Online Company Store Blog

The Online Company Store Blog will highlight exactly why a company store is right for any brand, and what Sky High Marketing will do to make the store profitable.

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New Year, Fresh Start

While we never want the Christmas season to end, we are already looking forward to a new calendar year. Sky High Marketing can make some exciting changes to your online store. Just let us know what you want to do in the New Year!

Refresh “Skin” Pages: The New Year is a great time to give your store a different look with a fresh design and new products. We can refresh your home page to keep your store looking new and exciting this year. We will be introducing brand new products in the New Year and it’ll be a great chance to promote these trendy, hot items right away in January!

Offer Discounts: By offering special discounts throughout the year, you will help move inventory and increase attention to your store. For example, as everyone makes their resolutions in the New Year, you could offer items associated with healthy living at a reduced price. We can suggest different ideas specific to your store throughout the year to keep people shopping.

Offer Giveaways: Everyone loves free stuff, right? For an added incentive, we can offer a free item for every $25 spent. You pick the item, we promote it on your online store.  

If you’d like to learn more about how Sky High Marketing give your online store a new look this New Years, contact us today!

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Back to School Bargains

Ready or not, a new school year is fast approaching. For some, this time of year brings nervous excitement, sheer joy, or absolute dread. No matter your feelings about the upcoming school days, we have some ideas to make your back-to-school bright and fun.

For those of you in education, there are a lot of great items to offer in your company online store. For example, these string backpacks are a great product to offer for your school or sports team. 

For an easy-on-your-budget option, these school backpacks are a great choice.

Of course pens and writing instruments are a fun way to welcome back staff or students. We have many options for you at all different price points. 

If you’re brown-bagging it, these lunch bags offer a budget-friendly way to add your school logo or mascot to your lunch every day.

If you’re in an area with white winters like us here in Wisconsin, kids need to bring their snowsuits, boots, hats, mittens, etc. A tote bag with your school or organization on it is a great way to lug around all of the winter wear.

What are your must-haves for back to school? Contact us for a quote today.

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Keep Your Online Store Fresh

A fresh look to your online store can make a big difference. Just like a retail store changes up its inventory for seasons and sales, your online store’s fresh, new look can draw more attention from your shoppers. Sky High Marketing offers several ways to keep your online store looking fresh, such as:

 ·         Creating a Marketing Calendar: Some of our online stores prefer us to create for them a calendar that outlines their updates throughout the year. We brainstorm monthly updates and promotions based on their marketing goals and needs, making each update in a smooth and timely fashion.

·         Refreshing “Skin” Pages: Sometimes a simple design change or moving items around can make a huge difference. We can refresh the home page to change up the look to keep your online store fun and interesting.

·         Offering Discount Codes: If you’re looking to move some inventory or want to offer special discounts during certain seasons (For example, 25% off of apparel for nurse’s week), we can suggest different discounts to keep your store fresh and appealing for your audience.

·         Promoting Free Items: One option many online stores include is a free item for every $25 spent. These and other incentives have been popular options for many of our online stores.

 If you’d like to learn more about how Sky High Marketing can keep your online store looking fresh and new, contact us today!

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The Journal Comeback

Paperless? Schmaperless…

If you’re like us, everyone in our office uses notebooks, journals, planners, and doodle pads. Even tech companies like Google and Apple are kicking it old school and supplying employees with journals as gifts. As much as we’ve gone paperless with many things, we still value pen and paper. Think about the last time you received a handwritten thank-you note. Or a birthday card that arrived via mailbox. Paper isn’t going out of style anytime soon.

Now is a great time to introduce journals in your online company store. Check out these creative ways to use journals in your company:

1st Day on the Job: Think about how overwhelmed you were on the first day. Imagine one of these colorful journals, a writing box or a refillable journal sitting on your desk as a “Welcome to the Company” gift?

Note-taker: Meetings happen. Instead of having everyone glued to their laptops taking notes (or shopping on Amazon), give your employees a journal or notebook to jot notes. Or this dry-erase cover for interactive meetings.

Planners/Organizers: Ahhh…the satisfaction of physically crossing of something on your “to-do” list with a pen. There is nothing like it. There are lot of options for padfolios, jotters or wellness journals to keep track of everything you need.  

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Fresh Looks for Spring

Spring is 33 days away. Officially. Not that we’ve been counting or anything. Most people in Wisconsin get large amounts of happiness from seeing the first spring tulip pop out of the ground and swapping out their bulky winter coats for spring jackets. Spring is awesome for so many reasons, but it is also the perfect time for fresh starts and new beginnings.

If you’re looking for some fresh new looks for your online store this spring, we’ve got some great choices for you. Golfers, we have nylon jackets and balls, perfect for the first day out on the course. Birders, check out these great binoculars. Outdoor sports fans, we have balls and more for you. If you are just looking forward to a spring picnic, check out our blankets and BBQ items. And just in case, make sure to bring your umbrella for those unexpected spring showers.

 Happy (almost) spring!

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Shopping for an Online Store this Christmas season?

With the New Year approaching, now is a great time to reevaluate your online company store needs. Take a look at your existing online store, if you have one, and analyze its content. Is it working for you? Does it offer a satisfactory shopping experience for your users? Are you happy with the results?

On the other hand, if you do not currently have an online store, it might be the perfect time to start one. In either situation, you’re likely to have questions. Here are some questions you might want to ask potential vendors while you’re shopping for the perfect partner:

·         What is your lead time?

·         Do you have warehousing capabilities?

·         Can you handle rush orders? How long on average to ship items?

·         Will you put together a marketing plan for our site?

 Check out one of our newest online store client: Michels Corporation.

Michels contacted us for a number of reasons. They:

·         were concerned their current online store product offerings had gone stale.

·         wanted a fresh look and a welcoming web storefront for their users.

·         wanted quicker turnaround times.

·         were interested in new ways to update their logo capabilities for their employees and other customers.

 With the capabilities we have with our vendors, we were able to show them some new, exciting ways to show off their logo on apparel and other goods.

 If you’re looking to upgrade or start your online store, contact us today: [email protected].

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Quiz time today! The topic: Online Stores and Your Company Needs.

Many of our clients wonder if their company could benefit from an online store but don’t know where to start or which questions to ask. This short quiz can help you figure out if you need an online store.

Question #1: Is your company in multiple locations? If you have offices in several cities and many people from each office order merchandise, this can be time-consuming as well as confusing. An online store streamlines your orders as all merchandise ships from our locations to wherever you need it.

Question #2: Do you lack storage space? If you find your promo closet bursting at the hinges, you can certainly benefit from an increase in storage. Our warehouses keep all of your items until they are ready to ship.

Question #3: Do your promo items lack consistency in branding? Do you notice any of your promo items having slightly different logos or colors? When using an online store, your brand guidelines are specific to your company, exactly matching your PMS colors and logos. All of your merchandise and apparel is completely consistent with your brand.

Question #4: Do you have a hard time tracking costs for promo items? When multiple people from different departments in your company order promo items, sometimes it is difficult to track how much each department is spending and which department is actually using the merchandise. Our online stores provide a system for running reports on all orders. Then your internal finance team can expense the proper department or person for the cost.

Question #5: Does your company take pride in their promo items? This is one of the most exciting parts of an online store. Our team can help update your website to show the latest in apparel and merchandise so that your team is excited about their products. The website and promo offerings stay fresh and relevant, so that each team member can find something that they are proud to use and wear. 

Question #6: Do you or others in your company spend a lot of time ordering items that you need FAST? Do you find yourself placing a lot of rush orders or need items with a quick turnaround? With our warehousing capabilities, we have the ability to quickly send items. Rush orders are no problem when we have them in-house.

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, chances are your company can benefit from an online store. Contact me for more information today!

Josh Kozinski, Chief Business Development Officer

[email protected]

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Exciting News for our Online Company Stores!

Sky High Marketing has some exciting news to share! Effective September 1st, 2016, SalesSmith, a family-owned promotional products distributorship and marketing firm from Elm Grove, Wisconsin will merge with Sky High Marketing. This partnership will combine 150+ years of experience and we look forward to the exciting opportunities this merger will bring. Take a look at our video to learn more!

So what does this mean for you? If we are currently managing your company’s online store, you will receive the same quality service as in the past, but with our additional resources, staff, and warehouse, we can continue to offer more services for your company. If you are looking to create an online store, it is a great time to start! To learn more, contact us!

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Heat Up Your Online Store This Summer

As summer starts to sizzle, it’s a great time to heat up your online store sales. So many events happen in the summer: weddings, company outings, festivals, employee appreciation events, golf outings, fundraisers, and so much more. It’s the perfect time to recharge your online store with some themed summer merchandise.

Sky High Marketing offers a wide range of online company store services that are customizable to your company needs. We offer a personable, enjoyable shopping experience for your employees and customers. We can suggest some great products that suit your company needs and wants. With our on-site warehouse and fulfillment, we offer plenty of options for inventory, non-inventory and hybrid stores. And this summer is a great time to start promoting your brand and taking it to the next level.

Don’t have an online store? Sky High Marketing can take you through the process step-by-step to create an attractive, user-friendly store. Take advantage of the summer slow-down and let us put our energy into a new (or improved) store this season!

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5 Ways an Online Store Can Boost Your Company’s Productivity

In the past month, how much time have you spent searching for promotional items, requesting samples, reviewing proofs, ordering, and approving invoices? The process can be time-consuming. And often, depending on the size of your company, there are multiple people, maybe even in different locations, doing the same thing. If you feel like it might be time to introduce an online store in your company, here are some ways that having an online store can increase productivity at your company:

1.       Get rid of the “marketing closet.” That often too-full closet filled with promotional materials is frequently visited by your employees whenever they need something for a trade show, giveaway, or quick marketing material. With an online store, just a few clicks at your computer will order exactly what you want and it can ship out of our warehouse in little time.

2.       We do the work for you. Our team of customer service representatives will source products for you. With over 500,000 products at our fingertips, we will help navigate exactly what you need and keep your website fresh. No more time searching for product—we make it easy and fast.  

3.       Boost Employee Spirit and Loyalty. Employees who wear clothing with your logo or use branded material in their daily routine will display more enthusiasm for the company, which translates to increased performance and employee pride. Plus, your employees will love that they can order any size or color of any item then want!

4.       Avoid common mistakes. What if someone places an order with the old logo or the wrong PMS color? Taking ownership of your online store will make sure that no mistakes will be made and your company’s brand will remain consistent across all items.

5.       Administration and reporting is our responsibility, not yours. Account information, customer service, web updates, coupon and gift certificate set up: we will take care of it all. The comprehensive reports will be sent straight to you.

It’s easy: all you need to do is include a link on your website—we will take care of the rest. Contact us today for a quote by emailing [email protected]. 

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Top 5 Benefits from an Online Store

If you’re riding the fence on whether or not you need an online company store, read on to find out five of the top benefits. Often corporations and organizations don’t realize the time and effort it takes to coordinate marketing materials and promotional items. Here are five common ways that your company can benefit from an online company store:

1. Save Time Are your employees spending their time coordinating, creating, sourcing or distributing marketing materials? Having an online store will free up their time and boost productivity. A company store simplifies the process so when you need an item for an upcoming event, the system is already in place and your order ships from our fulfillment department in a short time. At Sky High, we’ll take care of everything from design, product development and fulfillment.

2. Take Control of Your Company’s Brand Has it ever happened to you when a branded item arrives and seems totally off from what you expected? Starting with the design, your company store will be tailored to your unique brand in every way. Our in-house design team is expert at following brand standards to put together an online store design that is a perfect fit for you. Your brand colors and logos will be used so that your presence is consistent across your entire online platform. See examples of our online stores.

3. Keeping Costs Low Sometimes larger companies and corporations place duplicate orders without realizing. With an online store, you have the ability to make sure that the users are approved to place an order and all purchases are reported throughout the company in one easy reporting method. We handle all of the administration for your store—start to finish, and take care of all of the technical details and reporting, so you don’t have to.

4. No Inventory Problems Often custom-branded merchandise can take days to arrive, but with an online store, those products are already in stock and ready to ship the same day. No questions about inventory—it is all up-to-date on your website. We offer three types of stores depending on your needs.

5. An Online Company Store Grows With You As your company or organization grows, let us take care of the eCommerce for you. With over 500,000 products at our fingertips, we’ll find the best combination to start your store off right. And, we will present new ideas for your store so you can keep your brand fresh.

If you’d like to know more about starting your online store or if you have questions about how your company can benefit, please contact us at [email protected].

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To Inventory or Not to Inventory?

We now live in a personalized society. Everything from wallpaper on your smartphone to your burrito at Chipotle is tailor made for you, the consumer. So why should your company's online store be any different?

The choice between carrying inventory in your online store or producing products on a one by one is a big decision. There are a few things to consider when deciding between a store with or without product inventory:

Customization Options: Giving your end user choices is rarely a bad thing. From polo color to local office logo, letting the consumer "create" their product gives it a more personal touch. And allows them to buy something they'll actually wear. You can't easily do this with inventoried merchandise - think about it, you'd need to carry multiple sizes, in multiple colors, with multiple logos. If customization is important, going without inventory is an easy call.

Buying Power: Ordering in bulk for online store inventory has a few distinctive advantages. One of which is price. In almost all cases, the more you buy the less it costs. You can pass those savings on to your consumer or pocket those savings for a profit.

Turnaround Time: Having products in a warehouse ready to ship gets the goods in your consumer's hands quickly. Custom apparel can take 2-3 weeks to produce and ship.

Overall Product Mix: The promotional marketing industry has evolved and improved year after year. One thing that will never change, however is the fact that it just doesn't make sense to logo a pen one at a time. Branded merchandise nine times out of ten needs to be ordered in bulk. If you decide you want a store with zero inventory, you'll need to stick to apparel and the few items that can be embroidered - higher end bags, totes, etc.

Our clients are migrating a hybrid approach more and more. What we're finding is the reduced initial buy and increased customization options lend themselves well to apparel, so there is less and less clothing inventoried. However, other merchandise is frequently inventoried to allow for a diverse product offering in our clients' stores.

Contact us today and we’ll find the right fit for your group.

Josh Kozinski President, Sky High Marketing 1-888-204-4403 x220

It all comes down to your company store's needs and goals. Regardless of whether you need $50,000 worth of inventory on hand or $0 and want every piece made-to-order, Sky High Marketing is a partner you can trust to administer your online store.

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The Art of Apparel: Mind the Fit

Our focus on apparel continues. Corporate apparel continues to evolve and now more than ever stays on-trend. Polos are no longer limited to two fits - men's or women's. Those days are over - and it really is a double edged sword. Knowing what garment fit you are choosing is more important than the style these days.

Polos are a great example. Classic, custom, slim - fit options are nearly limitless, and the names often do not do a good job describing how the garment will wear. Key areas to keep in mind when choosing a polo:

Sleeve length

Armholes

Torso

Length

Options are a good thing - we have the power to choose the perfect garment for our brand. A young, fit golf team might skew towards slim fit, while bank tellers may look for something a bit more breathable like a classic fit. Make sure you get it right the first time - order a sample. Your team will thank you for it. After all - once it's decorated, it's yours! Contact us today and we'll find the right fit for your group.

Josh Kozinski President, Sky High Marketing 1-888-204-4403 x220

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The Art of Apparel: Decoration

I've been focusing on apparel for my last few posts and for good reason. If your company views it's people like we do - the most important part of our business - and your people truly believe in your business - it makes sense to outfit your people with your logo. They'll wear it with pride. If you have been reordering corporate polos with an embroidered logo the last few years, you're missing the boat on some exciting new decoration techniques.

While there are and have been dozens of decoration options for apparel, few have been suitable for corporate apparel (see: puff paint). Recent innovations in the industry have allowed for classy, durable, and affordable decoration methods that are appropriate for small and large businesses alike. 

Embroidery - The gold standard of corporate apparel decoration isn't going away anytime soon. For durable and economical multi-colored logos, it's hard to stray from embroidery.

Transfer - Gone are the days of an ugly "bo"x around the shapes and letters that make up a logo. New technology in apparel decoration allows for transfers to take on any shape while withstanding the washer and dryer time and again. Perfect for the complex logo with fine details and multiple colors or gradients.

Deboss - We've taken the same high-end look of deboss on a promotional product and have applied it to apparel. Images do not do this justice - a logo truly is recessed in the garment!

Laser Etch - If your business requires durable apparel that can withstand tons of washes, laser etch might be the perfect solution. A tiny, extremely precise laser actually burns a logo into the garment. Since you're altering the fabric, not adding something to it, the end result is permanent and should last as long as the garment!

There are limitations to what garments can take a laser without torching it and what fabric colors allow for deboss. Let us be your experts and show you in person. Call us today and you'll see how revolutionary these decoration methods can be for your corporate apparel.

Josh Kozinski President, Sky High Marketing 1-888-204-4403 x220

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The Art of Apparel: Price Points

In my last post I dove into events, branding, and company uniforms to reveal how apparel solutions can enhance different segments of business. For most companies, the big sticking point to any internal purchase is price. If you aren't lucky enough to have an unlimited budget, you're not alone. Even Fortune 500 companies skimp on purchases from time to time. Whats most important is to know when to price-shop, and when to splurge on the upgrade. You get what you pay for – It may be a cheesy old adage, but it couldn't be more accurate in the apparel world. You can certainly buy a three dollar t-shirt, but that's better suited for a one day event or handout. Remember that the apparel you provide is an extension of your brand - using bargain basement clothing at the wrong time can cheapen your image.

Brand name comes at a premium – When deciding between a Nike Golf Polo and a Port Authority Polo, you'll see a large price difference but a very similar quality garment. Is the swoosh worth nearly double the price? Demand options – Many manufacturers will tier the quality of their garments within a line. Sticking with the Nike Polo example, there is a Dri-Fit Polo for under $30, a Dri-Fit Polo just below $40, and one around $65. When you factor in the sheer volume of clothing companies out there, the choices and price points are nearly endless. Make sure you find the right one for your needs.

Whatever your budget, offering apparel at the right price on your online company store is critical to it's success. Call me today to get started. Josh Kozinski President, Sky High Marketing 1-888-204-4403 x220

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The Art of Apparel: Branding Boosts

In my last post I focused on the banking, healthcare and field service industries to give a broad feel for the types of apparel an online company store can offer and how to select the best fit for your organization.  Going beyond industry or apparel types, here are a few examples of the many applications for the apparel shop in your online company store: Uniform shop –offer pieces that will give employees a range of options and stay within specifications.  Choice is an important motivator and will give your staff a real feeling of pride in their appearance.

Insider Tip: I talked about brand control in an earlier post and the concept of uniform appearance is just as important.  It also has a very similar solution – your online company store keeps your uniform pieces coming from one source where branding and presentation can be controlled without extensive effort from your staff.

Events – whatever your reason or your venue, logoed apparel makes a good impression, presents a strong brand image for your guests, and keeps your staff easily identifiable.  Putting event pieces on your online company store ensures that each person gets the right size and color without any extra work. Branding –apparel pieces foster team spirit and give your brand high visibility. See the impact when you offer logoed apparel for both on and off the job.

Insider Tip: incentivize your apparel program – give new employees a gift certificate to your online store so they can buy wearables that show they are a part of the team!

Whatever your application, offering apparel on your online company store just makes sense.  Call me today to get started. Josh Kozinski President, Sky High Marketing 1-888-204-4403 x220

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The Art of Apparel: Industry Matters

In my first series, I focused on why an online company store should be a part of your business plan.   Over the course of 2012, I shared the building blocks of great online company stores in my second series of posts. As part of that series I talked about the importance of the right product mix for an online company store.  This next series will focus that discussion on apparel in your online store.

Whether you provide everyday wearables or apparel for on the job, the right mix is important to your store’s health.  You’ll want to choose pieces that fit your organization’s culture and appeal to your end users.  Keeping the apparel in the store fresh will help keep sales up.  Though every store is unique, we can look at some broad industry categories to illustrate how apparel mixes might differ. Banking

Start your career-wear collection with basic oxfords, a ladies’ cardigan, and fine-gauge sweaters.  Keep your mix fresh by adding in fashionable name brand pieces like a set of Calvin Klein button-downs. Health Care

Scrubs are an obvious choice, as is a selection of professional wear with polos and wovens.  Give sales a boost while promoting employee health by adding in a line of fitness pieces like yoga pants and moisture wicking shirts. Field Service

Whatever field your agents are in, a savvy mix will keep your team’s morale high and everyone looking their best.  Go with snag resistant performance polos in a host of colors.  Change it up with variables like sleeve length and trendy colors or styles with color blocking.  Add an outerwear collection for extra brand visibility. Your online company store provider should partner with you to find the right mix of apparel pieces for what you do.  If you’re ready to launch a store with wearables that are on trend, increase brand visibility, and boost sales call me right now. Josh Kozinski, President 262-542-8286