Where do we go from here? We need a PLAN, and here it is... Our checklist of things to do this summer!

STEP ONE: STOREFRONT! You should add the Storefront to your Horsengoggle Account. It's FREE. And, it gives your auctions extra exposure and attention. We DO allow you to promote your own online business in your Storefronts. We have a generous policy in that respect, and as long as people use the privilege respectfully it will continue to be one of our best "features."

STEP TWO: STOCK THE SHELVES! We know that online sales slow down during the summer. We've seen this happen every year for 10 years, so don't be discouraged if things are slow on Horsengoggle and everywhere else. I work as hard as I can all summer to get products into my stores and ready for auctions.

I will stuff my shops FULL of good things so when business picks up again in the fall, I will have plenty of wonderful products to sell. At the moment my craft room is crammed full of items that don't have photos yet, so I really need to get busy!

STEP THREE: DOLLY MALL! In a few weeks we will have an eCommerce option for our Sellers. It's our new Dolly Mall! Wait until you see it, our Shops are very attractive! These stand-alone stores will accept PayPal. The stores are very easy to use and prices will be very reasonable.

You can't build your business if you don't have turf staked out somewhere on the 'net. People need to know where your home base is. For some people, the free store at Horsengoggle may be enough. But if you need a little bit more, our Dolly Mall will be a beautiful solution.

STEP FOUR: DIVERSIFY!
We've heard the saying, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket." If you are applying for a business loan, the lender wants to know how many suppliers you have. The lender also wants to know how many customers you have! If you are dependent on ONE supplier or ONE customer, then you could lose your whole business overnight.

You also need to diversify if you are selling online. Don't get stuck in a rut doing the same thing year after year. Try new things! Do some of everything: list auctions, have your own store, network with your online clubs and forums. You need to have many suppliers, many customers, many products, many venues and many forms of advertising in order to create a sustainable business. You also need to be persistent, and don't forget to pray for wisdom in all these things. :)

STEP FIVE: MAIL LIST! Start a mailing list at GetResponse.com or Constant Contact, or other online mailing services. If you want to have a mail list, it's necessary to use an email service or else you will get blacklisted as a spammer. The mail list services will help you build your mailing list, too.

If you get started on this NOW, in a few years you will have a nice customer mailing list. And if you ever sell your business, the mail list is considered one of the valuable assets for an online business.

STEP SIX: SEO! Search Engine Optimation (SEO) is something that YOU can do. When you write up your descriptions, be sure to repeat the most important words. For example, if you're selling a vintage EEGEE Doll on Horsengoggle, the key words are AUCTION, EEGEE and VINTAGE DOLL.

Your title will say: VINTAGE EEGEE DOLL. At the beginning of your description, repeat it: "Welcome to my auction for a vintage EEGEE Doll." And when you end your description, say, "Thank you for visiting my auction for a vintage EEGEE Doll."

You can vary that of course, but the important thing is to use the KEY WORDS several times. If you write descriptions like this, your products will be more visible to search engines. The "bots" who search the internet look for repetition. And if the bot sees AUCTION, EEGEE, VINTAGE and DOLL repeated several times, then the silly little bot will think this page is an auction for a vintage EEGEE Doll. By GEORGE, the little Bot got it RIGHT.

If you do these things, your product pages and auctions will be more visible to search engines no matter where you are online.

STEP SEVEN: is Advertising, but this newsletter is too long already, so we'll save it for later. :)

Here's our cute little shortcut that will
get you to Horsengoggle even faster:
LOVE2H.COM

Have a good weekend!

Cyndy Ann
at Horsengoggle.com