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Posts Tagged ‘Volusion’
 So… this is awkward…
It seems that the folks at Volusion have once again introduced a tool for their platform that we’d already developed. Now don’t get us wrong. What’s good for Volusion is good for us, so we’re always thrilled at their continuing efforts to improve what is already the best shopping platform in the marketplace.
But…
We do feel compelled to point out one thing: we totally did it first. Sure, we already mentioned that, but our ego compels us to say it again. We introduced iVoloo (our iPhone-friendly Volusion store) two years ago and we updated it pretty dramatically just last month. All of this was completed independent of Volusion and as a direct result of needs expressed by our customers. Now, in the big scheme of things, does being first really matter?
Well… yes.
While we don’t yet know all the details about Volusion’s mCommerce, one thing is sure: we did it first. First is important because it means that we are capable of creating solutions before anyone else even has the opportunity to publicly recognize the need. First is important because it means that we’re nimble and responsive. First is important because every Volusion merchant who’s been using iVoloo, didn’t have to wait, nor will any new iVoloo customers have to wait for Volusion’s mCommerce beta to be complete.
This may sound like sour grapes (and that may be at least a little bit true), but, believe it or not, we have a great relationship with Volusion. We like Volusion. What’s important for us is that the Volusion community understand that we specialize in the development of custom solutions for all of their eCommerce (or mCommerce) needs. We look beyond Volusion’s limitations to see its possibilities… then we turn those possibilities into reality.
We’ll continue to develop tools and applications to expand on Volusion’s (already expansive) capabilities. Heck… we just introduced a more robust version of RapidCart, even though Volusion already has a soft-add-to-cart feature, just because we wanted to make a better one. We fully expect that someday Volusion will somehow match RapidCart, but by then, we’ll have moved on to another need, a new goal, because that’s what we do. We make the world a better place using every tool at our disposal, like Stephen Hawking or the A-Team.
 … okay. We know that Volusion just added soft-add-to-cart to their Winter ‘09 release, but give us just a moment to tell you why we’re sure you’re going to want RapidCart 2.0 instead.
Where to begin? … well, how about product options? RapidCart can handle multiple options with images. You like alternate product pics? You’ve got ‘em. You want to include all of your pricing info and product description copy? Check. But wait… there’s more! How would you like your soft-add-to-cart pop-in window to be styled to match the look and feel of your site? We’ve got you covered. Custom design is included in the RapidCart 2.0 implementation.
Of course, for many people, the Volusion soft-add-to-cart will be just fine, but for those who want to take their site to the next level, there’s RapidCart 2.0: custom development quality with an out-of-the-box price. Learn more and see RapidCart in action here.
Posted: Friday, March 5, 2010 in Uncategorized
 We’ve spoken a bit here in the blog about the impact that mobile commerce (mCommerce) has been having on eCommerce and commerce in general. The importance of capturing the mobile consumer is, at this point, undeniable. Study after study after study show that you ignore the mobile consumer at your own peril. But, you’re a big, grown-up businessperson and you want to see something that relates more directly to you and your store. We understand that and we want to help.
Now, we assume you’re running Google Analytics on your site. If not, you need to start there. After all, it’s free and damn near indispensable as you plan your marketing efforts (we can help, if you like). Not only that, but you can use it to determine the relative impact of iPhone users on your bottom line by tweaking the filters a bit. Here’s how:
1) Log in to your Google Analytics account
2) Navigate to the dashboard and click the “All Visits” dropdown in the top right next to “Advanced Segments”
3) Uncheck “All Visits” and scroll down to check “Visits from iPhones”
At this point, the page will reload and you’ll be able to navigate through all of the categories and sections to gather all of your iPhone-related statistics.
According to ABI Research, mobile sales are expected to break the $1 billion mark this year, after showing steady and dramatic gains over the last three years. If that isn’t enough to convince you, there’s plenty more statistics to be had here.
So, if after following the steps listed above, you find that you’re getting a decent amount of iPhone traffic, but few conversions, you may want to consider optimizing your Volusion store for the platform using our own iVoloo. Simply stated: usability = conversions.
 We admit it. We’re jumping the gun a bit on this one because it’s so damn good-looking…
Some time in the near future, Model Roundup (here’s a link to their old site) will be launching their new Volusion site. Normally we wait until the big switch to bring a new design to your attention, but this one is just dying to see the light of day and we couldn’t resist. It’s also a nice opportunity for you to see a bit of before and after, in case you’re ever wondering about the merit of good design when it comes to branding and credibility.
We’ll probably post about this one again when it actually launches, because we can’t get enough of it, but for now, you can just Revell* in this sneak peek.
*That’s not a misspelling… trust us. The model nerds are cracking up at that.
Posted: Thursday, March 4, 2010 in Tips and Tricks
 In our never-ending quest to share our Volusion-related knowledge with the world, we offer this latest entry into our growing knowledge base: Migration from FTP Published Blogger Blog to a Hosted Blogger Blog on Volusion.
Despite its blatant overuse of the word “blog” (and variations thereof), we’re entirely sure that many of you will find this little tutorial quite useful. Especially for those of you who like to blog with the blogger and blog bloggingly, blog, blog and bloggle with the bloggest blog in bloggly bloggington. Blog? Blog blog.
 Today happens to be the 23rd birthday of Office Furniture Concepts and what better way to celebrate than with a brand, spanking new Volusion site?
Boasting one of the largest collections of office furniture and accessories that we’ve ever seen, Office Furniture Concepts stands ready to fill every workplace-related need you can imagine… including seating for big & tall folks (which, we must admit, we didn’t even know existed).
So to the fine folks at Office Furniture Concepts, we say happy birthday and welcome to the Brand Labs family!
Posted: Friday, February 26, 2010 in Beauty, Volusion Site Design
 We won’t say where, but we will say that we’ve got a tattoo (or two), discreetly tucked away – out of the public eye. We’re proud to say that the tattoos in question do not feature tribal imagery, the Tasmanian Devil in college athletic garb or Calvin peeing on something. Regardless, we’ve got our ink, so we’re thrilled to add Tattoo U Direct to our stable of clients.
Offering a range of tattoo tools and supplies as well as flash art and piercing equipment, Tattoo U Direct is a one-stop, online body modification shop. So if you need a hole on your person where you don’t currently have one, or there are parts of your body that you think would look a bit better in a nice shade of green, you should head over to Tattoo U Direct. They’ll hook you up… literally.
Posted: Thursday, February 25, 2010 in Services, Video, Volusion Site Design
 Got an event? Need a video of it? We just may have just the ticket…
Brand Labs is proud to announce that we’ve just launched the new Volusion site for The Event Video Company. Providing high-quality video services and products in all fifty states, EVC stands ready to document just about anything. Kids’ hockey game? Check. Model railroading seminar? Check. Vegan cooking class? Check and mate.
Welcome to the Brand Labs family, EVC!
 Sometimes, we get so caught up in actually building the Interwebs that we forget to talk about our accomplishments. In an attempt to rectify that situation, today we bring you another in our series of gems from the site design attic…
React Gear offers a full range of sporting goods and supplies intended to prepare you for any emergency. Commie uprising? Check. Attacked by bears? You’re covered. Zombie apocalypse? Aim for the head.
We’re always happy to welcome new folks to the Brand Labs family, but in this case, we’re especially happy because when something bad goes down, you want the well-equipped folks on your side. Welcome, React Gear!
Posted: Monday, February 15, 2010 in News
 We’ve been blogging for a while here and since we’ve recently noticed an increase in readership, we thought we’d add a feature that’s been on our to do list for some time: RSS.
From Wikipedia:
RSS (most commonly expanded as “Really Simple Syndication”) is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format…The user subscribes to a feed by entering into the reader the feed’s URI or by clicking an RSS icon in a web browser that initiates the subscription process.
So, if you’d like to subscribe to our posts, you can do so by clicking on the icon at the top of the column to the right, or if you’re viewing our mobile version, tap the little menu arrow on the right side of the header and a menu will pop up. Thanks!
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