So which comes first when starting an eCommerce business:

• Finding Wholesale Dropshippers
• Finding a Niche in an Industry

I’ve worked with hundreds of clients from all over the world and have come to this conclusion – Without suppliers for an eCommerce business, it doesn’t matter at all how great a “niche” you find.

If you can’t get access to products to sell online, doing supply and demand research probably won’t even matter too much.

There are many ways to find suppliers: looking locally, trade shows, searching online, etc. WholesaleMatch is one of the options I recommend when looking for product suppliers. Here are my top 5 reasons for working with WholesaleMatch.com:

1. Not a third party affiliate system. Other product sourcing companies I’ve seen claim they are the best dropship directory. The first thing I ask these dropship directory companies, especially if they claim THEY are the dropshipper, is “Where do you stock your inventory?” If they have “various locations” for inventory my conclusion is that they are an in-between for your company and the real dropshipper or manufacturer. This means the price you get at a wholesale price isn’t going to be as good as if you went directly to the source. Wholesale Match gives you direct contact with suppliers from all over the world, including contact info, website address, and phone numbers.
2. Always finding more suppliers. I’ve been aware of WholesaleMatch for over three years now and have seen so much added to their site. This, to me, is the sign of a good product sourcing company. Not only do they have a team of researchers, but they also attend live tradeshows to connect with “niche” wholesale dropshippers.
3. Great information on their blog. I’ve worked with their blog authors and they have a wealth of knowledge. It’s a recommended read.
4. Growing Social Media Connections. Wholesale Match can be reached on Twitter (@wholesalematch). They have a Facebook Fan page (Become a Fan) and they are working on establishing stronger accounts with StumbleUpon, YouTube and other social networks.
5. The year membership is a steal for what you get. I’ve created a few websites and always use WholesaleMatch.com to find product suppliers. To know that I will have access to this information for a full year is invaluable.

Here’s some feedback I’ve received about Wholesale Match from clients I work with. Read and enjoy!

“I am going to say a few words about WholesaleMatch. First, it is a very good directory for finding suppliers. I have been approved by two suppliers…the first one has about 25,000 products to offer; the second one has over 25 products – all of which are very good. WholesaleMatch has a wide variety of suppliers, dropshippers, wholesalers, and more. And as far as I can see, they keep improving all the time.”

Herbert H.
North Brismick, NJ

Here’s another:

I purchased a membership…My salesman was Steve S. who gave me a full membership with premium support. He told me I would be assigned a person from their product research team who would be my trainer and would make sure to find the dropship products I want. Even if I cannot find the products in their database, my trainer will go out to trade shows and find the product for me. They want to be my resource for finding products. For your information and records.

Margaret W.

What have your experiences been with this wholesale dropshipper directory?

Like my little boy in the picture, Moller Marketing is always doing two things:

1. Looking ahead, shooting for the stars.
2. Rooting for the New York Yankees!

I’ve wanted to do a feedback online survey for quite some time at Moller Marketing. Not only do I feel that client feedback is the MOST IMPORTANT factor any business can measure, but I also like to interact with all of you and get your two cents 🙂 (this doesn’t mean your money unless you’d like to donate two cents LOL)

I recently found another COOL TOOL from Google that you should all learn how to use – Google Docs Forms!

Click on the image below to tell me what you think about Moller Marketing content, what you’d like to read about in the future, and to share recommendations:

Thanks for your feedback! As long as it’s good, we’ll implement it promptly 🙂

Follow Moller Marketing, Subscribe to Moller Marketing via Email, and stay up-to-date on what we’re up to:

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I’ve felt this way since I started my first online business:

Without a social media marketing strategy, even the ‘big businesses’ will get taken out by the little guys who are doing their duty and connecting with their audience…

Gary Vaynerchuk, one of my “social media idols”, couldn’t sum it up any better:

Yep, that’s right:

“Social Media = Business”!

So many people think that social media is a tactic or a nuance, something you put in a bit of time for and then just check it off your list – BULL CRAP!

Many businesses think that Social media is a simple topping on the hot dog, a “mustard” at best.

But the bottom line is, social media is a business in and of itself. It’s something that, if you’re not doing, your competitors ARE!

Social media is customer service…

caring about someone, being in the trenches and listening to the customer…

…most companies are full of crap; they want to sell stuff, they don’t want to care; they want to make pretend they care, they want to make pretend they work hard for the customer.

Social media translates to complete transparency…no more hiding in the shadows,

Social Media is going to expose businesses…

(if it hasn’t already)

…the word of mouth of one is going to screw with corporate america and with businesses, the power of one consumer has never been bigger.

You have to engage and care about your customers – it’s the back-bone of a successful business.

If you’re in [whatever] business, you are in the social media business – in the business to actually CARE about your audience – to give them what they want, and most importantly not to TALK but to LISTEN.

So the question I have for all of you:

How are You Using Social Media Marketing to TAKE CARE of Your Clients?

I know, 2010 isn’t here yet.

But the Holidays are right around the corner; they’re playing Christmas music on the radio, and snow is on the ground in Utah!

So, I’ve started thinking about what my goals and objectives should be for 2010.

One of the things I really want to commit to doing more of in 2010 is READING! I’ve been working harder (not tonight – it’s almost 12:30 a.m.) to stick to a schedule. It consists of the following morning activities:

• waking up at a certain time – TBD 🙂
• reading a motivational book for 30 minutes
• meditating
• writing down thoughts and goals for the day

In the evening, I’ve set these priorities:

• finishing “work” by a certain time – TBD too 🙂
• planning out the following day with a “To-Do List“
• reading a business book for 30 minutes
• meditating
• lights off by ____?

When I follow this “agenda” – my entire day and week seem to go better.

Do you follow a specific agenda?

As you can see, I’ve designated at least 30 minutes per day, 7 days a week, to read a business book.

As I start to think about my goals for 2010, here are a list of marketing books I plan to read:

Top 10 Social Media Marketing Books I Plan to Read!

1. Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion
2. Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs (The New Rules of Social Media)
3. The New Rules of Marketing and PR
4. The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success
5. Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business
6. Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day
7. ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income
8. Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us
9. Purple Cow, New Edition: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable
10. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

The Tipping Point is the highest rated book of all of these according to Amazon – it’s number 74!

I’m excited for the upcoming year and look forward to setting and achieving the goals I write down and review frequently.

I’m also excited to hear about your online marketing success and how these books help you become the best social media marketers and online business owners.

Are you a true baseball fan?

If you see 6-4-3 do you know what that means?

How excited do you get for October baseball?

I’ve been a baseball fan since before I can remember. My earliest recollection of baseball was when I was about 3 1/2 and got my first real baseball glove and ball. The “love of baseball brain washing” probably started even before that.

At 4, all I wanted to do when Dad got home was play catch. “One more, Dad, one more!” was commonplace in our front yard.

When I was 6, I played in two t-ball leagues at the same time in neighboring towns.

Little League All-Star teams were what I did on the summer weekends; High School baseball consisted of 10th grade brawls against our rival team, drag bunts, and running 60 poles as a “disciplinary measure” for having too much fun after getting swept in 2 games on a road trip.

But how do I claim to be a TRUE baseball fan? and how does this even relate to eCommerce and online marketing? Read on!

3 Signs of a True Baseball Fan & Pro Online Marketer

1. 

   The Importance of the Start: I have a picture, on my 4th birthday, of me in the best baseball helmet I’ve ever worn – a New York Yankee helmet! Hard to call me a “band wagoner” with this proof. Being a fan of the Yankees has always just been in my blood I guess.
   UPDATE: In talking with one of my fellow TRUE BASEBALL FANS, he had this to say about the great “Start” the Yankees have had:  “The Yankees had more farm players playing last night than the Phillies. Yankees just spend big money to keep their own talent and then get the guys they want. Farm guys: Posada, Cano, Jeter, Cabrera, Gardner, Wang, Pettitte, Chamberlain, Hughes, Rivera, Robertson, Coke, Pena etc…”
   Getting a good start with an online business is crucial too. In online marketing, I was mentored by an SEO expert – a “New York Yankee” of online marketing who is also a great friend.  He taught me the ropes, got me going, and continues to share tips and tricks. We also engage in friendly Twitter smack talk about the best team in baseball!

2. Follow the Right Players: As I grew up playing little league baseball, Don Mattingly, Steve Sax, Dave Winfield and Ricky Henderson were the players I followed even though the New York Yankees weren’t winning much at the time. I also stayed true to my team through thick and thin. The first World Series I really remember the Yankees winning was in 1996 and it was just the start of a dominance in the late 90’s. In online marketing, it has to be the same. Following the right people has led to great partnerships, connections, and information that’s hard to put a price on.Some of the people I recommend following in the online marketing and social media industry:
   @problogger – Darren Rowse
   @andybeal – Andy Beal
   @aaronwall – Aaron Wall
   @matt_siltala – Mat Siltala
   @graywolf – Michael Gray
   @dannysullivan – Danny Sullivan
   @SEOAly – Alysson Fergison
   @leeodden – Lee Odden
   @seosmarty – Ann Smarty
   @the_gman – Gerald Weber
   @AlanBleiweiss – Alan Bleiweiss
   @msaleem – Muhammad Saleem
   @copyblogger – Brian Clark
3. Persistence Pays: The thing I love most about the New York Yankees this year as opposed to other years is their fight to the very end of every game. “The Yankees had 51 come-from-behind wins in the regular season and 15 walk-off wins.” That never-give-up attitude is going to win them the World Series tonight too! (and it DID)  Online marketing is very similar. Getting rich overnight is a theory at best. There is no such thing as a true “get rich quick” process online that I’ve found.  (Shoemoney has attempted to share a few get rich quick ideas :).) No matter what you’re doing with your online business, it’s going to take work and persistence if you want to have true success. Yes, the success can come quick if you work with the right people, but WORK is one of the key ingredients.

So, with this information under your belt, let’s do a personal assessment:

• How do you measure up when it comes to a true baseball fan and a Online Marketing Professional?
• Are you going to have what it takes to get that “base hit” in the last inning?
• Which “Big Players” have you been following?
• Are you persistent enough to “fight the good fight” and get your site to the top of Google?

I look forward to a great night in baseball and a good report on how you’re implementing what you learn in your online business building!