What's Your Website's Value Proposition?

A Value Proposition (VP) identifies why a customer should purchase your product or service versus a competitor's similar product or service.

Arguably one of the most difficult things to create and define for your website, VP is also one of the most critical sales-enhancing components that you can optimize. Most websites fail to even include their value proposition in the site design and messaging, while others display it poorly and/or haven't articulated it properly.

So, what is your value proposition and is it clearly identified on your website? Your VP could be your exceptional customer service, better pricing, larger inventory, higher quality product or service, experience or knowledge, quicker delivery, or other value-add that sets you apart from your competition. In a nutshell, value proposition is the primary reason why a prospect should buy from you! If a consumer visits your website and cannot quickly and easily assess the value proposition, you will most likely lose that sale to a competitor who more clearly identifies and displays their value-add.

Not sure how to identify your unique value proposition? Here are some tips for building an effective VP:

• The Value Proposition requires you to differentiate your offer from your competitors
• Your Value Proposition may be the one dimension of value where you do not match your competitors' your one differentiator
• You need to excel in at least one element of value. Identify what that one area is or what it can be.
• Your value proposition should be what makes you the best choice for your optimum customer.

Once you have developed your value proposition, be sure to test out different ways to communicate it to your customers on your website. A well crafted, properly placed value proposition statement can make a huge difference in converting your website visitors into customers.

Colortime Crafts and Markers provide a creative, wearable art concept. Since 1990, these creative crafts have been enjoyed by over 500,000 children and adults nationwide.

The company offers an extensive catalog of designs on tee shirts, back packs, bandanas and pillowcases to be colored in with their permanent fabric markers. Creating wearable art is a perfect activity for parties, Girl Scout troops, camps or corporate gatherings.

Colortime can also create custom imprinted products with your company logo and name to advertise and promote your business or organization.

To browse Colortime Crafts and Markers' catalog please visit their Mountain Commerce powered store at colortime.com.

Building Your Brand on Facebook

Mobile phone users may soon represent a new market for etailers

With over 150 million active users, and growing, Facebook has rapidly evolved into a huge online community that offers countless opportunities for both social and business networking. In addition to paid advertising opportunities for ecommerce businesses, there are ways to establish a free business presence on Facebook. Handled incorrectly, this potential opportunity could fall flat. The guiding principle to making it work for your business is to come across as more of a "social networker" than a "marketer." Effectively leveraging Facebook as a channel for reaching out to potential customers is an achievable goal, as long as you remember that the only reason people go to Facebook is to have an interactive experience.

Presently, members are allowed to create free Facebook Business Pages, where they can upload their company logo, a description of their website, brand, and company information. There's also the opportunity to include contact information and hours of operation, if applicable. The crucial step in transforming a page from a boring business listing to an interactive Facebook page is through the use of customized applications. Sound complicated? Actually, adding capabilities, such as discussion boards, photos, video, or a customer review section, can be accomplished with a few clicks of the mouse and some easy customization. Once you start getting Facebook friends to become "fans" of your page, the system will automatically notify your friend's friends, then, the potential for attracting new visitors and potential customers grows exponentially - or as some call it, "virally."

At a time when small eCommerce businesses are looking for ways to stretch their limited marketing budgets, strategies like this are especially welcome. If the idea of social media marketing interests you, contact Mountain Media for more information.

Did You Know?

Over 1 Billion Served!

Ever wondered, "How many Internet users are there in the world?" Now we have an answer.

The total global Internet audience surpassed 1 billion visitors in December 2008, based on data from the comScore World Metrix audience measurement service.

The Asia-Pacific region accounted for the highest share of global Internet users at 41 percent, followed by Europe (28 percent share), North America (18 percent share), Latin-America (7 percent share), and the Middle East & Africa (5 percent share).

The group is made up of people aged 15 and older, using home and work computers. It excludes traffic from public computers such as Internet cafes or access from mobile phones or PDAs.

"Surpassing one billion global users is a significant landmark in the history of the Internet," said Magid Abraham, President and CEO of comScore. "It is a monument to the increasingly unified global community in which we live and reminds us that the world truly is becoming more flat. The second billion will be online before we know it, and the third billion will arrive even faster than that, until we have a truly global network of interconnected people and ideas that transcend borders and cultural boundaries."