Who’s that guy with the reflective shades? Is he a cop? Nope, but he will give you a ticket if you move too slow with your delivery times, LOL. This guy is Randy Smythe and I need to introduce him to some in our audience and reacquaint him to others.

Since I got started in eCommerce I had always wondered who the big kahuna was behind some of the big sellers on eBay. Randy was one of those big name. Back in 2005 I bought this book by Scot Wingo called eBay Strategies. I was enamored with what Randy was doing with his business of Glacier Bay Video. Boy that was ages ago. But it was not until I began blogging and hosting my Podcast that I was fortunate enough to score an interview with him. Since then I have watch Randy go from eBay biz owner to Buy.com 3rd Party Marketplace Big Wig!

It is an amazing transition and what he now knows and has experienced is a complete transformation of greater experience and insight for eCommerce. Randy is mad cool and he "plays well with others" LMAO. But in all seriousness, you would be hard pressed to find another person in corporate ecommerce that has the experience, knowledge and understand as Randy does. For years now he has been keeping in tune with the pulse of the landscape and I am now fortunate enough to have his number in the rolodex … well my cell phone

Here is a FANTASTIC interview he did for our listeners. Also you should go back and listen to some of Randy’s other interviews you will learn much as I always do.

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What a buyer is getting online vs. what they are buying in store is very telling. There are serious differences in what is and is not a great fit for online consumer purchase. The folks at Permuto Discoveries (http://www.permuto.com/blog/) took the data from the U.S. Census Bureau and made this great chart on the breakdown.

The Aftermath:

eCommerce Merchants Atlanta

After Party

Welcome to HOTLANTA! What you heard is true, we know how to throw parties in this city. Take a break from the mundane and spend some time hanging out and having a few drinks with the "eCommerce Rock Stars".

This is the HOTTEST ecommerce party in this city for the eBay On Location event!!!

The Aftermath: eCommerce Merchants Atlanta After Party

Date: Friday March 19th, 2010

Time: 8:00 pm

Admission is FREE!

Register:  HERE

Location:

300 Marietta Street Northwest, Atlanta

(404) 885-1472

(2 blocks from the eBay On Location hotel)

Dress: Casual chic

Walking Directions:  Exit the CNN center or Omni Hotel facing Marietta Street. Turn left and walk 2.5 blocks. Stats is on the corner of Mariette and Baker.

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The Aftermath: eCommerce After Party 2010. This is the place to meet and greet after the eBay on Location events on Friday  in Atlanta. the after party is atomic and you have got to be on the VIP List! Register now and get up close and personal with the best and brightest minds in eBay, marketing, ecommerce and customer relationship management.

Featuring a private lounge VIP area for our guests, free drinks to the first 100 people in the door, prizes, giveaways at the "BEST Bar in Downtown Atlanta" a guaranteed good time.

   Join the Rock Stars of eCommerce

John Jantsch – Duct Tape Marketing

Richard Brewer-Hay – eBay Ink Blog

Brent Leary – Customer Relationship Management

Toby Bloomberg – Diva Marketing Blog

Peggy Duncan – Personal Productivity Expert

Charles Lumpkin – Ecommerce SEO Strategist

"JB" Braitwaite – Internet Technology Expert

George Trantas – CEO Designer Athletic

Marlene Gavens – The Savvy Seller

Melinda and Kat – Co-Hosts of eBay and Beyond Radio

Cindy Shelby – Web Sellers Circle

Hosted by eCommerce Merchants – Atlanta

with "Your Boy" John from ColderICE.com

plus YOU?!?

and many many more!

ProStores is Platinum Sponsors for The Aftermath: eCommerce Merchants – Atlanta Chapter After Party!

We’re pleased to announce that ProStores will be the platinum sponsor for “The Aftermath – eCommerce Party" here in Atlanta 2010.

 GOLD SPONSORS:

Please bear with me and let me set this up with a little background and then I will bring this up to TODAY and why I would like to try this Alpha Test…

Each One Teach One is a known African-American Proverb. This phrase originated in the US during slavery, when Africans and African Americans were denied education, including learning to read. Many, if not most slaves were kept in a state of ignorance about anything beyond their immediate circumstances which were under control of owners, the law makers and the authorities. Denying education was one of the methods used to keep them docile and instill and maintain the belief that they were inferior and unworthy of a life beyond subservience, labor and harsh treatment.

Using these methods those who were in bondage to others would teach each other. This was done in violation of state and federal law, since those in the position of power used government rule to deny slaves proper education. The denial of education made it possible for the system of slavery to exist and prosper because it is HARD to enslave an educated human.

NOW for how this relates to today….Well first and foremost I am Black and this is Black History Month so I was reviewing some of these lessons with my kids so the legacy is maintained in our home. As I am doing this study for them, I am learning more and more about myself and how learning from the past can be applied today in life and business.

Many of the ecommerce merchants that I speak with are not as astute and learned as they should be. Some of us started our businesses out of hobby selling on platforms like eBay, Etsy or Craigslist and got sudden success via these tools. Our businesses grew over time on the platforms and we learned methods for harvesting crops on the farm (ecommerce platforms) but never learned how to "own the plantation."

What we have become is somewhat similar to the days of indentured servants or share croppers. We are at the whims of the platform and its movements due to a lack of concrete education on the principles that govern ecommerce. That leaves you and I vulnerable and almost like a slave that is subject to abuse at the whims of the "master" because we simply do not know how to provide for ourselves. We are locked in fear and uncertainty about or future because there is no way out in our minds and we simply don’t see an answer. We can not adequately formulate an option or an answer due to our lack of education and ignorance of opportunity.

We can NOT expect eBay, Amazon or any other marketplace to willingly teach me how to NOT be dependant on them. It makes no logical sense for me and you to expect the owner of the plantation to teach the the servants who PAY THEM for the privilege of selling to THEIR customers…….just think about that statement for just a second…wow! We are PAYING these marketplaces to list our products so they can offer our wears to their customers as if THEY are the vendors of the products. If that is not a similar tie to a share cropping, I don’t know what it is?!?

So with that same spirit of addressing and ending ecommerce illiteracy amongst us as sellers, I would like to try an Each One, Teach One Topical Discussion here on the ColderICE.com blog. I will post a topic related to us a merchants and the the COMMUNITY…YOU GUYS will come in on the comments and post. You can post your comments on the subject, links to articles or posts to other blogs on the topic, you can post links to YouTube videos or Podcast episodes. I do not care what you post as long as it furthers the education of the community, it qualifies. But of course this will ONLY work if you participate. This is why it is an Alpha test because I want to see if the community would participate to make it great. Come on guys, lets each one, teach one!!!

Topic is… Brands and Branding: What is it? How can you do it?

OK, I need your input now so lets start posting to the thread topical information on Brands and Branding.

A great friend to me recommended that I meet some guy named Akin. He said to me, "John you have got to get Akin on your show, the man is a genius when it comes to analytics. So he did the introduction and I set up the phone call. I went to Akin’s site at Multi Channel Marketing Metrics and was blown away by the quality of the content.

Akin is the author of Mutichannel Marketing which is a book aimed at providing the missing keys for your marketing strategies. Akin know his stuff! And he is very passionate about what he is doing. This is a fantastic and informative interview to aid us ecommerce merchants and newbies on what to do to make your SEO, PPC and web pages better. In the interview Akin talks about his Web Analytics Wizards which are a must have tool to aid in troubleshooting your results.

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Learn more on this subject: Free Webinar on Analytics

Event Date: Thursday, February 18, 2010 @ 12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT

Join SEM practitioners and Unica specialists in this webcast to keep pace with the unstoppable innovation in search engine marketing and the related analytics.

New capabilities offered by the search engines today have expanded the web of possibilities into mobile, social, and other types of PPC ads.

Web analysts tasked with optimizing their company’s pay-per-click (PPC) vs. natural search have a complex set of questions to weigh. Tune into this webcast for advice from the front-lines on SEM optimization with web and other kinds of analytics tools.

In this webcast you will learn:

1. Top 5 changes with search marketing in 2010 that you should be aware of
2. Analytics methods for optimizing new types of search, e.g. the real time web, mobile, etc.
3. Top DOs and DONTs for helping your colleagues increase returns from PPC

FREE to register HERE

It’s 2010 and things have changed, I remember back to 1997 when I sold my very first item on eBay long ago. It was a pair of tickets to see Elton John at Madison Square Garden in New York City. I scored some sweet lower level seats that cost me $300 bucks and then I could not get the time off to fly from Atlanta to New York so I had to sell them. I put them on eBay and started the auction at $99.00. Those tickets ended at $800 for the pair, and I was instantly HOOKED on eBay.

Of course it was years later in 2001 that we created the company that is now one of the more successful 3rd party sellers on sites like eBay, Amazon, Yahoo and the web. The ONE thing that I would attribute our multi platform success to is our constant tweaking of the brand. The ability to move and shift with the state of eCommerce has made my company successful in marketing on these different venues by simply keeping up with the Jones’ and then out pacing them.

When "everybody" is doing it, that is when we STOP doing it. When "everybody" sits, we stand. And I am personally pushing the envelope in design to really bring our look and feel to maximize the direction of the different platforms we sell on. And EACH platform has its own uniqueness, and what works on one, will not work on another. I feel like a mad scientist trying to concoct plans and scenarios to get a perfect blend and balance. So every year we look to update and redesign components of our stores and templates to keep positioning for success. So this is one of those times.

eBay is CHANGING and the entire world is changing whether you or I like it or not. And the eBay platform is NOT in the forefront of this change, their customer are. That is one of the things I think constantly gets dismissed every time eBay takes a dramatic step, the sellers scream and yell, but I NEVER hear the buyers complaining?!? Some point to declining sales on eBay to the changes on the platform, but I think a more realistic analysis would show that the declines are due to the platform not changing ENOUGH to keep pace with a very fickle consumer. Are these the correct changes? I don’t know, time will tell. What I do know is what changes will be right for my company.

eCommerce is changing rapidly and eBay MUST change just to stay competitive. You know why? Because eBay is trying to keep up with a buyer base that is changing and evolving and they are somewhat stuck with a small portion of their seller community that is fearful of any change. They are comfortable with ways of 15 years ago, still reminiscent of Beanie Babies and Jesus Toast auctions. Unfortunately time does move on and if you are not willing to move with it you get to sit on the sideline and watch. Some will close their shops, some will leave the platform, some will just give up. After you "give up the ghost", you can always create a "sideline spectator" blog site about it too if you like, I know several that choose to do that instead of actually selling on eBay…guess it pays more?!?

I found these pictures the other day on my PC and I had not seen them in years, this was my business in the early part of the last decade. I have never been so attached to a product line or ideal that I would not abandon it for success. I got in business to be successful in BUSINESS not be successful at selling a particular product to the detriment of my livelihood, WTH is that?!? There is an old saying that "pride goes before a fall", so I am not too proud to adjust my business plan instead of falling. We can not control the changes to the platform, but we can control how we react to the changes.

Sure I am like most sellers, I bitch and moan sometimes but then I have a funeral. I bury the past knowing it will NEVER return and move on to the next great thing. So here are just a few pictures of our past…

This one was early in our game, I was not too proud to use my kid as a model for our rolling coolers. This was back in 2002 when it was a novel idea and new to the market.

This was around 2004 when we were selling desktop and laptop PC’s. That was our business for years, selling electronics and PC’s. That was my dining room!!! We were eating in the living room back in a 2 bedroom condo long ago…wow.

Then I came across these pics, LOL! We got lucky and scored a van load of Tickle Me Elmos, just b4 Christmas in 2006, man those were FLYING off the shelf. We don’t even sell toys normally, but I was  happy to sell the hot Christmas toy that year and would do it again to have a successful season.

"Change is hard." "People hate change." Those are two of the most common quotes heard when you study change management. It occurred to me that if people hate change, they have a funny way of showing it. Every iPhone sold serves as counter-evidence. So does every text message sent, every aluminum can recycled, every new Facebook post. And I haven’t even mentioned the biggest changes: Getting married and having kids. (If people hate change, then having a kid is an awfully dumb decision.)

It puzzled me–why do some huge changes, like marriage, come joyously, while some trivial changes, like design or business plan changes, meet fierce resistance?

Some brilliant psychologists discovered that people have two separate “systems” in their brains—a rational system and an emotional system. The rational system is a thoughtful, logical planner. The emotional system is, well, emotional—and impulsive and instinctual.

When these two systems are in alignment, change can come quickly and easily (as when a dreamy-eyed couple gets married). When they’re not, change can be grueling (as anyone who has struggled to quit smoking can attest). In those situations where change is hard, is it possible to align the two systems? Is it possible to overcome our internal "schizophrenia" about change?

I am a stubborn spirit,  I simply do not have an "I QUIT" bone in my body. Neurologically I don’t have the option to just give up?!? This business is how we feed the kids, this is our business and we own it, to quit this and just get a job?!? HELL NO, that  is not a option. My ONLY option is to "meet and overcome all obstacles in my path" and that included the changes to eBay.

eBay would have to simply shut me down for me to run away from this venue. Honestly, I am not cheering the changes, I just know they are HERE to stay and that they come every year, like the seasons. After nearly 10 years in ecommerce, I not only expect them, I now have begun to embrace them. It is a challenge that I look to come at me year in and year out. But of course if I could not stand the heat, I guess then I would leave the kitchen…that day has not come. We have changed and tweaked the business model, the product lines and the pricing to stay on top of our game.

This should really be an interesting year and I am sure the next 2 change cycle announcements will not be as easy on us as this one from January. My guess is this 1st set of changes were the "easy" ones…hmmm. Gird up your self, cause there could be more arrows coming from San Jose. Will you stand or fall? Like the Elton John’s song says….I’m Still Standing (Yeah Yeah Yeah). Dayam, this video is soooo ’80’s LMAO

I carefully selected my neighborhood nearly 6 years ago based on its location to recreation and shopping. When we moved in years ago, this area was a booming suburban area with access to all kinds of retail locations. However since the softening of the economy back in the fall of 2007 that has changed DRAMATICALLY for the folks in our area.

Just the other day I was driving past our Mega Target with the food store and I decided to dip in and grab some meat, bread and vegetables. As I walked up to the door, there were giant red signs up on all the entry doors, uh oh….Another one bites the dust!

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In just my area of town since ‘07 the effects of the economy have seen the demise of the follow just around my house!

• Kroger’s – Moved out
• Ingle’s (a grocery store) – Closed
• Best Buy – Closed
• Old Navy – Closed
• Baskin Robins – Closed
• UPS Store – Closed
• Blockbusters – Closed
• Target Mega Store – Closed

That is just a list of the nationally recognized names. If I were to go down the list for mom and pop type operations it would be a long list. And do not get me started on the list of restaurants, banks and gas stations that either closed or changed hands. The cost of doing business gets tighter and tighter everyday. While things seem to have leveled off in our economic decline, there could be another BUST leering around the corner…what is it????

The COMMERCIAL properties bust is what I am afraid of next. We saw the effects of the economy when the housing bubble burst and banks were left with foreclosed housing. As I drive the streets today, strip malls and convenience centers are less than 1/2 full with renters. At some point I fear that many of these commercial property owners will have to go into foreclosure en-mass too. What would that do to the recovering economy?

Maybe it is just my city, town, neighborhood?!? What are you seeing as you drive your towns? Please leave your comments guys, are you seeing the effects on brick and mortar stores and shoppers?

I was asked to guest on the eCom Experts show which is hosted by a great woman named Shawna Fennell. Keep up with som of  the best ecommerce tips and tricks?  The Ecom Experts will show you what you need to know to be a successful selling online.

Shawna writes about this in her newsletter…

I had the pleasure of interviewing John Lawson, AKA ColderICE, on our new radio show Ecom Experts. He shared many pearls of wisdom including this wonderful phrase, "My short term investments pay for my long term investments and my long term investments pay me." LOVED IT!!

The interview all started because I saw John on a national commercial for American Express. I got all excited and wanted to know, how the heck he did that!
Our conversation led into how he became successful online. I love when people share REAL stories of their success. I get so upset when I see scam artists telling people how they made $30,000 their first month by opening an online store and YOU CAN TOO!

Wrong.

They are just there to take your money.
The majority of people starting online may not see sales right away. When I first started out, I only had 1 sale my first month. Then I learned about pay per click marketing and search engine optimization. Slowly those sales picked up and eventually I was selling over $100,000 a month.

But it did not happen overnight. As John Lawson said during our interview, "We live in a microwave society and we think that things should pop up overnight. That never happens. It’s a fantasy they sell in hotel ballrooms."

I was so PUMPED to have been asked on as a guest. Thanks so much for a great interview…….

eCommerce and Social Media Tips
Air Date: January 4, 2010

If you havent heard of John Lawson, you have probably seen him on TV.
He was asked by American Express to be in a commercial! Find out how he got picked for the interview, what it was like to shoot a commercial for American Express, and tips John has for all ecommerce owners for 2010,

Plus since he won 1st place in Startup Nation’s Savviest in Social Media, we will ask him about networking via social networks as well.

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E-Commerce Sales Rise by 5 Percent to Reach $27 Billion for the 2009 Holiday Shopping Season through Christmas Eve

Season Features Early Start and a Strong Finish

Larger Retailers Outperform Smaller Ones

Consumer Electronics Category Shows Strongest Growth

RESTON, VA, December 30, 2009 – comScore (NASDAQ : SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported retail e-commerce spending for the holiday season from November 1 through Christmas Eve. During this period, approximately $27 Billion was spent online, which represents an increase of 5 percent over the same period a year ago. For the period from Black Friday through Christmas Eve, and after adjusting for the additional shopping day in 2009, sales grew by approximately 3.5 percent.

*Individual days and weekends are compared to corresponding shopping days in 2008

“Following last year’s disappointing performance when sales fell by 3 percent, the e-commerce sector saw a positive 2009 holiday shopping season with sales up by 5 percent,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. “Online sales growth this year was driven by a continued increase in the number of people buying online, but consumers’ economic challenges resulted in a slight decline versus last year in the amount spent per buyer. The season featured a strong start as a result of early retailer promotions and a very strong finish helped by the snow storms that occurred the weekend of Dec 19 – 20, retailers’ willingness to offer free shipping later in the season, and consumers’ confidence in expedited shipping arriving in time. This was also a year when retailers substantially boosted their use of social network marketing and the larger retailers significantly outperformed their smaller brethren. In these tough economic times, the retailers with sufficient financial resources and a willingness to invest in aggressive marketing and free shipping offers were clear winners. In terms of individual product categories, consumer electronics saw particularly strong sales growth of slightly over 20 percent, while jewelry and watches also turned in a strong performance, but which followed a very weak 2008 season.”

About comScore
comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/companyinfo.

Contact:
Andrew Lipsman
Director, Marketing Communications
comScore, Inc.
+1 312 775 6510
press@comscore.com

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Scot Wingo blows the roof off! This interview is so full of sizzle and STEAK. Man, I have not heard this much great information and insight anywhere, honestly. This is such a good "exclusive" interview.

Hey, Scot even brought some brand new stats on Amazon CGM, eBay Antique Sellers, Google vs. Bing…Damn I could go on, but why? Just look at the notes and PRESS PLAY!

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Scot Wingo – CEO ChannelAdvisor.com and eBayStrategies.com

2:12 – Amazon vs. eBay Growth
3:05 – What is EGM?
4:10 – Amazon partitions are growing at up to 54%
5:50 – 5 Points – Value, Ease, Merchandising, Trust, Selection
7:12 – 600 Million Shoes … wow
8:03 – Amazon has moved marketing $$$ to free shipping
8:54 – Can eBay subsidize its free shipping model?
10:22 – Is ChannelAdvisor keeping up with eBay changes?
14:24 – How does WalMart.com & Sears.com factor into the eCommerce mix
15:29 – Marketplace Wars
16:34 – Is the Kindle a factor for Amazon’s traffic success?
17:26 – Google Commerce Search Changes
18:15 – Google Search 62% – Bing Seach 35%
19:20 – eCommerce Search is up to 40% of all search
20:12 – eBay Best Match Search
21:14 – eBay Top Rated Seller Program
24:21 – Should eBay Go Retail? (http://ow.ly/ECvi)
26:01 – Some EXCLUSIVE eBay Numbers Data From Wingo!
28:00 – Are Antiques and Collectables suffering on eBay?
29:40 – Will eBay changes squeeze out the SMB’s on eBay?
30:30 – eBay vs. Paypal
33:00 – 45% of Paypal is actually eBay (the Paypal Monopoly)
34:15 – Paypal is holding up to 15% of sellers GMV
36:17 – Social Media – is it a viable channel for selling?
37:01 – eCommerce on Facebook
39:27 – Mobile commerce (red lazer, shopsavvy, deocrab)
42:00 – ChannelAdvisor Catalyst May 3-5 (www.ChannelAdvisor.com/Catalyst)

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