Kidson Talks | The E-commerce Chemist

Well, take a look: iokei.com and help me with my MISSION!

Well, I have finally done it. A way to chart my fundraising progress, blog about the trip and thank everyone who donates. Sometimes you wonder what happens to money you donate to disaster relief funds, I know I do. However , this is a rare opportunity to directly donate money so I, a human who can individually chart the experience can volunteer to help with the mass clean up needed in Japan.

The trip will cost roughly £1200 and I am fundraising 50% of this cost and fronting the other 50% myself. Any extra donated to the cause will be used to directly benefit the people in evacuation centres that I meet and help on this trip.

Yes, Japan is a major power in the world but this disaster was more powerful. It will take years and volunteers are declining as time goes on. The media has forgotten the plight of the people in affected areas as it so often does when other news takes over.

So please help me on my journey and make a difference to real people in this very real situation. Maybe you are thinking of doing this yourself? Please let me know.

I plan to go to Japan late November, in the quiet period at work. I am using my own holiday leave for this trip, if your stuck for a trip away how about joining me?

Donate if you can

Please state if you want to be anonymous.

*paypal button fixed!

Oh yes, my favourite money pit Rakuten is setting its sights on the UK and Germany in a more developed way. Last year they launched more country specific sites but are now looking to bring the Rakuten marketplace to our fair shores, so says the Japan Times

Full service sites to complete with eBay and Amazon…that is fighting talk!

So my wish list for Rakuten UK is (looking at the current Rakuten site) :

1. Fully disclosed shipping for each item, forcing sellers to declare the weight so there are no hidden surprises.

2. Choice of shipping service.

3. Better multi-variation listings and keeping the ‘bundle’ style listings you can see on the site at the moment. (5 items in a deal and you get to choose options)

4. Same rules for everyone, big or small.

5. Local support (for local people)

6. Kimono section – OK, this is never going to happen but hey I said this was a ‘wish’ list.

If you have never shopped on Rakuten, you should give it a try. It might be scary at first but buy something small and light. Its worth it to see the comedy translations. My favourite was ‘I have yen pants’ when looking at shoes….

I buy every month now and I have already planned my July spend on Rakuten!

We (I mean the business ‘we’ as in CYT UK, which is me when I earn money) are a silver sponsor at the 2011 ChannelAdvisor Catalyst EU conference, an e-commerce conference catered to online retailers and industry experts being held 17th-18th May 2011 at the Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel in London.

ChannelAdvisor, a software and services solution provider that enables online retailers to sell more across e-commerce channels, hosts the sell-out event annually. As a sponsor, createyourtemplate will ensure that its message is heard by hundreds of online retail leaders and decision-makers.

We like this event, great food, great people and interesting facts and trends about the obsession we like to call e-commerce! Dang they are having a proper party this year too so I will be out in my kimono! OK, well I will continue the blurb CA sent though so we sponsors could promote the event without having to actually think about what we needed to say, you’d be surprised how busy we get….personalised bits are in italics

Each year Catalyst brings together some of the most innovative minds in the industry—executives, analysts, leading solution providers and other thought-leaders—to discuss current and upcoming trends, exchange best practices and learn about new products and innovations.

This year’s conference theme and programme focus—Accelerate Your E-Commerce—is all about helping attendees boost their online sales.

As a silver sponsor, createyourtemplate will be rocking a stall with sweet sweet eBay design and sugary treats, giving you energy for your invaluable opportunity to connect with a powerful and influential e-commerce community that is growing at an exponential rate and get you searching for solutions to maximise your online business. We are full of information, come and speak to us!

“We are elated by the calibre of the Catalyst EU sponsors this year,” said Scot Wingo, CEO of ChannelAdvisor. “The Catalyst Conference is unique in that we limit sponsorships to ensure quality over quantity. As a result, attendees have the opportunity to interface with relevant industry brands, while sponsors receive the visibility and prominence that enables them to cultivate and strengthen business relationships.”
To register for Catalyst EU today, or for further details, visit: http://www.channeladvisor.com/catalyst/eu/.

However, its sold out so you have to go on a waiting list. Be quicker next time, e-commerce is fast paced you can’t dawdle you know.

See you in London!

I like shoes, nay…I am obsessed with shoes so I end up buying lots on eBay.

A friend of mine sent a link through from a Chinese seller of seemingly fabulous looking shoes and this was the link: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Show-Story-Shop

Oh dear, I thought – I am supposed to be saving money…oh well just one pair….

So I took at look at the size 7′s. I have wide feet as a general rule so always look for measurements on width and got a bit of a shock..

All of the shoes have a width of 7cm, regardless of being a size 3 or a size 7.5.

Unfortunately in the UK, length is the only standard for shoe size but these dimensions are crazy, but being a scientist I need to make sure this wasn’t just MY assumption. So upon going shopping I decided to visit Next and measure the width of a ‘normal’ size 7 shoe.

It was 9cm.

So upon getting home I started to madly measure shoe widths and yes, the smallest shoe width for a size 7 was just over 8cm for my rocket dog wedges.

Now, if this seller (and sellers similar) wanted to clean up with their cut price fancy shoes they really need to think about the product and sizing. These shoes are too narrow for the western market after a size 4 and they are limiting themselves to people with very narrow feet. My sister is one such person, however at a size 6, 7cm width is still too narrow to be able to feel comfortable or not stretch the shoes.

For comparison Japanese Zori at 23.5cm long (UK size 4) are about 8cm wide, smallest I have seen have been 7.5cm wide. Japanese kimono zori are suppose to be smaller as it is ‘iki’ or fashionable.

The moral of the story is to check your product is fit for your target market. No marketing strategy or SEO techniques will gloss over that one. If it looks like a shoe, it doesn’t mean it will function like a shoe for you. Another one is always read the description, I would have been red mad if I had brought a pair and missed the width sizing.

So, not blogging so much any more as I am busy with consulting, eBay designing and many other nuggets of business however I am actively promoting the on-line kimono community.

Many e-commerce retailers and suppliers try to get you to like them (with free stuff/competitions) and follow them on twitter (or create a trend) in order to get more exposure but this is basically empty marketing as if they don’t ‘win’ they don’t bother again or buy your service/products as they liked 20 other pages that day.

Successful brands/e-commerce retailers create a real community. Something you want to be part of that is above and beyond the offers and freebies.

It’s not e-commerce but with kimono de jack we are hell bent on getting more people interested in kimono, kitsuke (kimono dressing) and join in our events. Kimono lovers are sporadic and spread the world over but facebook and twitter bring them together and give them a place, excuse and company for their passion.

So if you are a retailer, how do you create a community? – Your aim is to get people to spend money but you need to give the love back. People love information, stories, discounts, insider information and to feel exclusive. Get people involved in any way you know how, its your business, your area, you have the 411! Be creative and innovative.

Need examples?

If your an e-commerce third party provide white papers on the industry on your facebook page, or organise e-commerce events for all and not just your customers.

If you are a retailer, impart your knowledge, exclusive reviews etc as you are an expert.

Most e-tailers are the bees knees in an area, so you can impart that knowledge to help buyers make better choices as well as building your profile.

Some e-tailers however (as a client once said ‘we just sell boxes, what’s in those boxes can vary’) shift boxes with no specialism. Social media and creating a community probably won’t work with you unless some consistency is found