If your business is retail, this is the post for you.  Mashable.com reviewed 10 startups that can help you to get your products “out there” on the Internet.

Now, it used to be that webmasters had to add retail websites and their products to directories but these days, it’s all about social media.  Meaning that the shop owner has to actually interact with their customers.  Yeah, I know, it’s more time consuming, but it’s more personal for the shopper.  And for small retailers, that’s their ONE major advantage – they can make the shopping experience very personal.  So check out these 10 online arenas!  I’m sure you’ll find at least one that’s suited to your products.

1) Mulu.me

Launched in December 2011, Mulu is a social platform for sharing the things you love and making the world a better place at the same time. Mulu allows users to make product recommendations, ask for suggestions and earn money for themselves or a social cause they want to support.

Mulu CEO and founder Amaryllis Fox says, “Zooey Deschanel and HelloGiggles are using their Mulu to support 826 LA, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.”

2) Stippleit.com

Stipple leverages cloud services to power interactive commerce and content inside of web images. When people mouse-over a “Stippled” image, pins display useful information about the people, places, products and prices shown. The company’s patent pending technology syncs these commerce and content tags to images within its network.

“Brands lose tens of millions of dollars in revenue each month simply by not tagging their products in web photos,” says Rey Flemings, founder and CEO of Stipple. “Editorial images generate billions of pageviews, and if your product is in a photo, but people can’t find out what the product is, then your brand loses marketing value and revenue.”

3) Buyosphere.com

Founded by digital pioneer and author, Tara Hunt, Buyosphere is the Quora for fashion, interiors and retail.

Want to find “the best iPad cases for under $100 bucks?” Instead of searching through thousands of irrelevant images, Buyosphere allows you to ask the question to its community, and then your peers make recommendations (with direct product links). Even better, Buyosphere was built with brands in mind — the companies are encouraged to actively participate on the platform.

4) Stylmee.com

Launched in December 2011, Stylmee is the first iPad app that allows users in the fashion and interior design communities to create virtual 3D boutiques. Users are able to “design” their boutiques with custom flooring, fixtures, furnishing, accessories and apparel from their favorite retailers and brands. For every action, users earn points for their activities and can cash them in for retailer rewards.

The app combines online shopping and product sharing (via Twitter and Facebook integration) with social game mechanics in order to increase brand engagement. For brands and retailers, the application offers the ability to directly showcase the latest collections and obtain feedback and exposure through game mechanics. Products are viewed and judged worthy of placement within members’ personal boutiques.

5) Svpply.com

Considered Pinterest’s primary competitor, Svpply allows site members to keep track of the things they want to buy, and to browse a personal feed of products from across the web, curated and filtered by the people and stores they find interesting. Users with blogs can embed their Svpply activity via widgets and retailers can integrate an “add to Svpply” button on their ecommerce sites.

6) Lyst.com

Lyst is a social shopping and product bookmarking site specifically targeted to fashion. The site allows users to follow their favorite designers, boutiques, bloggers and stylists for updates in their personally made style feeds. “Lysting items is a form of self-expression,” says Chris Morton, CEO of Lyst in an interview with Business Of Fashion. “The act of publishing their lysts also enables users to build their reputation within the online fashion world.”

7) Nuji.com

A hybrid of Lyst and Svpply, Nuji allows users to save items they like from any online store using the platform’s web bookmarklet tool. Users can clip apparel from retail websites they like and purchase the items later. Plus, they can follow interesting users and earn rewards and discounts from retailers by tagging their favorite items.

Olioboard.com

For aspiring interior designers and overall design enthusiasts, Olioboard is an easy way to communicate complex artistic concepts visually. Use it as a brainstorming tool or simply to visually organizing thoughts.

Users are able to share, embed and email their creations to their blogs, as well as shop retailer products within the site. Olioboard plans to launch iPad and mobile apps mid-2012.

Olioboard was created by web design company Keele UX Inc. “Our main goal for Olioboard is to provide a design and decor-focused creative tool that essentially allows members to get inspired and ‘try it, before they buy it,’” says founder Sheilah MacSporran.

9) GetVega.com

GetVega is list-creating service based entirely on visual content. GetVega users access the platform for product comparisons and reviews, create lists of products, and write reviews. Users can also use it as a social (or private) bookmarking site. Currently, the site is generating an impressive amount of content, from visual cookbooks to theme bars in Paris to the best guitarists. Users even create the proverbial “bucket list.”

Once a public list is created, other users can contribute (see: the quest for the best chocolate) and rate the quality of a list and its contents. With a much broader audience than just fashion, GetVega offers retailers the chance to create context between their brands and their customers’ lifestyles.

10) Styloko.com

Styloko is the new kid on the block when it comes to product sharing and discovery. The site is hybrid of Pinterest, The Cools and what Google Boutiques wanted to be. Styloko is worth paying attention to because it caters to fashion, art and industry insiders – those with advanced knowledge of not so mainstream products.

The site allows users to add items they find to boards, upload images via the site’s mobile app, and set up specific sale alerts for the brands they follow.

We all know there are two ways to look at any situation and take action…

1) One way involves looking at the short term

2) One way involves looking at the the long term

You know what I mean, there are basically two options on how to fix a problem.  But I think we can all agree that for the majority of the time, doing it with the long term goals in mind, is the smarter solution.  After all, the rewards are so much greater that way!

Going for the long term gains is the strategy of Social Media Marketing.  What you write today may bring you customers for years to come.  That is, if what you write is helpful and relevant to your readers.

In an October eMarketer report, Lauren Fisher, an analyst with the company, offered a few reasons why providing relevant content to your audience is a good strategy:

• It builds trust. By providing information, you are helping potential customers mitigate risk. If the information checks out, you have given them reason to trust you.
• It will propel your brand into a customer’s consideration set. As Brian Kardon, CMO of Eloqua, told eMarketer: “When you help prospects learn things and are generally helpful when they’re in a buying cycle, they’ll think about you first”

Writing your thoughts, ideas, insights, etc. via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, (whatever!) is THE way to propel your brand and as Brian Kardon says, provide helpful information “…when they’re in a buying cycle…”

Building Trust IS a Long Term Goal

I remember about 4 years ago I got a call from someone living in Charlotte, NC.  After a few phone conversations, he wanted to meet me to decide whether he should use Eckweb for his Internet marketing needs.  Now, I live 4 hours away from Charlotte and my goal is to provide Internet marketing services for as low as possible – so that means that I need to keep my costs down as much as possible.  Hence, I don’t go out and meet customers, it’s more a waste of time than it is profitable.  That’s just the nature of this particular business.

But, this particular person insisted and said he would drive down to meet me.  So, we did meet.  He told me that he can’t do business with anyone who he doesn’t “shake hands with.”  I remember telling him that he shouldn’t be on the Internet then.  Cause the reality is, he’s going to eventually do ALOT of business with people whom he’ll never see.  I told him he needed to learn to Trust and to build Trust online.

These days, that’s what every business owner needs to do.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a small local mom and pop or a large international company.  You build trust and a customer base one at a time.  With each individual customer.  It’s no different online.

So, go for the long term gains.  Use your social media tools to let your customers know who you are, what you’re company is all about and how you plan to make their lives better.

It’s the smart way to get more customers!

If you haven’t heard or used Pinterest yet, let me tell you it’s a bit addictive.  And with having said that, I will admit that it’s the creative side of me that finds it so addictive.  You see Pinterest is basically a bulletin board of all the things that people find to be cool.  And yes, the stats report that the majority of users on Pinterest are women.

So, if your target audience is women, I strongly recommend that you get your business tuckus on that site!  Here are some tips from Mashable on what to do.

1) Upload your own images at least some of the time.  Yes, you can repin other images but the chances of going viral are greater if they are original.

2) Just like websites, name the image (the filename) using your keyword phrases.  So, if you are a family attorney you can name your image family-lawyer-for-single-mothers.jpg (or something like that).

3) When you do repin images, do it from a variety of sources.  Don’t just continuously use the same source.

4) After you’ve uploaded the image, go back in and create a link to your website or blog or Google Page or whatever.

5) The descriptions for your images can be as long as 500 characters so use as much of that 500 allowance as possible and don’t forget to use your keyword phrases.

6) Just by reviewing Pinterest yourself, you’ll be able to get an idea of what catches your eye, what seems of interest to you and then you can use that information to help you choose the types of images and information you’ll put on Pinterest yourself.  It wouldn’t hurt to get several opinions from other folks either.

7) DO NOT ADVERTISE – just because your business is joining a social medium doesn’t mean it’s all about marketing your business.  Remember those networking groups you go to (or used to go to)?  The point wasn’t to Sell Yourself, the point was to get others to know you, to trust you and THEN they might do business with you.  It’s no different here (except you don’t have to deal with cold scrambled eggs.)

Engage with other Pinterest users that are of interest to you.  Comment on their boards, Like them, etc.

9) You want to give others the opportunity to Follow and Pin the images on your website as well (if it’s appropriate).  So, ask your web designer to add the Follow and Pin It buttons from Pinterest on your site.

10) Be creative – that’s what Pinterest is all about.

11) Videos can be pinned on Pinterest as well as images.

12) Image sizes do matter on Pinterest.  There’s no limit on vertical size but the limit on horitontal width is 554 pixels.  But rule of thumb is to keep your images smaller rather than larger.  Not so small that they can’t see the image but not so large that they have to scroll through.  Again, look at the kinds of images that you’re attracted to and take the cue from there.

13) Have fun with this social medium.  It’s a GREAT tool!

The next time someone says to you, “I just don’t get this whole social media thing…” – email them this video.

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Take the time to view it. It’s 30 minutes so grab a drink, get comfortable and watch. The impact social media is having on all of us (globally) is profound and it’s just the very beginning. Getting involved, having concerns used to be all about local communities (and it still is) but now, with tools like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and all the others, our communities are larger. We not only can READ about what’s going on outside of our little worlds, but we can also SEE and FEEL.

Social Media – do you get it now?

You know, there are SO MANY new programs and websites coming out online daily that it’s not just difficult to keep up with them but you also have to consider the time it takes to “learn” them.  At least how to use them.

Personally, I find it difficult to find the time (as I’m sure you do as well) so I’m always asking anyone I speak to, if they’ve “learned it” – could they share what they know?  Of course, they rarely have the time to do that!

So, I found a great alternative.  Grovo.com.

It’s a new site that is FREE and it gives you tutorials on many different programs some of which are Amazon, eBay, Basecamp, Facebook, Firefox, Google Apps, LinkedIn, Skype, Mint, Meetup, Yelp and many more.  They’re all video tutorials and simple enough to follow.

It’s a great idea – check it out.

Got another great article from my business coach, John Miller. We all know that the Internet is still fairly new, but even newer is social media. And, human nature being what it is, there are those out there who will try to sell you some snake oil service – hoping you won’t ask any questions and you’ll just sign their contract.

John put together 5 questions that you can ask someone who you’re thinking of hiring as a social media consultant.

1. How long have you been working in social media and the internet? Make sure that if your expert does seem green, they prove their experience in some other way.

2. Can you share an example of one small business you helped and how you did it? Case studies should be king. Make sure that the experiences that your expert has had are directly relatable to your business needs (not necessarily to your industry).

3. What is the biggest mistake you have seen small businesses make with social media? The heart of this question is to understand whether your expert pays attention to what is happening in the marketplace.

4. What do you think we should do first? Focusing on the first steps will help to determine two things about your expert: 1) Whether he or she has done their homework about your business and what you might already be doing, and 2) You want to make sure the expert is not just a professional theorist and that they are actually skilled in getting stuff done.

5. How will I know whether your/our efforts are working? How will you measure success? It is also a hidden test. If your expert focuses your metrics for success on volume (ie getting 1,000 Twitter followers), they probably have no idea what real business impact looks like. If instead they talk to you about how you can map your social media efforts back to your business goals – it is worth continuing your conversation.

Why A Social Media Consultant?

Just in case you’re asking yourself about the concept of a social media consultant vs. hiring someone to manage the social media marketing for you – let me give you my 2 cents worth – it may help.

First, the whole concept of using social media is to have an ongoing conversation with your customers. It’s meant to be casual, relaxed and personal. How personal can those articles or comments be if they’re coming from someone you hired? (The answer is, “not much”.)

Second, social media marketing helps you to gain the customers’ trust. It’s you, speaking to them, talking about new ideas, new products or services, the latest happenings in the industry, what your thoughts are on how your business can help your customer, etc. Now, who can do this better than the folks IN the business?

I know, I know – the concept of having to manage social media on top of everything else that you do in your business is just a bit much – believe me – I know! But the reality is, there’s no getting away from it. Social media has become a large factor in Internet Marketing. And Internet Marketing has become a large factor in business marketing. So, it’s not a matter of “should you get into social media” – it’s actually “how to manage the time to get into social media”.

If you have any questions about social media feel free to contact Eckweb – or if you have thoughts on how you manage social media in your business workday – by all means, share!!!!

We all know that we are influenced by the media, although I’m sure that many of us have no idea how much. We all like to think that we have our own minds and make our own decisions, but the truth is, we are what we see, what we hear and what we read.

What got me thinking about this?

Yesterday, my husband, (who is a physician assistant at an Urgent Care clinic) told me that they had to throw away a large quantity of flu shots because so few people took them this year.

He said, “Remember, last year was the Swine Flu panic. All over the news they were predicting thousands would get it. As a result, we could barely keep up with the demand at the clinic.”

But this year, well, no panic. And because of that, the number of people who actually took the flu shot decreased dramatically. But what happened instead? The number of people coming in with the flu increased dramatically!

I had to pick up a prescription today at the drug store so I asked my pharmacist that question, were more people coming in with the flu and did they have a surplus of flu shots left over? He confirmed “yes” to both questions. We both just shook our heads at the concept.

We are SO influenced by media, whether we like it or not. So, the next time you give your opinion, think about it. Is it really your opinion? And if you’re spouting information that you’ve heard elsewhere, how trustworthy is your source? We all have the responsibility to pass on valid, truthful information. No matter if it’s business, personal, political, spiritual, whatever! Let’s make sure we do it as best as we possibly can.

It doesn’t matter what religion you are (or aren’t) – this video is funny and so relevant for a nerd like me!  Thanks for sharing this with me John Miller!

Well, I have to say that after 11 years of Internet marketing I’m still “promoting” the concept of Internet marketing – especially to small business owners.  I can’t tell you how many clients I have who gawk at spending $3000.00 a year for Internet marketing but yet, they quickly spend $5000.00 for a yellow page ad!

I don’t get it.

But yesterday, I saw a little flashlight at the end of this long tunnel.

I was speaking with a client who has been “dragging their feet” on getting the Internet marketing process begun on their website.  She admitted she had taken too long, but she was now ready and wanted it right away!!

What turned her around?

She placed ads in local papers, yellow book and local radio for her new day spa in Fort Lauderdale and got ZILCH results.  She sent out 300 emails and got a 10% result.  Cost for the print ads?  (She wouldn’t tell me).  Cost for the emails?  (Just her time).  She told me, “Print is dead…” – I think she finally gets it!!

So, the next time your Internet Marketing manager tells you to make a change to your website or to add something, etc.  Listen to them!!!!  They’re not just blowing smoke up you know what…they’re telling you what they know, that Online direct marketing and social media marketing (in other words, Internet) are where your customers are and where your sales are!

Many of you use Gmail – and you’re in the majority if you do.  You may notice a small change on your Gmail panel.  Right under “Inbox” in the left column you may notice the word “Buzz” – if it’s there, then you have been Buzzed.  You are now able to use Google’s latest social media marketing gadget.

What is Buzz?  Think of it as Google’s very own Twitter.  The benefit is that it’s right there on Gmail.  So, no need to open a separate screen of have a separate account or window open.  Your email, your chats and now your Tweets can all be performed, viewed, responded to right from the Gmail control panel.  Pretty slick.

Will it take over Twitter?  Who knows, it’s anybody’s guess as to what programs will still be in use months from now but one thing is for sure.  The ease of using this new gadget can’t be beat.

If you’ve already been buzzed, feel free to follow me at eckweb@gmail.com.  I’ll post my daily tips, notes and comments about this crazy SEO / Internet Marketing industry and hopefully you’ll find them useful for your own marketing.

Happy Buzzing.