TaskHusky Curated Newsletter #019

The Kentucky Derby Fiasco, What-the-Freak App?, the folks with ALL the Money Want to Shop, IoT in eCommerce, and more.

May 07, 2019

Hello there -

Did you watch the Kentucky Derby? Crazy, right? I know almost nothing about horse-racing. But what I saw was this: a horse “won” the race, the race was rough and tumble, it looked good to everyone else but “experts” saw some sort of technical foul, the rider of another horse got mad about it, now another horse won. None of that altered the quality of the Mint Julep cocktail in my hand for Derby Day – and it was very tasty indeed.

Business doesn’t work that way. In business, more than one company can “win” and “rough and tumble” is just another day’s work. “Winning” is the pursuit of happiness – paying your bills, making a few bucks on the side, and working for yourself.

Business is a lot better.

Here are this week’s top stories.

1. OK … This Is Getting Weird – Facebook and WhatsApp

It feels like EVERYONE wants to get into eCommerce. And in the case of Marky-Mark Greedy-berg, he is trying to transform every single platform they own into eCommerce. We’ve already told you about Facebook Marketplace and Instagram Checkout. Now the snark-master CEO of Social Media Land is trying to convert WhatsApp into an eCommerce platform too. He’s adding a “Product Catalog” function to WhatsApp Business.

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2. What Does This Mean To Us? (IoT and eCommerce)

Did you know that the average home in the US has five internet-connected devices? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by that number. I’ve got two webcams, whole house audio, a security system, three Apple TVs – heck, that’s six right there not including my WiFi network and iPads. But a lot of the bigger-than-the-rest-of-us-powers-that-be think that all those devices – and the ones still to come – are going to disrupt eCommerce … again.

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3. OK, This Is a Pretty Good List – Don’t Drive Your Customers Crazy

We can all agree that there is “good crazy” and “bad crazy.” In the case of eCommerce websites, “bad crazy” means stuff that frustrates and annoys customers, thus causing cart abandonment and bounces. SocialMediaToday made a list and created an infographic. So sure … let’s take a look.

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4. We Promised You More Info – SnapChat and Shopify Partnership

Last week we told you all about it. In fact, I think that we were the first eCommerce newsletter anywhere to break the news … your welcome!

And yes … we ARE that good.

Anyway …here is more information about the brand-new partnership between SnapChat and your most favorite eCommerce platform (Shopify).

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5. Why Not Sell to the Folks With All the Money?

I get it … all of you reading this email are the young and beautiful Instagram stars driving Lamborghinis and sipping Dom Perignon at a pool party. But the market with the most cash on hand are folks over the age of fifty. And you know what? Looks like there is a TON of bad advertising and marketing aimed and these silver-haired shoppers. FastCompany talks about the terrible state of senior marketing, and we think everyone should pay attention … but

only if you want to actually sell stuff to folks with money.

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We are getting crazy-good open rates on these emails – you folks really-really like us! What the heck? I’ve been trying to be snarky and get a laugh or two. But it looks like I’ve been successful by mistake. But you can make that mistake pay off by sharing this email with other folks who need eCommerce info … or even if they just need a good chuckle. So do it now before I get all snarky again.

Happy Selling,

Zachary