Nov 201929

Is your business ready for Chatbots?

ecommerce, etrader, latest news, marketing, social media

You might think a chatbot is a new revolutionary Marketing tool, but this is not the case… they have actually existed for decades but only in recent times businesses have to exploit them and the opportunities that come with having an on-site bot.

A well optimized chatbot is a great way to boost conversion rates and generate more online leads and sales. Bots were initially built dominantly to deal with customer service, aimed at improving efficiency in resolving problems and queries from customers. But they have since developed further to become more Sales & Marketing based.

There are two main types of bots – the intelligent bot and the scripted one. The scripted uses pre-defined points and responds in an automated manner. Whereas the intelligent bot is continuously developing, analysing customer text and learning from conversation and experience using AI.


The development and growth of the chatbot is dominantly owed to Facebook who using their Messenger app allowed bots to be integrated into their platform. With over 4 billion users (as of September 2019) using their messenger app, the potential for businesses using bots is huge.

There are many benefits as to why you should use Chatbots for your online business including:

  • Chatbots have massive potential: In Marketing terms bots are still in their infancy. They will continue to develop and grow and will soon be at the forefront of most websites service efforts.
  • Chatbots are simple to build: There are many providers out there who make building bots easy and a simple drag and drop exercise. Of course, there is bespoke but with bots in their infancy now is the time to explore the cost-effective options available.
  • Chatbots help grow your brand image: A chatbot represents your business, its values and brand. It is a great way of brand building and helping convey a message as to what your business is all about.
  • Chatbots simplify customer service: They take out the human aspect of dealing with an enquiry, stripping it back to its simplest form and provide users short, concise, clear information leading to greater customer satisfaction.
  • Chatbots are actually cost effective: The cost of developing a chatbot is minimal compared to the cost of having someone dealing with online enquiries and issues. With the potential lead generation, they can also provide using AI, the bot become one of your most affordable sales tools. 

Nov 201915

Social Media Calendar - Why Your Business Needs One!

etrader, marketing, social media

A social calendar is a great way for your business to improve your Online Marketing’s efficiency and work weeks and in some cases months in advance.

With businesses using so many Social Media platforms, it can be a bit of a daunting task to stay on top of it and plan accordingly. But don't be too put off, using a Social Media calendar allows you to plan and schedule campaigns for maximum impact, it will also help identify any gaps which may need plugging.

Managing your Social Media schedule also allows you to tailor your campaigns to certain times of year, focus on certain events and seasonality and maximise your inbound efforts.

To help plan your calendar, there are 100s of templates readily available online, but this can be done simply on Excel, Google Drive or anywhere you like. It is not just planning your content that is simple but scheduling it is also easy with Social Media management tools like Buffer, Hootsuite & Crowdfire.


Here are a few simple reasons why you might want to consider using a Social Media calendar:

Improve your online efficiency

Social Media calendars help you to avoid scrambling. Sit back & relax knowing you have heaps of content planned on your accounts. This will also free up time to focus on other aspects of your businesses Marketing strategy.

Plan for multiple platforms in one place

A calendar allows you to plan for individual platforms instead of the same post on every Social Media account. Craft different messages for different platforms to improve engagement. The most obvious one is LinkedIn; ensure you post more curated thought leadership content instead of a generic post.

Track, plan, monitor & manage your strategy

Calendars allow you to track, plan and monitor what is working, what is not working, and you can tweak it accordingly as you are going along.

Reach more people

Using a calendar helps you reach a wider audience, plan content around events & holidays. Using these in the posts will help you reach a wider audience than a standard post.

One last thought...

It is great for businesses to be efficient and ensure they are on top of their Social Media strategy but there is still room for spontaneity. 

For those things that you never know may pop up that may be relevant to your business, customers and trends you can engage with keep a balance between planned and real. Customers want a business with a personality not just post after post.

Jun 201921

Instagram Checkout: What This Could Mean For Garment Decorators

ecommerce, etrader, latest news, marketing, social media

In March Instagram introduced a brand-new checkout to their app. Consumers can now buy their favourite products without ever leaving the app, but what does this mean for the Social Media platform? And how could it possibly affect garment decorators?

But there is a catch, for now anyway…

Instragram checkout is only available for several leading global brands such as H&M, Mac, Nike and a few others. But this is seen as the next step in the Instagram strategy, turning influencers and social engagement into sales.

It works by simply attaching a checkout button to posts where customers click and simply fill in their details once and they will be saved for future purchases. This will likely be a popular tool with customers as its an all in one checkout, where your customer information remains secure and purchases can be completed without going to an external site. 


Of course, there are limitations. This feature requires heavy investment and is only currently available to some of the worlds leading brands at a substantial cost.

The biggest drawback however is the customers effectively become Instagram’s as consumers are using their checkout and not the brands checkout. Problematic for businesses looking to manage their sales funnel and manage their conversions the brands currently using the checkout will not be able to identify users, their behaviours or any complex information, they will only receive the basic order details.

While this is only at very early development stages working with big brands, who is to say it won’t be introduced to businesses using Instagram for their Marketing & Advertising?

The garment decoration industry is a highly visual one, companies using Social Media to sell their print and embroidery rely on imagery of previous work and case studies to push their business and their quality. The checkout itself if introduced for small businesses would be an ideal fit for the industry.

With UK businesses already spending millions of pounds on engaging with influencers and Sponsored Online Advertising on Instagram there will be some that will see this as a step in the right direction where you can measure Return On Investment (ROI) can be measured in a more quantifiable way. 

Oct 201818

Facebook Live: Things to Consider

etrader, hints and tips, latest news, marketing, social media

Facebook live is a live video streaming service like that of webinars. It is a way for you to interact with your customers, engage your audience and promote your business is come capacity.

For garment decorators this presents an exciting way to market your business, promote your products and services. Discuss your latest products, show off your latest work, review products, discuss your offerings/USP and even go as far as brand something live. These are fun ways of engaging with both existing customers (and hopefully potentially new customers!)


To run a successful Facebook Live video, it needs to be carefully planned, here are a few tips to consider:

Test your equipment: Prior to going live, before any trial run ensure that all your equipment is in full working order. Ensure your laptop/desktop/smart device is running at full capacity. Having a slow device or a device with a chance of break may affect how well your video is produced. You want to produce a quality professional video not one that may end at any given moment.

Have a trial run: Before going live have a run-through, it should be both scripted and un-scripted. You want to know what you are going to talk about, but you also want to mix this with more personable chat with viewers, this leads to higher levels of engagement. Test the equipment, have a few run throughs and once you are 100% confident flick the switch and go live.

Engage with customers: Quite a simple but important one, engage with people live. Use their names, interact, ask questions, thoughts and try get their feedback. A Facebook Live video and any webinar should be a two-way experience.

Invest in a microphone: Invest in a good-quality microphone to deliver your customers a crystal-clear message, you don’t want your video to be muffled, voice distorted or break up. Investing in decent quality recording equipment will improve your recording experience, the streams quality for both you and your viewers.

Schedule your broadcast: People working won’t have time for webinars. Ensure that your broadcast takes place outside of working hours, viewing figures are likelier to be higher outside of the hours of 9-5, an early evening slot gives you the chance to expand your audience and its potential reach compared to doing it during the day.

Don't forget to promote: Running a successful webinar is one thing but don’t forget to promote it for a few weeks, build up hype through Social Media, Email Campaigns, Blogging or whatever other advertising medium you use.

One last thing to consider, something very-obvious but after watching numerous webinars test out your internet connection. Test that the signal strength is all okay and ensure that there are no disruptions to your live video. 

Sep 201827

Why Your Business Needs to Consider Instagram

etrader, hints and tips, latest news, marketing

Instagram is one of the leading Social Media platforms with over 800m users worldwide. In our latest blog we will look at why your business needs to consider using Instagram along with some practical hints and tips to get you started.

First things first, why Instagram?

With over 400m users using Instagram daily it is rapidly becoming a business’s go to Social Media platform. With a higher engagement rate than the main other Social Media platforms it is the Marketing tool your business should seriously consider.

The success of Instagram is simple - the brain processes images 60,000 times faster than it does text, so what are you waiting for? Stop talking about garments and get them seen online!


We have put together our top five tips to get your business started on Instagram:

  • Upload visually engaging content: For the garment decoration industry, Social Media is all about showing off your latest work and products. Curate posts showcasing your latest work, what is going on where you are and any office antics. Instagram stories can display a series of images or videos over a 24-hour period and appear at the top of the feed, a great way to grab potential customers attention. To increase a posts potential reach do not forget to include the relevant customers ‘handle’ in the post.
  • Optimise your profile and call to actions: A basic tip but an important one, ensure your profile is optimised, a nice crisp clear hi resolution brand logo as your profile picture, a brief description of who you are and what you do and importantly add contact information. Similar with your posts don’t forget to add calls to actions, ways to get in touch and convert the lead.
  • Embrace the #hashtag: A major bone of contention with many users, the use of the hashtag. Some love it, some loathe it, but Instagram is all about the hashtag - so embrace it. Users use hashtags to search for posts, it is almost a way of indexing your post in the plethora of posts online so ensure your post has all the hashtags it can to get found online by users and expand a posts reach.
  • It’s not just a Marketing tool: A hidden gem within Instagram is the Notifications feature, perfect for research and keeping an eye on competitors and influencers, you receive a notification every time they post a new piece of content. Simple click (…) and click ‘Turn on post notifications’.
  • Grow your local reach: Increase your local coverage with the locations feature.Instagram allows you to find local users, search for local businesses, people, influencers etc. Increased engagement with these can only enhance your businesses Instagram feed and increase potential business. 

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Taking your garment decoration business online is now more important than ever before for your business. A large proportion of garment decorators are traditionalists in nature focusing purely on their love of print & embroidery, relying on word of mouth and repeat orders for success with little regard for their online success.

But now with the growth of online businesses, consumers have more options than ever before online and are not afraid to shop around. Customers are looking for alternatives, convenience and importantly the best prices! The million dollar question is where on earth do I begin?

There are a number of options out there to help take your business online, it is all about picking the right option for your business, your target customer base and lastly your budget - you don’t need to throw your hard earned cash at going online!  

You want your online business to be a reflection of you, your personality and become an extension of your in-store business. Starting out it sounds daunting but it is manageable if you simplify it.

Keeping it simple

Start off small, unless your tech savvy focus on the basics. Your garment decoration businesses site needs to look professional, smart, modern and not like something put together in a slap-dash manner. Give your customers a high quality user experience, a site that is easy to use, one that communicates your businesses key selling points and promotes your core products/services.

Importantly, your site should be something that you are comfortable using… you need to be able to understand, your site & what it offers. For example, you can offer online buying, but do you know how it works behind the scenes? E-Commerce is a whole different world in itself, so do your research, seek advice and familiarise yourself before dipping your toes into the online pool.


What options are available?

There are a host of options out there and different routes – but it all boils down to your budget & what you want from going online. If you merely want an online presence then a simple site should do the trick something visually pleasing, basic, and cost effective but limited functionality.

But if you are serious about the online game, there are businesses out there that offer online web solutions specific to the industry (ourselves included!) These solutions are geared towards garment decorators who know what they are after and willing to invest a little in online success.

To sell or not to sell?

There are a number of brochure sites (sites that don’t sell online) & e-commerce options available, just do your research, visit trade shows, have live demos and get to know the options before making the best informed choice for your business. 

Brochure sites are a low cost way of getting an entry level site for your business online, you can create these yourself using various software Shopify, WordPress etc. Creating these can be time-consuming but often a money saver, the downfall of these is they often look homemade and you get what you pay for. For a more professional alternative, there are businesses out there like ourselves offering both brochure & e-commerce sites for garment decorators. 

E-Commerce gives businesses the chance to sell online but if often a mine-field, there are a number of options out there for your business to consider, Sagepay, Paypal, Stripe and many more, picking the right package is important for your business, check out their offerings, transaction rates and make sure it all adds up.

It is all about picking a site that works for you & your business and that you are comfortable with. Simply do your research and understand what your options are.

One last thought

You are running a business, do you have time to manage a site? Or create one from scratch? There are options out there for your business, your site can be managed for you by the ‘experts’ so you just sit back, relax and take care of the orders!

Want help or don't know where to begin?

Find out how we help garment decorators with their websites. Our team can offer expert advise and arrange a consultation for your business.

We also run an online demo highlight how we can help, to book yours email info@etraderwebsites.co.uk or call 029 2074 1663

Aug 201802

Is Your Business Using Content Marketing?

ecommerce, etrader, hints and tips, latest news, marketing, seo, social media

Content Marketing is probably something your business has practiced over the years without really knowing it. Creating valuable, relevant and interesting content to your audience is Content Marketing in a nutshell.

Why Does Your Business Needs Content Marketing?

There are numerous advantages to undertaking Content Marketing and building it into your businesses strategy. Engaging customers has a profound effect on several areas such as increasing sales, improving customer retention and customer acquisition to name a few. In theory it sounds like a lot of Marketing jargon, but simplified just tell your story, build your brand, its values and write about what makes your business and its services so skilful and important.


Here are a few simple steps to get you on your way to Content Marketing success:

Undertake a review: In some way or another, your business has produced content. Simply review it, consider things like your website, Social Media and any other content you produce. Identify areas of strength, weaknesses and possible areas to address. It also gives you the opportunity to examine the landscape see what competitors are doing and how their customers are reacting to their content. 

Consider & plan what type of content you will use: There are many types of content to consider using – Social Media, Blogs, Infographics, Videos, eBooks to name but a few. They all have different advantages & dis-advantages when planning your content. There are things to consider such as:

  • Who is your target audience?
  • What is the purpose and aim of the content?
  • What type of medium are they likely to engage with?
  • What medium fits with the resources you have available?
  • Will you be able to produce content on these to time and on budget?
Use Google Keyword Planner: Now you have an idea of what type of content you are going to produce, the creative juices will be flowing with mind maps and campaign ideas. Validate your ideas using a keyword tool, there are 100s of out there, but Google Keyword Planner is probably the most efficient. This will give you an idea of what your audience are physically searching for, build content around these key terms which will also aide your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts.

Pick the right channel for your business: Consider what platform to use for content efforts, different platforms require distinct types of content. As we have touched on in previous articles, they all have their own distinct ways and features that will be of use for your business. The key is to be engaging across all channels, you want customers & leads to see you as interesting, someone they can trust and build a working relationship with. Communicating this on your website, through email campaigns, Social Media, Blogging is a challenge. As an example, posting content via Social Media, LinkedIn is hugely B2B where you are likely to be reaching out to decision markers, ths requires a more formal approach than that of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat etc.

 Aim for ‘evergreen’: This is the ultimate goal for Content Marketers. Creating updated content repeatedly is a challenge, sometimes the ideas may run out or you may not have time with whatever else might be going on. Evergreen content can be used for a sustained period, it’s a ‘timeless’ piece and something that will always be of interest to your customers. Producing this will also help drive traffic and raise brand awareness over a sustained period of time.

Jul 201825

Why Your Business Needs LinkedIn

etrader, hints and tips, social media

LinkedIn is the largest online professional Social Media with a global audience of over 450m. A grown-up version of Social Media, professional, slick, modern and you should be part of it too! The ideal social sales tool for you and your business… if you are not on there; you and your business are missing out on the largest B2B networking and one of the largest sales opportunities to high-value customers.

Of course it is a bit different from your conventional day to day Social Media, your Facebook, Twitter and so on so you have to be a bit cuter on how you communicate on there. Its professional socialising, something you do day to day as a business owner but online. Just sell your business, your brand and personality and reap the rewards.

The potential for LinkedIn in the garment decoration is huge. Put simply, creating branded clothing you are always looking for the large value order or the next big contract. The large business clients more often than not account for a large chunk of most garment decorator’s turnover. So it is a bit of a no brainer - LinkedIn gives you a unique chance to create and win these larger orders and opportunities for your business.

Let’s of course not forget the existing customers, connect with these and ‘Network’, give yourself more of a chance of winning the repeat order. Existing customers also have the power to endorse you and refer you to their connections, another potential way of winning business with LinkedIn.

And as if it sounds too good to be true, it just keeps getting better…

In a nutshell, LinkedIn is used by both professionals individually (Managing Directors, Marketing Executives, Business Owners and so on) and businesses themselves. LinkedIn gives you two shots at selling on their site essentially, whether you register as an individual and interact with like-minded people who you think could be your next big potential customers or whether you set up a LinkedIn company page to interact directly with other businesses.

It could not be easier! Set up your profile, write about you, your business and how good you are at what you do and how your products are high-quality then start connecting. LinkedIn allows you to search for both businesses and their workers by location – so get chatting today! Introduce yourself, build up a professional online connection and hopefully when these businesses need branded clothing or similar they know where to go, your business will be the first port of call.


Here are a few little hints & tips to help you on your way to LinkedIn success:

  • Optimise Your Profile: Complete every aspect of your profile. Sell your business, your skills, your quality products and everything about how you can help other businesses. Create engaging pictures, infographics and so on to force someone to want to find out more and connect with you.
  • Find Your Audience: The search function allows you to search by both job title and location. Think to yourself garment decorators, what’s the title of the person I’m going to sell X amount of goods too? Marketing workers, brand workers, managing directors, human resource workers, target as many as possible and aim to build a connection.
  • Join LinkedIn Groups: There are a whole host of groups for business owners to join, industry specific, location specific, interest specific, just general business groups and much more. Join these and interact with people who may be interested in what your garment decorating business has to offer and give yourself more chance of winning that large B2B order.
  • Earn Referrals: Earn some LinkedIn kudos with referrals. This is where existing connections can endorse you your skills and leave reviews giving your profile a little extra touch. Of course the more endorsements and quality reviews you have, the better – why would people who see your page go elsewhere when they see how good a job your business does for others.

With these little bits of advice, your business should reap the rewards of using LinkedIn. Now you have won the order – the next step is retaining them! 

Offer them a USP and high quality experience, the eTrader sites allow customers to have their own public or private shop full of their goods. Professional and simple to use, customers can be checked out in just a few clicks and in a matter of moments.

For more information on how we are helping the garment decoration industry online don’t hesitate to email info@etraderwebsites.co.uk or give us a call on 029 20741 633 today.

Jul 201820

Blog your way to a greater online presence!

ecommerce, etrader, hints and tips, latest news, marketing

Blogging is a great way to raise awareness of your business, your product, it services and develop an online presence. It is simple, effective and importantly anyone can do it, you do not have to be a marketing expert!

The advantage of Blogging is it is all about you. There is only so much you can say in a Facebook post, or 140 characters on Twitter but Blogging allows you to give much more details insight into your business, yourselves and write about what makes you great at what you do.

Blogging & Your Business….

Blogging gives your business a personality, a voice and gives your customers an insight into the business and its values. It encourages collaboration and discussion not just with customers but with other people associated with the industry and helps develop your businesses reputation in the garment decoration industry.

What makes blogging great is the fact it is all about you and your business, you can write about anything. Common things wrote about by garment decorators includes latest news, product reviews, latest offers, promotions, thoughts and opinions on what is affecting the business.


Creating Engaging Content…

Write about your business, simply write about its strengths and why it is great is and why you love print, embroidery, the industry and your customers.

But the key is to make the content interesting and stand out from your competitors, here are some simple tips to help:

  • Create an eye catching title for your Blog (N.B. Just think what would you click and read plus what would you ignore).
  • Use images, just a few pictures to support the blog you are writing. Using an image increases the likelihood of catching a reader’s attention.
  • Tag your blog, this categorizes your blog. Readers can filter through and find your thoughts on a specific topic.

·       Do not make your blog too long! There is a fine line between engaging and boring a reader. Make your blog concise and to a point, many readers will not read essays. Your blog can be any length but be wary of boring the reader.

·       Blogging is fun, customers love honesty, your views and thoughts are much more likely to create engagement then writing something with no personality. (You want to give your business some character after all).

Blogging & SEO….

Using a Blog is also a great way to improve your businesses performance in Search Engines. It is a simple way of writing about your keywords and gaining some links back to your site from people who love your content sharing it!

One Last Thought…

You can of course integrate a blog into your website using a bespoke web design company. But, there are a wide range of FREE blogs out there for your business including Wordpress, Tumblr, Blogger, Medium, Weebly and 100s more. Blogging is a cost effective way of growing your online presence, developing an online personality and increasing traffic to your website. 

So what are you waiting for…. Get Blogging! 

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