourself a favor to help you in this process. Sign up for Alexandria K. Brownกs (The Ezine Queen) Free Report:

ก3 Simple Secrets to Publishing an Ezine That Makes You Moneyก

===> http://www.aliceseba.com/ezinequeen.html

About The Author

Alice Seba is a fulltime online business owner that thrives on helping others say goodbye to their JOBs forever. Sign up for her กInternet Marketing Prescriptionsก to cure what ails your online business:

http://www.AliceSeba.com

This article was posted on March 21

by Alice Seba

Got Some L.A.F.S.?

Got Some L.A.F.S.?

by: Kathryn Thomas

Could you use some laughs? I’ll bet you could, especially if they increased your online sales. And, no, I’m not talking about jokes, cartoons, and riddles.

L.A.F.S. stands for Little Ads For Success specifically, business cards. Most people’s idea of a business card is more of a calling card. It has their name, their company’s name, their phone number, and maybe their address or their website address. Typical card. I’m not talking about using your typical card, either.

Think of your Internet marketing techniques. Aren’t they all designed to either get someone to your website or get them on your list? That’s the purpose of L.A.F.S. Just like your ads on the Web, these little ads exist only to get someone to your website.

But how?

You could offer a special incentive on your card, like a discount that only cardholders can get at your site. People always like to get a great deal.

You could offer a free gift that only cardholders get just for visiting your site. This gift needs to have a high perceived value, so that your prospect will remember that he wants to visit your site to get that special gift. Put a code on the card that enables them to get this gift, and you will also be able to track the results of your L.A.F.S. Put a different code on each design, so you know which ones work the best.

You could also make them curious about your site. For example, one of my L.A.F.S. simply asks:

Do You Know 3 People Who Could Use An Extra $100,000?

Does that get their attention? Does it make them curious? You betcha!

There are two important things to remember when you design your cards:

One, never get your prospect’s attention by misleading them just to get them to your site. This would be BAD publicity best avoided!

Two, never try to use your card to actually sell your product. Your goal is to get them to your site, where your sales copy will then do its job.

O.K. Now you’ve got your L.A.F.S. How do you put them to work for you?

You leave a trail of L.A.F.S. behind you! Give them out EVERYWHERE you go. Give them to EVERYONE you meet. When you go to the gas station, give one to the attendant. When you stand in line at the bank, meet the other people in line around you and give them your card. When you get to the counter, give one to the clerk. When your car battery dies, and someone gives you a jump, give a card to your new friend.

Change your routine so that you visit different gas stations, different branches of your bank, different grocery stores, and a variety of restaurants. Go to networking events sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. Go to kidsก sports events and meet the parents. Give out L.A.F.S. at the mall. If your market is a small or specific niche, be creative in finding places that you may encounter these people.

With consistent effort, you will be surprised how fast you can go through a thousand cards!

So leave your trail of L.A.F.S. Little Ads For Success all the way to the bank!

About The Author

Kathryn Thomas, born, raised, and living in Texas, believes in doing things in a BIG way. Be sure to visit her at http://www.HeresTheMoney.com to see the $100,000/mo. income plan. Yes, thatกs per MONTH!

[email protected]

This article was posted on October 05, 2003

by Kathryn Thomas

Avoiding Stress During the Busy Holiday Shopping S

Avoiding Stress During the Busy Holiday Shopping Season with eCardica.com

by: Amy Pilkington

Lake Hopatcong, NJ (PRWEB) November 30, 2004 Here are a few tips and tricks for lessening your woes during the hustle and bustle of the giftgiving season. Each year, thousands of shoppers are plagued with undue stress. Long shopping lines, hurrying to catch sale items and searching for hard to find toys tend to be the most common complaints. There are a few things you can do to avoid or decrease your stress during this hectic time.

1. Avoid waiting until the last minute to buy popular toys. Many people make the mistake of waiting for an item to go on sale. These items tend to disappear off the shelves never to be seen again. Always purchase items as you find them. If the item goes on sell at a later date, many stores now have a price guarantee and will repay you the difference in the amount. If the store doesn’t have a policy of this sort, place the item in layaway. You can always cancel your layaway and buy the item at the current sale price. Regardless, you will be certain to have the desired item.

2. Do not make the mistake of waiting until the last minute to finish up your holiday shopping. Stores are overcrowded with panicked shoppers. Lines will be longer, tension will be mounting and tempers will be short.

3. Try to avoid all day shopping trips. Take a break to unwind between stores. Treat yourself to a nice lunch, a facial, manicure or massage. Youกd be surprised how renewed you will feel.

4. Avoid lines altogether by shopping online or purchasing gift cards for friends, family and loved ones. Over the past years, many consumers have turned to the Internet to avoid crowded malls and traveling from store to store to find certain items. You can sit in the comfort of your own home and shop at anytime. Compare prices to get the best deal or quickly locate hard to find gifts. Shop in stores from around the world. There are many advantages to this option and it might save your sanity.

Online holiday shopping and gift cards have become a popular alternative to traditional trips to local malls and shopping centers. Do you have relatives that are hard to buy for? Purchase a gift card! Gift cards can be bought for many stores in numerous denominational values. Itกs a perfect solution for far away relatives, college students, teenagers and anyone else on your list.

eCardica.com, a provider of free electronic greeting cards, is now offering the option to purchase a gift card to send with a paper card. These paper greeting cards and gift cards can be shipped anywhere. They are available for a wide range of stores so you’re sure to find one that suits your need.

Take a little more time this holiday season to enjoy your time with friends and family. Send your loved ones a greeting card and gift card from anywhere at any time. Forgot someone on your list? You don’t have to fight the crowds. Simply visit http://www.ecardica.com/papercards.asp today and finish your shopping without tearing your hair out.

# # #

eCardica.com eCard Me Baby!

About The Author

eCardica.com eCard Me Baby!

Amy Pilkington

8006163393

[email protected]

This article was posted on November 30, 2004

by Amy Pilkington

How Can People Find Your Site If They Don’t Know W

How Can People Find Your Site If They Don’t Know What To Search?

by: Wayne Liu

We all know it is difficult to promote commercial products, especially those commodity items. People selling commodity items are generally submitting their sites to search engines, such as Google and getting links from other sites to increase page ranks. But you will lose some potential customers who don’t know what or how to search.

When we look at how people are using Internet, there are basically two types of people who use Internet for shopping. The first type is they know what they want and try to find out where they can buy on the Internet. The second type is they want to buy something but don’t know what to buy. Who are they? The best example is the people who shop for gift giving.

In general, when you buy something for yourself, you know what to buy, but don’t know price and place. So you go to Google to search shopping sites. For the people who shop for gift, they may not know what to buy to fit their friends’ styles, not to mention what they can search using search engine. Perhaps, the only word they can search is gift. Therefore, a gift giving sites can guide them to shop better gifts for their friends.

Don’t forget those people who visit the gift giving sites are willing to spend money. They are not just looking for product or background information. They are not doing web research. They have intention to buy something. This is what you want.

Moreover, gift giving site can sell a little bit more expensive, or call upscale items. People may buy cheap things for themselves, but they won’t buy cheap things for their friends. Otherwise, you won’t see people borrow money from banks or credit cards for gift giving.

As I said before, some visitors may not even know what is the correct keyword they should use to search. If you sell something that is unique or the product type is new, then how can you expect people can search your site using correct keyword?

For example, assuming you are selling ขCar Reversing Aidข, a new and unique product. You would probably use PayPerClick advertisement with keyword ขCar Reversing Aidข to promote your product. Then take a look at how many searches for ขCar Reversing Aidข. There are only 83 searches in a month. It is true that the cost of keyword ขCar Reversing Aidข should be very cheap, but it is meaningless because nobody or only a few people have ขCar Reversing Aidข in their mind.

Gift Giving sites eliminate this problem by showing products in open areas that are easy for visitors to see. Categorize the gift ideas into different hobbies, events and type of people (Example: http://www.StyleAndMatch.com/snm2/giftlink.html ), which help gift shoppers to find out what they want.

Yes, there are a lot of gift giving idea sites on the Internet. But most of them are ecommerce sites that focus on selling their own products. There are couple sites really providing different kinds of gift giving ideas but those sites are relatively immature. There are a lot of areas that can be improved.

There are two types of sites that provide gift giving ideas based on people and events. The first type of gift giving site is they show product details and images on their web sites. Usually, these product images and details are submitted by vendors for PayPerClick Advertisement. This approach may limit the number of products or product categories showing on the site.

The other type of gift giving site is they don’t show products details for gift ideas, but show lots of different ideas for specific events or type of people. However, they don’t tell or guide people where to buy. Even I can find some of them have links to other sites, but those are standard banners that point to other sites’ home pages. That is not convenient to customers.

Therefore, gift giving sites are not perfect today. There are a lot of areas that can be improved. You should use some creative marketing ideas on promoting gift giving site. Not only that, gift giving site is also extremely good for selling advertisement, as long as you have enough traffic to your site.

About The Author

Wayne Liu is the founder of www.StyleAndMatch.com, a Gift Giving ideas site that provides thousands of gift ideas and information for different kinds of events and different kinds of people. He can be reached at [email protected] .

This article was posted on April 12

by Wayne Liu

How To Start A Home Based Gift Basket Business

How To Start A Home Based Gift Basket Business

by: LaTunya Sifford

Many of us dream of working from home, spending more quality time with our families. I decided to do just that. Yes i was afraid of failing, not being able to handle the pressures of running a business, and looking after my family at the same time. So i began my search for the right business to start, GIFT BASKETS! I use to give them for gifts to family members, so I thought why not make money while doing something I loved.

STARTUP

As with any new business,you will have to make a number of decisions. What types of baskets will you offer? If you are working from home do you have enough space for creating your baskets?

What is your target market? And most of all how will you reach them? If you plan to start on a shoestring budget, start slow and work from home. running your business from home will allow you to save on overhead expenses.

Income Potential

Your income potential depends on how hard you work and market your business. Industry insiders estimate potential revenues to range from 10,000 annually working part time from home.

Your Gift Baskets

You can either offer a wide selection of gift baskets, or focus on a smaller market. Some of the common gift baskets being offered include the following:

Gourmet/Food Gift Baskets. These are the most popular gift baskets businesses give to their clients, friends and family.

Bath And Body Gift Baskets. These are very popular! Ingredients of these baskets include toiletries like scented soaps, fragrances, olis, lotions, and aromatherapy products. These are just a few selections of gift baskets offered, the list goes on.

Inventory

You inventory level should alway grow as your sales grow. Start small, keeping inventory at a relistic level. You can purchase inventory for your gift baskets either wholesale or retail. I would advise buying at wholesale price, because you may buy in quantities.

About The Author

LaTunya Sifford is an Work At Home Mom with a online gift basket business. She has 2 children ages 13, and 18 months.She can be contacted at the following:

Email: [email protected]

Wesite: www.fullmoongiftbaskets.com

This article was posted on September 10, 2004

by LaTunya Sifford