Our idea: Making small content video once a week. A 30 second to a minute video about e-commerce and digital marketing. I will explain terms related to digital marketing, marketing ideas, eCommerce ideas, or how certain things work.

So it could be about:

• the Facebook conversion pixel.
• Ads on Google (AdWords for example)
• How to collect email addresses?
• Remarketing ( how to use it and what it is?)
• Tips on shipping (how to do it and ways to save on shipping)
• Tips on product photography
• Tips on description writing
• SEO tips

So, it’s going to be mostly tips to help you demystify e-commerce and demystify digital marketing.

Follow us on our Facebook page Mister eCommerce, follow us all over social media and you will receive these great tips.

The fields to register will be at the bottom of the page!

So thanks! It was David for MistereCommerce.com

The post Signup for the weekly ecommerce tip! appeared first on Mr eCommerce.

I will focus on the eCommerce part of this tax, because I find it does not make sense, despite what Peter Simons said last year at the Hop! salon of the CQCD.

First, you have to know about this statistic:

3 out of 4 dollars spent on the Internet by Quebecers is spent outside Quebec. It’s like this for two reasons:

The first reason: There’s no offer.

Try to get a spare part for your washer-dryer on the internet from a Quebec dealer, a replacement remote control for your television. Currently in Quebec and even in Canada, there are not enough traders who sell on the Internet. This is the first reason why we are forced to buy outside Québec on the Internet.

Second reason: It’s too expensive!

That’s what I’m going to focus on. Why is it too expensive? 2 reasons: GST-QST, you must pay 15% more than if you buy on an American site in addition of the shipping. As for the shipping, it costs 3-4 times more to ship a small parcel from Montreal to Quebec City than it is from Champlain, New York just across the border to Quebec City. Then, necessarily the Quebecers pays more if they buy local.

If there are more taxes that are charged to Amazon, one of the two following things will happen:

1. Amazon will continue to sell to Quebecers and Quebec consumers will pay more. If that’s what it is, what’s going to happen? Quebec retailers will continue to close because people are buying more and more on the Internet.
2. Amazon will not want to pay this tax and will prefer to withdraw from Canada. What’s going to happen? Quebec consumers will no longer have an offer because everything that isn’t offered on the on a Quebec website, the Quebec consumer will not be able to buy it overnight, of course . Will they actually go back to the traditional shops? I doubt it!

It’s fair to say, I think, it’s going to make the situation worse in Quebec.

An audacious proposal?

If, on the contrary, the taxes were removed on all Internet transactions in Quebec. This means that Peter Simons, who sells a dress to a Quebecer on the Internet, would no longer be charge GST / QST taxes. In his store, he continues to charge them, but on the internet no. What will it do?

First, there are more and more Quebec retailers that will sell on the internet because clearly, they will be more competitive level price. So they’re going to sell on the internet, necessarily.

And there are more Quebecers who will buy in local on the Internet!

There will be more offer, they will pay less or equal price with American sites so they will buy more on the local website.

Basically, at the same price, why buy on an American site when you can buy it here?

It’s just that right now, it’s impossible to do.

And then you will see my comparison:
I compare this to the Anti-Spam C28 Act that came out 3 years ago. That is completely ridiculous. The government is strictly looking at their treasury. The Anti-Spam Act currently prevents Quebec and Canadian merchants from using email marketing.

On the other hand, the foreign companies (yes there are partnerships with some countries) benefit from it. I receive daily SPAM from companies in India, China, Russia and elsewhere in the world. Currently, this legislation has placed our Quebec companies at a disadvantage.

The result: if there’s a Google Tax, I am convinced that it will disadvantage Quebec companies.

If there’s a Google Tax, it’s going to inflate the government’s short-term revenues because they’re going to get more revenue. But it will melt the sales of Quebec stores that provide employment.
So in the end, are we really going to earn money?
I don’t think so.

And will companies here benefit from that? I am convinced otherwise.

Do you seriously think that Amazon will want to pay a tax on their income?

The article says the government would rely on credit card transactions.
The reality is that if we spend $ 100 on Amazon, Amazon only keeps 10% and gives $ 90 to the merchant who is behind, who sold it via their platform.

Do you really trust Revenu Québec to be able to come into this process of convincing big American companies to pay more taxes here in Quebec?

What is your opinion? Leave it in the comments!

The post The Google Tax: good or bad idea? appeared first on Mr eCommerce.

The Government of Canada and Quebec, in addition to not supporting Quebec’s electronic commerce, seem to be encouraging US e-commerce.

You’ll see by the numbers 

First, there was Peter Simons last year who made a public outing at the Hop Salon! of the CQCD by saying that it was less profitable to do business in Quebec, but that doing business online was even less profitable because it was necessary to charge the GST-QST to consumers.

I have the impression that the small 15% of GST-QST does not change much, mainly because we see the GST-QST returned to the shopping cart, at the end, when the credit card is presented. I feel that the problem comes from elsewhere and you will see with the numbers that I will give you that it is still ridiculous.

So I asked my client who, by the way is a medium-sized merchant. It’s not someone who ships 3 parcels a day, it’s someone who ships a few hundred parcels a month. A merchant who lives well on the internet, and who does great online business.

I asked him: give me the shipping price for a pair of sunglasses. A pair of sunglasses is about the size of a smart phone once it’s packed. It’s still relatively small. He tells me that 80% of the parcels bought on the Internet come in the format and the weight of a pair of  sunglasses.

What is the weight? It was approximately 100-113g that we calculated to make our shipping submissions.

You’ll see, it just does not make sense …

I asked him: Do it as if you were sending a pair of  sunglasses to Sainte-Brigitte de Laval, this is the village where I was born on the northern edge of Quebec. The postal code is G0A 3K0. Because there is a 0 to the 2nd character it is considered rural but I can assure you that today it is not as rural as when I was born.

So I said, Ok, you’re in Montreal. Make it as if you wanted to send a pair of sunglasses to Sainte-Brigitte de Laval.

So from Montreal to Sainte-Brigitte de Laval, Canada Post charges $ 14.74 Canadian to ship a pair of sunglasses from Montreal to Sainte-Brigitte. It is about 25min north of Quebec City.

I asked him: Let’s say you took your car and crossed the US customs to ship your package, how much would it cost? So I made the $ US $ CAD conversion. It would cost $ 3.17 Canadian to ship the same pair of sunglasses from US Customs to Sainte-Brigitte from Laval to Quebec City.

It makes no sense.

3.17 $ from the USA and 14.74 $ from Montreal!

It’s 3-4 times more expensive to ship the same pair of sunglasses.

It’s already hard for Canadian merchants, how do you expect them to compete with a low rates like that. Then necessarily they have to raise their price by $ 11. Clearly because the shipping will cost $ 11 more.

$ 11 for a pair of glasses that can be worth 20, 100 is still a major difference.

Do you want to know the best?

With this $ 3- 4 shipping fee: what’s going on? It’s Canada Post who carries the package anyway!
It’s Canada Post that carries the parcel! That’s the biggest aberration!

The pair of smoked glasses that will cost $ 14 to ship from Montreal to Quebec … it is Canada Post who will pick it up from the merchant and will take it to the customer in Quebec.
The same pair of smoked glasses that will cost US $ 3 in Quebec City, USPS takes the pair of glasses at the merchant, Canada Post picks it up and transports it to the customer in Quebec City!

You see? It is the same route, it is Canada Post that will charge 3-4 times more to our Quebec merchants!

That’s the aberration in the end because it’s the same company, it’s the same mileage …

Another example: Canada-Europe

Let’s say that our Canadian merchants in Quebec wanted to ship the same pair of sunglasses to Europe. Exporting is good for the economy.

If they were shipping the same pair of glasses in Europe, it would cost $ 40.59 with Canada Post from Montreal, meanwhile if they take their car to go to US Customs to ship from the US, we are talking about 7,60$ Canadian.

So $ 7 from the US, $ 40 if it’s from Canada.

I mean, it’s impossible: how do you expect our eCommerce from to do business in Europe
It’s expensive! It’s a huge barrier …

We’re talking about $ 33 more shipping. $ 33 on an 100$ item. it’s 33% more expensive. Besides, there is the GST / QST in all of this and a tax system, but we are not supposed to charge taxes to customers outside Quebec outside of Canada.

Example: Ship to Japan

Let’s say you want to ship to the rest of the world. In Japan, the same pair of smoked glasses will cost CAD $ 8.43 shipped from the US, $ 43.63 shipped from Canada. I don’t know if you realize the difference, we’re talking about a $ 35 difference.

The result?

Well, in Quebec it makes it very difficult, if not impossible to sell online.

You can ship your merchandise to the United States and return it to your customers in Canada. You are going to be able to have similar rates that are roughly 66% cheaper.

But nonetheless, for a small merchant who launches his online shop … I do not understand how governments think they will survive, but with rates like that, it’s impossible!

Support Please?

Somewhere else the Government or Canada Post will decide to help our traders here.

You may know the statistics: $ 3/4 spent by Quebecers online is sent out of Quebec. $ 3 out of 4. That means there’s only one dollar left here.

But think about it: why would a Quebecer buy on the internet at a Quebec dealer when it’s going to cost $ 3 if he buys from a US merchant in difference of $ 14 if he buys at a Quebec dealer? It makes no sense!

The solution?

Do business with US consolidators or with Quebec companies that have offices in the US and can ship your merchandise from the US to Quebec consumers. This is the only solution, if not, we are just not in the “game” in Quebec. We can not be in the “game” with shipping rates like this!

The post Why is Quebec e-commerce at a disadvantage appeared first on Mr eCommerce.

You should know that it is possible to photograph a large quantity of products in a short period of time. To succeed in this project, you will have to advocate a well-structured working method from the start. This will help you save a lot of time while getting the results you really want.

My name is Joseph Brouillard and I am a photographer for Mister eCommerce. In this article, I will give

you some essential tips for a successful shooting.

Evaluate locations and required installation

Here are the questions you’ll have to ask yourself to get started:

Will the external light sources harm my work?
Will I have enough space to work?
What background should I use, retro-lit or white background?

As far as the background is concerned, the Retro-lit background will be very useful when you are clipping with Adobe Lightroom. On the other hand, if you want to keep a shadow, then the white background will be recommended!

Turning on your device

When your camera is turned on, you must make sure that when you open it, the pictures will be taken in the best quality and format! Even today, it is a mistake that I happen to make from time to time. A small oversight that can have unfortunate consequences on the quality of the finished product. By developing this habit, you will be sure to start your photo session the right way!

Which operating mode to choose?

For the product photography, the manual mode is recommended. Since the shooting is done in the studio and there are multiple light sources to manage, I recommend that you set the aperture and shutter speed manually. Thus, you remain master of your device! Your images will be much sharper, which will add value to your site.

White Balance

You might be tempted by the automatic mode, AWB. It is simpler, faster and requires no adjustment. However, I advise against it; You need to know that the different light sources (halogen light, sun, neon, etc.) do not all have the same color temperature. By choosing the automatic option in these situations, your camera will mislead you with all these different color temperatures. You may get a finished product with a pink complexion.

When working under projector, the custom mode is indicated.

Here are 5 steps to perform a effective white balance:

1.Take a photo of a blank sheet
2.Enable Custom White Balance
3.Select the photo containing the blank sheet and validate
4.Choose the “Custom White Balance” setting by pressing “WB” on your device
5.You are ready to take pictures!
By following these steps, you will avoid unpleasant surprises and you will have the right colors.

Which angle should you use?

Each product is different, so it is possible that you need to use different shots for certain products. You

have to find the ideal position, the one that highlights your product.

It is with experimentation that you will find your answer. So you need to test different angles and different approaches with the zoom, while trying somethings with the product until you find the best position.

For those who have several types of products to shoot, keep in mind that your photos must be homogeneous, so they must all be taken at the same angles. Your website will benefit greatly!

Using a Tripod

Just a little destabilization or a slight involuntary movement, and now your images have lost quality. Do not take any chances, you can avoid unpleasant mistakes using a tripod. This one will assure your pictures stable. You will be able to use the zoom without losing resolution and your photos will have the brightness sought. In addition, it will greatly help for the homogeneity of your pictures.

The photographer’s kit

When it comes to photographing all sorts of different products (shapes, sizes, colors, textures and materials), there are different must have tools that a photographer will need :

White cardboard: very useful when external light creates a shadow or an unwanted reflection
Blue gum, sticky tape, glue etc. : Useful, when there is a corner roll up
Rope, always practical to hold a product up,
Gray or black cardboard, to bring out the color of the product when it is white.
Etc.

Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, but it gives you an idea of the ingenuity you need to photograph products.

Sometimes you’ll need ingenuity in order to photograph products of all formats from different angles and conditions that change from one photoshoot to another. Having a good game plan and good working methods is essential, but you also need to know how to improvise to adapt to circumstances and unforeseen circumstances, you’ll come upon them, believe me!

In conclusion, taking your time to settle down is the key. Once you are properly set up, your camera’s settings are adjust to your needs and the light is well adjusted, lean towards the sensor and take a look at it. Look at the product and tell him “You do not move anymore and smile …” click !!!

Questions, comments or objections?

The post 7 tips on product photography appeared first on Mr eCommerce.

A traditional photographer

Look at those pictures, they are numbered by chronological order.

These are the kind of document you’re going to receive by doing business with a traditional photographer.

Roughly, they will take pictures of your 500 products at home, 3 photos per product and they’ll deliver 1500 photos to a usb key or a small external hard drive with numbers like that.

At first glance, it sounds good, however, when the time comes and you have to go on your ecommerce to :

1.Create a new product
2.Put a title on your photo
3.Write a description
4.Associate the photos with your product.

At this point, there is nothing that looks more like a photo than another photo with a different number.

It’s not so practical! Seriously, this is really not ideal.
Think about it: if you have products that look alike, t-shirts that are very similar, or black shoes and you have 10 consecutive pairs of black shoes … it can easily become a big problem!

The difference between a traditional photographer and Mr. eCommerce?

At MisterEcommerce.com, we have invented a way that allows us to deliver renamed photos according to your needs!

For example, this customer asked us to rename the images according to their internal SKU.
So when they need to find a product, it’s very easy!

It’s really interesting …
There are also other examples: you can ask us to rename your photos according to a barcode or a UPC, (barcode_the number of the view front.jpg, back.jpg Example: 01239854823_front.jpg

You can ask us to use the product name to make it SEO-friendly.
You can ask us to put the code of the product with the color …

The possibilities are truly endless.

Here are some examples:

The advantage?

There are several, but it’s mainly for the SEO factor, it will really help.

The second advantage is that it makes it easier for you to find your pictures.

The third advantage, when it comes to adding products one by one, it makes it much easier for you to distinguish which product is connected to which photo.

At MistereCommerce, this particular service is only 75 ¢ per product, no matter how many products you have. That’s why I showed you the importance of it, it’s a must! See our rates for more details.

Other advantages?

Of course, the renaming service represents an great advantage of doing business with Mr. eCommerce. On the other hand, it is not the only one! The turnkey concept of Mr. eCommerce is also worthy of mention, it is a unique offer in Quebec.

I remind you; Mr. eCommerce takes pictures (3 simultaneous photos / product), write your descriptions and imports all your products to your site. In addition, the mr.eCommerce team comes on premise. No product photographer offer these services in particular, at the cheap price of Mr. eCommerce (starting $ 7 / product).

The post The main difference between a traditional photographer and Mister eCommerce appeared first on Mr eCommerce.

If you are in a hurry, go down further and you will have instructions on how to make a backup for Shopify,

What does it mean?

Well, we say: the backup, I will do it later and that is not really important …

However, if you delete a product. Let’s say you export your products to update it, you delete them before re-importing them up-to-date. Well, if you do that, your pictures will be gone from your website.

If you have a site like Zoey and you do not renew or you do not put your credit card number to keep the site running, they will delete all your data and it will disappear.

Same thing with Shopify.

E-commerce platforms do not backup your data.

So that’s why I decided to write this blog for you; To explain how to fix this situation!

This is a warning I am sending to you because it happened twice last week and I am convinced that it must happen to quite a few people who have Shopify sites or similar platforms.

Share this article with your friends who sell online because it’s really important: you have to backup your e-commerce platform and unfortunately it’s not automatic yet…

It will take discipline to make backups. You have to get reminders because if you do not, you risk losing everything you’ve done on your e-commerce platform.

How to do a backup with Magento, Prestashop and WooCommerce?

I gather these three platforms of eCommerce, because they are three platforms that you have to download.

To make a backup, nothing more simple:

First, you go on the FTP of your web hosting. Then you download all the files from your website.

Now you have to backup the database. You certainly have access to a app called PHPMyAdmin. Search on your cPanel, Plesk or on the management panel of your web hosting. Often, it’s in the “database” section.

Then click left on the database of your website. If there are more than one, repeat the next step for each one to avoid taking a chance.

At the top of the right part, click “Export” and save the export file somewhere on your computer.

How to make a Shopify backup?

As I said above, these hosted platforms are very practical and will make sure to have a backup of your current site in case their systems fail.

On the other hand, if you make a mistake: delete a product, a picture, forget to renew your package, decide to pause your online store … Well you lose all your data. Indeed, if you temporarily remove a product to export and reimport it, the pictures will be removed from their server without any way of retrieving them.

There are solutions, but they are not ideal.

On the Shopify documentation, you can see examples of backup for Shopify. However, this is not a complete backup.

If you follow their instructions, you will get a backup of products, orders, customers and collections.

On the other hand, you do not have backup of the pictures and configuration of your website. It does not seem a real problem to not have backup pictures, but imagine you have to connect all the photos to each product. It is a very long task.

If you have a few dollars a month to invest on a backup solution for Shopify, go for this application which will also take backup images and your theme.

Otherwise, if you just want to take a free backup for yourself, here’s how to download all the pictures:

1. Export your products to CSV (read the Shopify instructions)
2. Open the CSV file in Excel
3. If Excel does not divide the data correctly, go to “Data” then “Convert” and then choose the semicolon as the separator (or comma)
4. Then take the picture column and copy it into a new Excel sheet in column B
5. In column A of this new sheet, write curl -O followed by a space. Repeat for each line
6. Open a Terminal window (Applications, Utilities, Terminal) Enter this:

7. mkdir ~/Downloads/ShopifyBackup
   cd ~/Downloads/ShopifyBackup

8. Then copy and paste the column A and B in the terminal that you have selected at the same time in Excel so that your content looks like this:

9. curl -O http://www.balaams-ass.com/janben16.jpg
   curl -O http://www.balaams-ass.com/janben16.jpg
   curl -O http://www.balaams-ass.com/janben16.jpg
   curl -O http://www.balaams-ass.com/janben16.jpg
   curl -O http://www.balaams-ass.com/janben16.jpg
   curl -O http://www.balaams-ass.com/janben16.jpg
   curl -O http://www.balaams-ass.com/janben16.jpg
   curl -O http://www.balaams-ass.com/janben16.jpg
   curl -O http://www.balaams-ass.com/janben16.jpg
   curl -O http://www.balaams-ass.com/janben16.jpg
   curl -O http://www.balaams-ass.com/janben16.jpg
   curl -O http://www.balaams-ass.com/janben16.jpg
   curl -O http://www.balaams-ass.com/janben16.jpg
   curl -O http://www.balaams-ass.com/janben16.jpg
   curl -O http://www.balaams-ass.com/janben16.jpg
   curl -O http://www.balaams-ass.com/janben16.jpg

10. Press Enter!
11. All your photos will be downloaded in this folder.
12. Note: If you are on Windows: You will need to install CURL and copy it to your Path directory. The instructions are here.

How often do you do your backups?

The post How to make a backup of your eCommerce! appeared first on Mr eCommerce.