Open Register

Social networks—they’re not just for kids anymore

Based on conversations I’ve had with retailers recently, more garden centers are turning to social networks to connect with their customers. Most stores are adopting this strategy to reach Gen X and the leading edge of Gen Y consumers. Funny thing is, they’re probably reaching a goodly amount of Baby Boomers with their efforts.

Adweek recently reported on the findings of a Harris Poll showing more adults are using online social networks. When asked whether they have a Facebook or MySpace account, 41 percent of 45-54-year-olds and 24 percent of those 55-plus said they do. So did 47 percent of the 35-44s and 74 percent of the 18-34s.

Ten percent of the 45-54s and 3 percent of those 55-plus said they update those accounts at least once a day. Twenty-nine percent of the 18-34s and 17 percent of the 35-44s said the same.

Hmmm. Maybe the time spent creating and maintaining that fan site on Facebook isn’t such a bad idea after all.

-- Sarah

Hi, tech!

I am not a techno dinosaur (he said, taking the vinyl “Best of the Guess Who” record album off the turntable and slipping it into its tattered cardboard sleeve). I am all for audio and video advancements (he continued, trying to recall whether he put the Ms. Packman game into the box labeled “M” or the one tabbed “P”). I earnestly support progress (he uttered, wondering all the while whether he could still get replacement parts for a 17-inch Zenith television).

OK, only some of the parenthetical references happened … this week. The truth is that it doesn’t matter what I think – or what you think – about the evolution of technology. Even as we’re thinkin’, it’s evolvin’. That, I’m guaranteein’.

Take the cash register. The folks at SBI Nursery Software might add, “Please!” They’ve got this notion that the instrument we’ve long used to keep up with business at the store is about to go the way of my 8-track player (he said, praying no one believed he actually had an 8-track player). In fact, here’s a note I received from Lisa Hattery, the company’s marketing manager, just a few days ago:

We still believe handhelds are the future—some of our customers are calling them the "Registers of the Future," and we agree; soon enough, stationary registers will be a thing of the past, and checkout counters no more. Wireless sales on handheld devices are the ultimate in customer service, efficiency and accuracy—plus, they are really cool (think Mac store)!

The latest is the live connection through a cell network instead of over local WIFI. WIFI requires a considerable infrastructure with antennas and other equipment, while running on the cell network is only limited by the connection signal you get. Take, for example, T-Mobile—if you have service on your phone, then you can make a sale live on the handheld.

You can complete the sale on account, cash or with a credit card with on-screen signature capture. The receipt is printed to a small printer that can be worn on the belt—but they are still a bit clunky so a lot of people prefer to mount them strategically throughout the store or in the yard. Handheld devices are also continuing to become more cost-effective but still very durable—we endorse models that are made to withstand the harsh conditions of a garden center (wind, rain, sun, etc.).

We also have (retail) customers with self-check-in stations; basically customers have member or loyalty cards with barcodes they scan in themselves. This opens up a sale for them; once they are ready to check out, the salesperson simply scans their items on the sale, helps them load the car, and they are out the door!

That’s mind-boggling—and certainly worth checking out on the company Web site. And as soon as I get Clara, the telephone operator, to pick up on the other end to connect me with Aint Bee, I’ll tell her about it.

-- Yale

Garden centers: The search is on for your Web site

Steve Cissel is founder and CEO of 10-20 Media, an Internet publishing company with specialized knowledge of the green industry. He also writes the blog Dot Common Sense. Today he discusses a way to be recognized by search engines.

At the ANLA Management Clinic in February, I reviewed more than 150 web sites for search engine optimization (SEO) structure, and all failed.

Is it any wonder that our green industry businesses are not showing up in the search engines? We are not being found. When consumers can't find the information they're looking for about our lawn and garden businesses, they pursue other things -- like doing research on buying a big screen TV. This information can be found online easily.

Now I'm not saying that you did anything wrong when you built your Web site initially. Everybody (OK, almost everybody) is in the same ‘lame Web site’ boat. What I am saying is that it's time to upgrade your site accordingly with sound SEO structure.

Data from many sources tells us that an Internet search -- or research on the Internet -- influences 70% or more of consumer purchases, and these dollars are being spent locally. Here is a graph that explains it.

So what does it mean to SEO your site? It means that your site needs to have pages for specific search terms. One of the most glaring weaknesses for the garden centers and nurseries that I reviewed was the lack of a page dedicated to the keyword ‘plants.’

Use any keyword suggestion tool and you will find that the keyword ‘plants’ is a jugular vein for traffic.

Another component of SEO is the geographical parameters of a page. More than 40% of searches have a geographical qualifier as part of the keyword. For example, if I do a search for ‘plants 54321’ (54321 = ZIP code). Will you be found? Most the time I see geographical information on the ‘contact us’ page only. Big mistake. People don't search for ‘contact us 54321.’

Bottom line is that a Web site needs to be constructed with individual pages that represent profit centers of the business, and each of those pages needs to be optimized for keywords that get traffic. Then, geographical information needs to be blended into the pages so that your business shows up in the search results covering the geographical reach of your business -- the areas beyond your immediate ZIP code.

If you decide to SEO your Web site sooner than later, you'll have first-mover advantage. The majority of green industry businesses have not awakened to SEO.

Wait? No telling what the price will be to play catch-up.

-- Steve Cissell

The power of now

Today is my birthday and I decided to reflect on how the world has changed since I came into it. Anyone remember metal roller skates? Man, I lived in those things. Or staying out from daybreak to waaaay past sunset and never having your parents worry? The advent of cable TV, Atari, moon boots and parachute pants. Wow, those were the days.

However, I must admit I don’t really miss them all that much (except Disco. Rock on, Bee Gees!) I have succumbed to the power of now. RIGHT NOW.

I love being able to wait until the absolute last second to buy tickets for the movies from the comfort of my home. They’re ready when I get there. Online not in line. Paying bills, getting instant news, talking with friends and family in France. The entire world is literally at my fingertips.

In fact, I do so much online stuff that it’s dizzying. But not until recently did I realize the dangers inherent in said online computing. I’m an honest person. I don’t understand the thrill of messing up someone’s life. But it happens.

Fortunately, advances have come along to help stop these guys in their tracks. Things like Norton, McAfee, etc. But my very favorite is all about the NOW. There’s a company called PCWEBDoc who can fix just about anything you need them to on your computer including slow start up, email problems, finding and eradicating viruses, fixing your drivers and darn near everything else. The coolest thing is that you don’t have to schlep your computer to any store to do it  -- it’s all online! You sit there while they log on, diagnose your problem and tell you what needs to be fixed. Even better, estimates are free and services are totally reasonable.

I love my computer. Don’t know where I’d be without it. I think of PCWEBDoc as health insurance for my computer. These guys work wonders! RIGHT NOW!!

-- Jennifer

The state of blogging

I wouldn’t call myself one of the early adopters of new technology and media. I’m more of a wait-and-see type who sits back and lets the geek squad work out the bugs for the first year or two, then I’ll jump onboard and see what all the hoopla is about.

As part of that role, I’ve been standing in the shadows wondering if these blog thingies are a flash in the pan, or are they for real. These statistics, from Blog World Expo, have pretty well convinced me that blogging is here to stay, and if you’re not part of it, why not?

• More than 12 million American adults maintain a blog.
• More than 57 million Americans read blogs.
• 1.7 million American adults list making money as one of the reasons they blog.
• 89% of companies surveyed say they think blogs will be more important in the next five years.
• 9% of Internet users say they have created blogs.
• 6% of the U.S. adult population has created a blog.
• Technorati is tracking more than 70 million blogs.
• More than120,000 blogs are created every day.
• There are more than 1.4 million new blog posts every day.
• 22 of the 100 most popular Web sites are blogs.
• 51% of blog readers shop online.
• Blog readers average 23 hours online each week.

-- Kevin

Want to be a Plant Tycoon?

A new computer game allows players to achieve virtual fame and fortune by breeding plants, USA Today reported. Plant Tycoon features a virtual greenhouse where players have to make the right crosses to develop 6 magic plants. The game earned 3 1/2 out of 5 stars from the newspaper’s columnist.

-- Sarah

Ring, ring! Your plant is calling

Perhaps we’ll never have to worry about watering again. Botanicalls, a project taking place in New York City, allows plants to place phone calls for human help.

The high-tech setup summons humans when plants need water. You can also get to know the plants by giving them a call, (212) 202-8348. The plants will gladly pass along information about their habits and characteristics.

-- Sarah

Site-based teaching

The other day, I was looking for the best gardening Web sites, so I Googled -- are you sitting down? -- “best gardening Web sites.” What, you were expecting me to say, “Gardening Illustrated’s annual swimsuit edition?” C’mon. Give me some credit… Everyone knows that doesn’t come out until February.

Anyway, a few moments into my search, up pops an option that not only lists an array of sites devoted to the greening of America, but also ranks them with stars -- a la movie ratings. Among the sites sitting atop the page is the resource page for National Gardening Association and the site for iVillage Garden Web, which is billed as “the Internet’s Garden & Home Community.”

Given that lists sometimes can be nebulous -- I’m guessing you won’t agree with me that “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” is the greatest movie in the history of great movies -- I don’t know that we can conclude that the aforementioned virtual garden havens are the “best” of the best. But I will venture this: You need to check out both sites.

In this, the “instant” age, your customers are dramatically more sophisticated than they were even a decade ago. You are constantly challenged just to keep up with their whims, desires and needs, each of which can be dictated by something as simple as a mouse click.

Here’s some advice: Click before they do.

-- Yale

Welcome to the world of virtual garden retail

Luna Bliss (also known as Elaine Thompson) is the owner of a thriving virtual store, Bliss Garden Center.

Yeah. You heard me right. A virtual store. Bliss Garden Center is one of the many retail outlets in Second Life, a 3-D online digital world created and owned by its residents. Participants create avatars -- digital representations of themselves -- which they use to interact in this elaborate computer-generated world.

And, like the real word, residents can buy and sell goods using Second Life’s approved currency, Linden dollars. However, many Second Life residents will gladly trade real-life U.S. dollars to have programmers create structures and landscapes for use in their virtual world. Luna Bliss is one of the people creating these digital bits of paradise.

Today, Luna tells us more about how she got into the world of virtual retail.

How important is your digital presence?

Hardly a week goes by without news that some retailer is launching an E-newsletter, blog, podcast or text message campaign. Your customers are hip, techno-savvy and if you want to reach them you’ve got to go digital.

Oh really?

New research from the Pew Internet & American Life Project shows we’ve got a love-hate relationship with technology. According to the report, 85% of American adults use the Internet or cell phones -- and most use both. Many also have broadband connections, digital cameras and video game systems. But only 8% of adults fully embrace all these technological resources.

“Two groups of technology users have a kind of tech-gadget remorse,” said John B. Horrigan, associate director at the Pew Internet Project and author of the report. “They have more than a fair share of digital appliances. But they aren’t all that satisfied with the flood of information or pervasive connectivity that comes along with these communication goods and services.”

The report goes on to describe a fractured tech-consuming public. There are the full-fledged geeks, the moderate users and people who choose not to fiddle with e-mail and gadgets. No clear majority emerges.

Hmm. Maybe retailers shouldn’t be too quick to ditch snail-mail newsletters, postcards and flyers. If only the U.S. Postal Service would take pity on you…

-- Sarah