A Blog-Worthy, Rule Breaking, Auto Reply

Posted on December 14, 2009
Filed Under Ecommerce Strategy | Leave a Comment

Pasted below is an auto reply from our FastPivot.com president, Matthew Ledford that breaks all the rules. At nearly five hundred words, some might instinctively respond to this lengthy update with the letters, T.M.I., but in all seriousness this witty wound-up packs an innovative message: FastPivot professionals are diligent in communicating with each other and their many clients effectively and thoroughly.

With many of the FastPivot.com staff working around the clock and under tight deadlines, no one can afford to drop the ball. Custom Yahoo Store Development, one of our specialty areas, demands an utmost attention to detail and a talented team of virtual office professionals primed for action. Those professionals should be able to generate, transfer, process, and in general communicate information dozens of times faster than workers hammering around in the brick and mortar world.

Although there is no perfect communication model to which one must adhere when the boss is away, the following, however unorthodox it may be, is pretty darn close:

THE AUTO REPLY:

Dear Friends, Clients, Colleagues,

I’m out of the office from essentially 12/4/09-12/14/09 in Nicaragua with limited cell phone and internet access doing work with two great organizations http://www.codn.org/ and http://www.visionnicaragua.org

(We do expect to have power, indoor toilets and running water occasionally-just in case you wondered.)

First to our Valued FastPivot Clients, I have designated the following really cool FastPivot Team Members and their unique talents to cater to your every whim while I’m out of North American airspace:

New Accounts, (Positivity and Very good alternating Texas and Yiddish accents): Leta Kreiger leta@fastpivot.com 888-770-8883 x327

Business Affairs, HR, Payables, Receivables, My Appointment Calendar, (AshevilleTriClub Business and Tireless Encouragement, etc): Daphne Weimer dweimer@fastpivot.com 888-770-8883 x326

Press Inquiries, Fan Club Applications, Marketing or Advertising Opportunities (and any mechanical issues with your bicycle): Jen Boos jen@fastpivot.com 888-770-8883 x312

All things FastPivot Software, (holding down the West Coast Office while simultaneously keeping the Golden Gate Bridge Golden and California from slipping into the ocean,): Ken Lubeck ken@fastpivot.com 888-770-8883 x315

Current Accounts, Vice President for Operations and Project Oversight and (General Pooper Scooper, Sweeper & Clean Up Batter where all the above leave off-): Keith Enloe kenloe@fastpivot.com 888-770-8883 x302

Given that incredible matrix of coverage and masterpiece of delegation, I hereby declare December 14-15th (depending upon your time zone Aussie and Kiwi Friends) as EMAIL AMNESTY DAY!

On this day, I’ll archive all my email for the year to date and will start with a fresh in box and new ideas. If I owed you an email or otherwise had a ball on my side of the court before Delta removes me from North America, please accept my apology. I will take up with current opportunities and work in process as soon as I return!

If you have something that needs specifically my attention and doesn’t fit any of the above categories, please contact Daphne or tag me again 12/15/09 or after and I will read it from my squeaky clean in box.

To My Friends (and interested client-friends), As does most of America now, I’ll be checking and posting on Facebook first while traveling and when I return first. If you haven’t heard me say it yet: “Facebook is the New Top Drawer of the Email In box. “There, I’ve said it and this is the proof. This is also where I’ll blog and post links to our trip photos and videos as power and time allow.

Sincerely,
Matthew Ledford
President, FastPivot LLC and FastPivotSoftware.com
If email is inadequate, you could also reach me in the office sometime
after 12/15 828-225-8883 x301

If you would like to schedule an appointment, please call or contact
Daphne (dweimer@fastpivot.com ) at 828-225-8883 x326 and she can help
you!

ps.
If you think Facebook and Twitter are irrelevant/unprofessional for business and branding, check out these links and feel free to discuss the value of social media (or lack thereof) with your Project Manager/Ebusiness Consultant:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/34275623
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34150506/ns/business-the_big_money/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/26/AR2009112602618.html

END

The Big Five Fundamentals of Ecommerce Strategy

Posted on July 22, 2009
Filed Under Ecommerce, Ecommerce Strategy | Leave a Comment

The Big Five Fundamentals of E-commerce Strategy.
In response to a twitter request from Maureen Alley (@maureenwm ) to post tips for Website Magazine , I had to resist the urge to go after the latest and greatest e-commerce widget or buzzword to think about long-term success. Few merchants pull away from the latest trends to zoom out for the high level areas of strategy that yield success over the long term. It is so easy to get distracted with the latest trends, sometimes I feel like a basketball coach yelling: “Its all about the fundamentals!!!!”

There are areas of consistent focus where we have spent the last decade helping to grow businesses online. Ultimately every tactic should fall under the what I call the “Big Five Fundamentals of E-commerce.” In relative order of importance they are:

traffic

conversion

average sale

engagement

repeat purchases.

Brilliant huh? Sorry to provide something so obvious. Unfortunately, the obvious fundamentals get buried by the latest and greatest widget or trend.

Ultimately, without traffic, e-commerce is just a lonely hobby. Without conversion it is just an information site. Without some sort of consistent average transaction it isn’t a business. Without engagement (engaging design and compelling user interface), visitors just bounce away in seconds. Without a repeat purchase strategy, costs of customer acquisition dilute profits.

Interestingly, all the posts so far in the article “E-commerce Tips for the Holiday Season” fall in one of these areas. While good tactics by themselves, it is consistent discipline and focus on the “Big Five, that will yield Big Results!

Now is THE TIME to review analytics for weakness and to define specific unique tactics to strategically focus on each area of the “Big Five” to make this Christmas the best one yet!!! Every success to all of you!