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Posts Tagged ‘web’

Neutron bomb has fallen.

Posted in economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , on June 30, 2010| 9 Comments »

It seems like the neutron bomb has fallen on many consignment, resale, thrift shops…leaving everything intact except for people.

Neat, yes. Appealing, no.

Least, that’s how it looks when I see shop photos many times. Lonesome. Unoccupied. Empty. Deserted. Cheerless. Forlorn. Desolate.

Snooze.

Where’s the subliminal “community acceptance” message? The in-your-face “boy this is a popular shop they must have great stuff”? Or even the “gosh, will I look like THAT if I shop there?” wishful thinking.

People, people. Put people in your photos. Even just one can make all the difference.

Even one person makes a difference

Or failing that, mannequins.

These models won't blink.

Liven it up! Make it look like it’s fun to shop in your store. Befriended. Cheerful. Together. Popular.

Courtesy some newspaper photog.

Make it seem like THE place to BE.

Here’s an idea: invite all your Facebook fans over one evening. (Might as well get SOME use out of them.) Ask them to dress in white tops, black or khaki bottoms (you want your shop to shine; the fans are really only props but we won’t tell them that.) Use them as your models. When you’ve got the shots you want (and only then!), break out the pizza and beer or raspberries and champagne.

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Cut it out: Making better consignment and resale photos

Posted in Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , on June 18, 2010| 6 Comments »

Sometimes, less is more. You know, when the racks or shelves are too full, you eliminate the clutter.

Well, it’s s good thing to do the same with your photos. Whether you’re posting on your site, your blog, Facebook or Twitpix (more about THAT later…let’s just say right now there are better alternatives that are just as easy) you want people to focus on (more…)

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Oh my, what a stunning consignment shop! A rare resale shop! A thrilling thrift!

Posted in economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , on May 29, 2010| 4 Comments »

Resale Makes My Heart Race! Courtesy HowToConsign.comOkay. We’ve spent some time recently

burying the stinkers,

those nasty, totally-inaccurate (or so we like to think!) and biased negative reviews of our shops by asking our fans, friends, and best customers to put their reviews up on all those sites Auntie Kate talked about.

And we’re working on

enhancing those free-listing sites with photos, info, and more good reviews from those who love our shops, as Auntie Kate mentioned a few weeks ago.

Fantastic! We’re nearing the home stretch now. Next task: get some good, glowing, wonderful reviews of your shop on its Facebook page. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people could read what others think about your shop? Of course it would.

After all, that’s social marketing. And social networking.

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Paying for Facebook fans, Yahoo reviews, Merchant Circle endorsements?

Posted in Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , on May 23, 2010| 11 Comments »

How do you feel about paying for endorsements of your consignment, resale, thrift shop?

This is from facebook: FACEBOOK FANS! GET A 50% OFF COUPON FROM [name deleted] AND HELP US OUT TOO BY JUST GOING TO OUR WEBSITE [url deleted] AND LEAVING GREAT COMMENTS IN OUR GUESTBOOK. FOR EVERYONE THAT LEAVES US POSITIVE FEEDBACK YOU WILL GET A 50% OFF COUPON FOR OUR STORE. SO, PLEASE GIVE US SOME POSITIVE FEEDBACK!

Is this (more…)

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Now, let’s tend our consignment and resale gardens.

Posted in economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , , on May 17, 2010| 7 Comments »

Yesterday we talked about burying bad reviews of your consignment or resale shop. Now, let’s take a little time and enhance those listings on directories. That is, let’s tend our garden of internet mentions. For the most part, it’s easy and free, and you never know who might be reading that info and wondering if your shop’s worth the trip.

I’m going to take advantage of a “breezy” visit last week to Fifi’s Fine Resale Apparel in Amelia Island and owner Jessica’s good nature to use a blank/ dormant/ unattended review of her shop just to give you an idea of the difference it can make. Here’s what I was presented with when I asked Yahoo Local for consignment in Amelia Island then clicked on her shop name:

Which is more appealing...this entry...

Ten minutes later, here’s what the NEXT person looking at her free listing would see:

...just a photo helps make this listing more interesting! And those red stars? Be still, my heart!

And WAIT! THERE”S MOORE! See that “4 Photos” tab? Click it to get:

Now I know what I'm looking for...and what it's like once I get in there too!

This whole “tending the garden” , including the captions* on the photos, took a total of 10 minutes. The exterior photo is from Jessica’s Facebook page (she doesn’t have a web site, just FB and MySpace), the interior shots were mine.

Hope Jessica doesn’t mind my “dolling up” her Yahoo listing. See it in action here. It’s the law of proximity…the last great consignment shop I was in!

* Have I ever told you how important captions are to pix ANYwhere, even Facebook? Of course I have.

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