State of the Hub: Shifting towards Fall

A little bit of Fall is coming into the air which brings to mind a shifting of the season for us. This means a few things for us. First off we are preparing for our sales to taper off and for our to shift towards ramping up our efforts on our website content and configuration. Second, it means we will be heading to Interbike soon.

With the inevitable tapering off of sales in the fall, we have the great opportunity to really focus in on all aspects of our website. Some of our primary focuses will be really improving a variety of high level pages on our websites where we present our expert knowledge on bicycle trailer, bags, racks and children’s cycling equipment. As a part of this, we will be focusing attention on improving our product photography and getting into product videos.

It’s been an interesting year for BikeShopHub.com with our site move and our business move. In my next post, I will be reflecting on some of the implications of our fluctuations and changes as we move ahead.

Our Internet Marketing Agenda:

1. Developing new marketing channels (currently feeds of our product database into shopping networks).
2. Maintaining & growing our current channels (currently Adwords, Google Shopping, Our 3 Blogs, Twitter & Facebook).
3. Developing analytics reporting on the success of our marketing channels.

Our Products Agenda (shop content):

1. Rewriting and adding images for our category descriptions.
2. Increasing our lineup of messenger bags, balance bikes, and trailer-cycles to our product lineup’s at BikeBagShop.com and BikeKidShop.com.
3. Preparing for better photography and video by investing in new equipment, software and setting up our photo area.

Our Website Interface Agenda (web programming):

1. Building our link massaging tool that allows for rapid intuitive cross linking of our content.
2. Cleaning up layout of our product description pages.
3. Integrating video into our product descriptions.
4. Working towards a broader spectrum at Bike Shop Hub with a forum, photo gallery, Wandertec manufacturing section, Extrawheel section and more integrated in (we’re considering getting started into Drupal for this).

Our Shipping & Logistics Agenda:

1. Settling in our organization of our inventory.
2. Integrating all of our inventory management and shipping management into one role.
3. Exploring a relationship with a freight forwarder.

Our Wandertec Manufacturing Agenda:

1. Setup relationship for manufacturing of the Wandertec BONGO load bed.
2. Get our current batch of 50 BONGOs powder coated.
3. Get back into brainstorming ideas for the BONGO rail system.

Current Promotions:

• Free BikeShopHub.com T-Shirts with bike cargo trailers and select Ortlieb Panniers.
• Free Strider Balance Bikes w/$500+ Chariot Carriers & Burley Child Trailers
  Free Bell Child’s Helmets w/under $500 Chariot Carriers Burley Child Trailers & Croozer Child Trailers
  Closeout of 2009 Burley Solo ST – Only $319! (Originally $549

Last Week’s Blog Posts:

• “The Riveting World of Cycling Legislation” http://ow.ly/2vmyS by @staceymoses
• “Chariot + Strider = Awesome!” – http://ow.ly/2vQzR – Adam’s post on our free Strider bike w/Chariots.
• Utility Cycling video post “The Kebele Bike Workshop” http://ow.ly/2uRxy
• Bike Trailer at Work Helping Local Food Share Program BikeTrailerBlog.com
• Political Activism by Bike UtilityCycling.org

Related posts:

1. State of the Hub
2. Final Day of our BIG Burley Sale!
3. Wrap Up of Flagstaff’s Bike-To-Work Week
4. Keeping the Warmth Inside