Over 300 million consumers are buying goods online worldwide and this number is increasing on a daily bases. After being wary of buying online for years, consumers are finally comfortable buying merchandise online. Online shopping was made attractive by sites like Amazon, Overstock, Zappos, ShoeBuy and eBay offering free or low-cost shipping and low prices. Every day, people of all ages are buying goods like software, books, music, videos, flowers, electronics, office supplies and more on the Internet.

Whereas traditional retail operations are growing at about 4.5% annually, online sales are growing at a rate of 28%! It’s easy to see why people are buying online rather than driving to a brick and mortar store because of the convenience and time savings.

This is good news for every person who always wanted to be in business. With an online store, you can compete nationwide or globally. The important first step is to do some market research and decide what products would be easy to sell and ship. The next step is to create a professional online presence. With the right knowledge, tools and motivation, almost anyone can be successful online.

The cost of starting an online business, or moving your business online, is relatively inexpensive although there are some startup costs. You need a well-designed, well-functioning website and some savvy marketing skills. Let’s look at how we can cost effectively start an online store.

Putting up a website can involve a lot of time and money if you are not knowledgeable and don’t know what it takes. One way to avoid the hassle of putting up your own website is to become a store owner on eBay.

With an eBay Store you have all the advantages of a website without having to build it yourself. Once established on eBay, you have a unique Internet address. Your website address or domain name can be promoted to gain high rankings in the search engine results pages.

To establish an eBay store, you must register your account as a seller on eBay. You can follow a step-by-step process to become an eBay seller. The first 30 days is free, and then you pay a monthly fee. You can add items to your store inexpensively with a user-friendly template.

Once your online presence is established on eBay, it’s important to market your store and its products. EBay offers a menu of management items for promoting your store. First, you want to make your store searchable by search engines. Then, you want to choose relevant keywords for your store and its products to help search engines rank your store in their databases.

People search with keywords on search engines, and the engines want to find relevant websites for those search queries. So the more keywords you can generate that will be used by people searching for your products, the more chances you’ll have of getting visitors to your site.

Google has billions of websites in its database. Using the keywords you want to be found for in your website content will help Google bring visitors to your site. If you sell Avia walking shoes, for example, you can use avia, shoes, walking shoe, running shoe, tennis shoes, walkers, etc. in your content. You can never guesstimate all the keywords words people use to find your products. That’s why you should look up your main keyword (Avia walking shoes) in a keyword suggestion tool to see what terms people are using when they search for this product. Then select your keywords from that list.

In addition to the promotions available from eBay, there are other low cost methods you can use to promote your site, a few of which are listed below.

• Create a Facebook Fan page
• Tweet special offers on Twitter
• Solicit customer reviews on Yelp
• List your business on Google Maps and Yahoo! Local
• Create and distribute newsworthy press releases
• Look for free online classified ad opportunities
• Create a business sig file with a link to your site for your email messages
• Create business cards
• Create promotional flyers for posting on bulletin boards at various offline businesses

In closing, consumers are comfortable buying online and prefer that to shopping at the mall because of the convenience and time savings. Since online sales are growing at a faster rate than traditional retail sales, it’s a natural to consider opening an online store.

Video marketing is one of the best advertising mediums in ecommerce. A well-crafted video can grab consumer attention faster than any other online ad. Video continues to get the attention of web users as research shows 67% percent of US Internet users watched online video monthly in March 2010. By 2014, it’s estimated that number will increase to 77 percent watching video on a monthly basis.

Video will be big in 2011 because of its ability to convey information quickly, demonstrating products accurately and making them memorable. Research shows that video speeds up buying decisions by 72% compared to print; therefore, its ability to generate sales and leads makes video an excellent medium for ecommerce advertising. However, you can’t use last year’s video plans in 2011 because the landscape is changing fast.

Wholesalers and retailers alike learned over the holiday season that consumers use their cellphones to find the best deal, and price is only part of the decision-making process. Video is extremely adept at demonstrating product features, showing the fine details and extra features and functions that differentiate higher-priced goods. Product videos also provide the means to enhance the consumer’s online shopping experience, increasing the odds of engaging shoppers who compare products, prices and merchants.

You can use such tools as a Video Gallery to keep visitors on your site longer than on competitor sites without video. Your videos, if properly optimized, will give your site a boost in SEO prowess. All the engaging aspects of video have the ability to result in more sales at a higher average price, increasing your margins and bottom line.

However, the video landscape is changing. As mobile shopping gains momentum, video must be customized to deliver content to mobile consumers on the go. iPads and iPhones are proliferating at a fast pace as consumers reach for mobile devices instead of their wallets to make payments. What’s necessary is to deliver video content targeted to specific groups of consumers on the go. A buyer in the aisle with a cellphone has different needs than one sitting in a chair with an iPad. They both want product information but each has a different timeframe in which to evaluate it. The challenge is to deliver targeted versions of video content to different customer segments using analytics and customization skills.

In 2010, video proved to be an ecommerce conversion vehicle. As video volume ramps up on the web and viewing platforms shift in 2011, ecommerce merchants will be forced to accommodate individual viewer demand. Merely serving up product videos won’t be enough to engage consumers. 2010 was the year that online product videos became commonplace, but in 2011, these videos will become pervasive, making it more of a challenge to compete in the online video marketing environment. You can use video in many different ways, as shown in the examples listed below.

1. Brief Corporate Videos to promote your business online.
2. Video Interactive Banner Ads to demonstrate products on the web.
3. Video Hot Spots inserted into product videos allowing consumers to scroll over products to view an ad, click a link or purchase directly.
4. Videos with Buy Buttons created with Adobe software to allow instant purchase.
5. Video Product Reviews made by consumers to earn cash for a review.
6. Personalized Videos targeted to consumer interests for one-to-one communication.
7. Marketing Technique Videos where professionals give tips in area of expertise related to your product/service.
8. Videos in Email Marketing used with click-to-view or video in the email.
9. Videos on Your Website used to feature unique or hot products.
10. Videos on YouTube made as linkbait to go viral.

BtoBPhotoSupplies.com has been in business since 1987. They specialize in batteries, umbrellas of all kinds, and they ship worldwide.

Their office is located in the heart of Time Square in New York, and their warehouse is close by. Buyers can pick up their orders or have them shipped.

They sell all kinds of hardware, electronics, general merchandise and hard to find items at truly low prices.
One very important staple in every household is batteries. In fact, they can fulfill all your battery needs at great prices. Whether you need alkaline, lithium, rechargeable or heavy duty, they have batteries for every need. Now everyone says they have the lowest prices, but you’ll really find low prices at BtoBSupplies. This veteran dealer has been working with companies like yours for years, and has been building the kind of relationships that result in big savings for you.

BtoBPhotoSupplies.com is a leader in dropshipping. They are willing to work harder, longer and smarter to deal with the tough issues, and they always deliver. Their team specializes in startup companies and can answer any question on how to succeed in your field. They cater to retailers looking for products of quality and value at low prices. They stock many different categories of goods from which to choose, and some of these are always in-demand staples that consumers never stop buying. Take a look at some of the products below:

• ALL Batteries
• Cameras & Films
• Candies/Gums
• Cigarette Related Items
• Electronics/ accessories
• Hardware & General Merchandise
• Medicine
• Pharmacy Items
• Umbrellas
• Vitamins & Energy

To place an order, call their Sales Manager Alirio at 551-697-5653. We asked Hanan Furman of BtoBPhotoSupplies how the company is able to keep so many customers coming back to order more merchandise. “BtoBPhotoSupplies specializes in brand new, factory direct merchandise with many levels of pricing, and we provide the kind of knowledge and product availability that can’t be beat,” said Furman. “If you are a reseller in need of a hardworking, honest, reliable supplier, you’ve come to the right place when you order from us,” he added

A rather large percentage of export numbers are being supported by smaller companies. In some cases, the products or services a supplier may wish to market are not even available in their area, or they may not even be made domestically. In this case, it may be wise to become an importer, in order to compete with imported products sold by competitors who have found trusted sources in foreign countries.

Trade Finance can help with finding new markets to establish a customer base. It can be quite a challenge, but locating them in international markets and newly-established channels is often a step in the right direction for more profitability. Finding overseas markets or suppliers and dealing with shipping complexities are only two of the challenges facing small firms seeking to participate in international trade.

It’s also the key to locating and securing relationships with larger international trading partners.

For this reason, it’s a good idea to put together a list of some good reasons to investigate the possibilities of expanding your small business to include international trade. Some of these examples can be found, below:

Increase sales and profits

Reduce dependence on existing markets

Fully utilize international trade technology

Extend the sales potential of existing products

Stabilize current seasonal market fluctuations

Enhance potential expansion of your business

Be competitive in your domestic market

Gain the global market share you deserve

International trade is enormously beneficial for entrepreneurs, as it enables the producers of numerous goods and services to move beyond the US market of under 300 million, to a robust and diverse world market of over 6 billion potential consumers.

With such a move to expand and capture the attention of global buyers in different markets, the strategic benefits to making such a move are quite easy to see from the start.

For many small companies, importing and exporting is becoming a reality in achieving success.

Wholesalers and manufacturers, as well as importers, dropshippers and distributors can optimize company press releases for branding, increased site traffic and more online sales by creating newsworthy SEO press releases. This article explains how to optimize your press releases (also called news releases) to ensure they are read by journalists, propagated worldwide and gain better search visibility for your site.

Announcing company news is an excellent way to increase traffic while gaining exposure for your company worldwide. You can announce events, new product introductions, company developments, personnel hires and promotions – all kinds of newsworthy content about your company that will travel far and wide in a press release. Your press release can do more than just inform people what’s going on. It can improve your search rankings, inform investors of your company plans, increase site traffic, build website authority, bring in more customers and publicize your company through the media.

You can improve your search rankings with press releases. One thing a well-optimized press release does is accumulate inbound links, which increases your site’s authority. This is important for high rankings on search engines. As your inbound links accumulate, your site will gain higher rankings in the SERPs (search engine results pages). When that happens, you will be found more easily by retail buyers sourcing the merchandise and products you sell. The more links you have, the better your search rankings, and the more traffic to your site. Good site content combined with press release distribution helps build your site’s authority in search engines, resulting in traffic and conversions. A properly written press release directs traffic to your site by building inbound links. To learn more, read on as we describe the major elements of a press release, provide writing tips and offer some useful resources.

Press Release Elements

1. Headline: Your press release must contain an eye-catching headline to grab the media’s attention and give a brief overview of why your story is newsworthy.
2. Media Contact: Provide the name, phone number, email address, mailing address and contact information of the person distributing the release to the media.
3. Dateline: The first line in your first paragraph must contain the release date, your city and your state.
4. Introductory Paragraph: This is your most important paragraph because it might be the only part read by journalists. Give answers to who, what, where, why and when. All key information is given in the beginning with subsequent information following in order of diminishing importance.
5. Body: Provide two or more paragraphs explaining details, statistics, background and other relevant information about your story.
6. Boilerplate: This is a brief paragraph describing the company referred to in the release
7. Close: End your release with the symbol, ###, which signals the end of your release.

The above elements are structural in nature and are important for writing a successful press release. However, the most important element is your ability to write in a powerful, straight-forward style that gets your news across accurately and succinctly. Check out the writing tips below.

Press Release Writing Tips

1. Ensure your news release is newsworthy. Your object is to inform rather than to sell.
2. Identify keywords for use in your release through keyword research tools like Word Tracker (free trial), Trellian Keyword Discovery (free trial) or SEO Book Keyword Suggestion Tool (free with registration).
3. Grab attention with a strong headline and your first paragraph using relevant keywords in the headline and first paragraph.
4. Write factual information in a natural tone without using too many adjectives.
5. Write in the active voice.
6. Use strong verbs.
7. Avoid hype and exclamation points.
8. Write clearly, concisely and completely. State your facts in as few words as possible.
9. Proofread, spell-check, proofread again. If you have typos, your release will be ignored.

Press Release Resources

1. Help A Reporter is a free daily email service that sends you media queries from 70,000+ bloggers, authors, TV reporters and radio producers. Subscribe to get it in your mailbox. Many types of queries are available, and this is one way to do your own publicity without the expense of a PR agent.
2. Before distributing your press release, check it for strength at PressRelease.Grader. Copy/paste your release in the form and get instant feedback on how well it works along with suggestions for improvement.

If the winter weather and snow that’s blasting various parts of the world right now have everyone feeling like they’ve got the shivers, there is a comforting bit of knowledge in thinking about spring fashions for 2011, which will feature hats and caps as one of the hot sellers for fashion accessories of the year.

As warm breezes blow in, the forecast shows that fashion will take a decidedly tropical twist, with oversized hats and wraps being the new must-have piece for fashionistas who have been keeping their eye on what designers are already cooking up in their studios during the colder months.

Marc Jacobs brings some oohs and ahhs with a spring and summer campaign 2011 that reveals his vision of the new year in bold 70′s inspired outfits that dazzle with vivid pinks and orange hues being the color choices of the season for the highly famed designer. Sneak peeks at the new line during New York Fashion Week revealed some hot styles in dazzling materials and fabrics, with hats being an integral part of the ensembles.

Another item to be on the lookout for is the prolific rise of synthetic furs, as the anti-fur campaign comes full circle in the fashion circuits. Even Queen Elizabeth II had to face the music, as activists and PETA supporters were on the scene in London, to harangue and expose her fashion faux pas in front of reporters and other media who were covering an event where she was a speaker.

Both the Queen’s spokespersons and officials with British government have stated that the fur in question was simply a “restyling” of vintage fur that already existed, so no harm came to any animals in recent days to produce the fashions that were under scrutiny.

Whether the “recycled” look for fur is acceptable to those with animal rights in their sights is a question that remains to be answered, but it’s an important point to consider for wholesalers and suppliers who have inventories of hats with fake fur materials.

The sudden desire and demand for fake furs and synthetic products that spare animals from being used to produce apparel is starting to show up a a positive revenue indicator for many of the dealers who can supply stylish and high quality hats and caps with cruelty-free materials. It’s also driven the prices for these faux furs upward, which will come as a welcome surprise to a good number of sellers who have found themselves stuck in the past, with products that couldn’t compete with the genuine article.

Now that Christmas has come and gone, many retailers are gearing up for after holiday sales to clear their inventories and prepare for spring merchandise. It’s time to think about optimizing sales with efficient shopping cart software because this is the time when consumers start shopping in earnest. They’re going to hit the January sales and spend their Christmas money then continue in February with Valentine’s Day. That’s good news if you’re happy with your shopping cart software. If you’re not, listen up as I tell you about a great shopping cart solution. Retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers and all kinds of companies selling online are buying shopping cart solutions from this featured shopping cart software supplier right now!

Many software suppliers advertise the best price, but you only get what you pay for. Shoppingcartelite.com offers you the most sophisticated shopping cart solution you can buy at a reasonable price. Major updates made in the month of November are highlighted below. A full list of releases comes out every month in a release newsletter.

• Google Checkout
• Bing Shopping Engine Free Submission via FTP
• The Find Shopping Engine Free Submission via FTP
• Google Base Ranking Optimization
• Complete checkout and shopping cart overhaul
• You can define the buttons on your homepage to go to external links and create custom anchor texts and more

What you need is a reputable supplier who has been working with companies for years and knows what works when it comes to online sales and management efficiency. ShoppingCartElite.com is an online software supplier that caters to retailers, ecommerce vendors, wholesalers, manufacturers and any business requiring a shopping cart solution. Their software won’t disappoint in terms of quality, value, and price. They also offer educational tutorials that can help your business compete on the web. Take a look at some of them below

• Building your Website in 7 Days
• Optimizing your Homepage
• Product Research for Random Markets
• YOU NEED LINKS! – Link Exchanges the Sole Factor to Ranking
• Selling on eBay the Right Way
• How to save money and not be left Jobless – Outsourcing Part 1 of 3
• How can “Get a Quote” help your business

It’s a lot of videos, we know… but you’ll be glad you took the time to see what you can do to improve your business. We asked Igor Soshkin of shoppingcartelite.com why he thinks his shopping cart solution is the best on the market. “Shopping Cart Elite stands out because we review every basic feature in great detail and make them advanced enough to fully automate everyday physical tasks. In other words, we try to eliminate the physical labor from tasks and make them automated so your business can practically run on auto-pilot and allow you to have more time for proactive work,” said Soshkin. “We build intelligent modules which eliminate redundant tasks, create reliable work flows and save thousands of hours in payroll expenses,” he added.

It can all be summed up in the site’s motto: “Our Goal, Our Focus and Our Business Model is to enhance Shopping Cart Elite to make YOU MONEY. Everything else is second priority. – Igor Soshkin”

Be sure to check out ShoppingCartElite.com on Twitter [http://twitter.com/igorsoshkin] and YouTube[http://www.youtube.com/user/myseo101], to keep informed on shopping cart technology from this amazing supplier as soon as his updates become available to you.

When using Twitter, there are certain “do’s” and certain “don’ts” that can help you thrive. The below ten tips can help you kick start or continue Twitter success.

1. Make your Twitter profile  relevant to your business. Use straight-forward words to describe what it is you do, sell and have to offer. Don’t beat around the bush here or make things more complicated than it needs to be. Luckily, you have a tight limit of word characters to write this profile, so you need to be selective… the goal is to be effective, as well.

2. Follow Twitter accounts who could be your customer, your competition or are currently your customer. You can learn from all of them. Read what they are tweeting about and try and relate it to your business. Are they asking for something in the marketplace that you have? Tell them! Do they complain about something in your niche market? Engage in some friendly tweets about it! Remember to actual “follow” people and businesses, you actually need to review what they are tweeting about – not just clicking “follow” and never checking in.

3. Sell yourself, not just your business. If you have a dedicated person tweeting, give some personalization to the profile by adding in a couple personal tweets now and then, such as “Watching Sunday football, then diving into some work later today.” By creating a character – aka a person – to the actual account, other Twitter profile users will relate to you and reach out in exchange.

4. Tweet newsworthy details about your business on a regular basis. If you login once in awhile and tweet exciting news, it won’t make a huge impact. But if you are a regular tweeter, then your following will know to look forward to your updates and will likely share exciting new with their followers, as well – a great way to gain a broader audience… and potentially more customers.

5. Offer incentives unique to your Twitter followers. If you are a manufacturers representative and want to promote a “free shipping deal” on all first time orders placed, tweet about it for days leading up to the expiration date of the promotion. Highlight your product while sharing your promotional news. Retailers could offer a discount for online purchases for their Twitter followers with a special code only shared via Twitter. The opportunities are endless here.

6. Open up the door to communication beyond Twitter. If you tweet with someone about your business,  invite them to email you directly to gain  more details. Twitter is the perfect appetizer to a full blown meal between customers and businesses.

7. Offer more than just a sales pitch via your tweets. No one likes being hounded with sales calls everyday… and this holds true for Twitter. Provide educational tweets, newsworthy details, personal thoughts and more that do not “sell”  your company. If you are a handbag manufacturer, you could tweet about handbag trends for the upcoming season. If you are a furniture retailer, you could tweet about cleaning options for various woods and fabric used in furniture. The opportunities to offer more than just a sales pitch are endless… and will gain you respect and trust in return.

8. Re-tweet others tweets – if they are worth re-tweeting. It’s easy to click “re-tweet” to show some love to fellow Twitter accounts, but those who follow you will appreciate you only re-tweeting those worth re-tweeting. If there is a link to a great article to share, re-tweet it. If there is a hot promotion going on by someone else that you think your audience will love, share it. You get the idea.

9. Add a widget to your website that allows your audience to find you on Twitter. This quick click will let them follow you… therefore allowing you to stay a constant presence in their lives, even after they leave your website. This, of course, is assuming you are updating your Twitter account regularly!

10. Be consistent. Your Twitter followers want to have trust in your tweets, so be smart about when you tweet (everyday is ideal, at least 3/4 times a week on the minimum) and why you tweet (business, news, personal). The right combination is sure to bring more business to way you.

You don’t have to pay a salary to a manufacturer’s representative; rather, you pay them a percentage of the amount of goods they sell. If you are a small company or a startup, having a manufacturer’s rep gives you a practical, cost-effective option compared to hiring a direct sales force.

In North America alone, there are over half a million reps, and most of them sell goods to targeted markets in specific geographical regions. For instance, you can have a manufacturer’s representative buying ladies handbags for you in China. Reps know the local markets well because they call on local buyers regularly and have established good working relationships with them over the years.

Using a manufacturer’s reps can give your company many of the benefits of having a satellite office in a location such as China, which includes knowledge of the local markets and immediate access to large accounts without your incurring large fixed costs.

When using a manufacturer’s representative, your costs are always a fixed percentage of sales. The only drawback is that agents typically handle many different products. Some can be complementary to yours, while others may be in competition to your product line. Typically, a manufacturer’s rep will earn a 5 percent commission on sales, although this amount can vary widely depending on the product, market and sales volume.

For more information about manufacturers’ reps, go to the Manufacturers’ Agents National Association website, and/or read the article, “The ABCs of Importing Goods into the U.S.“ on TopTenWholesale News.

Many ecommerce sites focus their content on urging shoppers to buy, ignoring content strategies that focus on the consumer search part of the buying cycle. Since most consumers start the buying cycle with search, this article, will cover four content strategies: informational articles, blog posts, FAQs and press releases. This content will also help your site in two ways: (1) assist visitors looking for more information on various products, and (2) help you achieve better visibility in the SERPs.

One type of content that would satisfy consumers in search mode is a product review where they can see what other consumers thought of the products they are considering. Another idea is to post informational articles based on the keywords garnered from your site search logs or analytics program. This type of content has the potential to lead your prospects through your conversion funnel into a place where it rings “ka-ching.”

Before you start, it goes without saying that you need to review the list of keyword phrases people used on your site.  The list is probably long and covers product categories, sub-categories and brands. Review your list and note all the terms that didn’t work on your product pages. These terms can be used advantageously in creating SEO content. You know prospects searched for these keywords before, so when you create content about terms your visitors are looking for, it’s a win-win both ways.

Writing Informational Articles

Everyone has their own method of writing content, and some people think they must be inspired. However, writing content can be very methodical. The steps below can help you get organized and save time.

Topic. Using one of the key terms that is frequently searched on your site, brainstorm for ideas on what information would be useful to your visitors on that topic.

Audience. Is your audience a beginner, intermediate or advanced reader? Write to the level of your audience.

Research. Even if you know your topic well, it never hurts to get more information from experts in the field or recent research.

Article Length. Since most web surfers scan content, limit yourself to 450-500 words with plenty of white space and some useful images. Sometimes even 250-300 words is enough.

Outline. This will help you stay on target and sharpen the focus of your article. Taking the time to create an outline will always save you time.

Rough Draft. Every article should have a beginning, middle and end. Your introduction should tell your readers what you’re going to write about. The middle is for developing your ideas. At the end, you summarize the essence of what you told them. Use relevant keywords when appropriate.

Review, Rewrite and Post. After finishing your article, you should review to ensure it covers everything and is coherent. Put it aside or sleep on it. Then rewrite to perfection. Review once more to ensure accuracy. And then post.

Writing Blog Posts

Some people write blog posts in a casual manner because a blog is a chronological publication of personal thoughts, more or less like a journal published on the web. Not all blogs are personal thoughts, however, and some posts are written as link bait. Depending on the purpose of your blog, you can consider the tips below.

1. Brainstorm, research and outline your material.
2. Use relevant keywords in the headline and copy.
3. When writing link bait, be clever and outrageous, even.
4. Be sure your subject line grabs attention.
5. Write in a lively, self-confident style.
6. Make sure your information is fresh.
7. Use eye-catching images.
8. Keep it simple.
9. Cite your sources.
10. Make your link bait riveting to go viral.

Creating FAQ Pages

FAQs can be dry because they usually answer questions about shipping, delivery, return policies and the like. They are useful but not very exciting. However, these informational pages can present a marketing opportunity. If you don’t have an FAQ on your site, create one soon and check out the tips below.

1. You can write and review an FAQ in about an hour.
2. FAQs provide a great resource for visitors not yet ready to buy.
3. Link your answers to specific product/services pages.
4. Link from FAQ pages to inner pages for more info.
5. Use 300-750 words per page, but split FAQ into 2+ pages if needed.
6. Keep Q and A on the same page, or hyperlink to the answer.
7. Focus on 2 to 3 keyword phrases in each FAQ page

8. Include your main keyword phrases in the questions whenever possible.
9. FAQ pages can help capture prospects at early buying phase.

Writing Press Releases

A press release is a written statement to the media announcing news items, events, new product releases, etc. The information in your release can be used by reporters in stories if it’s newsworthy. Press releases should be SEO optimized using relevant keywords in the title, brief excerpt and first paragraph. The information in your press release must be newsworthy.

1. Provide information on who, what, when, where and how.
2. Write a headline that is brief, clear and concise, stating your main point.
3. Write clean, crisp, grammatically correct copy.
4. Start with a brief description of your news, stating who is announcing it.
5. Ensure your first 10-15 words are effective.
6. Write succinctly without adjectives or fancy language.
7. State all facts.
8. Provide your name, address, phone, fax, email, website URL.
9. Interview and quote people on the topic of your release.

So much has been said about Karl Lagerfeld’s designs that were inspired by the avant-garde movie “Last Year at Marianbad,” that the ragged edges and lattice perforations that have become trademarks of his collection have been called “hallucinatory” by Vogue, and “classic with an odd twist” by his fellow designers. In truth, his bag is simply a classic flap design with extra supple leather (no fur, though!) held inside a frame that provides excellent contrast, that gives the whole look a bit of a coin-box feel.

This will surely influence designers all over the world, as clutch-style and small handbags will be making their way onto the streets, perhaps in response to the well-used past fashion that featured oversized bags and giant duffles, totes, and hobos in a variety of loud colors and blingy touches.

Fur is an item on the endangered species list for handbags this season, as well. While it will continue to show itself in a number of applications on classical designs for everything from menswear to women’s couture, there will definitely be a reduction in the amount of real fur that is applied to handbags, especially those priced in the mid-retail range. Wholesalers who have been waiting for the non-fur revolution have something to cheer about this time around, as their wares become highly sought-after in the face of activists with no stomach for the genuine articles.

Keeping an eye on celebrities like Kanye West, Beyonce, Madonna and other crème de la crème of A-listers will lead to discoveries in the way of trends, as they have already shown some interest in classy designer handbags that follow styling of a “Crystal Lovers” limited edition bag from Balmain. Gold-tinted leather with bronze metal hardware and clasp closures make for some hardware with a statement in mind, but the body of the bag is completely covered with gold colored Swarovsky crystals, too. While the desire to land items that register on the “bling scale” might be dying down, there’s no shortage of demand for bags with brilliance.

Unique materials will be getting  lot of attention as well, with things like macramé and Chinese knotting being in the front of the surge towards attention-getting style that requires a closer look than last year’s fashions.

Of course, the ever-present homage to Luis Vuitton will continue to reign supreme, as designer Marc Jacobs pulls out all the stops in a year that rewards subtlety in designs, and gives more acknowledgment to the small details in a design.

Whether it’s video on demand or torrents and illegal content being streamed to personal computers around the world, the rate of consumers shelling out top dollar for mainstream movie releases from retail stores has slumped. It’s been a real headache from Hollywood to Wall Street, and it continues to decline as the accessibility of sites hosting video content become more prolific.

On the positive side of things, however, there is hope for those in the wholesale and small to medium retail markets that want to secure large volumes of DVDs for less, and at increasingly higher quality than was imagined possible less than five years ago.

Along with the increased availability of discounted DVDs for sale, there are also a lot of additional items that sweeten the deal as well. DVD art has become something of a cult hit amongst movie collectors and fanatics, and the prices for what was once considered a purchase destined for the “discretionary purchase” category, has now reached the shelves of independent retailers and small businesses across the country. The winners seem to be the eager scores of consumers who are very happy to snap up these titles at discount prices.

For those who don’t quite see why the shift in technology has created such a stir in the industry, there are a few facts to consider:

Blu-ray optical disc storage will likely be the next wave in digital entertainment on removable media. With 25-50GB of capacity per disc, the benefits are obvious to anyone who desires maximum quality that is also compatible with next-generation HDTV and visual media players. The startling thing for some is that Blu-ray sales will be reaching an estimated 400 million units in shipments by the end of the year, and another 2 billion by 2014. With this kind of growth, there will also be a tremendous surge in sales for player and devices that make the most of this new technology, leaving a lot of conventional DVD systems piling up in warehouses gathering dust.

For the savvy entrepreneur, this represents a new wave of business opportunities, as those dusty crates of DVD players and other devices find their way into the market at prices that are hard to ignore. Also, there will be a massive quantity of DVDs left over from the medium’s heyday, and this will contribute to the expected continued sales cycle of another 10 years, as some industry experts predict.

Another point to consider is the possibly slow forward movement for high bandwidth Internet access points to take off, thus providing another sales opportunity for sellers who cater to customers who are not willing to go premium with their online content services, and also not impressed with slow download times on their computers.

Christmas is almost here and let’s hope retailer inventories hold up. If you’re running low on wholesale handbags, order now to replenish your stock of handbags, luggage, wallets, belts, pet carriers, backpacks and accessories from Handbagshopping.com.

Just because Christmas is around the corner, it doesn’t mean consumers are going to stop looking for the best deals they can find. They want to hit the January sales and spend their Christmas money. If you’re a retailer, you don’t want to get caught with low inventory on these beautiful, in-demand handbags and accessories. That’s why we’re going to share a great resource with you today. Retail buyers looking for handbag and accessory merchandise at truly low prices are buying from this featured wholesaler every day of the week!

Everybody advertises low prices, but how can you believe what you hear? What you need is a supplier who has been in business for years that you know you can trust. J&H Trading Co. has been in business for over 20 years offline and went online in 2003 as HandbagShopping.com. The company offers big savings to retailers looking for quality wholesale handbags and accessories from a reputable supplier.

HandbagShopping.com is an online wholesaler catering to retailers looking for merchandise that won’t disappoint in terms of quality, value, price and delivery. They have a lot of different styles for you to choose from. As you can see, the list of handbags and accessories below is in-demand merchandise that you never have enough of because it sells off the shelves.

Handbags
• Animal Pattern
• Beaded / Clutch / Evening / Metallic
• Camouflage / Denim / Diaper Bag
• Cross / Crown / Peace / Fleur-De-Lis
• Damask / Paisley / Floral / Initial / Ribbon
• Designer Inspired / Fashion Trend
• Embroidery / Tattoo / Signature / Patchwork
• Polka Dot / Stripe / Quilt / Messenger / Bible Case
• Straw / Western / Woven
Wallets
• Animal Print
• Western / Cross / Crown / Fleur-De-Lis
• Camouflage / Denim / Signature
• Damask / Paisley / Floral / Initial
• Patchwork / Polka Dot / Stripe / Tattoo
Belts
• Western Belt
• Rhinestone / Cross
• Fashion Belt
Carry-Ons
• Duffle Bag / Garment / Luggage
• Computer(Laptop) Case / Beauty Case
• Bible Case / Pet Carrier / Backpack
Accessories
• Card Holder / Compact Mirror / Pill Box
• Cell phone case / Handbag holder / MP3 Case
• Key Chain / Coin Purse / Lipstick Case
• Cap / Banie-Hair Band / Mug / Money Clip
• Note Pad / Clip Board
• Scarf / Watch

Take a look at HandbagShopping.com, and you’ll be delighted to see what they offer, as your quest for chic handbags and accessories continues online. Keep in mind that a minimum order is $150, which gives small businesses the opportunity to turn over merchandise quickly without having their money tied up in inventory.

We asked Steven Ahn of HandbagShopping.com how his company has been able to thrive for over 20 years online and offline. He said, “If anything, decades in the business have taught us that variety is of the utmost importance to our clients and so, we enthusiastically supply a wide variety of merchandise to online buyers, offering quality and value. Our large assortment of handbags, luggage, wallets, pet carriers, backpacks and accessories lets us cater to a diversified clientele.”

HandbagShopping.com updates its stock nearly every day, and they carry hundreds of different styles. “If you’re unable to find exactly what you’re looking for the first day, try checking back the next,” said Ahn. “The more diligent you are, the better the chances are that you’ll be able to stock your store or kiosk with the merchandise you’re looking for at wonderfully low pricing at HandbagShopping.com,” he added. It sounds like a great place to shop, and you can get a free calendar with your order of $200 or more.

U.S. communications regulators voted on Internet traffic rules that prevent Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from blocking lawful content; however, the rules allow them to ration access to their networks.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s plan for the “Open Internet” gained support from fellow Democrats Michael Copps and Mignon Clyburn, resulting in approval of the order by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010.

The new rules strive for balance between the interests of ISPs, content publishers and consumers. However, some industry analysts think a court challenge is likely.

The point of contention is whether the regulators need to guarantee that all stakeholders continue to have reasonable Internet access, a principle referred to as “net neutrality,” or whether the web is best left unregulated.

The FCC’s right to regulate the Internet has been in jeopardy since an appeals court ruled the agency lacked the authority to stop cable company Comcast Corp. from blocking bandwidth-intense applications in April.

Senior FCC members have said they will invoke new legal arguments not used in the Comcast case. The two Republican commissioners on the FCC opposed the latest rule-making effort saying it was unnecessary and would stifle innovation. In an open meeting, Robert McDowell and Meredith Attwell Baker stated they believed the rules would not stand up in court.

Since high-speed ISPs such as Comcast and Verizon can “reasonably” manage their networks under the rules, they can likely charge consumers based on levels of Internet usage.

The rules, which will be somewhat looser for the wireless Internet, could help cable companies in competition with Microsoft , Google and Amazon, who plan to deliver competing video content over the Internet lines that the cable companies run to customers’ homes.

Adoption of the measure was expected after Copps and Clyburn issued statements on Monday saying they would support the proposal despite some misgivings. However, McDowell warned that the FCC was defying the earlier court ruling and also circumventing the will of Congress. Due to the fact that Republicans will be in control of the U.S. House of Representatives in January and also made gains against the Democrats in the Senate in November’s elections, the new rule may be in jeopardy.

“Litigation will supplant innovation. Instead of investing in tomorrow’s technologies, precious capital will be diverted to pay lawyers’ fees,” warned McDowell.

Genachowski, speaking last at the meeting, said the Internet currently was unprotected and invoked the names of his Republican predecessors to back adoption of the rules.

“The rules of the road we adopt today are rooted in ideas first articulated by Republican Chairmen Michael Powell and Kevin Martin, and endorsed in a unanimous FCC policy statement in 2005,” declared Genachowski.

As far as around the world in China, or even as close as the UK, the reports in holiday spending are hitting great numbers, say experts in the industry who have been monitoring activity since the first wave of sales made their impression felt just before Halloween.

This year’s festive trade period is suggesting that consumers may be shrugging off any fiscal woes, and gearing up to buy big, as year-on-year growth in sales volumes are showing numbers that reveal an upward trend that could last well into the new year.

Even some psychologists are lending their expert opinions, weighing in that consumer confidence could be getting an unexpected boost from the surge of buyers who are shaking off the winter blues, after being belted with snow and ice in many parts of the US, the UK, and Europe.

On the other hand, December’s strong balance is also likely to capture spending being brought forward, ahead of the January increase in VAT. Retailers are expecting sales growth to lose some of the current momentum in the New Year, but remain largely positive, as studies conclude.

According to CBI, 67% of retailers who were surveyed between late November and the first week of December said that sales volumes were up over last year, with a fraction of negative reports at just over 10% of retailers in the poll responding with predictions of lower activity.

Analysts are cautioning retailers to be prepared for a slowdown at some point, though. “With all the early Christmas activity we saw this year, it might be hard to expect that same kind of action through 2011.” Says Paulo Grumbacher, an art store merchant in San Francisco. “I have been seeing steady sales of art supplies and even some paintings this year, but I have a feeling people will tighten their purse strings before the year is up,” he added.

Another perspective offered by experts is one of consumer behavior being predictable along shopping venue lines, which means buyers may have done all their shopping already, with just a small percentage coming in for last-minute deals.

Discounts appear to be the deadly weapon this year, as wholesalers have come to the rescue with discounted goods. Retailers who were able to secure their inventories early were often rewarded with additional discounts and better pricing terms than the rest, leading to extreme savings that made shoppers mobilize earlier this year than last. Since Black Friday, these deals have been filtering through all venues, including the online sales channels that provided retailers and wholesalers alike a means to move product while eliminating overhead expenses and shipping to two or more locations in order to stock up brick and mortar stores.