Ronald Reagan said, “If you’re explaining, you’re losing.” Reaganomics usually refers to tax cuts and trickle down economics, yet I propose that we take the Gipper’s quote and ask: How can simplicity contribute to a business's success?
When we share what leading companies do, we can often skip an explanation and sum it up in a brief sentence. Examples:
Bridge is helping indie stores compete against the big-box stores and big-money players.
Bridge will help more than 700 indie stores service 7,000 registries this year. Collectively, we’re moving millions of dollars in sales from big players to small stores and their communities.
Proof of this is when we see a bride registered at five stores and 40% of them are Bridge Store clients. The bride lists these registry choices:
I noticed this ad for Big Ass Fans and was struck by the word “destroyer.” That’s a strong, powerful, memorable word. I wondered what wording we’d use if we were to run a full-page ad.
Large, well-funded entities are constantly seeking to swipe indie business—that’s aggression. We’re giving indies figurative swords, shields, and helmets to fight back.
Our full-page ad may state: “We Arm the Indies With Digital Weapons.&...
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Amazon not only hurts small stores when it steals their customers, but it also hurts small stores by disrupting their websites. Amazon and businesses that host with Amazon (on AWS) send bots to crawl competitors' websites. These bots take up bandwidth and create errors that delay real users from accessing the sites.
In the example shown, we see Amazon or one of its clients using AWS to crawl the indie store Dalton Brody and create an error that only a bot would create.
While waiting for breakfast, I noticed this ‘Boycott Amazon’ sticker. I think that getting customers to stop something—or start something—is a tough practice. There are fields of science (psychology) and marketing (branding) dedicated to this. Is it easier to get someone to start or stop (boycott) something?
I think that offering a solution (start something) is easier.
I recommend that stores encourage customers to choose them over Amazon because the ...
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A store owner named Alice from South Carolina called me this AM:
She owns a jewelry store started more than 50 years ago.
Like most retailers, she has an older website with little product on it and no online registry.
While the economy was good, Alice kept putting off investing in a new website.
When the Coronavirus outbreak happened last week, she faced the reality of having to spend $5k on a new website that would take two months to setup. Alice feels that is too much
How can you increase traffic to your website? Place a free Bridge decal on your checkout countertop. In the example shown, there’s a Bridge decal on a checkout countertop.
These decals are double-sided, have a very light adhesive on one side, and can be easily moved.
To receive your free decal, please message or call us.
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September 9, 2019
September 9, 2019
How do you compete with Amazon on its own turf? Seattle-based retailer Timothy De Clue promotes its website offering thousands of products. The store displays its Bridge decal on its front door: "Shop 1,000's of Gifts Online."
Need a decal? Just ask us. We'll mail you a 'Shop 1,000's' decal for free.
Stores that offer convenience and deals are winning, shares today’s WSJ. Sales at Walmart, Target, and T.J. Maxx are up while they’re murky at Macy’s, J.C. Penny, and Nordstrom. Just offering deals isn’t enough, nor is just offering next-day delivery. A store is going to have to accept smaller margins via deals and convenience offerings. The alternative is: join Macy’s with its 50% stock drop.
Nordstrom’s sales are down 5% and profit fell about $20m.
Kohl’s, which has a partnership with Amazon, ...
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I developed Bridge Network, an e-commerce platform, that is not included in this article. Here are some things I have learned over the last 20 years of e-commerce development:
1. The article’s ranking criteria includes themes and templates. I believe you don't need an assortment of templates to have a functioning (or successful) e-commerce site. Just look at ...
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July 21, 2019
July 21, 2019
I believe that offering greater online selection is increasingly important in retail.
Greater selection is important for many reasons including:
1. Giving shoppers more choices. More choices lead to more sales.
2. Helping stores be more competitive. Shoppers know that big online retailers like Amazon offer millions of products, and thereby millions of possible price points and features. Offering something similar is the natural route to get those orders back from Amazon.
3. Boosting a ...
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First read:
There are millions of indie stores in the world who don’t get to succeed online. They get ripped off by web designers and coders, pay more in local taxes than big tech companies, don’t have access to cheap money from Wall St. (like big tech companies), and can’t protect themselves from hackers looking to steal credit cards. They are prevented them from running their business, helping their customers, and servicing their communities. Due to these expenses and ...
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June 25, 2019
June 25, 2019
Thanks to Courtney at The Containery in Texas for this pic of her store displaying the Bridge decal. She placed the decal promoting her Bridge website next to her existing 'Shop Local' decal. Good idea ;)
Thanks to our retailers for sharing pictures of their Bridge decals. Store owners Timothy De Clue in Seattle and Kathi Davis in Scranton shared these picture of their stores with the "Shop 1,000's of Gifts Online" decal.
We sent hundreds of stores these free decals. We invite you to share a picture of your store. :)
Please visit Timothy at his store in Seattle and Kathi at her store in Scranton:
There are millions of indie stores in the world who don’t get to succeed online. They get ripped off by web designers and coders, have to pay local taxes unlike many Amazon sellers, don’t have access to cheap money from Wall St. like Amazon.com, and get attacked by hackers looking to steal credit cards, all factors which prevent them from running their business, helping their customers, and servicing their communities. Because of these expenses and obstacles, ...
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April 6, 2019
April 6, 2019
I just opened a box with 400 new decals for our stores! Stores can place these two-sided decals on their front doors and windows next to their Visa and Amex decals.
Please message us to get in front of the line for who will receive these first. :)