Fourth day without an order--what would you check?

[dickbaker]

I've had a relatively good month for sales. However, from Saturday through today I've had absolutely nothing. I don't think I've ever gone four days without a sale.

I've checked the shopping cart by using a remote desktop service I subscribe to, and used different OS's and browsers, and the sale came through. Looked at the stats and the number of people going to the cart was the same, except nobody completed a sale.

I know that just about every online retailer goes through a slump, but I'm just wondering what others do to make sure there isn't a technical problem.

[Lovejoy]

I think we're boned, unless some kind of financial reset takes place. I kind of figured it was all going to come back and bite them on the hind end when they changed the bankruptcy laws back in 2005. Bankruptcy was a safety value for average consumers, a little steam was let off at a time, but the banks got greedy.....now we all suffer.

Most of the banks are technically insolvent, it's only the fact they are carrying properties on their books at far above real values and dragging the foreclosure process out that's keeping the whole circus rolling. I know people who have not made a mortgage payment in 18 months who are still in their homes, something I've never seen happen in my 55 years..........

[dpd1]

It will get better. It always does. The bad has to be equal with the good, and we had a lot of good for way too long. Things were waaayyy overvalued, and everybody was waaayy overextended. When you've got construction biz guys buying old Chevys at Barrett's for 2 million and stuff, that's when you know things have gone too far. The party is over. It's going to take a while for things to reset. But I wouldn't say it's the doomsday that some people seem to think. Frankly, I believe the return to normalcy was well on it's way a few months back, but the media and government decided to keep force feeding everybody the negativity they love so much, with the nightly doom and gloom reports, and continued freebies being pumped out. I had friends who were all ready to go back to work. Then the extensions kicked in, and they decided "they'll wait and see what happens". Which is a BS way of saying... 'I'm going to sit on my butt another 6 months'. Then the unemployment took another nose dive. Coincidence? I don't think so. As long as people have an excuse to say things are bad, they will be. Most people still have jobs and still make the money they always made. If they aren't actually taking advantage of all the incredible deals out there right now, that's just irrational fear, perpetuated by the media and backed up by a government that wants to treat us like invalids. Any speech I've seen made in the last 6 months starts out with something like "I know things are bad now". What the hell kind of motivation is that?

[Lovejoy]

Things are not going to get back to the way they were, this time is different. The world financial system is in full meltdown mode, and we are on the verge of protectionist tariffs and currency wars. When politicians say " I know things are bad" it's time to run, because they are far worse than that.

[HRoth]

In past downturns, the US was still on top of the world. That's not true anymore, so the pendulum does not have a place to swing back to like it did in the past. Our time is over. The question is now how are we going to deal with that as a nation.

On a personal level, the question I keep turning over is how am I as a merchant going to survive this long slide downward in our economy? I keep thinking about things like trying to get more international customers, working on creating content, writing, creating services I didn't offer before. I sure would be interested in hearing other folks' strategies, if they have them.

[dpd1]

Time to run? Run where? See, that's what I mean... What's the point of even thinking like that? None of us can run. We have to deal with things and carry on. If a sports team is terrible, the manager doesn't just keep standing there every day telling them they're terrible, without offering a solution for NOT being terrible. Without anything positive, it's just self-defeatist... We all basically garuntee making the things come true that everybody fears. If people keep getting told how terrible everything is, even though for them personally... it's really not that terrible. Are they going to spend money? No.

The problem I have with this thinking, is that people were saying this stuff 30 years ago. I recall as a kid, adults saying the exact same stuff... The country is never going to be the same... Everything is going to hell... So on and so forth... That we're all basically screwed... And yes, I also remember them saying... "This time it's different". Everybody thought the Vietnam era was the end of the country. I don't know... We're still here. No masses of people starving or anything. Yes, chances are we'll probably have to work harder. But what else is new. There's countries that lost an entire empire. But they're still here... Still moving forward.

My solution is growth... Sell as many things as possible. That's how the big companies get bigger. That's how WE get bigger.

[Lovejoy]

I don't think you have grasp of the current situation, it's not a case of "Talking down" the economy this time and it's not the same as 30 years ago.

[HRoth]

"Growth" is your strategy? Okay, good luck.

[RhinoFish]

our niches or sectors may be shrinking overall, but it's still possible to grow within that by taking market share. pity anyone new whose skills aren't honed. but no pity for those who aren't new and who chose to never learn to be very roi centric - throw away your margin with uninformed decisions and bets on hucksters and hype-sters, and you'll be someone's slow-chewed lunch.

[dpd1]

Absolutely my strategy is growth... What else could it be? Released 5 new products this year and added a new line of accessories... my gross is up 10% this year. Did the same thing last year and the year before that. I haven't even spent a dime on direct marketing. Don't do any of the trendy social media stuff or any of that. Just bare bones hard work. Could it be better? Of course.

I absolutely understand the current situation lovejoy... America is not the same. How is just feeling sorry and obsessing over it going to change that? We made it through a civil war, two world wars, a cold war, and tons of other stuff. We're still here.

[Digmen1]

@dpd1
Yeah but in those days the USA made things and sold them overseas.

Now you don't make much, and everything is being outsourced.
Wait till Chinese cars start selling in the USA for $5,000.

It's not going to be the same. People that have got new jobs are often at a lower pay rate. You need 3 percent GDP growth to start soaking up the unemployed ? How are you going to get that! (selling more imported stuff ?)

And wait til the currency wars really start when Bernancke starts printing on Thursday.

I like to be optimistic, but I don't see any reason to be so at the moment.

[Lovejoy]

I not obsessing over it or feeling sorry for myself,there's Optimism and then there's Realism. If your sector has room for growth, by all means grab it, but the reality is the USA is regressing as a financial power. You'd be better off seeking other markets, or optimizing to improve profit margins......

[enigma1]

but the reality is the USA is regressing as a financial power

and which economy is improving in your opinion?

I think there is not enough money in the markets because of the major capital shifts in the last decade or so. But that doesn't mean there is no space for production. You can create products and services even with very few resources and people will buy.

You don't need a manufacturing plant for everything you know.

[Lovejoy]

70% of the US market is consumer based, the vast majority of well paying jobs for the middle class in the USA was in Manufacturing, which is now largely gone. Real wages have not increased much since the early 1970's, since the early 2000's, debt via household refinance ATM's is what's driven the consumer market since then.

Very few economies are currently improving, most are caught in this current US based Banking/Real Estate/Wallstreet fraud that threatens to take down the entire system. As Grandma said " don't put all your eggs in one basket" is the best plan I can see.

[enigma1]

Yes manufacturing and jobs as you know it. It is hard for people who use to work in companies for ages, now have to freelance and run their own businesses, but it is still there and can be quite profitable.

What's gone for most is the concept of a steady job and the payslip at the end of the month. Now you need to be creative take advantage of your skills and raise competition. When you're small and independent you're flexible. Banks, Real estate companies etc., aren't.

Use your online store but don't rely on it 100%. See what the local market has to offer, take advantage of it.

[Lovejoy]

Flexibility is key, but becomes wearing after almost 15 years of SEO and online marketing.

Every time I get some good traction, some balls up comes along, such as a Google update, new competitors that low ball the market for a while before they go under or " Killer" startups with millions from venture capitalists that swamp your niche before they decide the ROI isn't what was claimed ;~)

I've lost track of how many update purges or low ballers I've gone through since I went online, but a half dozen " Killer" startups have crashed and burned through millions in my niche since 1996, if it wasn't for the flexibility available for small fry guys like me I'd never have survived....

[enigma1]

You need to position yourself where the opportunities are. SEO evolves like every other technology or discipline. Very good to have up to date, but is the end result that matters ie: scoring sales.

If someone invests millions he may also lose millions. The main problem is it's not his own millions but likely a loan from some bank he gambles with. Still if you're on the right place and time, you maybe able to take a portion of it. So even when they invest badly is not very bad because money circulates.

[fabulousyarn]

What are you guys selling? my sales this month broke my largest sales day ceiling, my biggest day being yesterday - HALLOWEEN - usually a no-sales type of day. Biggest day ever in 4 years at this. Two slow days - oct 9 & 18th but thats its. I have had REALLY bad months this year tho - but just not october ....Are you guys dealing in eproducts, niche consumer goods? Electronics? Curious.

[scottsonline]

Back to the point:

We all know now that google made a major change around 10/19. Sales have slumped since that date for many of us. I know our competitors also slumped as did our suppliers. Rumor even has it online transactions as a whole took a dip around 10/20. Google or the economy? Economy or the election?

I feel the US economy is tanking again. The stimulus money dried up, the road projects are done and spending stopped. Last months data released today says incomes shrank and so did spending.

How are your sales today?

[grandma genie]

Anybody think this has anything to do with the globalists agenda of using a crisis to herd everyone into their global economic system? One world money, one world government, one world religion, one world everything? Fearful people will do pretty much anything.

[scottsonline]

IMO I think we are going to find what our enemies already know. Harm
Google and you harm the US economy. I am beginning to think
Some of what we see isn't just due to deliberate google changes.

[fabulousyarn]

Hmmm. Sales are fab today, as well. That is the point, by the way - trying to figure out what sector or niche might be feeling an impact from an update....that perhaps others aren't. Hard Goods? Softgoods? Adsense related (I don't run it) I had a terrible day on the 19th, but things picked right back up, from what I'm reading, many others didnt.

[Digmen1]

What are you guys selling? my sales this month broke my largest sales day ceiling, my biggest day being yesterday - HALLOWEEN - usually a no-sales type of day. Biggest day ever in 4 years at this. Two slow days - oct 9 & 18th but thats its. I have had REALLY bad months this year tho - but just not october ....Are you guys dealing in eproducts, niche consumer goods? Electronics? Curious.

More to the point fabulousyarn - what are you selling?

I'm selling a small household product.

[scottsonline]

We are b2b. Our biggest problem is the economy second biggest less targeted traffic.

[HRoth]

grandma genie, I don't think globalists care about herding people into one money system, because they can already go where the profits are. That is the "beauty" of multinational corporations. Screw up an economy? Move on to the next one. No need to bother with controlling people. Let those who remain tear each other apart over the scraps. IMO, that is what we are seeing here.

That doesn't mean I give up. I can't afford to give up, lol! But neither am I going to pretend that a perky attitude changes the world.

[dpd1]

Come on guys... The Illuminati? Are we really going to go there?

[HRoth]

No one has referred to the illuminati. Multinational corporations exist and their actions in the material world really affect our economy. Multinationals are still making huge profits and they don't have to stay here or employ any Americans to keep on doing that. The more outsourcing there is, the fewer people there are here who have money to buy anything. When people don't have jobs, when the large industries that were previously the foundation of our economy just leave to go on to greener pastures and then even the house of cards created by our financial industry collapses, our economy is SOL and so are we merchants, because we need folks to have money to buy. Attitudes don't mean a thing if people have empty pockets and so can't spend when they feel expansive. I guess we can all move to India and live like kings off $250/mo, like someone on the AdSense forum said he was doing. But we, as retailers, are mostly going to stay in our respective countries and we need ordinary people to have jobs so that they can keep on buying our stuff. Or we need to fundamentally change what and how we sell, so that we are not selling stuff but perhaps skills or information that folks need and that perhaps can cross borders more easily than a physical item, which is more dependent on the cost of fuel and on the relative values of currencies. That fundamental change is what I am interested in. I want to be part of that change, not ground in its wheels.

[grandma genie]

There is a map on the European Commission's website showing the world divided up into 10 regions. This is the foundation of the globalist's plans for the world economy. On that map, the USA, Canada and Mexico are shown as one of the regions. That's why all the globalists don't want to close the border with Mexico. Yes, we are heading into a new world order. I have to scratch and claw to get my website into a relatively good position in the SERPs, but mega-billion dollar corps like Amazon don't budge, because they have the money to keep their place. All it takes for my site to disappear is one Google adjustment. But the big guys are not affected at all. I will have no part with the New World Order. I would rather get tossed under the bus than be assimilated into the BORG.

[fabulousyarn]

I sell yarn. And knitting stuff. :).

j

[rachel123]

I sell yarn. And knitting stuff. :).

October is always big for craft stuff. January, though, is tops.

this October, however, is slower than previous years (at least in my niche, also craft-related). Plenty of traffic, conversion rate down, no changes to the web design or anything like that.

[grandma genie]

I sell stuffed animals and giftware with an animal theme. I've been in business 10 years and this is the worst year ever. Traffic is way down and my placement in the SERPs keeps changing. One day on page one, next day gone. It's too strange. It almost seems like a door opens, orders come in, then the door closes and no orders come in. As though someone was manipulating my traffic. Is that possible?