Yahoo! Store SEO Blog

Fill out my Yahoo! Store Order Management Survey, get free stuff...

Howdy! We currently use OrderMotion for my mom's Yahoo! Stores. While it's not perfect (reporting: boo!), it works pretty well, but it's NOT cheap. And, as you might already know, OrderMotion is rolling out a another HUGE rate increase in 2009 with their new OMX software, so we're currently looking at alternatives for a PLAN B.

Going from Web-based software ("in the cloud") back to locally-based software on a network server makes me nervous. I know we'll need a server with all kinds of back ups, a better firewall, and probably a contract with a local IT company, but I hate this! This is SO frustrating! I'm used to concentrating on getting more sales, not finding out what I don't know that I don't know about maintaining an IT infrastructure...

Yahoo! Store owners: Can I ask you for a quick favor because I'm researching order management software and I need your help because you know more than I do! Can I pick your "retailer brain" for less than 5 minutes? Please take my  survey on order management software.

Answer 10 survey questions and I'll make it worth your while by sharing some unpublished transcripts of interviews and presentations I did earlier this year. Included in your PDF will be info from SOME of the following 2008 content:

    * Excerpts from a couple of video interviews from eMetrics,
    * text from a radio interview on increasing conversion rate,
    * my notes from Internet Retailer 2008 Presentation
    * info from my Brazil SMX2008 "Content is King" speech,
    * notes from when I testified to Congress this summer,
    * notes on Y! Web analytics videos we did with Avinash & Co.
    * and my PubCon 2008 presentation on 17 things you can do to make more with your Yahoo! Store...

I'm making up a nice little New Year's present in PDF for my Y! Peeps which I'll pull together by the end of New Year's Day and the ONLY way you can get it now is by taking this quick little survey.

Personally, I obsess over increasing conversion rates, ramping up your Internet marketing, maxing out your SEO efforts, not going broke with PPC, etc., but I figured if I shared some unpublished goodies with you, you would share what YOU know, with ME about YOUR experience picking order management software!

Anyway, you share a few facts with me and I'll share some new info I picked up this year with you. Thanks for your time!

Here's to your continued success and dealing with these "interesting times" in 2009!  http://www.robsnell.com/ordermanagementsoftware.html

-- Rob Snell,
Somewhere in rural Mississippi freezing his tail off...

14 Anagrams for Yahoo! Store

• A Horsey, Too
• Say Hero, Too
• A Hooters, Yo!
• Teary, Ooh So  
• Ratso Hooey!
• Are Hos To Yo   
• Sorta Hooey
• A Hoe Rots, Yo!
• Hero Oat-Soy
• Easy, Ho Root!
• Has Yore, Too  
• So, Hoary Toe!
• Aye! Ho Roost

and my fave: Hooray, Toes!

Yahoo! Store genius Istvan "RTML 101" Siposs launches RAPID EDIT -- a huge leap in productivity for Store Editor

This weekend I got an email from my good buddy, Istvan (RTML101) Siposs about a cool new add-on to Store Editor. He said he came up with "Rapid Edit" which was saving tons of time by giving him a shortcut straight to the EDIT PAGE of every page.

EDITING YOUR STORE THE OLD WAY -- As most Yahoo! Store owners know, nowadays if you want to change something on a product or section page, first you log into the Store Editor, browse to that page, then click the EDIT button. The EDIT PAGE window appears, you make your changes fields and click UPDATE. It's not too bad once you're logged in, but browsing and waiting for pages to load can take a little bit of time.

RAPID EDIT WORKS ONLY IN THE STORE EDITOR -- Anywhere there's a link, RAPID EDIT puts a small red asterisk * next to it. Links work the same as before, but click that red asterisk and you jump straight to the EDIT PAGE.  This  saves one click and one full page load for every page you edit!

Istvan installed a demo on one of my Yahoo! Stores and the staff loves it. He also added an on/off switch. I've tried it and if you do any editing at all it saves a ton of time. Sweet!

Man, I've always wanted to know how to do this! Istvan's RAPID EDIT is an order of magnitude better than my JUMP TO EDITOR. See http://www.ytimes.info/raedforyast.html for more info.

Oh, one other thing: I think Istvan & Mike want to do another seminar in early 2009, but this time in Hawaii! Any takers? -- ROB

Avinash Kaushik's 4Q

Avinash

ECOMMERCE
Buy
Check prices
Compare products
Check order status
Check promotions

LIST OF POSSIBLE QUESTIONS for RobSnell.com

value="1"   Add a review
value="2"   Ask an expert
value="3"   Buy
value="4"   Change my status
value="5"   Check for product updates
value="6"   Check friend updates

value="7"   Check messages
value="8"   Check my account
value="9"   Check news
value="10"   Check order status
value="11"   Check profile
value="12"   Check promotions

value="13"   Check prices
value="14"   Compare products
value="15"   Consult a review
value="16"   Create an account
value="17"   Download materials
value="18"   Download software

value="19"   Enter contest
value="20"   Expand my network
value="21"   Find a job
value="22"   Find contact information
value="23"   Find store locations
value="24"   Learn about products

value="25"   Listen to music
value="26"   Look at pictures
value="27"   Make a payment
value="28"   Make a request
value="29"   Obtain company information
value="30"   Post a job

value="31"   Post blog comment
value="32"   Read
value="33"   Read blog
value="34"   Read blog comment
value="35"   Read latest news
value="36"   Research

value="37"   Search for friends
value="38"   Seek technical support
value="39"   Sign up
value="40"   Submit a complaint
value="41"   Subscribe to RSS
value="42"   Try a demo

value="43"   Update account information
value="44"   Update profile
value="45"   Update pictures
value="46"   Upload video
value="47"   View profile(s)
value="48"   View/share widget(s)

value="49"   Watch a demo
value="50"   Watch videos
value="52"   Browse
value="53"   Check schedule
value="54"   Download podcasts
value="55"   Find locations

value="56"   Get directions
value="57"   Give feedback
value="58"   Learn about company / brand
value="59"   Make a donation
value="60"   Make a reservation
value="61"   Post item

value="62"   Register for an event
value="63"   Register/Become a member
value="64"   Report a problem
value="65"   Request a quote
value="66"   Seek support
value="67"   Subscribe to a mailing list

value="68"   Get information about a disease
value="69"   Find the cause of a symptom
value="70"   Get information about a drug
value="71"   Find online tools to help with management of a health condition
value="72"   Get information about a healthy lifestyle topic
value="73"   Get information about a medical test or procedure

value="74"   Add a listing
value="75"   Apply for a loan
value="76"   Ask a question
value="77"   Become a partner
value="78"   Become a reseller
value="79"   Become an affiliate

value="80"   Book a trip
value="81"   Browse events
value="82"   Chat
value="83"   Check events calendar
value="84"   Check shipping costs
value="85"   Choose a destination

value="86"   Comment
value="87"   Compare offers
value="88"   Complete transaction
value="89"   Consult job opportunities
value="90"   Contact company
value="91"   Contact customer service

value="92"   Contribute to the forum
value="93"   Download music
value="94"   Find a doctor
value="95"   Find a hotel
value="96"   Find a solution to a problem
value="97"   Find a specific article/publication

value="98"   Find activities
value="99"   Find hotel information
value="100"   Find information
value="101"   Find opening hours
value="102"   Find pricing information
value="103"   Find suppliers

value="104"   Find vacation ideas
value="105"   Get information on an already-booked trip
value="106"   Join forum
value="107"   Learn about services
value="108"   Learn about solutions
value="109"   Learn about volunteer opportunities

value="110"   Lease
value="111"   Modify a listing
value="112"   Obtain detailed information on post grad courses
value="113"   Obtain detailed information on undergrad courses
value="114"   Plan a vacation
value="115"   Post a review

value="116"   Read ratings
value="117"   Read reviews
value="118"   Redeem a gift certificate
value="119"   Rent online
value="120"   Rate an item
value="121"   Request a sample

value="122"   Request catalogue
value="123"   Request more information
value="124"   Reserve a room
value="125"   Schedule appointment/activity
value="126"   Seek admission or scholarship information
value="127"   Seek product specifications

value="128"   Take a tutorial
value="129"   View account details
value="130"   View partner information

Yahoo! Store Technical Supports Rocks!

OK. Not a real substantive post, here, but more of a shout out to some people who probably only get feedback when folks are pissed off.

Yahoo! Store Technical Supports rocks! Been working on some experimental RTML stuff and I keep locking up my store. I get the error message: Your store has 5 or more pending requests.

For the past 2 weeks I'd like to say that the fine folks in Yahoo! Store / Yahoo! Merchant Solutions tech support have been extremely helpful and have not made fun of me once. KILL THE EDITOR again fellas!  --

Rob Snell

Somewhere in rural Mississippi about to head to the jungle

Yahoo! Store Folks Take Note > Blogging Works!

And I still don't even have this blog's title tags set up right. Typepad is FRUSTRATING... Wordpress here I come...

Cool Flickr Slideshow Maker -- Yahoo! Store Book Reviews

from http://flickrslidr.com/index.php

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Garmin 496 Aviation GPS: Yahoo! Store Skygeek Gets It

Our fellow Yahoo! Store owner Mr. Steven Styles gets it. Check out his Youtube video on the Garmin 496 Aviation GPS.

Baby Bro Steve and I are in upstate NY visiting a couple of rev-share clients. Mr. Styles took us for a ride in his aeroplane where he showed me how cool his Garmin 496 GPS is.

Check this video here:

What is your best converting keyword? You want that in the anchor text of any link. Whether your keywords are car flags, or autism awareness, or custom rubber wristbands/ cancer wristbands - always always always get your most popular / valuable keywords in that dang anchor text! -- r

What do Dog Training Collars have to do with Yahoo! Store and SEO?

Just got an email from someone who attended the email Webinar a couple of weeks ago. Based on that email and a few other comments at Internet Retailer, I think folks want more info about SEO.

Honestly, the secret to good Yahoo! Store SEO is write good text CONTENT and get more LINKS than the other guy.

For example, when I'm working on my Dog Training Collars pages, I get my brother to write out what he says on the phone to customers who call and ask questions. This content is good for two reasons: 1) It answers the questions from folks who might NOT call and may only read the Web page and 2) it's keyword loaded and great for free search engine traffic.

Then you need LINKS. Some folks say great content gets links by itself, but I like to give my content a little bit of help. More on that in a bit...

Rob

PS Thanks to all the folks who have been so patient over the past year or so. I'm back in the saddle again and promise to crank out more content, so I'll get more links... ;)

Yahoo! Store Testimony from Rob's visit to Congress is now up.

Yahoo! Store Testimony (written) from Rob Snell's appearance at the "How Online Advertising Impacts Small Firms" Congressional hearing is now available on house.gov.