Pandora's Casket

Have you ever wanted to know something about a specific e-commerce subject? You search and search. Sometimes you find it and well sometimes it leaves you hanging and you never do. One thing is for certain you might think it would be great to have a site that is nothing but articles relating to e-commerce.

In looking over the E-commerce related articles on this site I found a slew of resource information that fit into categories of personal interest. I especially liked the article Setting Up a Virtual Team as I have three myself and sometimes it is hard to govern the actions of those on the staff. The article was articulate and well written. Nothing in terms that the layman could not understand clearly and concisely. I found that appealing.

The site has so many articles that I would wager you could spend a few hours reading the topics. Nicely designed with a search on the site for key words for the user to easily utilize.

You will find educational tutorials that will definitely be useful in many areas of web sites, e-commerce, marketing your site and the list goes on and on. I sat and also read the articles on Vista as I have this on my lap top and wanted to know more about the system. I have to thank them for those articles. Learned a lot more than I thought I would

The site is unique in that there are no advertisements that I found. Imagine that. An E-Commerce directory without ads. It was so nice to have the pages load quickly without flash and dash.

You will find an article for nearly everything that you can think of as there are over 1300 in the directory right now. The content is extremely well thought out and presented. With tutorials that even I could understand. Yes, I am challenged at times.

I would say to stop surfing the web and land here instead. Get a cup of java, relax, kick back and enjoy reading some well written articles.

Now I realize that I might be old school on my thoughts of writing a letter and communicating with those that I do not know. I was always taught to write a letter with courtesy yet be concise and to the point.

I receive emails from students, clients, vendors, publishers and an entire cast of people. It never and I mean never ceases to amaze me at the way in which some of these letters are written. Asking questions seem to be a hard task in a proper manner. Examples of such that annoy the heck out of me:

Hey, I am wondering
Ah, do you think that
What is going on with.....
Ya know
I want to order these ones

OK, to me this is not the proper way to start any communication. Number one you should not be so familiar with someone that you are doing business with that you do not know. Number two it is just rude. Sorry but it is. When I see a lead in of HEY I tune out and turn off. I put this letter on the back burner if it is not very important.

Show some respect in your writing to those you are doing business with. Or have you all forgotten what respectful communication is?

For those that own their own businesses one thing that we are always on the look out is for a new and refreshing way to market our products or services. Or we simply may rely upon the tried and true ways of keeping our name in the customers mind. One way that I have found is to use custom business cards. I place a card in with each order that we process. Trust me I go through a lot in a short time period. Yet this is a great way for your customer to remember where they purchased that special item from.

I have found that using Vistaprint that it not only saves me a lot of money but time as well. Using their templates to help design a personal custom card that reflects the personality of my company online makes it feel and look special. Not only that it saves time by my seeing it right then and there at the time of making the card. I am able to see the end result, approve it and bam it is a done deal. I can use my time on something else. There turn around time is swift also. Most orders are out within 3 days. Imagine that. Hardly any wait time at all.

And the prices? You have to see them to believe me when I say that they are low. Quality work for low prices you say? Yes that is the truth. I have used this company for checks, business cards and rubber stamps. I return due to the fact that as of yet I have always gotten more than what I paid for.

Stand out with your customers. Place a card in with your product. It only makes sense to do this simple marketing exercise.

The trip to Bluffton went well. One of the things that I did find were some wonderful new scents to mix with Mystic Witch oils and other products we make. Tomorrow I am going to mix a few up and test them to see how the fair.

I have a new idea for an incense to market for one of the Sabbats so we shall see how that ends up smelling when burned. They aren't as easy to make as people think sometimes.

Well, the purchase of the pop pipe as I like to call it has been done. Now maybe (crossing fingers) it will all come together. haha

Have been working in the work or the Smelly room as I call it. Getting it back in order for the spring and summer. I needed to re-stock the shelves and things like that. I usually give everything a solid cleaning so that it starts off fresh. Plus I am able to see at a glance as to what supplies are needed ASAP.

Our new lotion and oil bottles have been a huge success with customers. Funny how changing something so simple can be so dramatic with your customers. I saw another style that I might try also. See how they like those also. I love the new style right now but they are so hard to fill. The opening is smaller not wide so takes longer and it can be a mess.

Always creating something new for the customers