Strands Blog

There are just a few more hours left for shopping today on Black Friday. A quick look over at google trends indicates the top online searches today revolved around Tiger Wood’s car accident, football, and yummie tummie slimming garments. Specific consumer goods in the top 40 search terms includes Ugg boots and Tom Toms. So does this mean everyone was shopping in the stores or online from the links emailed to them?

The results aren’t quite in yet, but ShopperTrack will release their Black Friday report Saturday morning and we’ll share our ideas soon after. For the economy’s sake, we hope the weekend numbers are high.

Here are a few links to our Strands Recommender clients and the great holiday promotions they are running:

• Free Gift Wrapping at TravelSmith
• 5 days of deals at SkyMall
• Free 3 day shipping on all orders over $200 at Footwear etc
• Free shipping on orders over $49 at Luggage Point

Winner Outstanding Website, WebAward 2009

Brian Walker, @BKWalker, of Forrester Research, recently shared the B2B eConference Trends and Solutions Market Overview. The presentation highlights the growth drivers and range of models in B2B ecommerce plus the evolving B2B site. Check out the full details at the above link. Since many of our clients are preparing for 2010, we thought we’d share Brian’s 5 Key takeaways (with our Strands spin on it).

1. Design your site for the customer.

Consider the end user who needs your product, information or service. Identify their values and search path on your site. Think of Amazon or Apple and follow their website schema when designing your own.

2. Don’t design your site for the sales manager.

Allow your site to sell the end product that relates to the end user. The sales manager will understand the value in your product when seeing the value it serves to their customers. Think of it like this: they are focused on sales, so show them (indirectly) that you are too.

3. Employ familiar UI principles from online retail.

Keep your website structure, simplicity and visibility in mind, but also position your site as a one-stop-shop. Allow someone to easily navigate and identify all the possible things they can purchase. Artistic navigation schemes will decrease time spent on your site and increase the bounce rate.

4. Focus on marketing and merchandising tactics.

There is no better way to cross-sell and up-sell than with Strands Recommender. By showing what other items people have purchased and what items they might be interested in, you will increase your average cart total by 20%. Shamelessly, we’d like you to find more information about the Strands Recommender by clicking here or below, or to the right…

Strands Recommender

5. Don’t let internal business processes, systems, and sacred cows drive the online experience.

What processes can you streamline to make it easier for a customer? It doesn’t matter how it’s always been done, what matters is how it’s currently being done in your customers opinion. Innovation and modernization is key.

For further discussion of key trends or assistance with recommendations, please feel free to contact the Strands Recommender Team.

We are proud to announce that Team Strands is now accepting applications for athlete sponsorship for the 2010 calendar year.  Interested athletes should submit a running resume along with a one-page sponsorship proposal.

The resume should include, but is not limited to:

• Running Background
• Personal Bests
• Race Highlights
• Tentative 2010 Race Schedule

The proposal should highlight why you believe you would be a good brand advocate for Strands.com.  It would be helpful to include information about your level of involvement in the running community, and your “reach” online with social networking sites and blogs.  Preference will be given to athletes willing to relocate to Corvallis, Oregon, and your sponsorship proposal should indicate whether you would be willing to relocate as part of your sponsorship.

You must be willing to share your training and interact with the Strands.com community.  So, familiarity with Strands.com is a must.  If you would like to apply for sponsorship and have not yet set up a profile, please do so at Strands.com before applying.

When you have completed your application, please send an email with both documents attached to teamstrands@strands.com by December 15, 2009. We will begin notifying athletes starting January 1, 2010.