Your Facebook fans want discounts.

Google recently studied the behavior of Facebook fans and found 45% of Facebook users become fans of brands.

Of the users that become fans 18% like one or two brands, 11% like three or four and 16% like 5 or more.

Google also surveyed the reasons Facebook users become fans of brands.

The #1 reason? 25% of the respondents do it for the discounts.

Other leading reasons were to show support for the brand, get early access to news, and because the brand is fun and entertaining.

Long story short, start offering discounts to your Facebook fans. It’s what they want.

Click to read the Google article.

Here’s a handy article on how to make sure your Wordpress blog is as secure as possible.

The folks over at Mashable.com say that Wordpress is pretty secure right out of the box, but they go on to mention security tips ranging from making sure you have a strong password and the most recent software to modifying file permissions and adjusting your Htaccess file.

Take a quick gander here: HOW TO: Secure Your WordPress Blog

If you’re looking for other ways to get more out of your social media, learn how to increase your brand presence with our custom Facebook and Twitter pages.

You’ve got your business a Fan Page on Facebook, and maybe even a custom Shop tab. Now you just need to do something about that ugly Fan Page URL.

Fortunately Facebook makes it easy to create a branded, SEO-friendly URL for company Fan Pages with the Username feature.

Below are the steps to go from something like this:
“http://www.facebook.com/pages/vortxinc/351024904799″

To something like this:
“http://www.facebook.com/vortxinc”

Note: Your Fan Page must have at least 25 fans in order to be eligible for  a username.

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If you’ve already got a custom tab for your company’s Facebook fan page, you may want to prepare now for the dramatic reduction in horizontal space  allowed for tabs.

Previously, custom tabs could be 760 pixels wide.  Facebook recently announced that the new width will be 520 pixels, ostensibly to make room for larger ads.

Application tabs (including static FBML tabs) will be the only way to integrate applications into profiles and Pages. Application tabs will shrink from 760 pixels wide (today) to 520* pixels wide to accommodate a slightly revised design. Boxes, info sections, and the Boxes tab will be removed in the near future.

The loss of 240 pixels could significantly impact your tab design.  Don’t get caught unprepared when Facebook makes the change.  Order your new fan page tab here.

Social network marketing is changing the face of e-commerce. Social networking’s biggest draw is its immediacy, and none are more immediate than Twitter.

So how can e-tailers take advantage of Twitter? I’ll highlight a couple quick promo and marketing ideas.

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In the final installment of our series on how to reach out to more customers, we talk about Facebook, Twitter, and blogs.

Each of these methods revolve around one thing, interaction. If you expect to create a profile or blog, then just sit back and wait for the customers to come to you, you’re in for a long wait.

Each of these methods has different requirements for success.
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Last time we showed you how data feeds (RSS and XML) can help drive customers to your store.

This time around we’re going to be a little more traditional and show you how two different types of email can make customers notice you.

The first, newsletters, shares news about your industry and useful tips. The second, email marketing, is one of the most cost effective ways to entice customers to purchase.
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Product videos are a compelling way to increase customer interest.

According to this InternetRetailer.com article, Shoeline.com increased conversion rates by 40% after adding 100 videos showing how a shoe looks on a model’s foot.

We’ll show you how to add links to YouTube videos that pop up when the user clicks a link. To do this, we’re going to use a script called Thickbox. Thickbox opens a modal box displaying the content, immediately drawing the user’s attention to the video.

We’re going to do this in three main steps:
1. Download and install Thickbox on your site.
2. Modify the skin template to use Thickbox.
3. Modify the product description to add a link to the video.

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Why did the use of video to promote online products skyrocket by 20% last year? Because it works.

Video is educational, entertaining, and enables consumers to have a better visual understanding of the product they are purchasing, which serves to increase sales.  Video also has a far greater chance of being spread via word of mouth and attracting a much larger audience to your website.

“Will it Blend?” and a 5x Sales Increase
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The predominant trend in 2009 will be leveraging the natural networking capacity of the Internet to increase the visibility of your brand and website. With the down turn in the global economy, online businesses need to focus their attention on proven methodologies for increasing online sales.

There is no ‘magic bullet’ for online success.

Customers buy from businesses they know, like, and trust.

Building trust and providing ‘real’ value is essential for eCommerce success in 2009. Effective eCommerce is a continuous process of providing innovative marketing and significant value.

You want to model your marketing strategy after the internet, and it will spread like the internet and grow like the Internet.

Focus on 2 things:

1. connecting with people
2. providing significant value

In 2009 you want to dominate your niche market. This means your website must implement the basic elements of eCommerce success:
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