It was a unique experience as you are immersed  in a room filled with people JUST LIKE YOU.

On my table were business women, photographers working in e-commerce, web designers, social media experts, mobile web designers and even people who had just started at technology companies.

Girl geek meetings are not just for us to let our inner feminist out (men do come too along with their girl geeks) but to understand and provide support, stories and mentoring to each other in a typically male dominated industry.

Denise Jacobs was our first speaker and told a story about her rise to becoming a public speaker, writing a technical book and basically becoming a web diva of extraordinary proportions.

She reminded us to stop beating ourselves up for being female and thinking we can’t progress in this world. She indicated that actually, most of the barriers we feel are self generated and no one will stop us…however male dominated we think the technology industry is.

Us girls of a geek nature also need to shout about what we do. If we are too understated (I suffer from this affliction) and don’t say ‘ Hey, I can do that’ we will never get where we want to be.

We know more than we think we do

Want to feel inspired? Pop over to youtube: http://youtu.be/FTTj7DWABes

Second up was Karen Strunks from the 4am project – She detailed about using social media to promote her photography at 4am from a insomniacs walk about to a global photography project showing our world at this unique time.

This is Karen’s video (shot by me as I was sitting there): http://youtu.be/v1B18U_KgiY and see our world at 4am on flickr!

Our final speaker was Rachel McCollin taking about mobile web and how she got into the industry from working with the environmental agency.

Her video is here:  http://youtu.be/ZzWFCSV365o

So all in all it has inspired me to become more active again, on this blog (and meeting with my fellow girl geeks will give me more content to write again) and also is public speaking. Hey I may even offer to speak at a girl geek event.

IN OTHER NEWS >>>>> (shameless self promotion segment)

A new eBay design offering is hitting the web-o-sphere. A smart phone optimised solution for the SME market with dynamic navigation to die for. Full details will be in the new Tamebay Tools and services guide coming out on the 31st of Jan.

Want a sneak peek of new clients taking advantage of this?

Check out: http://stores.ebay.de/outdoorsportshop24 (still updating hislisting templates), http://stores.ebay.de/HHV-MUSIC (still updating his listing templates) and http://stores.ebay.at/123boerse (who has actually updated his item templates!!)

With a set up fee of 1500 Euros (plus monthly subscription based on volume) this is an ideal solution for eBay sellers.

More info to come of course but if you want to get in touch about this product please contact us via info@widshop.com.

So we (a group of 5 kimono dressers and photographers) will offer 3 types of kimono dressing on the day, however we are offering specialist dress up Geisha, Samurai and Wedding/Formal as a booked only venture so we can manage what we need to task on the days and the time needed.

Ideally, we would like to offer Geisha Cosplay/Henshin for people that turn up but the equipment and time needed is manic. One half of the group believes choice is best, the other believe we should keep it simples. So pre booking more complicated kitsuke (kimono dressing) is the half way house.

Everyone wants choice, but sometimes you just can not hold all the stock and options needed. However, restricting what you sell offer can impede your growth as a business, especially if your competitor stocks the whole range of something.

Customers are impatient, so making them wait on pre-orders/special orders increases the chance of charge backs! Grrrrr…is the word.

Personally I would use seasonality when thinking of stock a little more and maybe get in a few different pieces to suit the season/trend in order to grow and complete.

So for our first event we will be using forums and facebook to get advanced bookings for the event on the more complicated dress ups by providing a photo book portfolio and price list prior to the event.

I will let you know how online promotion works for an offline event

1. The food – you are always fed ‘n’ watered well as a sponsor and attendee at Channeladvisor events. This year we had more time for the feeding process (which so happened to be in the room with all the sponsors) so as people eat they like to talk, so potential clients will wander round with their coffee chatting to other attendees and to the sponsors.

2. Other third party providers – Catalyst is always good to catch up with our fellow third party providers and competitors (Grrrrr…arrrrg) to see how they are fairing in business and exchange experiences.

In the Channeladvisor world the third party provider space is not that huge, so we all get to know one another. When you have a network of trusted service providers you can recommend to your existing clients, we all bounce off one another. Even companies who on the face of it are direct competitors, are not normally carbon copies of each other. They can offer and lend services so that the client gets what they need.

3. Other third party providers, that don’t sponsor also attend the event – I negotiated a nice deal and introduction to a newer marketplace (playtrade) that would suit the direction one of my clients is taking. He will be happy with this

4. Potential clients – it’s why us sponsors go really, to get business. The good thing with potential and current ChannelAdvisor clients is that they are pre qualified. When you are speaking to a potential they are interested in moving forward and contracting a company to make this happen.

5. Networking – Talking e-commerce with a few free alcoholic beverages in you is fun. You meet new friends and clients in a more relaxed atmosphere.

6. Ideas – potential clients are brimming with ideas, information and enthusiasm after all the seminars and speakers. They are in the MOOD, and ready to make waves with the help of us sponsors perhaps?

7. CA Staff – I spoke to lots of CA staff, to catch up with personally and to speak about clients. Lots of new introductions too. I had a demo of their new ‘salesforce’ offering which a client of mine wants us to integrate in his store and eBay design. I also got a pair of fresh eyes on a clients SearchAdvisor account because it is driving sales and traffic to a store designed by us. We want the store to be excellent in all things and we take conversion very seriously

Well that is what as a sponsor and eBay/E-commerce design company, CA catalyst means to me.

1. De-bunking the ChannelAdvisor Premium store set up process – a guide for those with little concentration.
2. Breaking down eBay’s changes for real people.
3. How to be the client in a web project (I like this one, no one ever tells the client what they need to do – and you are so important to the development process)

Thanks!

The world of eBay design has had its ups and downs, eBay designers springing up out of nowhere and disappearing just as fast. Customers were hard pushed to see the quality difference between two developers in a basement and a seasoned team of 20. The situation is slowly improving and clients are beginning to understand why they were comparing apples to bananas.

Keeping the client out of the development process destroys trust and clients should not be treated as intruders on development.

The best way to deliver a successful web project is to use more inclusion techniques with your clients, don’t let things be a big secret.

Clients have the right to:

1. An overall plan.
2. To  make changes (and be told what is reasonable and what is not)
3. To get value
4. To see progress
5. To be informed.

This will break down walls between the customer and developer and build trust.

Using this as a selling point is crucial, even in your quotes – breaking down the elements into bite sized chunks will let the client know exactly what they are getting and consequently the developer/designer the project is passed onto.

*Client bill of rights based on XP programming methodologies.

In fact next year I will have more time to devote to my crafty projects and this blog so you will be hearing more from me next year than the one just past.

Hairfreax – new site and restricting handmade hairpiece catalogue. Adding handmade rockabilly Yukata and Kanzashi, as well as funky obi and Japanese/Anime inspired fashion.

Hairfreax eBay – just a few pre-made hairpeices

Keirotech will be partnering with Createyourtemplate and be absorbed into CYT UK – eBay Design, Web Design inc ASPDNSF design, Flash programming, brick to bytes – on-line business integration and business consultancy. New site/info to come.

See you in 2010!

So I am adding two new ‘sides’ to the blog as such.

Reviews:

Just so you know what I am harking on about, this is where you can email me your reviews of any web related shop, service, software and it will be posted on this blog un-edited for all to see. People read this blog and sometimes the people who are responsible for said services. So they can sit back and smile to themselves for a job well done or jump too if they haven’t.
The only catch is your eBay shop/website will have to be included in the review. This is so said companies can address any issues with you and to avoid anonymous rants.

Reviews are so important to readers as it helps with customer confidence and also to avoid pitfalls in their own e-commerce adventures.

Support:

Have a question or quandary? Not quite sure what decision to make? We have done this on and off since the inception of the blog, but if you are stuck or confuzzled about something e-commerce, drop me a line and support will be blogged.

Ask about anything e-commerce related. Humour/comedy is permitted.

*Please note this is not a invitation for free consultancy, you can try your luck but as I am in charge I will select the questions and reviews (probably group the reviews) that appear.

Please email me:

and lets start sorting out the e-commerce world and make it accessible to all.

Preamble

Liz Glossary:

Keyword = one or two words to define an item e.g mobile phone, cricket bat, golf, socks, Addidas etc
Keyword phrase = Puma cricket bat, kids Dunlop golf clubs etc

Category Set Up:

1. Define yourself 4 main keywords per category (search for the best ones here https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal) and this include sub categories too.

2. Build and use the keywords in your category names, you don’t have to use all 4 as it probably won’t make sense.

3. Place your four keywords in your category meta keywords information in stores>manage categories a place your should know well by now!

General Store Set Up

Pick 20 keyword phrases that encompass your whole store, you have used keywords (single words/phrases like cricket bat, cricket gloves) in your categories, so now its time to use key phrases. We pick small number of keywords as SEO?marketing is a fluid beast and you might need to change and flex your keywords if they are not working. Place these in your main store meta keywords and also for your additional pages.

Store Item Titles

Still think a bit eBay when it comes to keywords as your item titles make up part of the URL for each item in store. Also make sure you have implemented your own URL for the store, it is much nicer!

Use Third Party Google Tools

Set up Google base as a standard and also Google Analytics and tracking to see if your keyword choices are being used and if you are missing anything.

If you have these elements as basics then your store should be indexed and attract appropriate customers (remember your customers in your keyword choices, they are not experts in the products like you are…what do they call things? Listen to them in emails and on the phone to how they explain the product and the language they use)

Lets think about how my on-line life has distributed my experience with the new wonder diet drug ‘Orislat’ or ‘Alli’ to see if social marketing does work with an industry like Pharmaceuticals.

So where have I done social marketing for Alli without really knowing?

- Facebook -

I updated my status to say I was trying Orislat for two weeks. Four friends commented and two emailed to ask me to keep them updated on my progress. I have already generated interest, and that was only from friends who felt the need to comment.

I updated my status twice to indicate the weight I had lost. Two of my ‘friends’ on Facebook have confirmed that they are now taking it.

- Twitter -

Again I mirrored my dealings on Twitter, I don’t have as many friends but some random people have contacted me (through Hairfreax as that’s my twitter name) to ask how it is going. I replied, girls like to talk diets.

So I have possibly sold for up to 6 months 3 lots of Orislat RRP of £900 at the cheapest price I could find on the net, probably more. This has cost the Pharma company nothing.

I HATE social marketing advertising. I ignore it mostly, but real experiences and positive genuine comments are what sells. Are these big companies (or their PR teams, as it would be their jobs on the line) afraid to put their reputations in the hands of the web socialites? It would mean that they would have to be well….customer focused….

Peoples experiences can kill your reputation if you are not customer focused. I bring your attention to this thread:

http://www.tamebay.com/2009/05/question-answers-with-frooition.html

As an example of a company being lynched by customers then proceeding to re-hang themselves with their own words. Silence WAS better. If you are not good with PR, get a good solid company who will sort it out for you, they can work wonders and there are even companies out there who specialise in on-line PR. But first you have to admit you have a problem!

Customers have a voice now, so if you don’t bring the social marketing to them, they will bring it to you and you might not like it!

Oh, I have lost 8lbs in 3 weeks and have another 16lbs to shift but my weight loss has slowed this week. I won’t give up quite yet though!

All proceeds from this auction go to Oxfam

Linkage