Smarter Online Business - Tech, Tools & Truths for Websites that Sell

Send Carrie a Text Message! Ever wondered how two feral cats could transform an office environment? That's exactly what happened when Mac and Brie, our unlikely feline friends, who clawed their way into the hearts of everyone at our office. In this episode, I want share how these rescued furballs have  changed our day to day work life and explore the pros and cons of having pets in the workpl...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Ever feel like your online store isn’t converting as well as it should? Join me as I share with you the 5 most common website mistakes that could be holding your website back!  In my over 20 years of eCommerce experience, I find many online business owners are just guessing when it comes to their website content and features.  As we juggle the overwhelming process of ru...

Send Carrie a Text Message! As business owners, you may feel overwhelmed at times by all of the tasks and things you must juggle to succeed. I know I have! Over the past 20 years I’ve used several different Productivity methods to help me be more efficient, effective and productive. In today's episode we’ll be talking about 4 different methods that I’ve used, what they are, and how you could...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Everyone hates spam emails.   I know even with spam filters, spam still gets into my inbox. Going through my email and deleting those unwanted emails is so annoying and feels like a time waste.  But what if it’s your business emails that are ending up in spam? Or worse, being blocked and un-delivered?  How do we address this and make sure our legitimate business emails...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Want to maximize your social media marketing & list building efforts? Join me as we welcome back Tracy Beavers, award winning business and sales coach, as she shares the hidden and often overlooked opportunities that we should be capitalizing on in our social media marketing! From using Call to Actions to creating a content web that keeps users’ engagement with your...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Ever felt like your goals are just out of reach, or that a year is too long to wait for success? In this episode, we are going to go over The 12-Week Year , an effective approach that can help you achieve your personal and business goals. In my first ever book review, I am going to go over Brian P. Moran's book The 12 Week Year and how the 12 week year strategy has...

Send Carrie a Text Message! As the year comes to a close, it’s important to navigate the highs and lows of your eCommerce journey. Review your successes and stumbles with me as I share my own process for reflecting on my business journey this past year. As we look at our accomplishments and struggles, I will guide you through reflecting on your year without judgement so that you can prepare for th...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Are you feeling overwhelmed by the digital chaos cluttering your business? It may be time to clean up! In this episode, we explore the critical elements of digital cleanup, how it can fuel your creativity, save precious time, and most importantly, ramp up your earnings. From managing passwords to organizing your emails, we explain the importance of routine digital clean...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Dream of seeing your business skyrocket to the top of a search engine page? When it comes to search engines, quality keywords are a crucial step to getting your site to the top of search queries. Today's episode dives headfirst into the world of Keyword Research and SEO. Understanding your target audience, identifying their needs, and brainstorming seed keywords to...

Send Carrie a Text Message! The first step to fostering long-lasting customer relationships is creating trust. However, how do we do that? In the second episode of our Customer Trust series, we dive into how you can set realistic expectations & avoid blindsiding your customers with the unexpected.  From using clear language that your customers can understand to presenting products & buying...

Send Carrie a Text Message! After completing some of your biggest sales events like Cyber Monday and Black Friday, what are your next steps to prepare for your next promotion? In this episode, we dive into the process of learning from your completed promotions and refining them for the future.  From collecting data on your promotional events to approaching the refinement process with a positive an...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Are you ready for this year’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping events? Buckle up as we explore how to stand out during extremely competitive times of the year! From understanding your customer's preferences to crafting clear, easy-to-understand deals, discover how you can draw in more customers with deals you know they will love!  So tune in - this isn't jus...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Ever wondered how a birthday celebration could be a catalyst for your business growth? Well, you're about to discover how! Today's episode is a double celebration - we're honoring both our business's anniversary and my own birthday! In this episode, we will dive into how these special occasions could be pivotal in demonstrating appreciation, fosterin...

Send Carrie a Text Message! What if there were a simple and effective way to boost your online business profits and stand out in a crowded marketplace? Discover how product bundling can create a win-win situation for both you (the seller) and your customers, enhancing value and boosting customer satisfaction. Join us as we chat about how to tap into your customers' needs, desires, and problem...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Ever wonder how to instill absolute trust in your customers and soar your e-commerce business to new heights? This episode promises to unlock that secret for you with a keen focus on customer testimonials and social proof . We dissect the myriad forms of testimonials - text, photos, videos, and audio clips, and guide you through the exciting process of acquiring them. L...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Ever wondered how to fortify your online business against unexpected disasters? Then you're in the right place. You're about to get an insider's look at how two of our clients weathered the harrowing storm of a severe website disaster. The ordeal was a valuable lesson on the critical role of backups, data protection, and the right tools to restore your di...

Send Carrie a Text Message! It happens to us all: one small distraction can change the course of your productivity for the rest of the day, causing tasks to fall behind and affect the rest of the week! How can you get yourself back on track? Join me, Carrie Saunders, as we dive into maximizing your efficiency in an e-commerce environment. As a business owner, I have both tasks, employees, and clie...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Ever wondered why your website isn't ranking high enough on search engine results, despite using all the 'right' keywords?  We're going to kick off the discussion by debunking outdated SEO tactics, with a particular emphasis on the notorious pitfall of keyword stuffing. We’ll then switch gears to the art of crafting language that appeals not just to...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Want to unravel the magic of email marketing for your business? Buckle up as we chat with our guest, Tracy Beavers, a juggernaut in the realms of marketing, sales and business growth, and dissect why email marketing is not just a good-to-have but a must-have component of your business strategy. Tracy’s expert insights will shed light on the importance of email marketing...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Are your website images slowing you down? Let's revamp your understanding of image optimization, and watch your site's performance skyrocket! This episode is packed with secrets on web image optimization, covering everything from choosing the right file format to understanding the role of alternate text in SEO and ADA compliance. We're arming you with pra...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Imagine if your website unexpectedly went viral during a promotional period - would it stand up to the traffic influx or come crashing down? With Black Friday and other major promotional periods around the corner, now is the time to ensure your ecommerce platform is prepared to handle the rush, and we're going to show you how to do exactly that.  By the end of this...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Are you grappling to under Google’s Core Web Vitals? We’ve got you covered! In this episode, we break down the tech surrounding Core Web Vital. From what these metrics are to how they can impact your website’s performance as a whole, we illustrate what these metrics look like beyond their technical implications. Laggy load times, web pages that jump around, and just pla...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Imagine unlocking the doors to a steady stream of income, even when you're not actively working, and transforming that into a reality for your business. This episode unravels the mysteries of implementing passive income strategies and how these can turbocharge your business growth.  From exploring the riveting world of email marketing to the allure of loyalty progr...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Ever thought about how much a business name matters? Is it still relevant in the digital age? Join me, Carrie Saunders, as I shed light on a burning issue we're facing - rebranding. As the founder of a 21-year old business, BCS Engineering, I am wrestling with whether our name still embodies what we do and who we are. This episode will take you through our journey,...

Send Carrie a Text Message! Ever wondered why your e-commerce conversions aren't where you want them to be? What if we told you that with just a few tweaks to your website and marketing strategy, you could see noticeable improvement? In this episode, we address the variable nature of e-commerce conversions and the importance of tracking them using tools like Google Analytics. We stress the ne...