As the economy improves, industrial suppliers will see a rise in sales as buyers spend more time online researching product/service information for future projects. Global Spec’s whitepaper, “2011 Economic Outlook Survey: Improving Conditions Present Market Opportunity for Suppliers,” shows that key decision makers in industrial organizations prefer search engines when sourcing products, services and information. To a lesser degree, B2B buyers also use supplier websites, online catalogs and peer recommendations on social networks, blogs and forums. The study provides key search marketing tips for B2B marketers.

Below are the four tips suggested in the above study for B2B industrial suppliers to optimize their websites in order to better accommodate the anticipated increase in visits from industry buyers.

1. Optimize Multiple Content Locations within Your Site
You can’t just optimize your product pages because industrial buyers are looking for more than an end solution. Industrial pros want assistance for solving complex problems. The study shows that industry professionals are looking for a wide spectrum of solutions with top priorities on project and technology research.
With the emphasis on research and project development, suppliers can attract more leads by providing value-added content that is optimized for keyword search opportunities. That means case studies, product solution tutorials, white papers, and research studies. Of course, you can and should provide well-optimized product pages as well.
All content should be optimized for relevant keywords using SEO best practices.

• Keyword discovery
• Keyword-optimized HTML titles, descriptions, headers and webpage content
• Cross linking between related products and upsell opportunities
• Social media tags leading to social networks

2. Optimize Landing Pages for Content Marketing Opportunities
Today, B2B industrial marketing is focused less on traditional media and more on the Internet as a means to search for products, services, and suppliers. The above study revealed 58 percent of respondents did not attend a single trade show last year, while nearly half (48 percent) attended webinars, webcasts and online trade shows/conferences.
That provides new opportunities for driving leads and conversions through landing pages that support various content marketing initiatives. As suggested above, you will want to optimize Titles, Descriptions and key statements on your landing pages. Be sure to create a compelling call-to-action and look for secondary conversion opportunities like newsletter sign-ups, social networking tags and the like.

3. Acquire Links by Virtue of Your Industry Expertise
While search engines are a major vehicle for sourcing industrial products and services, other online resources can be used as well. Buyers also rely on supplier sites, trade publications and peer recommendations for sourcing and information gathering. Social networks, B2B search engines, blogs and forums are used as well.
Be on the lookout for content opportunities from third party websites where you might acquire links via your byline or contributor bio. Not only will these links help SEO, but visibility in key industry publications can lead to direct sales and business development opportunities.

4. Acquire Links by Creating Content that Solves Problems
While the economic future is improving, we all know hiring is still slow and each employee is expected to do more. That’s why today’s industrial buyers value the type of content that can help them solve problems. The more problem-solving content you can create, the higher your chances of increasing leads and sales. For instance, you might provide calculators, forecasting tools, cheat sheets, short-reference guides, video tutorials and user-friendly training documents. This is the type of content that can attract links when shared in social networks, blogs and industry forums.

Conclusion: Search Remains the Top Driver of B2B Sales
The Globalspec study reveals industrial buyers are shifting to online resources for buying and researching products and services. Buyers are also looking for information to help solve complex problems. While search is a top driver of industrial supplier sales, B2B buyers also use supplier websites, online catalogs and peer recommendations on social networks, blogs and forums.

As home to one of the world’s largest and most diverse immigrant communities, North America is showing trends of explosive growth. With particular emphasis on the United States and Canada, and their position as major powers in the world, other countries that are experiencing periods of growth and development will find these two locations much easier to reach.

Families are settling down, students are receiving higher educations, and the overall exchange between people of American and Chinese cultures is increasing. Overseas Chinese have become increasingly important and influential, and their presence signals a changing market that will become more receptive to the messages that are meaningful to consumers.

As immigrants from China made their way to the USA, the first obstacle was often adapting to a new way of life. Surveys conducted by industry experts has shown that up to 50% of Chinese living in the USA are not satisfied with the level of services and standards of communication that would otherwise make life in their new country more of an effortless experience.

Luckily, there is hope for anyone who wishes to make their products or services more appealing to Chinese living abroad, and also making their goods accessible to an enormous market that shows no sign of slowing down.

The United States and China are setting a precedent for North American cities with large Chinese popualtions to provide information services classifications, with a simple and effective user interface that will raise the bar for all related industries and standards.

Now with the rapid development of a national Chinese classified information site, covering categories broken down by cities, is becoming a major force in the business of information management and communication. Thousands of classified listings are easily found by searching the easy and intuitive categories on the site, and information is presented in a way that Chinese customers will easily understand.

Communication is key, and with the power of sharing your message, comes the power to harness a torrent of consumer activity that comes not only from local sources, but from around the world.

For users who wish to do everything from arrange a plane ticket, to finding authentic Chinese foods in cities across the nation, the power of a network that integrates features found in the best and most popular programs, and functionality that even includes a dating service for international singles, it is through a spirit of innovation that the number one city gu9ide for China and America will be Meimin.us every time.

I talked about the importance of signage in increasing sales in my April article, Playing the Trust Game. In this article I want to talk about one position in a store that can generate a lot of money for you. Every store has what is called a “Power Location.” It is generally about four steps into the store.

Imagine you are a customer walking into a store for the first time. You go through the front door and in the first four steps you take into the total environment, this is what is called the “transition zone.” Once you have taken in the environment, you focus on the first display in front of you. This is the power location.

Merchandising experts will tell you that you can achieve at least a 540 percent increase in turnover at this location. This means that instead of turning the product once somewhere else in the store, you can turn it 5.4 times quicker in the same time period. This is why suppliers love this location. It still about having the right product in the right location at the right time and at the right price; but, it is also about how you build the display.

Building a power display is a combination of science and art. Ideally the display should be circular; you are creating a roundabout that can slow customers down with this shape and make them linger longer. The display ideally should be two arms lengths across. This may be difficult with furniture and you may need to create a bigger display, but do not make it too wide, otherwise you could lose sales.

In building a traditional display, for example, with cans of food, the principle is the product should be displayed to make a cone shape with the middle of the cone displaying full shelves of merchandise to passing consumers. In practical terms, this is between the belly button and chin on an average-height consumer. The stocking level should go from full to half-full to full. This is all down to individual consumer perception. At the halfway level, some customers will tell you it is half full while others will tell you it is half empty. Your role as a display merchant is to please all customers.

Displays should be left in this position based on how often the average customer walks into the store. If you leave the display there too long, the customer will get bored. And a bored customer is not going to be spending customer.

All power displays must have a sign, use the principles of sign writing we discussed in my recent article on signage.

Power display locations are the most important place in the store, and you should be negotiating to have that space for your product.

John Stanley (CSP) one of the top 10% of speakers in the world today, is an acclaimed retail consultant and author of several marketing, customer service and retail books including the best seller “Just About Everything a Retail Manager Needs to Know.” Website http://www.johnstanley.com.au

Retailers, as well as wholesalers of general merchandise, can increase sales by exploiting the power of customer product reviews. Besides using positive reviews as online testimonials, customer-generated content can be included in email messages, videos, and can even be used for company-wide planning. Marketers can capitalize on upbeat reviews for influencing existing and potential customers on the web and through email marketing.

Word-of-mouth is golden and is a proven way to generate sales. When a buyer gives the thumbs-up for a product or service, that endorsement carries more credibility than anything merchants can conjure up themselves. It’s no wonder, then, that positive customer reviews are so valuable for creating buzz online and offline. Due to the Internet’s power of global distribution in real time, consumer-generated, online content is distributed more widely and rapidly than verbal word-of-mouth.

In addition to being an effective means of increasing conversions for favorably-reviewed products, customer reviews on ecommerce sites offer many benefits for retailers and other businesses. Web merchants can leverage consumer-generated content in email, catalogs, brochures and in-store signage. Large companies can even use customer reviews about their brand and/or products for company-wide planning in merchandising, marketing, inventory management and supply chain management.

Customer reviews have been proliferating in ecommerce for years. Amazon pioneered customer reviews when it first started selling books. Research shows that shoppers who navigate to pages with products highly-rated in customer reviews will convert at a 50 percent higher rate than shoppers on other pages without customer-review content.

Many large merchants use vendors such as Bazaarvoice and PowerReviews to support their online customer reviews. Ratings and reviews management solutions can be installed by merchants in-house or outsourced to a customer reviews management vendor. Retailers looking for an outsourced solution find that the investment can range from $2,000 a month to over $100,000 a year, depending on page views, expected review volume and whether the merchant buys optional add-on services such as photo or video review functionality.

The influence of online customer reviews is not limited to online sales from the website. When marketers include positive customer-generated content in email marketing, they usually get a click-through rate five times higher than usual. In fact, it is well-known that consumers value the opinion of fellow consumers far more than promotional material created by marketing professionals.

Website Sales Lift. Many retailers with a year or more of experience with ratings and reviews can point to a lift in sales of reviewed products as a result. Research on approximately 20,000 customer reviews (University of Nebraska, 2007) shows a strong correlation between consumers that read online reviews and consumers that subsequently made a purchase, as the reviewed products experienced a 26 percent lift in sales.

Email Marketing Sales Lift. Email was the first off-site area where marketers used online customer reviews to as part of the marketing message. The performance of email marketing campaigns containing customer ratings and reviews were compared against campaigns without reviews. Results showed that the messages containing reviews produced an average order value that was 10.4 percent higher than email messages without customer reviews. Consumers who opened email messages containing review content viewed 7.48 percent more pages on the landing page, and the average sale per visitor was 11.46 percent higher than those who opened messages without review content.

Conclusion. It is good marketing to harness the power of customer reviews on your website, whether you are a retailer or a wholesaler of general merchandise. You can increase sales by soliciting customer reviews on your website, using the consumer-generated content in online testimonials, email marketing campaigns and online videos.

The National Hardware Show closed May 12 after an eventful and successful two days in Las Vegas. “The buzz that began with the marching band at the Opening Ceremony continued right through to the end of the Show,” said Ed Several, senior VP and general manager of the National Hardware Show®. “We are so pleased to hear all of the great feedback from attendees and exhibitors who successfully identified products and services to move their business forward. The increased attendance and increased buying on the Show floor creates a strong foundation for 2012.”

The Show featured more than 2,300 vendors and over 100,000 products. NHS reported that attendance at its 66th annual National Hardware Show increased for the second year in a row, setting an all time record. The show, which concluded on May 12 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, resulted in increased buying and featured the sharing of best practices from all disciplines. Attendance increased 24 percent this year on top of a 20 percent increase last year. Exhibitor bookings for 2012 are well on the way, signifying the 2011 event was a huge success. Next year’s Las Vegas Show will be held May 1-3, 2012.

Attendees and exhibitors alike were excited about the value of the time spent at this year’s event. “This was a great show,” said Dominique Castro, TopTenWholesale Marketing Manager. “It was wonderful to receive a compliment on our newsletter from a member of a 500+ independent ecommerce group who said it was her favorite and she appreciated the tips we provide,” she added.

Justin Prescott, VP of Operations, JPC Communications (TopTenWholesale, Manufacturer.com, WholesaleU, OffPriceNetwork) said, “We had a great response from attendees. I was totally impressed with the way NHS interacts with attendees and exhibitors, directly and virtually, which brings an exciting feeling to the marketplace. These people make everyone want to get involved, and this takes away the monotony and boredom of traditional trade shows.”

This year, the National Hardware Show also marked the debut of Independents’ Day – an entire day devoted to independent retailers and their contributions to the home improvement industry. Hardware store owners and other attendees took a break from the excitement on the Show floor to gather about the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) Village stage to share ideas about promoting their businesses in the community.

Independents’ Day also featured the NRHA’s launch of PlanItDIY, a new consumer marketing program designed to promote independent home improvement retailers to consumers as a source for home projects and advice. The NRHA announced the PlanItDIY.com website, which generates traffic to independent home improvement retailers and provides consumers with practical how-to resources.

You read it first on TopTenWholesale last week when we announced ASD’s 50-Year Anniversary celebration at its upcoming show in Las Vegas July 31 to August 3. And the buzz goes on… This is the show everybody looks forward to year after year – in Las Vegas this summer and in New York in October.

ASD is like six shows in one including Jewelry, Style & Beauty, Value & Variety, Gift & Toy, China Brand and International Sourcing. Last week, we gave you a sample of some of the hot new products and services that will be featured in the show. This week, we’ll go into more detail by describing all the different show venues.

Jewelry: You can find the latest and greatest jewelry pieces in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). These exhibits cater to buyers who are looking for the best quality and latest fashion in fine jewelry. Selling at a pricepoint consumers can appreciate, the jewelry lines you’ll find here will help retailers improve their store’s bottom line. For instance you can find a piece of art from Artessory Inc., a family owned business offering beautiful handcrafted jewelry. Each piece is designed and manufactured by husband and wife team Juzer and Suraiyya As. Look for unique items at unbeatable prices.

Style & Beauty: Go to the Central Hall of the LVCC, and you’ll find the most comprehensive selection of style and beauty general merchandise. Get ready for a fantastic assortment of fashion accessories and health and beauty aids that you won’t find anywhere else. For the latest in nail fashions, take a look at KleanColor Crack Nail Polish. Your gen-y customers will love this because they can create stunning nail art in minutes by simply applying this over their regular nail lacquer and watch their nails magically transform into beautiful nail designs – instant beauty for the trendsetting DIY crowd.

Value & Variety. These exhibits encompass the Upper and Lower Levels of the South Hall in the LVCC. This is where you’ll see the best values on apparel, convenience items, household and outdoor goods, electronics, military and personal security merchandise and more. If you’re buying for a sophisticated demographic, visit the Palate and Plate exhibit for a look at imported classic and contemporary restaurant dinnerware and accessories. This restaurant dinnerware features modern designs and personality that reflects the unique character of your customers’ dining experience.

Gift & Toy. If you’re looking for great prices in margin-building merchandise that will appeal to your customers while helping you to make a profit, you’ll find plenty opportunities here. Start at the North Hall of the LVCC where the ASD Gift & Toy pavilion has something for every savvy gift and toy buyer needs for success. All young folks are having babies these days, as are parents of all ages. In this new age of parenthood, your customers want unique toys and accessories. Baby Aspen is a premier designer and manufacturer of boutique-quality baby gifts. This company is run by a team of creative and talented professionals who design baby gifts specifically to please both baby and the new parents. Not only that, quality as a priority. Retailers in gifts and toys won’t want to miss exciting exhibit because babies are big business.

China Brand. China has become one of the world’s biggest manufacturers. China Brand will exhibit China’s top 100 brands with thousands of products in the Central Hall of the LVCC. This area covers 16,000 square feet of exhibits that no retail buyer will want to miss. If you are a national or international chain store buyer, wholesaler or distributor, you can source the latest products directly from Chinese manufacturers in the U.S. Just think of the time and money you can save, besides travel expenses. Product categories include Electronics (TVs, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, hairdryers, kitchen products) Textiles (imported prints on items for the home and apparel, including silk products, woven garments, suits, knits, sport/casual and fashion wear, fabrics, bedding, towels and blankets) and Consumer Products (office supplies, stationery, watches sporting goods, luggage, baby products, garden).

International Sourcing. Buyers can find over 200 global manufacturers at the South Hall of the LVCC with thousands of products and goods from many hot retail categories. This area houses manufacturing sources from around the world in one convenient place. Buyers will find products such as fashion, jewelry, novelties, souvenirs, fashion accessories and consumer products. Product categories include Global Art & Jewelry, Souvenirs & Novelties, World Beat Fashion & Accessories and Consumer Products.

Attendees can register now for ASD at the Las Vegas Convention Center, July 31 to August 3rd. This is a 50th year celebration event, with the ASD Opening Night Party on July 31 from 8 to 11 pm. There will be a 2 hour hosted bar and live band at the House of Blues in the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino. Tickets are $15. You won’t want to miss this historic, celebratory event.

Note that ASD is a Trade Only Event. Therefore, all attendees need to provide business identification and a government-issued photo ID to receive a badge and to attend the show. Retailers must present their Retail Business License and Invoices showing purchases of finished goods in the last 6 months.

While everyone has been going on about clothes, shoes, and other accessories that make up the bulk of seasonal retail and wholesale sales this year, the backpack has been gaining favor as a must have item that Makes any collection complete. Both utilitarian in nature, and bold in its stylish appeal, the backpack doesn’t just mean lugging books around on campus, nor does it simply belong on a trail hike in the rocky Mountains.

Some of the designs that are getting the biggest boost from consumer shopping numbers this year can be neatly summed up in the following categories, which the experts at WholesaleBackpacks.com have kindly provided us with:

• Drawstring Bags (priced for wholesale at $1-$3)
• Backpacks (priced for wholesale at $3-$5)
• Backpacks (priced for wholesale at $5-$8)
• Backpacks (priced for wholesale at $8-$15)
• Clear & Mesh Backpacks
• Messenger Bags
• Slings
• Tote Bags
• Duffel Bags
• Cooler Bags
• Lunch Bags
• Belt Bags
• Fanny Packs
• All Other Wholesale Bags

There’s a substantial amount of savings – and profits – that can be made from sticking to the area of low cost bags that can be marked up at the register, or on,line. In fact, those who are spending too much on their supply of wholesale backpacks this year will feel the pinch, as consumer spending habits and shopping behavior shows a trend that distinctly favors buying decisions based upon value and perceived savings when it’s time to ring up the order, or enter credit card information at the onscreen prompt.

Other designs that have been smoking-hot this season are found in the following list:

• Wholesale Trailmaker 16 Inch Classic Backpack - As low as: $3.75
• Wholesale Trailmaker Double Section Backpack With Padding - As low as: $7.50
• Wholesale Urban Sport Drawstring Bag - As low as: $1.95
• Wholesale Trailmaker 18 Inch Backpack - As low as: $5.00
• Wholesale Trailmaker Utility Backpack with Padding - As low as: $6.50

Shopping with WholesaleBackpacks.com is as easy as it gets, and their shipping policies make the experience a pleasure as well. With all shipping on all orders FREE of charge, it only makes sense to order from them today.

Customers should note that most orders will be sent via UPS Ground, and orders exceeding 500 lbs may be shipped by truck carrier.

The length of time for a shipment usually falls within one week of processing the order, depending on the location. Order tracking can be done as soon as the order tracking number is emailed top you, and then by logging in to the “My Account” view on the WholesaleBackpacks.com website.

As if the news wasn’t already amazing, perhaps the best part is that there are no taxes on orders, due to the nature of the business! However, customers should bear in mind that color selections are already made before the order is taken, so there are no choices.

Wholesale Backpacks will be on everybody’s shopping list this season, and only the smart retailers and wholesalers that anticipate the outcome will have the power of volume discounts available to them.

Facebook has over 600 million users. It’s no wonder every business on the planet wants to create a fan page on this hot property. But many marketers don’t know what their page should consist of or how to use it interact with customers. If you’re a wholesaler selling general merchandise, you want to connect with retailers; if you’re a retailer, you want to interact with consumers. No matter who your target audience is, you want to create an attractive, functional fan page that engages your customers. Below are some tips to get you started.

Build a page focused on your target audience. More fans will “like” your fan page if it’s designed to appeal to your target demographic. If it’s visually appealing and offers the type of info you know they’ll be looking for, you can’t help but draw more fans into your community. For instance, TopTenWholesale’s fan page offers information for wholesale suppliers and retail buyers. It’s a place where they can connect and share information. It is visually appealing and the information is refreshed often. Therefore, its business fans feel comfortable going there and posting information.

Post information of current interest to foster dialogue. You can prompt a discussion on what’s happening in the industry, give your opinion, invite other views or tie it into your business. Many people have something to say about hot topics and want to give their opinion. So invite them to engage.

Ask for comments when you post information. Customers like to give their feedback, especially if you ask for feedback on your products and services. They also will let you know what they think of your website if you ask. The beauty of this is you can get feedback in real time, which helps if you need to know how customers feel about an important matter quickly.

Update your fan page with photos, videos and good content. If you post interesting content daily or several times a week, you will get a reputation as good source of useful information, and your traffic will continue to grow. Post humorous short videos and images that grab attention. Everyone likes a moment’s distraction in their busy day.

Give your audience an incentive to visit your fan page. Your traffic will grow if you give your visitors something of value. It might be a discount, a coupon, free products or services (trial), contests where they can win a prize, etc. This can build momentum on Facebook with “likes.” So offer something of value and they will come.

Create interest in your brand. You can get a lot of attention if you do something fun and creative, like having a contest. Going viral on Facebook with a contest or a catchy video can create a lot of loyal fans by word of mouth. A great example is the Folgers “The best part of wakin’ up” contest which has been ongoing for the past few months, with a finalist for the Folgers jingle to be announced June 18. This contest has created tons of user generated video content. Additionally, Folgers has posted recipes for using its product, offered coupons, and has used every promotional trick in the book to create momentum, gaining thousands of new fans.

In conclusion, Facebook fan pages offer a lot of opportunity for a business to reach out to their audience and to get to know their customers. Just remember to give them plenty of compelling content and they will engage with your brand and help you attract new fans and potential customers. There’s no better way to promote your company than through a Facebook fan page.

Now that we’re going from spring into summer, we all look forward to many wonderful sunny days ahead. That means it’s time to stock up on the season’s hot new sunglasses. Frontier Fashion Wholesale Sunglasses, an importer and manufacturer of quality sunglasses, has a multitude of chic styles in trendy eyewear that can whet the appetite of any shades fashionista or sunglasses buyer.

Right now, Frontier Fashion is introducing the Kleo Collection, a luxury designer collection of elegant sunglasses that make a person feel smartly dressed. They also carry a large number of different styles and brands from basic metal and aviator metal to fashion plastic and fashion retro, party sunglasses and more.

Frontier Fashion has been in business since 2001 and is a leading supplier of high quality eyewear fashion sunglasses and discount sunglasses. They offer the top brands listed below and many more.

• Biker Styles
• Dxtreme
• Ellsie
• Fleu de Lis
• FV
• Khan
• Komodo
• Kleo
• Original Gangsta
• Rasta
• Von Dolce
• Xx-Racing

We asked Robert Chang what distinguishes his business from so many others. “We started Frontier Fashion with the idea that our most valuable asset is the customer,” said Chang. “Not only that,” he added, “we strive to become direct importers and distributors of the best selling sunglasses in today’s market based on our research and statistics of the hot sellers throughout the year.”

“Our staff has first-hand knowledge of not only the products, but the venues in which they sell,” he further explained. “It is with this understanding of the industry from both sides that lends itself to our dedication to customer service, prompt shipping and low pricing” said Chang. “With respect to product quality, our goal is to ensure that our customers receive the highest quality eyewear and the best products available on the market today,” he declared. “Whether you’re a first time shopper or a regular customer, your business is always highly appreciated,” he concluded.

Frontier Fashion has an extensive clientele that includes gift and specialty stores, boutiques, kiosk retailers, market vendors, upscale merchandisers, Internet merchants, and worldwide mail order. Since it offers a collection that reflects today’s hottest styles and fashion trends, it is an excellent resource for fashion sunglasses buyers.

Buyers can shop on the site by category, price, keyword, new arrivals, name brands, styles and accessories. Frontier Fashion accepts Visa, Mastercard, Amex and Discover and provides Free Shipping on orders over $200 to destinations within the continental United States. Your credit card is charged when you place your order and you are notified by email of approval before the order is shipped. Customers can check order status and track orders online by tracking number. Note that all California customers must provide a Sellers Permit before placing an order.

This merchant uses the latest security technology – SSL 128-bit encryption. While your personal information is stored in their ecommerce database with the same encryption, the company states it will never sell, trade or share your information under any circumstances.

Frontier Fashion is located at:
1295 South Johnson Drive
City of Industry, CA 91745
United States
Phone: 626-333-6179
Fax: 626-333-9033

Upon visiting the company’s website, users will find valuable information about the products and services they offer, as well as how to contact their staff for special help. It’s easy to navigate to the proper category, and even easier to get an answer about the products in question, which saves time and money in the long run.

It’s important for visitors to take a few moments to explore the site, and to get to know the product range is, in order to make the most of what the company has to offer.

Major Gloves and Safety is a distributor of all kinds of industrial safety gloves and supplies. They have been striving earnestly for years, to provide their loyal customers with the best in this product category.

Their products are built – and fully able – to meet the strictest quality standards, and are also designed with the most current market prices in mind, to keep costs low for their customers, and to make them a serious competitor in the industry.

The company’s aim is to completely satisfy their loyal base of long term customers with the best in gloves and related accessories, by maintaining a consistent quality standard that always exceeds the expectations of those who are buying from them. They also make every effort to bring new customers on board with great deals that stand out.

Customer needs are the company’s priority, as they do services that includes private labels, special orders, customized products, drop-shipment, and direct import as well.

All distributors and independent sales representatives are welcome to contact the company for further information about how to start making Major Gloves and Safety a partner who brings more to their existing product range.

An example of what the company offers, in terms of categories, can be seen here:

Cotton

Cotton – Hotmill

Cotton Garden

String Knit

Leather Palm

Leather Mechanic

Unsupported

Leather Driver

Welding

Supported – PVC

Supported-Nitrile Coated

Nylon Shell Coated

Vests

Back Support

Sleeves

Rainwear

Aprons, Disposable Wear

Disposable Gloves

Safety Glasese/Goggles

Packing Needs-Tapes

Some of their most popular and versatile styles are as follows:

2-1/2″ Safety Cuff Gloves, with the most common of all cuff designs, offers wearers excellent protection in the wrist area, and also slides on and off easily.

4-1/2″ Gauntlet Cuff, with a longer cuff than the previous version, offers wearers an enhanced level of safety through the same protective cover as the 2-1/2″ glove, but with the added benefit of protecting the forearm area as well.

Knit Wrist Gloves, the lighter and less restrictive of the series, gives users a great protective glove that also prevents debris from entering.

Disposable Gloves, the basic and most needed in household and all other industries, provides users a great variety in selection, and their applications for usage is enormous.

Major Gloves and Safety reminds visitors to also be sure to check their monthly specials too, as the company looks into the details of every order, to make sure that nothing is left to chance. They pride themselves on being able to address specific needs of any company, regardless of size or sales volume. The goal is to make the experience both positive and rewarding for all.

It’s all happening between July 31 – August 3, 2011, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and to make things even more irresistible for attendees this year, the people who bring us ASDwill be celebrating the50th year, and are having an enormous birthday bash, right in themiddleof the show.

ASD certainly has a lot to be proud of, as one of the biggest and most influential movers and shakers in the industry, and with 50 years of history behind the shows it’s no wonder why everyone is talking about this upcoming show, which promises top bring the rest of the world to a standstill.

Many of the vendors and retailers that make up the foundation of the entire business, have been doing business in this industry for a long time, and they are in agreement over which of the shows are in the “must-see” category, and which are not.

Without further ado, here is a mere sample of what the show has to offer, in terms of featured spotlights on hot new products and services:

Changing the public’s perception of USB is the goal, and DbLY products come in a gift box for your convenience! Just like fashion jewelry accessories, all USB products can be nested inside a firm and secure – yet elegant – black gift box, which only helps to fully express the quality and shine of the powerful little USB’s inside!

What good is a hi-tech gadget, without electricity to power it? Now you can charge or power Your Cell Phone, MP3 Player, Bluetooth Headset, Portable Gaming Device, eBook Reader, or Digital Camera from virtually anywhere! The Ultimate Solar Charger with 3 LED light is the size of an iPod classic, but it fits neatly in your purse or bag

Bling String® sparkly hair extensions by MIA are the newest hair styling sensation, that is quickly sweeping the nation! Bling String® adds a colorful, fun, and sparkly effect without permanently coloring the user’s hair. This product is perfect for a number of applications, and will wow everyone who sees it.

The market leader in gift items, Entrada, is continuously bringing forth the best in high quality products that come at the best prices in the industry. Their manufacturing partnerships in China keep the costs low, while their strict quality control keeps the value high! Home Décor and Accessories have never been easier!

Aurora is a company that provides a variety of affordable, high quality plush toys for children and adults, and with retailers selling their products in every business from major zoos to hospital gift shops, they are making their mark! See what everyone is smiling abut, as they show their goods to you.

Starting out as an importer and wholesaler in 1998, Aeropen specializes in fine writing instruments, personal gift sets, and accessories that set their customers apart. Aeropen has extended beyond the import and wholesale industries, by establishing itself as a premier supplier for the promotional products industry as well.

This is just a preview of what’s to come from this amazing event, and there will be more reports here on the TopTenWholesale.com Newsroom, as they come in… so be sure to watch for them!

I recently visited a small town in the southwest of Australia. Like many small towns, it needed to try and stop travellers to get the extra dollar out of them whenever possible. I met the Tourist Committee, which had done a brilliant job in promoting the town and getting the traveller to stop. Travellers tended to stop at the corner store, so I mystery shopped the store while I was in town. Alas, it was made clear by the manager of the store that they did not like to serve strangers. All the work the committee of volunteers had put into building the profile and sales in town were destroyed in ten seconds by a salesperson with the wrong attitude.

We often believe this type of event is an isolated incident. But imagine what would have happened if we were greeted when we entered the store with a smile and a “Hello” and the manager showed interest in us as people? According to the latest research carried out by the American Express Global Customer Service Barometer released in May 2011, sales would, on average, have increased by 13 percent. Think about a 13 percent lift in sales without spending a cent and how this would affect your business.

In my travels around the world (see my TV program on my Members Club), there are three key issues facing all retailers at present. Retailers are finding it tougher to get the sale, and I believe their focus needs to be on:

1.  Integrating social media marketing with traditional marketing
2.  Improving customer service
3.  Connecting with the local community

None of these initiatives involve a great deal of capital, but they can make a big difference in your bottom line.
American Express carries out its Barometer research every year; therefore, it can compare results over the years and identify customer service trends. The survey is carried out in the USA, but can be a guide for all retailers.

The Good News

The good news is that 60 percent of consumers believe that customer service has gotten better in the last twelve months; however, 26 percent believe it has declined. Customers believe that 22 percent percent of businesses take them for granted.

The economy has affected consumer attitudes. In 2010, when the last survey was done, 58 percent of consumers were prepared to pay more for great customer service. Compare that with the 13 percent in this year’s survey.

Customers Leave If the Service Is Bad

One of the major results of the survey is that 78 percent of customers will leave a business if they believe it provides bad customer service. Again, this is a lot of money for a business to lose due to the attitude of its sales people. In my own observations, one of the main reasons for this decline is the lack of training in basic customer service skills.
Customer service training used to be compulsory when you joined a retail business, but in a workshop I carried our recently, only one business in the room was carrying out regular team training.

The reason often given is that Generation Y team members move on quickly. In Australia, we are told they will have 20 jobs in their working career. But, Gen Y’s say they will stay longer with a business that trains them in new skills. We need to reintroduce the training skills in customer service that are often called “common sense” but no longer are, if they ever were.

There is a feeling in many retail circles that the large retailers have taken market share away from the smaller retailers. Price, convenience and ease of parking are often given as the reasons for the shift in market share. This survey revealed that 81 percent of consumers would prefer to do business with small retailers if the small business owner provided the right service.

Provide good customer service, and the opportunities still exist to grow your business. The great news is that you can increase sales by simply getting your team to change their attitude.

John Stanley (CSP) is one of the top 10% of speakers in the world today, an acclaimed retail consultant and WA Entrepreneur of the Year 2009. The author of several marketing, customer service and retail books including the best seller “Just About Everything a Retail Manager Needs to Know”, his company is WA Small Business Champion 2009 – Educational Services. www.johnstanley.com.au

It’s not the first thing that comes to mind when people start racking their brains over which of the hot new items making their appearance on store shelves and other sales outlets will be, but it should come as no surprise that the most basic items are often the most overlooked.

Things have changed, as far as the rules of the game are concerned. The Terrax is now available, with its characteristic green finish, to grab hold of everyone’s attention and get noticed by anybody who needs an answer to the problem of breaking up hard ground that can’t be easily moved.

The best news is that digging holes with the Terrax, and the accessory called the TerraScoop, is an easy, fast, and entirely safe process. With the company’s patented “Reaction Bar” absorbing the shock of hard and heavy use, all the tool jarring, vibration, rattling, and bouncing that is usually associated with those old fashioned manual digging tools is a thing of the past, as technology makes all the difference.

Here are the four steps users will need to know, when they pick up a Terrax, and try one out for themselves:

Step 1 – Select a position for the hole that will be made in the ground. Lift up the Terrax, and thrust it into the ground to cut and break up grass, soil, concrete, and other obstructions. While working around the area, continue to cut into the ground to create the desired hole size and shape.

Step 2 – Push the TerraScoop handles together to open the spade blades. Plunge them into the loose debris left over from the Terrax. Pull the handles apart to close spades, and lift the dirt right out of the hole. Push the TerraScoop handles together to release soil and debris away from the hole.

Step 3 – Continue using the Terrax & TerraScoop alternately until the hole is at the desired size and depth. Use the TerraScoop to clear the loose debris.

Step 4 – The Terrax will quickly and easily cut and break through tree roots, hard clay, asphalt, concrete, hard-fill, and even many types of rock. Both the Terrax and the TerraScoop have a 600mm depth measurement on their labels, to make quick work of common depths for posts, fences, and other things that need to be firmly planted into the ground.

Be sure to look for the Terrax at the  National Hardware Show, to see what’s new in tools an products that you’ll dig, as you continue doing the digging!

As a wholesaler or retailer, you likely have a lot of images of general merchandise and all kinds of products on your site, and many of you also have videos. If you’re not optimizing these digital assets, you are leaving top rankings on the table for your competitors. By using SEO tactics to optimize your images and videos, you can attract more traffic and sell more products. Below are seven tips for optimizing the images and videos on your site.

1. Use Top Quality Images on Your Site
Quality images not only enhance the look of your website, they can also bring you a number of SEO benefits. If your site uses great images, visitors will stay longer, increasing the time spent on your site. “Time on site” is a ranking factor for all major search engines. It’s just one of the many algorithm ranking factors used to determine whether a site has authority. Another reason for using quality images is the fact that these images will draw more links to your site. This can earn a large number of quality backlinks, which give your site authority and improve your organic rankings.

2. Use Descriptive Keywords in Your Image File Names
It’s important to give your images file names with relevant keywords so you can find them quickly when needed and search bots find them when crawling the web. In addition, many users will submit images with UGC posted to your site. So, depending on your content and where the images reside, ensuring the use of relevant keywords in file names can improve your SEO benefit.

3. Optimize Your Image Alt Tags with Keywords
Besides naming your image files with relevant keywords, you also need to include industry-related keywords in your alt tags. All major search engines, including Google, Yahoo! and Bing, index the alt text for images in addition to the text content on your web pages. If your alt attributes for the images on your site are keyword rich, this can give your site a lot of SEO juice. Note that your keywords must be relevant to the image, and the alt text should be brief. If you deviate from relevance and brevity, it could work against you.

4. Optimize Your Videos with Keywords
Make your videos keyword-rich by using your most relevant keywords in naming the videos displayed on your site. Be aware that your video’s title, description and tags are also used by search spiders and can enhance the SEO value of your website.

5. Use Keywords in File Name, Title, Description and Meta Tags
It’s important to use relevant keywords and know the character limit when creating your site video’s File Name, Title, Description and Meta Tags. Consider keywords that people would use to find your videos. A title should have about 65 characters or five to nine words. The description allows you to use up to 1,000 characters. Consider starting it with your website address. Example: “From http://www.toptenwholesale.com, this video shows retailers basic buying strategies for sourcing wholesale products globally online.” Then continue to describe the information in your video. Search spiders will pick up the keywords when crawling the web for information. Using relevant keywords in all the right places will ensure your videos get indexed and well positioned in search results.

6. Create a Video Sitemap
It is important to create a video sitemap listing all the videos on your site. You can use the Sitemap protocol to provide search engines with information about your video content. Video content also includes the web page where you embed your video and the URLs to the player for your video. Each URL entry should contain the following: title, description, play page URL, thumbnail URL and raw video file location or the player URL. Search engine spiders will crawl through your video sitemap to index the videos. The video sitemap is important as it gives your site more authority to enhance your search engine rankings.

7. Submit Your Videos to Video Sharing Sites
It’s important to submit your videos so users will find them in search results. You can submit your videos directly to video sharing sites like YouTube, Metacafe, Vimeo, and others. Another option is to use TubeMogul, a free service that uploads your videos to a number of video sharing websites and tracks results. These sites include: Google Video, Metacafe, MySpace Video, Revver, AOL Video and YouTube.

Conclusion. When you optimize your website’s images and videos, you go a long way toward improving your site’s search engine rankings. Using the tips above will help users find your images and videos while boosting your site’s visibility in the SERPs.

Mobile marketing is proving to be a viable sales channel for retailers. In fact, all merchants, including wholesalers and manufacturers, might want to consider putting mobile in their current marketing mix. Many companies have reported high click-through rates and good ROI with mobile campaigns on Google AdWords. In addition to the location-based targeting campaigns used by food and entertainment businesses, there have also been many successful m-commerce sales campaigns.

Consumers are using mobile devices for shopping, finding entertainment and many other activities on the go. Smartphones have fundamentally changed consumer mobile behavior by providing a broad range of media options. They can use email, browse the web and use apps to engage in various activities by simply grabbing a phone from their pocket or purse. The growing consumer adoption rate of mobile devices has changed mobile marketing, and this trend continues to add opportunity and extended reach for marketers. In a January report on 2011 Mobile Trends, Forrester reported the following trends.

Marketers will question the value of creating mobile apps. While mobile apps were big in 2010, consumers are deleting them shortly after download since many apps provide little utility and clutter up the phone deck. Some apps like The Weather Channel and navigation apps will survive, but most branded apps will start disappearing. The success metric for apps will shift from the number of downloads to the number of active users. Since apps are expensive to produce and market, while sometimes providing questionable value, brands will focus on providing the best mobile user experience in terms of immediacy, context and simplicity.

Mobile web search and display are dominant. These are the two main sources of revenue on mobile devices. Google accounts for 59 percent of all mobile advertising revenue in the U.S., and a majority of that revenue comes from mobile web search and display. As marketers realize this, there will be more emphasis on traditional marketing tactics that require knowledge of how to optimize existing search and display resources for mobile. Brands should examine how consumers use both apps and the mobile web. This may result in a limited number of apps for gaming, weather and sports, as the majority of mobile users favor web search and display when navigating the mobile web.

Location-based services are a boon to advertisers. Location-aware mobile services will be big with technologies like triggered push notifications, augmented reality, and barcode apps/readers. In the beginning, however, consumer adoption will be limited. Opt-in services and apps with clear privacy policies will fare better than push marketing and insensitivity to consumer concerns over privacy when it comes to consumer adoption of location-based marketing.

While mobile location-aware services can be a big boon to marketers, they can be prone to consumer backlash as the privacy debate continues between the government and the online marketing community. Advertisers should avoid missteps and focus on services that offer a true value-add to customers. They can do that by testing messages to a small audience initially and by offering opt-in services.

Adoption of mobile advertising standards is slow. Because the industry is new, there is a lack of standards, which impedes mobile campaign distribution and analytics. There are many technology issues that make distributing and tracking display ads on mobile devices challenging. The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) will introduce standards, but it will be hard to get adoption by all parties concerned, including ad agencies, ad networks and analytics providers. In the meantime, marketers will have to be creative with data to prove the value of their mobile programs for attracting investors.