Frankly eCommerce

Story

The story behind the course

Since 2002 retailers have sought out E-business Coach, an ecommerce provider founded by Patrick Pitman in Livingston, Montana. Clients signed on from Maine, Alabama, California, Arkansas, Ohio, NYC -- some referred by Debra Ross, long-time moderator of the Mail Order Manager (M.O.M.) users group. Often, they asked for ecommerce sites exceptionally-integrated with M.O.M. Always, they wanted help in improving web sales.

Patrick's team built a reputation for hands-on marketing and design assistance. With it's own proprietary ecommerce engine and CMS, the team's wishlist materialized and optimizations hummed. As a result, clients' web sales began growing - on average, at double the industry rate for online retail (Forrester Research).

One day a merchant called from England, seeking help for his children's catalogue, Urchin (£2M annual). That was Murray Kenneth in 2005. Within a year of switching to E-business Coach, web sales had grown by 162%, and increased its share as a channel by a third.

Seeing such results, Patrick wanted to package up the learning and find a way to share the one-to-one lessons his clients enjoyed with a much wider audience of niche online retailers. Nice idea - but there were always other priorities: a PCI security hosting audit, new software features, email provider integrations, or new staff to train.

In 2009, Patrick decided this would be the year - no excuses. Competitors like CV3 had caught up with M.O.M. integration, and vendors like Magento were making open source a viable, if not compelling option. He was convinced his company could deliver more value, to more merchants, through such a training product than he could with his ecommerce software and hosting package?

Where's our strength? Marketing expertise appropriate for the niche catalog retailer had always been E-business Coach's #1 strength. So focus on that, Patrick decided, to the exclusion of all else. (And as a bonus, maybe such a product could offer more time to share with his four kids than could be found managing a 24x7x365 platform spanning 6 time zones).

A phone call to Murray set out Patrick's decision. Appreciating the cost-savings from more in-house marketing, and knowing the expense of off-site training, Murray liked the idea - and knew that other direct retailers would too. Having sold Urchin and now consulting with merchants across the UK, Murray was free to sign on. He did, and Frank Learning was born. Next, the course...

Course

The Course: lessons shaped by a proven strategy

Murray and Patrick's curriculum is shaped by the marketing style promoted by E-business Coach. Proven with merchants like Red Oxx Manufacturing, it's an approach that can be likened to a 'content marketing' strategy. The principles of Made to Stick by the Heath brothers is also relevant to our approach. Fundamentally, we seek to inform and engage the shopper before selling.

Such a strategy builds on the advantages a niche retailer has over mass-market, big-brand stores. That strength typically comes down to the quality and uniqueness of product selection, sourcing or manufacturing. Such retailers, awash with personal, expert insights into customer needs, have great stories to tell about their products; stories they ought to be telling more often.

The strategy that runs through Frankly eCommerce begins with that premise: good stories help you sell. Content marketing proponents will tell you a prospect's repeated exposure to relevant info builds trust in its source. This course will show you how to cultivate such loyalty wherever you spot it.

A shopper engaged through stories becomes a potential fan. And fans, as you know, are a highly valuable asset because not only do they disseminate your marketing messages for you, but they're less susceptible to price-based competitors. Compare an audience of fans to the approach of discount-based promotions offered in a one-shot desperate style.

Understanding how to get found forms a core part of this course. That means SEO lessons, but also social media. Getting found is consistent with content marketing as a style. By delivering information, like buying guides and stories, the savvy retailer can start a customer relationship....

So this course delivers lessons founded upon a content marketing ideal. We've boiled it down to stories, design, and analytics. These themes permeate this training program:

• Design? Of course, in ways that support the story and encourage conversion.
• Analytics? Measurement is essential, and need not be elaborated more than to say that 'testing' is an attitude we embrace.
• Stories? Everything we've said above affirms their importance.

Being fans of stories, we've woven one into the Frankly eCommerce course. That's the imagined story of Indi, a cosmetics entrepreneur who's coached by real-life experts. It's a curious blend of fiction and education. Lessons are assembled by another character in our story, Frank, a private investigator. Frank's been hired by a global cosmetics brand to ferret out the reasons behind Indi's success.

A story such as Frank and Indi does more than engage you in the moment. You'll find that tactics taught here become lodged in your memory along with the setting (or sound?) of the story that delivered them to you. Retained knowledge is what any retailer wants when investing in employee training. You'll remember these lessons long after you've forgotten those free webinars, or marketing tips articles that arrive in email newsletters. You'll remember, and enjoy.

Frank is classifying his surveillance and analysis according to what he's deduced are Indi's goals:

1. Getting my site noticed
2. Turning visitors into buyers
3. Building a tribe of loyal customers
4. Optimizing with analytics, tools, & techniques

Within each goal, Frank's files are grouped into lessons. So there are lessons on getting noticed, on turning visitors into buyers, and building loyalty. And optimizing with analytics. The course includes all of these lessons. Today, in June 2010, there are a handful of lessons, more being released each month, with about 30 total planned.

Learn more about the real-life experts who are contributing these lessons. They are the people in Frankly eCommerce.

People

About the people contributing to lessons

Our cast of real-life expert contributors includes leading SEO professionals, copywriters, email experts, branding gurus and senior client-side managers or business owners from the US and Europe. The roll call of businesses that they run or advise includes many of the most recognisable names in ecommerce today. All of this ensures that the lessons within Frankly eCommerce feature the most up-to-date and relevant tactics that you can apply in your business. You can rely on this guidance, and the underlying strategy, to help you set the online priorities for your company today.

Expert contributors includes:

• Tim Ash
• Mel Henson
• Will Dymott
• Shahid Awan
• Eric Ward
• and more...

See an example of a lesson featuring Tim Ash, on the topic of redesigning a homepage. In this lesson, you'll learn how to:

• Resist the temptation to waste premium home page "real estate" with unnecessary clutter
• Group your links usefully, providing a "through the keyhole" glimpse of what's deeper in the site
• Avoid "interruption marketing" homepage blather
• Present trust and credibility symbols in the right places
• Use an artificial intelligence tool to simulate your visitor's attention

Meet savvy business owners & managers

Sometimes experts labor anonymously in their own companies. Expert isn't just a title conferred by others, and it's certainly not limited to those who've published a book. Expertise is earned. You know, remember that time you met a business owner who had really figured something out, and you admired his or her zeal and competence? Yes, we've got people like that, too, as contributors.

There's nothing like a real-world, real business, in-the-trenches kind of expert who is doing it, proving it, every day -- with his or her own money at stake. We could list names, but you wouldn't recognize them. That's okay, their expertise is waiting inside in lessons ready for you.

Shaped by a strategy

All lesson content is shaped by an overall strategy proven relevant to niche retailers by founders Murray and Patrick. Think of all of these lessons and experts being selected according to an editing process. Patrick and Murray are the editors. Their success, in sustainably growing the online channel in niche retail businesses, can be replicated in your company at a cost that represents exceptional value for money.

You can start to improve how you're selling online by joining this innovative course as a member. We open the course to new members periodically. See who is participating; learn about our members...

Members

Members already using Frankly eCommerce

Frankly eCommerce was borne of our experience serving -- being -- niche marketers in the multi-channel retail space. It's natural that this course is designed for such people. In fact, the intention behind this course is to support the entrepreneurial efforts of people in privately-held companies. If you're seeking to make the most of your Internet opportunity, you're in the right place.

Listen to interviews of our members:

• Marketing manager, 4th generation in family gift business
• Webmaster at an automotive parts catalog & web store
• Co-owner of retail shop & web store, 4th year of operations

Call it our mission, but this course aims to strengthen your business and the community that your operation supports. We could all do with a bit more excellence in our businesses right now. If you agree, and are willing to make an investment in in-house expertise, find out how to get started.

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I was a bit sceptical about your program but I must say, it is pretty amazing and an excellent learning tool. David Polivy, Tahoe Mountain Sports

The program has been extremely helpful with our keyword strategy. I'm implementing strategic changes starting today that will improve our business! Pam Jahnke, Tahoe Mountain Sports, California USA

The examples are great - the before & after. Andrea Ruma, Ruma's Fruit & Nut Boston, Mass., USA

I'm trying to do as much as I can in-house - so what you have here is really valuable as a resource and a learning tool. Patrick Polglase, Bouncy Happy People, UK

I think you've got a great idea here - I really like it. David Seibold, Wild Horses 4x4 California, USA

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Learn how to enjoy these same benefits by joining Frankly eCommerce.

Join

How to join Frankly eCommerce

Are you ready to find your first lesson and jump in?

Status: Course closed.

Sign-up to receive a priority invitation when registration re-opens for membership. You'll receive an email confirmation, and opportunity to explore individual lessons in anticipation of the next limited enrollment opportunity for the full course.

With our 30-day 100% No Quibble Guarantee, it's a no-risk, positive step towards addressing your under-performing website or building upon the momentum you may already enjoy. This provides exceptional lifetime value for your company. But if you find it's not for you, just cancel within 30 days for a full, 100% refund - whatever your reason.

• Spread the cost over a monthly payment plan for a fixed term.
• Enjoy lifetime access to all current and future lessons.
• Share with others in your team, and work to a common strategy.

It all starts with signing up to the waiting list that appears above.

Questions? Ask us via email or call (1) 877-816-8161.