Succeed on Purpose
Authentic marketing, E-Business Coach Patrick Pitman says, calls for us to do something to communicate our story, some detail of product design, some anecdote about why we created this product as we did, a special piece of product-shaping feedback from an early customer.
The cost of goods sold, which is commonly referred to as “COGS”, is the direct cost attributable to the acquisition or production of the products sold by a company. Although accounting for inventory and, ultimately, the cost of goods sold can be complicated, the concept is pretty straightforward.
Whether you make your own product or outsource, manufacturing isn’t easy. Manufacturing can be an absolute nightmare if you let it get out of control. The good news is that it doesn’t take a degree in industrial engineering to get a better handle on your manufacturing process.
As Patrick Pitman explains in the fifth, and last, episode of the Ingredients of Sustainable Online Sales to Consumers podcast series, e-commerce retailers need to find ways to engage in proactive listening. By “listening” Patrick means observing and measuring how visitors interact with your website using a variety of tools.
It’s a competitive world. You can’t afford to spend your time on work that could easily be systematized and automated. You’ll need all your energy to handle the creative and exceptional aspects of your work.
Patrick Pitman talks about the need to get out in the world and document how real people interact with your product and brand. Those interactions need to be converted into published stories in order to help build confidence and trust among your prospective e-commerce customers.
I’ve never met a business owner who wants her company to be perceived as being “small time.” Consequently, it’s not surprising that “fake it until you make it” has some appeal to many of us. That sometimes translates into e-commerce websites that look clean and professional but is, in the end, ineffective.
In Episode 1 of his five-part podcast series, Patrick Pitman explains how sustained online success starts with your authentic product. Being really different is a source of advantage that helps insulate you from the discounting death spiral.
E-commerce used to be optional for small manufacturers. It’s becoming a requirement. E-commerce offers new opportunities but requires new outlooks, skills, and – maybe – new people. It also takes persistence and time.