Business Update - 6/2/07

Just a quick note about some current and upcoming changes.

First, I have updated the website so that all of the pages incorporate the new design that we introduced about three weeks ago. I'd love to hear your comments! Our eBay Auctions & eBay Store will have the new design within the coming week. Second, I will be adding a comprehensive support section in the very near future. Stay tuned for it!

Also, a new driver installation video is now available. It will walk you through the steps of using our products to install drivers for your PC.

Finally, I am pleased to announce that by the end of next week, we will be introducing two new products. Also, the enhancements for the current product line are continuing. I plan to add them to an existing product about every two weeks or so.

Have a great weekend! Enjoy the warm weather!

eBay Tip of the Week

I hope to make this a regular feature, (if I remember). After over five years of selling on eBay, I feel that I have quite a bit I can contribute in the way of suggestions for running your eBay business. Let me share just a quick suggestion with you.

Use keyword-driven titles
You only have a few brief words to describe your item. Make sure that you pick out keywords that potential customers might use when searching for your product and incorporate them into your title. Be sure that you don't make it sound stilted. You want a title like:
Refreshing, Cleansing Hand Soap Kills Germs
You do not want:
Refreshing,cleansing,hand soap,bath soap,best soap

Keep it short and to the point, but make sure that you include keywords that are not only descriptive, but that users might type in to Google to find your product. If you already have a website, just look at your server logs or website statistics to see which words users are using to find you. If you don't have a website, setup a few test auctions for the same product but with different titles. You will be surprised at which ones sell the best. Most of all, keep experimenting. The effectiveness of titles changes over time due to changing competitors, customers already owning your product, and many other factors. I usually have at least two "experimental" auctions running for my most popular products at any given time.

With a little bit of practice, you will be a title writing pro in no time! Just be sure to put yourself in the customer's mindset when creating titles for your eBay auctions.

New Employee

Amazingly enough, two jobs is just keeping me too busy for business development! That is why I have hired a manager. She will be in charge of answering most customer emails, auction-related tasks, and order fulfillment. I'm training her over the next few weeks, and I hope that this will allow me to better concentrate on product improvements. Please be patient as she learns the ropes.

What's New With the Business - 6/1/07

There are some exciting things ahead for the software side of the business. First, a little housekeeping though. I am ending my onsite support end of the Toledo Computer Doctor. I guess the name doesn't fit as well since we are now a software only company, but, oh well...I love the logo, so there!

Back to the software end of things (now the only end, I suppose). Up until now, the business has been more of a sideline venture, but after considering all of my options, I think that devoting more time to product enhancements, support, new products, and the overall user experience is important. To that end, I'll be introducing some new things over the summer. Here is what to look for:

1. Driver packages for individual models - I know many of our customers are on broadband, but a 700MB-1400MB download is still a hefty one. It also puts an additional strain on our server. In order to help our users get the device drivers they need, we will be introducing driver packages for individual models. This means that you no longer need to download an entire CDs worth of drivers for just a few drivers for your laptop. One word of caution, some newer model laptops still have over 300MB of drivers. For these laptops, you need to expect a long download for the device drivers you need (you can, as always, order the CD, as well).
2. Driver Support Guide - This is a feature I have wanted to introduce for some time, but, until the other day, didn't have a clear idea of how. I know that many potential customers want to make sure that a specific driver is included and that it supports their version of Windows. In order to provide this information in an easy-to-access and understandable manner, I will be adding "Driver Support Guides" to each of our products over the coming weeks. I hope that this makes future purchasing decisions easier and less prone to problems after the sale.
3. DVD Collections - Let's face it. Many of our customers are local PC repair shops or home hobbyists who do repair work on the side. They need a vast collection of device drivers, and as few discs as possible to access them. For these individuals and businesses, we will be introducing DVD packages that contain drivers for all of a model series (e.g., Dell Inspiron). The price will be lower than buying each individually. Look for these DVD packs near the end of the summer.
4. Website Improvements - I have quite a few website improvements planned. First, I plan to add a comprehensive support section to the website. I want to be able to answer most of the common questions from this support section. Second, I will be adding several guides that go over how to use particular features of the Windows Repair & Recovery CD. Finally, I will be adding a free software section and giving a makeover to the product download pages.
5. Revised Desktop Driver Pack - Some past customers may remember DriverDisks.com's Desktop Driver Pack. Well, I will be giving that product a massive revision and offering a newer version by the end of the summer. It needs quite a few new drivers, and I don't want to put off that update any longer. Hopefully, I can return that product to its former usefulness.

As you can see, there are quite a few changes happening. Unfortunately, they take more time than I would like, but you will see a flurry of activity all throughout the summer. Stay tuned for new products, thousands of new device drivers, an easier to use website, many new product enhancements.

Welcome to the family

Thanks for reading! I won't bore you with what this blog is supposed to be about or accomplish. This being my second blog, I find it helpful to just give you a little background on myself.

I currently work at a bank full time and also run my own business on the Internet (I am also engaged). So yeah, I am a very busy guy. The business I own is my third if you count actual ventures that launched successfully. I thoroughly enjoy the work I do, and look forward to sharing with you the trials, successes, and new opportunities of my business. My hope is that you will learn something and maybe even be inspired to start your own little venture.