The Christmas Shoppe opens on November 18! Come Celebrate Christmas at Shabby Cottage Shops! Come Join Us! Get your shop noticed at Shabby Cottage Shops, we're your premier online shopping mall destination!



Sunday, December 27, 2009

A New Year! A New Ad!! What's your New Year's Resolution for 2010?

Christmas has come and gone for another year! The new year is almost here and time to think about what New Year's resolutions you'll be making for 2010! What's your New Year's resolution for 2010? Will you make changes to your website to keep your customers coming back again and adding new products? Will you rearrange your "online shop" to ensure they return? Are you planning on giving your website a face lift, having a great sale or offering coupons to entice them to return? Are you planning on advertising or joining an online shopping mall this year? Now is the best time to make your New Year's resolutions for your online shop or boutique, start the new year out right! Read this tips below to help you succeed in 2010.

Here are just some of the great tips I recommend to our members! I would like to share some of them with you and help ensure your online shop is a great success! Remember it takes dedication and a continued effort to have your online business succeed.
  • Review and make changes to your website regularly, this gives your customers a reason to return and help "spiders" crawl your site more often, if regularly updated.
  • Make sure to exchange links with other comparable sites, this too, helps promote your site.
  • Offer specials, sales and incentives the same time each month, this will entice customers to return and check the different specials offered.
  • When shipping your orders, send them a coupon with a discount or an offer for a free item with their next purchase.
  • Invite customers to "bookmark" your page or add to their favorites, this allows them to access your site easily.
  • Ask them to recommend your online shop to a friend.
  • Most important is to ensure your site is easy to navigate, your shopping cart is safe and secure and you offer a privacy policy to ensure they are comfortable shopping on your site.
  • Make your site is inviting, keeping the colors, text and logo design uniform.
  • Don't "Clutter" your site with useless information or unnecessary pictures. There are still many Internet uses who have "DSL", therefore taking a long time to load. Some of your potential customers will become impatient and not wait for your site to load. This creates a possibly of a "lost" customer. Keep your site neat and uncluttered, adding only the necessary information and pictures to help the customer see what you have to offer.
  • Supply your information, i.e., email, address and telephone number. Some are still uncomfortable making purchases on the web. You may receive many sales via your telephone, directed from your website.
  • Make sure you have reviewed every page of your website, the keywords, meta titles, meta descriptions, information and pictures must be there. This ensures the "spiders or robots" will visit your site regularly, which will help increase your page ranking when people are searching on the web.
  • Go out of your way to ensure you help your customers with their needs, they will remember and return to your site instead of a competitor's site!
  • Join an online shopping mall to gain exposure and presence on the web. This not only helps promote your site, but will enhance the number of visits you receive and sales made.
  • Advertise your site in national magazines, it's a must! Think of yourself as a "stand alone" store in the desert with no roads leading to you because of your location. There are millions of online shops or websites, but if you don't advertise, just because you "build it, doesn't mean they will come". You have to make your presence known on the web.
  • Join an online shopping mall with good advertising benefits is one of the most important things you can do, it's great networking and provides untold opportunities if you want to succeed in the "website desert"! Most of the time, you can join and your membership costs will be less than one ad placed in National Magazines!
  • Shop around and compare benefits and costs of being a member of an online shopping mall.
  • Ask questions before joining, this will ensure you know what you are entitled to as a member, of any online shopping mall.

There are many things you can do to make sure your online shop or boutique is a success, these are just a few points I wanted to share.

As you plan your advertising budget for 2010, check into the cost of advertising in National magazines, it's costly, but necessary. We invite you to join us, we work very hard to help you "get noticed" with product display ads which are visible, and at a cost more affordable than paying for your own advertising fees!

Our newest ad above, in Somerset Life, is on the back outside cover in their January 2010 issue, notice the size of the pictures? Look at our past ads here. We ensure you'll "get noticed" at a reasonable cost which will fit your 2010 budget, plus many other fabulous benefits are available at Shabby Cottage Shops. We invite you to come join us today! You can compare our membership benefits and costs here. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me or leave a comment, would love to hear any suggestions you may have!

Happy New Year!

Debie

Shabby Cottage Shops

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Merry Christmas to all...

Christmas is almost here and the New Year is just around the corner! It's so hard to believe Christmas day is just five days away! It seems like yesterday when Shabby Cottage Shops was just a dream and we are now almost six months old! Where has the time gone? It's been a very busy six months!

We have many fabulous shops with the most wonderful owners offering a wide array of gorgeous items! Each shop owner is so unique in their very own way and have the kindest hearts, not to mention the wonderful variety of fun personalities. I am thrilled I have been allowed to get to know each member individually and thank them for the vote of confidence they have extended to me and Shabby Cottage Shops, during our first six months as a new online shopping mall, for without each and everyone of you, Shabby Cottage Shops would not be!

I would also like to thank several online shopping malls, especially Joyce, of Make Mine Pink and Polly, of the French Cupboard, who so graciously embraced us with open arms and included us in so many wonderful events! As Joyce would say, "it's all about women helping women"! To all of you who have supported us, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Wishing everyone warm wishes, wonderful times with family and friends, enjoy the upcoming holiday season!

Debra
Shabby Cottage Shops

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Our Newest ad in Romantic Homes and a "Sweet Treats" Blog Giveaway at Shabby Cottage Shops!

This is our newest full page ad in Romantic Homes, it's due on the newsstands December 22, it's their Valentine's Day issue! Can you believe Christmas is almost here and ads are coming out for Valentine's Day?

We'll be having another great giveway on our blog to celebrate Valentine's Day, a "Sweet Treats" giveaway, just in time to give your special sweetheart a romantic gift from Shabby Cottage Shops! Please check back for information on our "Sweet Treats" blog giveaway coming soon!

You'll have to follow our blog, leave a comment and sign up for our newsletter, that's it to participate in our next holiday blog giveaway at Shabby Cottage Shops!

We invite you to join us as a member of Shabby Cottage Shops, our membership benefits and costs are guaranteed to be the best available on the web. Stop by today and found out how you can become a member of Shabby Cottage Shops, look at our ads, join us and "get noticed"!

Happy Holidays,
Debie
Shabby Cottage Shops!



It's Pinkalicious Christmas Party Time ~ Only 15 Days left!

Christmas is just around the corner! It's hard to believe it's only a few weeks away! You're invited you to join us today! This week's theme is the "Perfect Pink Present" for our weekly, Pinkalicious Christmas Party. Stop by and see what's new this week at Shabby Cottage Shops! You'll find a wonderful selection of beautiful pink items including kitchen accessories, gorgeous ornaments, hand painted signs and home decor! Plus there are great sales, free gift wrap, a fun contest and more! Our boutiques are adding new merchandise to ensure your shopping pleasure. There's still time to get everything on your wish list by Christmas! Make sure to stop by and complete your shopping at Shabby Cottage Shops tomorrow, and take advantage of the great sales and special for one day only during our "Pinkalicious Christmas Party", Thursday, all day! Scroll down to see a sampling at what our members have this week for their parties!







Visit all the shops, at Shabby Cottage Shops, there's still time to complete your last minute holiday shopping! We're sure you'll find the "Perfect Pink Present" for your mom, granddaughter, friend, sister or co-workers at Shabby Cottage Shops today!

Happy Holidays!
Debie

Friday, December 4, 2009

Helping The Pink Slipper Project ~ Warming Hearts and Souls!


We are so thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful challenge! This is another one of "The Pink Slipper Projects", the "Comfort Challenge III". There were 12 moms and 22 children in the Christian Outreach Program in California. Joyce, the founder of Make Mine Pink called everyone into action to participate and help ensure these very special kids and their moms would have a little something for Christmas!

The challenge was met by so many wonderful contributors, ladies who sew their hearts out to "warm the hearts and soles" of those less fortunate than we are!

These are the stockings my 9 year old granddaughter, Lauren and I created to help make their Christmas morning very special! We would like to wish every mom and child a "Very Merry Magical Christmas" and best wishes for a bright and happy Holiday Season!

Please stop by "The Pink Slipper Project" and see what the next challenge is and help support these wonderful events, it will certainly "warm your heart and soul"! You'll find some of the prettiest stockings and slippers created by some very special ladies, won't you come join us in the next challenge?

Debie
Shabby Cottage Shops

Welcome our newest Member ~ Bella Rosa Designs!

Bella Rosa Designs has just joined Shabby Cottage Shops as a new front page member! You'll find Cherie resides in her cute little cottage between Nana Puddn' Designs and Bella Lucille, right on the front page!

Cherie has been featured in several publications, "Crafting Traditions", both on the cover and with an article and most recently in Family Circle!

You'll find beautiful new "Sparkling Plaques",The Bella Victorian Collection®! This beautiful collection of original and exclusive gifts and home décor will soon be presented as a separate entity. You will find items that compliment the elegant Victorian, Old World Antique, Timeless Traditional, or Romantic Cottage Style home or studio!

Visit Bella Rosa Designs at Shabby Cottage Shops today and let her know you stopped by her cottage!

Debie
Shabby Cottage Shops

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Wishing you a "Very Merry Shabby Chic Christmas"! It's Pinkalicious Christmas Party Time at Shabby Cottage Shops!


You're invited to celebrate with us tomorrow, Thursday, December 3rd. This week's theme is "A Very Merry Shabby Chic Christmas" for our "Pinkalicious Christmas Party". You'll find some wonderful new items this week, just in time for your holiday shopping! There's stunning new "wish boxes" at Debi Coules, twirl skirt sets and teacup lights at Nana Puddn' Designs and gorgeous handpainted kitchen accessories at Ribbons Roses and More!

Our shop owners are very busy adding new items to their boutiques on a daily basis, so make sure to stop by Shabby Cottage Shops tomorrow and enjoy our "Very Merry Shabby Chic Christmas" party at Shabby Cottage Shops! If you are looking for shabby chic, one of a kind, children's boutique clothing, Paris Apartment Style, French Chic or romantic home decor? You'll find it all at Shabby Cottage Shops and our beautiful boutiques. Every shop has added some new items and has a wonderful selection of gifts for your holiday shopping, along with some great sales from our talented members. Be sure to stop by on Thursday, all day, you're sure to find "The Perfect Gift" at Shabby Cottage Shops.

Have a Very Merry Shabby Chic Christmas!
Debie
Shabby Cottage Shops

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Who's the winner of the "Pink Present" at Shabby Cottage Shops?



We have a winner.....Congratulations to Chelsea S of New York! You have won our first "Pink Present" blog holiday giveaway valued at $400.00!! We hope you enjoy your beautiful products from all the participating boutiques at Shabby Cottage Shops!

You have three (3) days to email us with your entire name and shipping address, if we do not hear from you, we will do another random draw.

We would like to thank everyone who participated in the "Pink Present" holiday blog giveaway and stay tuned for more details on our next fabulous blog giveaway coming very soon!

Merry Christmas Chelsea S, from all of us at Shabby Cottage Shops!

Debie

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