This is pertinent information to the demographics and target market for my on-line business
GoVirtualProducts.com - disposable dog poop-scoop bags and pee-pee training pads.
About 84.6 million households owns a pet, 54% a dog and 43% a cat. In 2016 almost $67 billion was spent on pets and pet products and care. That's over double what sales were in 2003. And since I've been in the veterinary and pet industries for over 30 years, I've seen year after year of profitable growth.
The American Pet Products Association found that now 35% of the pet owners are now Mellennials (ages 14-34), and Baby Boomers (ages 50-68) 32%. What appeals to these two groups is very different. So target marketing and how to reach them successfully will be very different. A survey they did of pet owners showed that nearly one half of their purchases were done on-line.
Demographics:
Men owning a dog 40%, while women 39%.
45% of caucasion households own a dog, while 1 in 5 african-american and 1 in 4 hispanic households.
Making less than $30K a year is less likely to own a dog, earning over $100K more likely to own 2 or more.
Rural vs urban are more likely to own a dog.
The majority of dog owners think of their dog as a member of the family, but 91% of adults with no children think of their dog as a child. 94% of owners feel they have a relationship with their dog.
78% of dog owners own their own homes, due to rental properties not always allowing for pets.
Behavioral:
With so many people including their dogs as family members there are so many opportunities for dogs to be out and about with their people. That is more opportunity for selling my products for car rides, walks, parks, hotel stays, work visits, restaurants etc. that are becoming more and more pet friendly. About 50% of people are including their pets on their vacations with them. Dogs have truly ingrained themselves into so many aspects of our lives. They even to do hospital visits, senior home visits, school children visits, therapy dogs, working dogs, K9 cops and military dogs etc. etc. etc.
So when it comes to spending money on their dogs whether for necessities, higher quality foods and treats, toys, specialty products, grooming and vet care the industry is constantly growing and not slowing down.
Personally with my 110 lb. Rhodesian Ridgeback Roxy and my 2 cats, they get the best that I can afford for them. Not having a large yard, my dog goes hiking one day a week with her Kamp Kanine friends and does off-leash yard play at the Kamp another day or two a week just to get her the exercise and socialization that dogs need. She's only 2 1/2 so she needs it a lot! I happen to be a Baby Boomer woman with no kids, so I fit right into the demographics as feeling like they are my children and treat them that way!
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Week 5 Part 1 Target Market Websites
www.econonbum.com
This company is very complex in it's many messages, all which I think are positive about their company and diapers. They are a family owned company that maintains manufacturing in the USA, which is important to a lot of people. They also seem to be very "green friendly" and "ecofriendly." They talk about saving waste and conservation. They also do charitable contributions and give back to charity. They have different price points and products for different target markets from economy to artistic. They have grown to be a designer, manufacturer and distributor and have started a retail chain to go alongside their on-line business. Their tagline "Simple, Very Affordable" signifies quality, but at a good price, but not with the connotation of being cheap. They feature reviews and awards and ethical practices which signifies quality.
www.justcheapdiapers.com
This website, based in the Phillipines, seems to just be a cheap way to buy a diaper that they claim to be a quality diaper based on personal trial and error from the founding mother of four. It is a very basic, generic website that is no frills, so it projects an inexpensive image, as does the name. Theybuy in bulk directly from the manufacturer and therefore sell as a wholesaler. Info about the resellers and manufacturer was not there even though they set up a page for them, as well as the monthly special said "information coming soon." They seem to be a distributor/ wholesaler, but also seems they would sell direct to consumer?
This company is very complex in it's many messages, all which I think are positive about their company and diapers. They are a family owned company that maintains manufacturing in the USA, which is important to a lot of people. They also seem to be very "green friendly" and "ecofriendly." They talk about saving waste and conservation. They also do charitable contributions and give back to charity. They have different price points and products for different target markets from economy to artistic. They have grown to be a designer, manufacturer and distributor and have started a retail chain to go alongside their on-line business. Their tagline "Simple, Very Affordable" signifies quality, but at a good price, but not with the connotation of being cheap. They feature reviews and awards and ethical practices which signifies quality.
www.justcheapdiapers.com
This website, based in the Phillipines, seems to just be a cheap way to buy a diaper that they claim to be a quality diaper based on personal trial and error from the founding mother of four. It is a very basic, generic website that is no frills, so it projects an inexpensive image, as does the name. Theybuy in bulk directly from the manufacturer and therefore sell as a wholesaler. Info about the resellers and manufacturer was not there even though they set up a page for them, as well as the monthly special said "information coming soon." They seem to be a distributor/ wholesaler, but also seems they would sell direct to consumer?
Monday, September 18, 2017
Week 4 Part 2 Two great websites
I commented on Marie Terrell and Carissa
www.amazon.com
1. It is effective because they contain ALL of the content that is required for a good website. And are as user friendly as you can get.
2. They are used for shopping mostly, but also information gathering and comparing and reviews. They are very thorough and have buyer's customer reviews which are fantastic to have when there are so many choices and options in order to make a good decision. They have all kinds of links to get to anywhere you want to go including contacting the original sellers. They have kick back emails to responses and will text and email you to track orders and shipments. They even have a one button click to buy feature. And wish lists. Gives suggestions of what may interest you based on your previous orders and searches.
3. I'm very satisfied with using them. They also have perks like coupon discounts, re-peat order discounts, a Visa that gives you rewards points right back on to the site, which is like free money! I almost always find what I am looking for, even if it's something that I originally found on another site. So I am a Prime member and get other perks likes books and movies free, and free shipping.
4. I don't see how they could improve it, because it has everything that you need. I've been to a seminar to actually become an Amazon seller and they pride themselves on the perfection of their site and the standards they hold their sellers to. If ratings, that are checked constantly with MANY algorithms are not met, they will suspend a seller and not let them be on the website if they are not up to par.
www.SDCCU.com
1. This is my credit union bank. It is very user friendly and has all of the content needed to do all of your banking. It is very easy to maneuver and find links.
2. You can go to any account or link that you need to check statements, account balances etc. But the best feature is their Bill Payer Plus which is their on-line banking. You can schedule bills to be paid on AutoPay and they will be paid on the date scheduled. If it happens to fall on a day that it can't go out, it automatically re-schedules for the first previous date that it can be sent out. It gives constant balances of what needs to be paid, or you can set up to pay directly through the biller. There are links to get info on different loans or to transfer money to different accounts, etc. And you don't have to have their app to do it. Which I don't like to have direct app links on my phone for protection safety reasons. I just go through the website. They have an inbox for messages, or you can message them with questions and feedback. They offer a free FICO score check money tracking and statement reviews and printing. Visa info is also on the same site for convenience. You can check rates for all kinds of loans etc.
3. I keep using this site because of the ease and the feeling of security that I have that my information is protected. It is live info so I don't have to wait for info to be updated. It is so much easier than hand paying paper bills and writing checks and envelopes and stamps and mail time etc.
4. I like everything about the site. I know it's a safety feature, but they do have a session time out after a period of time, but instead of shutting it down they've since improved it to give the option button to continue session.
www.amazon.com
1. It is effective because they contain ALL of the content that is required for a good website. And are as user friendly as you can get.
2. They are used for shopping mostly, but also information gathering and comparing and reviews. They are very thorough and have buyer's customer reviews which are fantastic to have when there are so many choices and options in order to make a good decision. They have all kinds of links to get to anywhere you want to go including contacting the original sellers. They have kick back emails to responses and will text and email you to track orders and shipments. They even have a one button click to buy feature. And wish lists. Gives suggestions of what may interest you based on your previous orders and searches.
3. I'm very satisfied with using them. They also have perks like coupon discounts, re-peat order discounts, a Visa that gives you rewards points right back on to the site, which is like free money! I almost always find what I am looking for, even if it's something that I originally found on another site. So I am a Prime member and get other perks likes books and movies free, and free shipping.
4. I don't see how they could improve it, because it has everything that you need. I've been to a seminar to actually become an Amazon seller and they pride themselves on the perfection of their site and the standards they hold their sellers to. If ratings, that are checked constantly with MANY algorithms are not met, they will suspend a seller and not let them be on the website if they are not up to par.
www.SDCCU.com
1. This is my credit union bank. It is very user friendly and has all of the content needed to do all of your banking. It is very easy to maneuver and find links.
2. You can go to any account or link that you need to check statements, account balances etc. But the best feature is their Bill Payer Plus which is their on-line banking. You can schedule bills to be paid on AutoPay and they will be paid on the date scheduled. If it happens to fall on a day that it can't go out, it automatically re-schedules for the first previous date that it can be sent out. It gives constant balances of what needs to be paid, or you can set up to pay directly through the biller. There are links to get info on different loans or to transfer money to different accounts, etc. And you don't have to have their app to do it. Which I don't like to have direct app links on my phone for protection safety reasons. I just go through the website. They have an inbox for messages, or you can message them with questions and feedback. They offer a free FICO score check money tracking and statement reviews and printing. Visa info is also on the same site for convenience. You can check rates for all kinds of loans etc.
3. I keep using this site because of the ease and the feeling of security that I have that my information is protected. It is live info so I don't have to wait for info to be updated. It is so much easier than hand paying paper bills and writing checks and envelopes and stamps and mail time etc.
4. I like everything about the site. I know it's a safety feature, but they do have a session time out after a period of time, but instead of shutting it down they've since improved it to give the option button to continue session.
Thursday, September 14, 2017
Week 4 Part 1 Aesthetics, Design, Branding Websites
www.gatesnfence.com was SO BUSY and had so much content it was overwhelming and cluttered! Aesthetically I did not care for it. It had too many colors and buttons and options etc... Design did not look very professional. It did contain all of the content that it should except for testimonials, press, events and a blog. So it was pretty complete. But from the home page I could not find how to get to the shopping cart? It would give you a button to view cart if you added something to the cart. I had to add a product to the cart and then remove it if I wanted to see the cart. So if you went back to shop and didn't want anything else, you were stuck. But there didn't seem to be a button to get you there from the shopping pages or home pages? Branding was confusing because there was so many products on there and it seems they are a distributor for so many.
www.headhunterhairstyling.com was nice and had a pleasant style about it, but was a little boring and plain. It was more of just a PR site that showed their services. The design was good because it looked professional and artistic. They did have most of the content, but no search, no shopping to buy products from them for instance, no event, no FAQs, press or testimonials. It did have a photo gallery, but no reviews. But there were links to sites, but not much activity on them. That would be a benefit to have people's reviews of how happy they are with the salon and their hair. It had a services and pricing page, but a calendar and scheduler would be nice to book an appointment. Branding was good because it was very clear they were a professional, upscale salon.
www.apple.com was very nice and clean and easy to maneuver through even though they had a lot of information/ products to present. It was well organized by category. Design was accurate for their image that they project of simplicity. They had all of the content except for social media links. But there was a link to "communities" for asking questions and get answers from other apple users, so that kind of is a way of completing the site with live testimonials and reviews. They did a good job on the site. But the only problem was when I went to shop and picked out several products, they were all currently unavailable. Branding was good because they seem to be very stylish and create products that are easy to use and simple. Their repetition of contents and headings was good and accessible.
www.toyota.com was very good and presented the cars very well. They had all of the content that made the site complete. Design was good and very upbeat looking and colorful. Looking at all the cars was not boring, instead was fun seeing them. They had ways to "build" the car exactly the way you wanted and would give all of the options and pricing and where to find the dealer nearby to buy it... It even showed a blog on one that I looked for that was discontinued when I searched for it. It didn't have an event calendar, but did have social media links that were very current and actives. Overall it was very good and informative and looked professional, clean and clear. It was very easy to maneuver through it and get the information that I was looking for. Branding was good because they had their complete product line under the one umbrella, and showed style and new trends. They are showing that they are progressive with their new designs in cars. They had access to the headings and repetition of the pages content too.
www.headhunterhairstyling.com was nice and had a pleasant style about it, but was a little boring and plain. It was more of just a PR site that showed their services. The design was good because it looked professional and artistic. They did have most of the content, but no search, no shopping to buy products from them for instance, no event, no FAQs, press or testimonials. It did have a photo gallery, but no reviews. But there were links to sites, but not much activity on them. That would be a benefit to have people's reviews of how happy they are with the salon and their hair. It had a services and pricing page, but a calendar and scheduler would be nice to book an appointment. Branding was good because it was very clear they were a professional, upscale salon.
www.apple.com was very nice and clean and easy to maneuver through even though they had a lot of information/ products to present. It was well organized by category. Design was accurate for their image that they project of simplicity. They had all of the content except for social media links. But there was a link to "communities" for asking questions and get answers from other apple users, so that kind of is a way of completing the site with live testimonials and reviews. They did a good job on the site. But the only problem was when I went to shop and picked out several products, they were all currently unavailable. Branding was good because they seem to be very stylish and create products that are easy to use and simple. Their repetition of contents and headings was good and accessible.
www.toyota.com was very good and presented the cars very well. They had all of the content that made the site complete. Design was good and very upbeat looking and colorful. Looking at all the cars was not boring, instead was fun seeing them. They had ways to "build" the car exactly the way you wanted and would give all of the options and pricing and where to find the dealer nearby to buy it... It even showed a blog on one that I looked for that was discontinued when I searched for it. It didn't have an event calendar, but did have social media links that were very current and actives. Overall it was very good and informative and looked professional, clean and clear. It was very easy to maneuver through it and get the information that I was looking for. Branding was good because they had their complete product line under the one umbrella, and showed style and new trends. They are showing that they are progressive with their new designs in cars. They had access to the headings and repetition of the pages content too.
Monday, September 11, 2017
Week 3 Part 2 Business websites
1. Marinha, U-Safe remote control life preserver
2. Norasperformance.com
3. Website, Facebook, YouTube, Linkedin
4. This is new out to the market but it is getting attention. It also gets reviews from other companies that play their video to review or advertise it. I saw it on Facebook. Also, it is a Portugese company, so there may be international sites that I have not seen.
5. FB Sept 2017, YT Feb 2017, IN ? date
6. Newly out, they are introducing it and showing the features and benefits. The best way for them to do this is to show it in action in the wavy ocean waters and how it maneuvers to get to the person in the water by remote control. They are doing this very well.
1. Timberland, Boots with thread made of recycled plastic bottles from Haiti
2. Timberland.com/markmakers/thread.html
3. They all look used and updated frequently and currently with consistent images and message.
4. Website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube, Pintrest
5. T Sept 2017, FB Sept 2017, I ?, T, ? YT Feb 2017, P ?
6. I think they are doing well with marketing. This is not the only product they use recycled materials for, so they also have their message with other product lines that cross over. They do have a lot of followers and views.
1. Kamp Kanine, Dog kamp and training
2. Kampkanine.com
3. Website, Facebook, Instagram, Google +, Shutterfly
4. They are very good sites with lots of pictures and activities updates. A very good interactive website with all of the options of doing online booking and class sign ups etc.
5. FB Sept 2017, I Sept 2017, G+, SF Sept 2017
6. They do a great job with social media and keeping things current. And the personal touch of adding the dogs pictures shows they are happy at the kamp and hiking etc. Nice for Shutterfly to get pics of your own dog if you want to.
1. The Animal Rescue Site
2. Theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com
3. Website, Facebook, Google +
4. They do a lot of good ads on FB and a lot of PR stories and PSAs about animal rescues and success stories. Co-op with other companies news stories to promote. Not just ads.
5. FB 2017
6. They have an intermingled website with the Greater Good and other charities that you can click on to have companies donate to help. They also have an online store for each of the 10 sites. They match some items if you buy one, they donate one. Ship internationally. Have email reminders to "click" every day to donate, but don't bog you down with lots of emails.
1. The Pet Care Card, Home alone ID tags etc.
2. Thepetcarecard.com
3. Website, Facebook, Instagram, Pintrest, Newsletter
4. See a lot of ads on FB, but have not signed up for their newsletter.
5. FB Sept 2017, I Sept 2017, P ?, newsletter, not sure how often.
6. They do frequent ads on FB and I don't go to Instagram, so not sure how often they are on there. But they seem to be a fairly new company on their site it referenced 2015-2017. But regarding FB they have me targeted because I have so many animal companies that I follow.
Question 7.
I have not followed all of the different social media sites, so I have only been exposed to some of them. Facebook and Linkedin are the 2 main ones that I follow. And I get a lot of exposure from those to many companies of my interests and that I choose to follow. I do buy things from FB ads that I see, or I use that as a reference to buy elsewhere too if I find elsewhere for a better price.
The websites alone I think are crucial to social media for ease of use, easy to find contact info, ease to shop online, easy FAQs, overall appearance and image, easy links and added benefits like ease of scheduling appointments or like Kamp Kanine van pickup and drop off days or hiking. Then they shoot you back a confirmation email right away. And that's very important too. Fast response time for feedback to customers.
It is important for the repetition of using social media too. Because we are so bombarded with SO MUCH that one ad or posting can easily get lost in the shuffle. So multiple platforms, multiple ads and postings, easy links and the right timing are all important in deciding how to come up with your marketing plan.
I replied to Marie G, Terrel and Poetry's posts.
2. Norasperformance.com
3. Website, Facebook, YouTube, Linkedin
4. This is new out to the market but it is getting attention. It also gets reviews from other companies that play their video to review or advertise it. I saw it on Facebook. Also, it is a Portugese company, so there may be international sites that I have not seen.
5. FB Sept 2017, YT Feb 2017, IN ? date
6. Newly out, they are introducing it and showing the features and benefits. The best way for them to do this is to show it in action in the wavy ocean waters and how it maneuvers to get to the person in the water by remote control. They are doing this very well.
1. Timberland, Boots with thread made of recycled plastic bottles from Haiti
2. Timberland.com/markmakers/thread.html
3. They all look used and updated frequently and currently with consistent images and message.
4. Website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube, Pintrest
5. T Sept 2017, FB Sept 2017, I ?, T, ? YT Feb 2017, P ?
6. I think they are doing well with marketing. This is not the only product they use recycled materials for, so they also have their message with other product lines that cross over. They do have a lot of followers and views.
1. Kamp Kanine, Dog kamp and training
2. Kampkanine.com
3. Website, Facebook, Instagram, Google +, Shutterfly
4. They are very good sites with lots of pictures and activities updates. A very good interactive website with all of the options of doing online booking and class sign ups etc.
5. FB Sept 2017, I Sept 2017, G+, SF Sept 2017
6. They do a great job with social media and keeping things current. And the personal touch of adding the dogs pictures shows they are happy at the kamp and hiking etc. Nice for Shutterfly to get pics of your own dog if you want to.
1. The Animal Rescue Site
2. Theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com
3. Website, Facebook, Google +
4. They do a lot of good ads on FB and a lot of PR stories and PSAs about animal rescues and success stories. Co-op with other companies news stories to promote. Not just ads.
5. FB 2017
6. They have an intermingled website with the Greater Good and other charities that you can click on to have companies donate to help. They also have an online store for each of the 10 sites. They match some items if you buy one, they donate one. Ship internationally. Have email reminders to "click" every day to donate, but don't bog you down with lots of emails.
1. The Pet Care Card, Home alone ID tags etc.
2. Thepetcarecard.com
3. Website, Facebook, Instagram, Pintrest, Newsletter
4. See a lot of ads on FB, but have not signed up for their newsletter.
5. FB Sept 2017, I Sept 2017, P ?, newsletter, not sure how often.
6. They do frequent ads on FB and I don't go to Instagram, so not sure how often they are on there. But they seem to be a fairly new company on their site it referenced 2015-2017. But regarding FB they have me targeted because I have so many animal companies that I follow.
Question 7.
I have not followed all of the different social media sites, so I have only been exposed to some of them. Facebook and Linkedin are the 2 main ones that I follow. And I get a lot of exposure from those to many companies of my interests and that I choose to follow. I do buy things from FB ads that I see, or I use that as a reference to buy elsewhere too if I find elsewhere for a better price.
The websites alone I think are crucial to social media for ease of use, easy to find contact info, ease to shop online, easy FAQs, overall appearance and image, easy links and added benefits like ease of scheduling appointments or like Kamp Kanine van pickup and drop off days or hiking. Then they shoot you back a confirmation email right away. And that's very important too. Fast response time for feedback to customers.
It is important for the repetition of using social media too. Because we are so bombarded with SO MUCH that one ad or posting can easily get lost in the shuffle. So multiple platforms, multiple ads and postings, easy links and the right timing are all important in deciding how to come up with your marketing plan.
I replied to Marie G, Terrel and Poetry's posts.
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Week 3 Part 1 Communication- Business & Consumer
I have had difficulty when communicating with certain companies that I have bought things on-line. There was a Porsche cell phone case that I bought that was not printed quite correctly and the coloring was not right. I reached out to the company that I received it from (the return address) and they said they were not the right company??? So I googled the company the confirmation email came from and found that their phone # was international, so I didn't call. I looked up reviews on Facebook about the company and they said they had good customer service... but could not reach them. So replied to the shipping company via email to see if I'd get a response. I finally did get a response and did get a positive reply, but they made it very difficult to find them and get resolved.
Social media does help to get noticed and get problems resolved. Companies are now realizing the breadth and depth that social media now has and how a bad product, service or situation can go viral very quickly online as well as a good experience! I think the savvy companies follow social media and are responsive and proactive.
My car was just rear ended with a lot of damage, that fortunately was not my fault and was all paid for by the guys insurance. The body shop I took it too was very good at keeping me informed by email of the progress and what was happening. And they sent me a satisfaction survey via text to fill out after work was complete. They did a great job. I've been to the shop before and have always had good service and work, so being able to share that and also since my insurance company recommends them, I think it's important to be involved in the feedback.
I would be VERY responsive to all social media sites even if I wasn't using them for marketing. Because you could be talked about by customers or followers in a positive or negative way. And you could take the lead and respond and reply to the situation. People want to be heard and customer service is more important than ever now, because it's been shown that for instance if you're selling online and someone has a bad experience, it's likely they'll go to other sites and not buy from your site anymore.
Social media does help to get noticed and get problems resolved. Companies are now realizing the breadth and depth that social media now has and how a bad product, service or situation can go viral very quickly online as well as a good experience! I think the savvy companies follow social media and are responsive and proactive.
My car was just rear ended with a lot of damage, that fortunately was not my fault and was all paid for by the guys insurance. The body shop I took it too was very good at keeping me informed by email of the progress and what was happening. And they sent me a satisfaction survey via text to fill out after work was complete. They did a great job. I've been to the shop before and have always had good service and work, so being able to share that and also since my insurance company recommends them, I think it's important to be involved in the feedback.
I would be VERY responsive to all social media sites even if I wasn't using them for marketing. Because you could be talked about by customers or followers in a positive or negative way. And you could take the lead and respond and reply to the situation. People want to be heard and customer service is more important than ever now, because it's been shown that for instance if you're selling online and someone has a bad experience, it's likely they'll go to other sites and not buy from your site anymore.
Friday, September 1, 2017
Week 2 Social Media
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Pintrest, Instagram, blogging all seem to be geared more towards personal use. Whether to share what's going on in ones life, pictures, videos, how-to's, and blogging. Some people love to post what's going on in their life all the time. I have facebook friends that love to put pics of their kids, what they're eating, check in wherever they go, etc. Personally I don't like to do that... or see that all the time either. I like it for the other interesting things people post and current events and following pages that I think are important.
I haven't used some of the platforms before, so am not as familiar with them. But I know Facebook ads are effective with me because they target some of my interests. Linkedin is pretty much all professional and great for networking, etc. Twitter seems to be a fast word of mouth whether good or bad. YouTube is great for online "TV" ads/ videos, how-to's. Google shopping seems to be one of the most popular ways to search for a product or service you're looking for.And pintrest for ideas and sharing. And tumbler and bloggers if used correctly can build company image and relatability by blogging.
There is crossover for several of them, and some of them have seperate "sections or pages" that you can use, or run specific business ads on. What I got from the reading is that hard selling a product is not the way to go about using social media. That for business using it to build relationships with the right target audiences and business images and product/ brand images is what's important. Getting the word of mouth passed on to hundreds or thousands of people is the best form of advertising. So to tap into people's interests and to not "sell" them your product, but maybe relate to their need or interest is most effective. And using several or more types of media is effective, because they all work in different ways and probably have different audiences. So there is no one right way to use ALL of the social media that is out there now. It is up to the user to decide which one will work best for what they are trying to accomplish. But staying consistent with all of it is crucial. So try to not do too many at once. See what works, evaluate it after a time period, and stick with it or try something different.
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