Web store vendor Volusion Inc. today announced Fast Traffic, a pay-per-click advertising program, that guarantees to deliver hits, though of course, converting clicks to sales is up to you.
The company guarantees that within one year you will receive the total number of clicks guaranteed for the particular plan purchased. "If we deliver under the allotted clicks for that year, we will continue to show your ad until the number of clicks is reached at no additional cost to you," says Mikela Canant, director of public relations.
Here's how the clicks are computed: Fast Traffic takes the yearly number on the plan and then use that number to determine the ads to generate in order to reach the specified amount. Clicks per month are estimated and based on the yearly total. The number of clicks reached on a yearly basis is the guaranteed amount.
A click is when someone actually clicks on the ad that was created for you in a search engine, which then leads that potential customer to your Web site. Fast Traffic uses the Google network, which it says reaches more than 80 percent of Internet users, as well as other networks (varying by campaign).
And, if you're the type of small business owner who doesn't have the time or inclination to write your own ads, this service provides them for you. The Fast Traffic team creates ads relevant to your products or services and places them on the major search engines. Your ad appears when people are searching for the products or services your particular business offers, making the traffic targeted (ads are created for the products/services they are looking for and where they are looking) and qualified (they typed in the keyword relevant to your website, thus leading to your ad).
Pricing begins at $39.95 per month for 250-clicks per year and goes up to $675 per month for 5,000, with all plans exacting a one-time set-up charge of $39.95.
Marketworks: Streamlined Checkout System In other storefront software news, Marketworks, just released an e-commerce management upgrade that includes an improved checkout system as well as support for both eBay Express and Google Checkout.
The new checkout simplifies the process to two mouse clicks for the buyer: one to confirm the order and another to submit the buyer's shipping and billing information, which is pre-formatted if the buyer has purchased from the merchant or eBay before. In addition, Marketworks' clients will get an upgraded settings page that makes it easier to configure and customize their storefront's cash-out system.
"Industry publications report that up to 70 percent of all checkouts are abandoned once the process begins. Our e-commerce engine and streamlined checkout will greatly reduce buyer abandonment for sellers using Marketworks," says Ken Powell, chief executive officer, Marketworks.
Support for Additional Selling Channels The Marketworks release also contains support for eBay Express and Google Checkout. Now, when a buyer purchases items through eBay Express, the order notification sent from eBay will integrate directly into the Marketworks' customer's ordering system, automating order-processing and fulfillment and automatically updating inventory records. And, with full support of Google Checkout, Marketworks' customers are now able to add an additional checkout option to their Marketworks-hosted Web store and take full advantage of the Google AdWords promotions.
If you are an existing Marketworks customer, you automatically receive the enhanced platform at no charge. "We release new product functionality and enhancements every six to eight weeks, the majority of which are free," says Paul Lundy, chief marketing officer at Marketworks, "and if there ever is one that does require an additional fee, it is always optional for sellers." For new clients, there is a minimum monthly fee of $29.99 for the platform, which includes a Web store, back-end automation (inventory management, checkout, integration to eBay and other shopping channels) and image-hosting space. Marketworks also charges a commission fee of 2 percent per transaction.
Michelle Megna is managing editor of ECommerce-Guide.com.
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