Everest Software Names MerchantAdvantage Top Data Feed Management Software Tool

I just wanted to thank Ryan Brown, Everest Software, for the accolade and recommendation from the recent Internet Retailer 2008 show in Chicago to utilize MerchantAdvantage and our cost-effective, Channel Management with Chanalytics Professional and Lite products.

We work hard at MerchantAdvatage to provide the best value for small to mid-sized businesses to manage their product catalog data feeds to ecommerce and mobile commerce comparison shopping engines, affiliate sites -- as Commission Junction and LinkShare -- and over 150 other shopping destination sites and marketplaces -- as Amazon, Become.com, buySAFE bonded shopping network, eBay!, FindGifts.com, Gifts.com, Google Product Search, JellyFish, Like.com, Microsoft Cashback, myCoupons.com, mPoria.com, mShopper.com, Pricegrabber, Pronto, Shop.com, Shopzilla, Smarter, SortPrice, theFind.com, Underbid, Yahoo!Shopping, and many, many others -- without charging any listing, set up or transaction fees or revenue share.

Here is the full review of MerchantAdvantage and other recommendations from Ryan Brown and Everest Software.

"MerchantAdvantage facilitates the marketing of your products through online shopping sites, coupon sites and mobile commerce sites..."

Chip Arndt
Co-Founder|EVP
MerchantAdvantage, LLC

Tips to Maximize Use of Comparison Shopping Engines with MerchantAdvantage CEO, Michael Lambert

At Internet Retailer 2008 in Chicago two weeks ago, MerchantAdvantage CEO, Michael Lambert, highlighted useful tips to using comparison shopping engines -- as Become, Ciao, FindGift.com, Gifts.com, Like.com, PriceGrabber, Pronto, Shopzilla, Smarter, SortPrice, Yahoo! Shopping and coupon comparison shopping sites -- as myCoupons.com. If you want a comprehensive list of comparison shopping sites, affectionately known as CSE's, then check them out here.

Michael Lambert also provided numerous tips to online mercants to optimize product catalog feed to ensure higher lisiting on comparison shopping engines, which, in turn, can then lead to more sales.

I found the video interview to be informative and concise, so check it out.

Please <<<CLICK HERE>>> to view the full interview on maximizing the use of comparison shopping engines with Michael Lambert, CEO, MerchantAdvantage.

The inteview was conducted by eTaildTail good friend Jason Billingsley at GetElastic, an ecommerce blog which I love to read daily. 

Jason is one of the few "industry experts" that I am very comfortable referring to as an expert. Click on his name above for an overview of what he has done with his life in a very short time = very impressive!

Have a great week!

Chip Arndt

Devix and MerchantAdvantage Partner to Maximize Sales for Online Retailers

Well, I had a wonderful past few weeks of traveling and meeting very intelligent people in the ecommerce and mcommerce (mobile commerce) world; I look forward to sharing all of those stories with you over the next few weeks.

It is nice to be back home, for now, so that I can sit down and synthesize all that I have learned and then  share this information with you over the coming weeks.

I was in Chicago for Internet Retailer 2008, Caanes Lions 2008 in Caanes, France (the largest advertising festival in the world) and then back to Chicago for eBay Live!

   

It has been fun and while I was away Devix Corporation released the following about one of my companies, MerchantAdvantage, and our strategic partnership to help online merchants with their online business.

Enjoy the read!

Chip Arndt

PRESS RELEASE

Devix and MerchantAdvantage Partner to Maximize Sales for Online Retailers

"Devix Corporation has announced a strategic partnership with MerchantAdvantage, a provider of Web-based data feed management and analytic tools. The users of Devix platform can now send their product catalog to over 150+ marketing channels and shopping destination sites on the Web.

Already, the Devix Platform offers a strong customer employment technology and the Devix - MerchantAdvantage partnership will only improve upon this. Even with the limited IT expertise, the customers of Devix have the facility to maintain and personally configure all aspects of their web platform and business flow. With the partnership with MerchantAdvantage, Devix e-tailers will now have various benefits such as the ability to strategically market products, find those marketing channels that maximize return on investment, choose from 150+ shopping destinations, and work more efficiently with these marketing channels.

...Devix believes that MerchantAdvantage represents a best of breed partner for its client base. The company also believes that MerchantAdvantage shares its philosophy of customer empowerment as demonstrated by MerchantAdvantage’s robust choice of marketing channels which actively places the power in the hands of e-tailers.

Michael Lambert, CEO and Co-Founder of MerchantAdvantage, added: “Devix clients can now leverage various pricing options and profit-margins on marketing campaigns at the product level, while reaching millions of new clients using an array of marketing options. MerchantAdvantage strives to provide the best products to empower online merchants to customize, send, evaluate, and update product catalog feeds to 150+marketing channels and shopping destination sites. We are honored to be an integral part of the future of Devix to help their clients grow their online business efficiently, intelligently and cost-effectively."

<<<CLICK HERE>> to read all.

MerchantAdvantage Helps Online Retailers at Internet Retailer and eBay Live!

Well the summer is just around he corner and convention season is upon us.  I love this time of the year as we all come together and learn from each other to help grow e-commerce and mobile commerce for us all, in terms of sales, revenues, customers, transactions, web site design, SEO/SEM, marketing and many other areas of importance to online retailers.

I will be at two of the best and largest online retail conventions, namely Internet Retailer and eBay Live, exhibiting and speaking at MerchantAdvantage's booths. The easy part for me is that they are both in Chicago and BOTH at the same location just a week apart in June.

Please see below for details of each convention.  If you would like to go to either convention, I include a special product code for you to get a discount on admission at Internet Retailer and get 25% off of eBay Live! attendance by signing up before May 31 - both courtesy of MerchantAdvantage.

Please come to one or both conventions.  Between the two of them you will learn a lot about e-commerce, mobile commerce and meet hundreds of fellow online merchants and vendors who can help you grow your online business.  Here is the information on what MerchantAdvantage will be covering.  Come by our booths!

Internet Retailer 2008 Conference & Exhibition
June 9-12
McCormick Place West
2301 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60616

MerchantAdvantage promo code to save $100: <<<CLICK HERE>>> and use this promo code EC8279

MerchantAdvantage will be at BOOTH: 307

At Internet Retailer, MerchantAdvantage will conduct mini-seminars including “Tips and Tricks to Working with Comparison Shopping Engines” and tutorials on “Channel Management with Chanalytics(sm) as the “Ultimate Marketing Tool” to work with 150+ shopping destination sites and marketing channels. Come by and watch how we cost-effectively upload your product catalog data and begin marketing your data to new marketing channels instantly to increase sales.

EBAY LIVE! CHICAGO:
June 19-21, 2008
McCormick Place West
2301 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60616 (Cab Drop Off at Gate 40)

Save 25% at eBay Live! by registering before May 31: <<<CLICK HERE>>> 

MerchantAdvantage will be at BOOTH: 967

At eBay Live!, MerchantAdvantage launches new products and offers its turnkey “Shopping Destination Site Marketing Solution” to work with 150+ comparison shopping engines and marketplace at a discount for eBay Stores and ProStores Web Stores. Come by and see how you can increase sales by using more marketing channels very cost effectively!

I really love to help any online merchant with issues they may have, so please stop by the MerchantAdvantage booths at both Internet Retailer or eBay Live and ask for Chip Arndt!  See you there! 

-- Chip Arndt

PESA and E-Commerce Merchants Trade Association Wonderful New Orleans Conference

A special thank you to Professional eBay Seller's Association ("PESA") and e-Commerce Merchants Trade Association ("ECMTA") for inviting my company, MerchantAdvantage, and me to speak at their conference last week in New Orleans. Many wonderful vendors attended as well as over 500 e-commerce/online merchants to learn more about how they can they improve their online business on many fronts.  I have been to several trade shows and it was a wonderful, affordable and value-add trade show for any small to midsized online merchant.

It was an honor to address and answer online merchants' questions at a speaker's session and then help several online merchants over two luncheons.  There were many wonderful questions on how best to work with comparison shopping engines ("CSEs") and other shopping destinations sites as Amazon and eBay; we all had a great time trying to answer their questions.  If you would like to know more about how you too can better manage your product catalog feeds to any marketing channel, shopping destination site, or CSE please give us a call at MerchantAdvantage.

If you would like and update of the ECMTA/PESA conference, which I highly recommend attending next year, as it is affordable and has some great information and expert speakers, please <<<CLICK HERE>>>.  MerchantAdvantage is proud to be a corporate sponsor of ECMTA and I personally look forward to helping ECMTA build and provide the best information and services to its membership on an ongoing basis. 

If you want to take advantage of a special membership offer, via MerchantAdvantage and ECMTA, <<<CLICK HERE>>> and if you just want to know more about ECMTA <<<CLICK HERE>>. Take five minutes to hunt around their site and also check out the companies that are involved and special offers for ECMTA members only to help grow your online business from these vendors.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised at what you can learn and who is involved (hint...Amazon, eBay, Yahoo, Google, Microsoft and many, many others!)

Have a great Sunday!

-- Chip Arndt

Chip Arndt to Speak In New Orleans: Comparison Shopping Engine and Marketing Channel Analytics, The Roadmap to Success

"Come to New Orleans for the e-Commerce Merchants Trade Association tradeshow -- April 22-24." -- Jazz Fest, New Orleans Trumpet Player

I am happy to announce that there is now an organization created by online merchants for small to mid-sized online merchants. It is called the e-Commerce-Commerce Merchants Trade Association ("ECMTA") and it was all started by powerful, online sellers at eBay (you might know their organization as PESA) -- they are experts and know what they are doing.  ECMTA is now open for membership to all online merchants and their annual membership dues are very cost effective. 

You even get a special, reduced, member rate if you check them out by <<<CLICKING HERE>>> to find out more -- Yes, this is a special rate for the eTaildTail community and no, I don't get any money if you sign up! :-)

I do like the larger trade organizations, as Shop.org and Internet Retailer, but I really like ECMTA because it is very focused on the small to mid-sized online merchant and the people they have already involved to help you, such as Amazon, eBay, Yahoo!, Google, PESA, and Microsoft, and many others is excellent news.

There is a lot of wonderful information, people, industry insiders, resources, contacts, and, best of all, immediate help to navigate the ever growing world of e-commerce and m-commerce (mobile commerce) to grow sales and ROI.

As I mentioned in a prior blog entry, I will be speaking in New Orleans, April 22-25, at a trade show sponsored by Everest Software, please <<<CLICK HERE>>> for that information. It is a wonderful tradeshow for an established company that helps thousands of clients with their complete online, business management and marketing needs.  Their clients are coming in from around the world. So that will be fun.

I also have been asked to speak, April 22-24, at the ECMTA mentioned above about "Marketing Channel Analytics, 'Chanalytics': The Roadmap to Success".  You can check out the full agenda at <<<CLICK HERE>>>  They have over 20 speakers, so this should be fun and informative for all of us.

If you would like to learn more about the New Orleans ECMTA conference, all that ECMTA is doing to help small to mid-sized online retailers, and to find out how you can get even better reduced rates for the conference, if you decide to go, <<<CLICK HERE>>>  -- this is going to be a great conference and about 1,000 folks have already committed to come, oh yeah, and it is affordable!

The world of online retailing is robust and you should all be working with, and have access to, wonderful people who want to help you.  ECMTA is just that type of organization.  

So come to New Orleans and let's have some fun.  Oh yeah, Jazz Fest starts 1 day after the conference and lots of us are staying for that, so why not make it a fun weekend get away and show your support of New Orleans too.

Have a great weekend and please feel free to email me at chip@eTaildTail.com if you have any questions.

-- Chip

Everest Software Worldwide Summit: New Orleans April 22-24, 2008

Well New Orleans is kicking up its heels and sporting a lot of conventions and summits as they relate to online retail the next few months.

I have been honored to be asked to speak at Everest Software's Worldwide Summit at the Marriot New Orleans, 555 Canal Street, New Orleans. 

I will be speaking about "Alternative Online Marketing Methods" for online reatilers and addressing how online merchants can and should be using comparison shopping engines, and other shopping, marketing channels, to increase cost-effectively sales and ROI. 

This speaking engagement will be a continuing conversation that I will be starting during a free webinar I am hosting (see blog entry below) with theFind.com and JellyFish.com April 10.

For more information reagrding Everest's conference <<<CLICK HERE>>>. It would be great to see you there!

While in New Orleans, I will also be stopping in at the Spring e-Commerce Summit, also in New Orleans, which I was invited to attend, being held the same week. That conference is a bit larger and is co-sponsored by one of our stratgeic partners at MerchantAdvantage, Infopia Software. 

If you want more information in regard to that conference please <<<CLICK HERE>>>. 

If you have any questions in regard to either conference, or have questions in regard to what conferences are coming up and what are the best ones to attend to helpp your business grow, please do not hesitate to email me at chip@eTaildTail.com and I will be glad to help as I can!

-- Chip

Online Merchant Must Attend Conference to Grow Your Business: Internet Retailer Comes to Chicago!

Many of you in the eTaildTail community have asked me:

"What are the best conferences to go to that are cost-effective in relation to what you can learn and who you can meet to grow your online business and your business using m-commerce (mobile devices)?" 

There are many conferences out there and I have found that Internet Retailer has done the best job to date bringing the most vendors, online retailers (and you are treated really well and have many opportunities to speak to other online retailers privately without vendors), and speakers of all types together. 

It is in Chicago this year and I will be there.  I also at eBay Live! the following two weeks, which is also an excellent conference, but with a focus on eBay.

If you want to meet just stop by the MerchantAdvantage booth and I would be glad to catch up. 

You should consider making this trip, I believe it is worth the investment, and you will get a lot of information and meet plenty of people!

-- Chip

<<<CLICK HERE>>> to find out more details about the Internet Retailer Conference

<<<CLICK HERE>>> to register for the Internet Retailer Conference

Summary from Internet Retailer: Only 12 Days Left for IRCE 2008 Early Bird Discounts

"With 126 speakers—all leaders in online retailing—and 75 sessions covering every vital e-retailing topic, the Internet Retailer 2008 Conference & Exhibition at Chicago’s brand new McCormick Place West on June 9-12 is a remarkable value even at its standard registration rates. But for the next 12 days—and the next 12 days only—the IRCE 2008 early bird rates are still in effect—providing savings of $100 on each conference registration. And by registering three or more employees of the same company, all registrants receive the $100 early bird discount PLUS the 25% group registration discount.

Internet Retailer 2008 Conference & Exhibition is a content-rich conference with speakers and attendees from every corner of e-retailing—retail chains, catalog firms, web-only merchants, direct-TV marketers, and consumer manufacturers and service companies. No other e-retailing event offers such rich content or so many opportunities to network and exchange ideas with such a range of web merchants. Each year, e-retailers attending IRCE tell us they learn practical information that vastly improves the performance and profitability of their web retailing businesses (see Testimonials). And because the conference agenda is developed by the editors of Internet Retailer—the leading publication in web retailing—you can be sure it contains comprehensive information on the very latest innovations in online retailing and knowledgeable speakers who are chosen solely because of their e-retailing expertise and not because of their affiliation with a conference sponsor. No matter which sessions you attend, you’ll return home with ideas that are worth many times the price of registration."