A long time ago, it was pretty easy to get noticed on the Internet. All you had to do was put a few lines of code on your web site’s home page meta tags, and let the search engines do the rest for you. Now it’s a whole different story, and there are more new ways being generated every day… as old ones are phased out almost as quickly. Is it even worth it? Of course, letting toptenwholesale.com and its network of sites manufacturer.com, wholesaleu.com, offpricenetwork.com help buyers to connect directly with the wholesaler or manufacturer of choice is an easy option, but there’s a few things you can do for yourself too. I’m going to give you a few ideas that don’t require a degree in Computer Science to implement, that will perhaps help you gain visibility in a sea that is awash in technological mysteries.

You’ve spent a lot of time tweaking your site, getting everything streamlined, polished, and efficient. You’ve designed everything from the ground up, and it’s been a gradual but steady climb to the top, as you developed strategies that seem to keep winning customers over and moving that merchandise at a steady clip. Just like Toptenwholesale.com and its network of sites (manufacturer.com, wholesaleu.com, offpricenetwork.com), you’re all about general merchandise, apparel, accessories, gifts, electronics, handbags, jewelry, toys, and more… but you’re still stuck when it comes to figuring out what kind of people are really looking at your site, and even more perplexed by the thought of developing marketing that caters to a specific group, by using some web-based metrics. After all, how much information could there be out there to help you out with this stuff?

You’ve been working hard all year, trying to tie everything together and make your online seller site a smooth-running machine… but there always seems to be more you can do to get that valuable search engine optimization (SEO) performance you desire. Maybe your site looks good, feels good, and is an absolute pleasure to browse… but you’re dismayed at how little overall traffic you’re seeing in return for your efforts? Isn’t there more you can do to maximize those hits, and get the rankings you deserve when people are throwing your category up on Google? Why is some random YouTube video from 2005 of a water-skiing cat showing up before your site’s URL on the results pages? Don’t take it personally… just know that it’s time for the wholesale and retail specialist to harness the power of SEO marketing this season, and really make those eyeball-hours count for something! Also, don’t forget that Toptenwholesale.com and its network of sites (manufacturer.com, wholesaleu.com, offpricenetwork.com) help buyers to connect directly with their  wholesalers or manufacturer of choice. This is a great first step to ramping-up your SEO options!

Finding and sourcing qualified sellers and buyers can be the biggest – and initially the most prohibitive – obstacle for first-timers who want to break into the wholesale and retail game. It helps to remember that Toptenwholesale.com and Manufacturer.com are the leading wholesale directories and search engines connecting thousands of buyers and sellers daily. These B2B directories and platforms were designed to connect buyers  directly with domestic and international wholesalers and manufactures. There are over 100 different product categories to search from including: general merchandise, apparel, accessories, gifts, electronics, handbags, jewelry, toys, and more. Toptenwholesale.com and its network of sites (manufacturer.com, wholesaleu.com, offpricenetwork.com) can get you started down the path quickly and efficiently, because aside from technical issues that require specialized knowledge, and other major points that should be handled rather carefully (like taxes and import / export regulations), there is clearly one important thing that must be addressed, in order to really get going with those goals of making an online business or small store a reality:

With the US Dollar shrinking rapidly, and a seemingly never-ending series of contradictions regarding the instability of the economy hitting all of the news feeds… it’s easy to see that this holiday season will present some interesting challenges to the wholesale and retail specialists that are trying to tie it all together in time for the major shopping wrap-up of 2009. General merchandise has always been a market with its upswings and downturns, but this time the numbers to focus upon are the forecasts for what kind of money will be spent by the consumer this season in specific areas like Christmas and party supplies… and how you can apply some smart spending of your own towards meeting their specialized demands, without resorting to too much guesswork.

It’s a brave new world we live in, and there has never been such a curiously amazing set of variables in the history of retail and wholesale shopping before. Let’s take a look at the old phenomenon of Black Friday, and put it up against the newer, Internet-driven market activity known as Cyber Monday. The two of these are basically about the same thing; they are used as indicators to ascertain the health of the economy… they provide direct insight about the general health of consumer spending… and they serve as a forecasting tool for the following year’s sales figures. However, this is where the two days of activity take divergent paths, and it’s crucial that the savvy wholesaler and retailer understands what drives these two markets independently… and what parts are best played in unison.

Here we are, approaching the 2009 Halloween parties, gatherings, clubs, events, and other assorted fun… and it’s the same old problem your customers have probably run into before; they don’t have a thing to wear, and they’ve got places to be. There’s also a serious undercurrent of heavy-duty budgeting that will insidiously work its way into all of the holidays this time… so the smart wholesale and retail specialists should be ready to offer wholesale fashion accessories to build your sales!

Today’s consumers are looking to you to provide them with the wholesale fashion accessories that transform a lifeless, drab, and uninspired costume into one that leaves people wondering why they didn’t find the source first? Clue your customers in to your secret (well… not so secret, I hope) cache of bling and other things that will increase your item count, and push your sales volume a tad further than if you strictly tried to rely upon the outdated strategy of thrusting a ready-to-wear costume in front of the customer… expecting them to dutifully take it, with no further questions to ask.

What makes your wholesale buyer or seller site feel safe? Are we spending too much time looking at the transaction, and not the system that supports it? Sometimes we do spend a lot of time and resources on setting up the sale… but not necessarily creating a feeling of security. It’s always a good idea to look at the shopping experience you offer your customers with a fresh set of eyes, so you can tailor it to meet the demands of today.

We’re hearing a lot of talk about the economy swinging upward, the improving health of the GDP, and a rebuilding of the country’s assets… we’re also hearing a lot of noise regarding the ’softness’ of the economy, and the second bubble bursting once those printing presses cool off after creating truckloads of fresh cash. Who’s right? Who knows what the answers are to the world’s ills? Who cares. As a wholesaler or retailer, you should hope for the best and prepare for the worst, in an effort to provide your customers with the highest level of security and value for their money. Those who protect their clientele will be rewarded later, as they are the ones who will be remembered for displaying a trustworthy and realistic mindset during these turbulent times.

As you can see, the Halloween buzz is in the air, and we at TopTen are anticipating this year’s turnout to be a great one for the wholesale and retail channels who prepare themselves for the unique market demand and conditions of these challenging times. Of course, the possibilities are not just limited to Halloween, but the following holiday events as well. Preparation is everything this time around as we draw ever closer to the end of 2009, and there are some great ways you can boost your holiday revenue — without breaking the bank — and by adding value to the message that you are broadcasting to your customers!

Take a look at the solutions on offer to the wholesaler and retailer as sales are slumping in some areas, and booming in others! Make the changes to your selling strategy before it becomes a problem… and capitalize upon the proactive approach to delivering the news about your products and services to customers, before you need to tell them as a last-minute reminder… or worse, a pleading call to shop with you…

Dollar store aficionados and budget-conscious buyers are becoming more commonplace amidst these strained financial times, as consumers are getting wise to the ways of bargain hunting. There’s no longer any shame in the game of locating the wholesale steals and deals, and it’s especially true for those times when customers want to go all-out this Halloween, and have a good time without crashing their budgets. This may be the season for tricks and treats, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to watch hard-earned dollars disappear right in front of them… like a ghost.

It’s called a zentai suit, and this one is

an example of the crazy concoctions you’ll

find coming out of China these days.

(photo milanoo.com)

Calgary, Canada — Sept. 11, 2009

Since being released in July of this year, the new Shopster Merchant Network is experiencing exponential growth, in terms of increasing numbers of online wholesale and retail sellers joining its ranks. In the first two months since its inception, the new Shopster Merchant Network has attracted over 8,000 registered users, and current estimates predict that it will host over 20,000 merchants by the end of the year!

The Shopster Merchant Network is only a part of the entire Shopster platform (which is free to join) and  it enables entrepreneurs to make money online. Shopster members sell products from other merchants or list their own products to be sold by Network merchants. It’s worth noting that Shopster is the first e-Commerce solution to come with a built-in sales force for its customers’ products, along with instant inventory for businesses to sell.

Here’s a quiz: Do you immediately think of China when you think of wholesale jade? If you do, it’s not an uncommon perception… most people think that wholesale jade is strictly a precious Chinese stone, and that it’s really only found way out in the far-flung corners of the globe. Truth is, jade can be found in many places… there’s even a two-ton piece sitting in front of the Visitor’s Center in downtown Anchorage, Alaska!

Something that surprises me is the fact that jade jewelry has long been the understated adornment, even though it’s been around for a very long time (some jade artifacts have been excavated from prehistoric sites) and it’s always been considered a thing of beauty and value. Today’s jade can be found worn by many men, women, and children in China, Korea, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. It’s still got the mystique of being a treasured Oriental material, yet has deep roots in South American history as well. Another thing that surprises me is the fact that while I was living in the USA, I saw jade on a very rare basis. Living in China, I see it all the time.

To put it bluntly, the concept of a social networking site is not very complicated, since every person in the world likes to share and manage information to some capacity. Social networks are also not a new thing any more, and most Internet users have at least delved into the fray by signing on and registering with any one of the dozens of hot social sites like facebook, Twitter, MySpace , LinkedIn, Ning, Last.fm, and Xanga — just to name a few — in an effort to stay on top of news as it develops. It’s become a great way for advertisers to find their markets, and an even better way for sellers to find their buyers.