Another article from Blogshopcity on how to obtain website traffic on blogshops.

This article reveals a chief concern among blogshop owners- to gain attention from visitors in a competitive arena. (It might suggest a lack of SEO knowledge among some owners as well, thus the need for articles like these).

It also points to the role and significance of social media, and it certainly suggests the innovativeness of blogshop owners to obtain traffic that is free of charge (ad-free).

From: http://www.blogshopcity.com/tips-promote-your-blogshop-website-online-business/3090-how-become-popular-blogshop-singapore.html

How to become a POPULAR Blogshop in Singapore

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Admin 06-13-2010, 09:45 AM

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How to promote your blogshop so that it become popular in Singapore. That is the million-dollar question to all the blogshop owners. Whether you just started up or is dying to bring your online shopping business to the next level, this is an important question that you need and must address. In this article, we shall throw our 2 cent worth.

Blogshop Directories
Make sure, you submit to all Blogshop Directories available in Singapore. Just do a google search “Blogshop Directory”. You will find all the directories of blogshops in Singapore. Of course, we are one of them.

Branding - Get your own name if you are planning to do long term
I notice many blogshops is either on livejournal, wordpress or blogspot. If you are planning to do long term business online, we highly recommend you to get your own domain with your own unique name and start building the brand from there. What happen if livejournal is gone one day? We will always be at the mercy of them

Search Engine
It is important for any websites to get their traffic from Search engines, that is the most challenging task for all including us. If 90% of internet users using Google to search for information online include online shopping. Understanding keywords is important. If you are selling dresses, make sure your site pop-up in the top search result when you do a search like “blogshop dresses”

How do you achieve that, is a complex task. At this moment, we highly recommend referral link at this moment. What is referral link, check out below

Referral links
Traffic is classified into three main categories, DIRECT which means user come direct to your website. SEARCH ENGINE which means user comes to your website via Search result. Last is REFERRAL mean that are referred to your sites via another websites.

For example, user come to Blogshopcity, found your site and then enter your blogshop. That is considered as REFERRAL link. Following are some of the sites with high PR ranking for referral links, For example, Cozycot, Flowerpod, Deluxemall, Singaporebrides etc. etc. Always tackle the forum but becareful not to get banned as some forum are very strict on external links.

In our opinion for an infant website, the best way to get traffic is via forum.


Facebook / Twitter.
Get a Facebook fan page and a twitter page for your Blogshop. As Facebook and Twitter are two of key marketing online media now. It is important to start a Facebook fan page or a Twitter page today if you still do not own one.

Content is king?
Some Blogshop owners tell me it is hard to build content on a blogshop. I disagreed. It is easily to build content even if you own a online shopping site. You can always start a shopping tips section like how to tell if the dress is of good material or you can start a blog on your shopping trip? There is so much content you can touch on so let your creative juice run.

 

 

 

 

Cloned Blogshops

Here is an interesting article about CLONED blogshops.

This should add to the fraud and scam issues that face blogshop businesses.

From: http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/3552/4132/195238

Someone copied my blogshop wholesale, even my email!

STOMPer blobzz28's blogshop has apparently been cloned by another website, right down to the email address. The STOMPer was alerted to this when shoppers started asking why the prices quoted in email were different from those on the website.

In her email to STOMP:

"I run a blogshop selling handbags and accessories.

"Recently, I announced that my blogshop will be 'taking it a little slower' as I had to concentrate more on my kids.

"Over the past two days, I had about five buyers questioning why my blogshop prices were different from those I quoted. Obviously some also accused me of being dishonest (even though some of my prices were lower).

"Upon my investigation, I was shocked to realise that another blogshop had copied and pasted my blogshop's T&C, email and other relevant info onto their site.

"To make matters worse, the blogshop owner didn't even bother to change the 'drop me an email' link to her own email address! When I clicked on the link, I was emailing myself!

"Talk about being a lazy blogshop owner! How could she simply rip off my hard work and claim it as her own?

"I emailed the blogshop owner to clarify this matter. No apology at all, she thought it was pretty funny and even added that I should tell those customers that we are not the same person and to direct them to her!

"Now I have to be her free receptionist?"

Research Design (Draft 1)

I have been working on this for a loooooong time now, and I think I should put this up. (It is the reason I have not updated the blog as much, as most of the writing has moved to this blog).

It is not completed yet, so it is sort of an outline at the moment with some gaps to fill.  I will continue to fill out the various sections as I read along on GT methodology.

My reading is now thematic.  I had started by reading GT in general, understanding the whole and how the parts relate.  Now I am reading according to the various elements like Theoretical Sampling, Coding, etc. and concentrating on the two key works underpinning the Classic GT- Discovery of GT and Theoretical Sensitivity.  As I am reading for depth, I am re-reading some parts and going through more slowly and thoughtfully to see how each of the elements bear on my blogshops project.

I hope this draft of my research design can serve as a platform for other tasks I will have to get to soon, notably the PROPOSAL and a paper (or two) that I hope to be able to write for a conference or a journal.

Click on the image for a better read.

Grounded Theory Methodology for Blogshop Research Design (3) Draft 1

Going Mainstream

Blogshops, especially in Singapore, are no longer a niche activity, it seems, but are increasingly going mainstream.

The evidence for this are:

1. Many are converting into professional e-commerce sites. They ditch the blog format for more conventional website platforms and utilizing shopping carts, cleaner interfaces, etc.

2. Many of them have physical store fronts (but retain some blogshop characteristics, like in their names).  IN Orchard Road, there is a Haji Lane that is populated by small blogshop businesses.

3.  They continue to utilize social media, especially Facebook and Twitter.  Many of them have moved a significant part of their business on Facebook where they use it as another outlet to sell from.

4.  Blogshops also take opportunities to sell their wares in weekend markets, flea markets, blogshop fairs or events that are either specially created for blogshops or that provide one-off opportunities for blogshops to participate.

5. The whole blogshop ecology is developing at a fast rate, especially in Singapore.  It is gaining acceptance as there are now many major events that involve blogshops or where blogshops are highlighted.

The event described in the Funny Umbrella blog is one such example.  A modelling event that is participated by a major consumer brand (Panasonic) and involving blogshops as fashion providers.

School of Busienss and Design Research Seminar on on Grounded Theory

Last Wednesday, 19 May, I gave a seminar on 'Introduction to Grounded Theory Research Methodology' at our School of Business and Design's weekly research seminar series.

About 20 people attended, including the Head of School, Professor Dr DP Dash, and my second supervisor Dr Peter Yu.

Although the session was supposed to be 30 minutes of presentation followed by 30 minutes of Q&A/Discussion, I went over time as there was quite a fair bit that I had planned to present.

I gave an outline presentation on the origins of GT, its main tenets, the various versions, a run through on how it works, as well as some of the problems and difficulties of doing GT research.

The audience found some parts of GT methodology somewhat difficult to understand or accept, among them the idea of entering the field without a prior research framework or hypothesis, the lack of a predetermined research question and the lack of a literature review in the immediate area. Related to this is the idea of induction as opposed to deduction which became a point of discussion during the session.

Although time constraints did not permit much discussions, there were a couple of very interesting questions and issues raised by DP.

He suggested that a research method cannot be described as fully inductive nor deductive as they are likely to incorporate both aspects in some way, and provided a helpful illustration.  I agree with this as the coding process in GT involves first induction of concepts, and then deduction via the theoretical sampling technique.

DP also raised an interesting question about the nature and reliability of GT products.

He illustrated by giving a hypothetical scenario of a devastating earthquake in a backward area of a poor country.  When a GT research is conducted to ask the people there of the event, they attribute it to a supernatural cause, that is, of mother goddess turning over her back and causing the quake.

The question was, whether this GT finding can be acceptable.

Obviously, such a substantive theory will not integrate with broader and established theories (especially the natural sciences).

I thought about this for a couple days and I do believe that in such as case, the GT results would still constitute a legitimate understanding of the concerns of the people in the area, despite it being 'unscientific.'

DP later commented that this is a good example of this being a 'theory for' rather than a 'theory of' something (social science as opposed to natural science).  In other words, it is a 'workable' and 'usable' theory in that it still provides understanding of the concerns of people in a substantive area from which actions can be taken  in the context of the beliefs, values and behavior of the people in that area.

Another question that was raised is whether TESTING is required for my project.  A Glaserian GT product is a hypothesis that is ready for further testing by other more conventional means (ie quantitative research).  DP wonders if a PhD project like this should incorporate a testing of the theory.  I have to consult with my supervisors on this.


I should also mention that Peter Yu had in the previous week given a criticism of the GT methodology in the seminar session.  I was not in attendance but we did have some lively discussions later.  Thus, I guess it was fitting that I was able to make a presentation of the GT  methodology, although I think it should have been done before it was criticized!


At any rate, I am grateful for the intellectual discourse that emerged as a result of these sessions, especially to Pete and to DP.  They raised many interesting points and they have kept me on my toes.

Below are the Powerpoint slides that I used for the presentation.


Introduction to Grounded Theory Research Seminar

Progress Update 4

I am still writing up my Research Design document.  I am a slow writer, as you can see.  It's been over a month, and I have come up with about 15 pages in all so far. 

It is now mostly done.  I just need to touch up and hopefully it will be completed in a few days' time.

It has been good to get words out on paper, in my opinion, even though I had wanted this done way earlier.  I think it is alright, because the writing process made me think a lot more and consider many things I had not thought of previously.

Interestingly, it has made me even more eager to get started.  I had doubts about Grounded Theory (still do), but I think I am more sure than before this is something In want to do, and that the Glaserian version is what I will be going with.

The one big thing that has really jumped out at me has been the idea of CONCEPTUALIZATION.

Glaser's method is steeped in the abiltiy of the researcher to conceptualize, that is to elevate data to the conceptual level.  I think this, more than anything, clinches the Glaserian model for me.

I understand it is a difficult skill, and Glaser (among others) have warned about the difficulties that novice researchers (like me) may face undertaking a conceptualization effort like this.  But I also have had more than one person advise me that is it is not challenging enough, it is probably not worth doing it.  Strauss' method is descriptive, which meshed with my original thoughts about this project, but now I think the real value is to be able to draw some conceptual results from this study.  So in a sense, some of the original ideas that I had going into this project has been somewhat altered.

So I think this is going to be a key thing for my PhD study.  The opportunity to learn to conceptualize, through this project.

It also means I will need to work on my THEORETICAL SENSITIVITY training.  I have pulled together some references and resources on these and I will be going through them soon.

I am excited, and I can't wait to start.

At the same time, there is also a number of things to take care of, which I had blogged about in the previous UPDATE, so I will attend to those items before I enter the field.

I will try to integrate the Research Design into a Proposal and I hope to get that out of the way as soon as possible.

My wife and daughter are taking a one-week trip to Singapore in June (Gawai).  I will miss them, but it will also free me up to work without distraction.

Starting A Blogshop, When Someone Obtain A Good Key Word Domain?

 From: http://www.eml-buzz.com/starting-a-blogshop-when-someone-obtain-a-good-key-word-domain/

Starting A Blogshop, When Someone Obtain A Good Key Word Domain?

Friday, April 30th, 2010 at 4:36 pm   

 

Start a Blogshop, should a blogger secure a domain?

It is easy to start a blogshop on the established blogging internet sites. Is it good to set up on a blog site? There are pros and cons for doing so. However do note that blogs do have terms and conditions and you must adhere to their policies. And bloggers and especially blog shop owners are at the whim of the blogging sites. The reason is you don’t own the domain you are using.

It’s similar to at a push cart sale, you do not own the push cart space.

This is same as a push cart sale. The open space in the shopping mall is opened for you to sell your wares using your push cart. However if one day the shopping centre has other activities and they may ask you to move places. You stand to lose your regular customers. The retail center operator allowing your push cart position doesn’t care as they have boosted the diversity and hence the shopping experience. You and many others built their businesses and the shopping mall’s popularity but now, They do not need you, but you need them.

In terms of the internet, it is same as you getting a good blogging URL. But it is not yours. You are making a priceless Online “Real estate” for someone else.

Why its good to grow your own internet real estate

As you weblog often for marketing dollars or market things on your BLOG or if you produce articles, you want to help to make sure that you own the “real estate”. As you build a lot of content material and turn out to be progressively more established, you would like to know that you can stay there and carry on to do small business. Your potential clients must know where to look for you.

Buy a real useful Domain name?

Much has been said about Google or Yahoo not relying on domain name to rank their searches. Although it is most likely true that The search engines and Yahoo has diminished the value of domain on ranking the search results, because of this, for example, www.paulho.ws may rank top and on page 1 for a search search such as “Build a blogshop“.

But on top of that, world wide web has also gotten more competitive. Even while domain names play a minor part in the ranking for the keywords by search engines such as google, increasingly more websites are competing for reasonably competitive key words.

Blogshops on page 1 as opposed to Blogshops on page 3 of a search key-phrases

So therefore, whatever added Advantage from a good and related domain name plays a huge part in DRAWING traffic to your online blogshop. That could be the difference between page 1 and page 3. And in terms of traffic, that is often the difference between 300 visitors a day and 3 visitors a day.

And YES, the difference is that stark.

For those who are concerned of technologies, here is an elegant way to buy a domain and begin a site in just under 5 minutes!

A lot of high quality domains are now obtainable on the .ws website domain extension. A person can nevertheless get good domains and start a blogshop that attracts website visitors and traffic.

Read realistic things to know about the topic of internet marketing – please make sure to read the web page. The time has come when proper info is truly within your reach, use this opportunity.