Last Week's Stats

Last Week's SHJ Stats:
Page Loads: 2,311 (previous record: 593)
Unique Visitors: 836 (previous record: 292)
First-Time Visitors: 791 (previous record: 285)
T-Shirts Sold: 7 (record: 9)
Month-To-Date T-Shirts Sold: 18

I am really pleased with the traffic numbers, especially the number of page loads per visitor (2.8). While some people hit my landing page and moved on, a good percentage of visitors stayed and had a good look around. That's encouraging.

At the same time, it would have been nice if the sales numbers were as strong as the traffic numbers, but no dice. Thus, one of the lessons from last week is that traffic doesn't equal sales. If it did, my sales numbers should have been roughly 4X greater than the previous week, which they weren't. Sales week-over-week were flat.

I am not too torn up about the poor sales, however, because my goal for last week was more about exposure for the contest than it was about sales. To my way of thinking, interest in the conest will lead (hopefully) to people submitting ugly shirts, which will (hopefully) lead to more interest in the site overall by a broader range of people. That's my hypothesis anyway. We'll see what happens in practice.

I also think sales have to percolate for a little while. So, maybe some of the visitors from last week will be customers this week, or the week after. Of course, this could be wishful thinking on my part.

On a somewhat unrelated note, my new banner ad is up at Radioactive Panda. Go give Eric some love.

Obsess Much?

I realized a personal truth yesterday. I am very much into instant gratification. I know, who isn't, right? But, until yesterday, I had never realized how strong that urge is within me.

After I announced the contest yesterday, sent out the email and blogged about it here, I couldn't help myself as I sat literally for hours refreshing my statcounter page. I had to see where people were coming from, which pages they were looking at, how many pages the loaded per visit, how much time they spent on the site and if they looked at just the contest page (by which I was trying to judge if they had some interest) or if they looked at the contest page, the news page and the rules page (which I took to mean they had a lot of interest.) It was exciting watching the hit totals rack up faster than they ever had before. Each time I refreshed and saw the numbers jump up, it was a little burst of energy and excitement. I was hooked.

By midday, I had to leave my computer screen and get out of the house. My rationale was that I wasn't getting any work done anyway and I was beginning to scare myself. So, I went to the comic shop, which I haven't been to in a while, and tried to distract myself, even if for only a few hours.

It worked for the most part. I was able to get my mind off of it and realize how obsessed I had become. When I got back, I tried to focus my mind on doing other things for the rest of the day, and I only periodically checked how things were going. Though, I will admit, I was up late last night going through all of the stats one last time before bed.

Today, I have sworn to myself that I will not look at the numbers for the rest of the day. I am sure they will go up and will be good, based on yesterday (which I will share with you eventually once the numbers for the week are in.) So, to some extent I can relax.

As I was telling Al, I need to remind myself that this contest will be what it will be. Further, I need to remember that the contest is more than a month long, and I should neither get my hopes up based on a few good days, nor expend all my energy at once. This is just the beginning. Hopefully.

So, now that I have learned this about myself, how will it affect me? I am not sure. I should probably recognize that it's going to happen on days like yesterday, where I am launching something new, and plan for it accordingly. Maybe I can schedule a meeting out of the office or give myself so much work that I don't have time to obsess. Or, I could just accept it about myself and realize that I will have to tear myself away from my computer from time to time. Either way, I don't think this is the worse thing for me. It's just more of a realization than anything else.

Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.

-- Tao Te Ching

Contest: Let The Ugliness Begin!

Well, I've launched the contest. In fact, if you go look at springheel jack, you'll see that I've added a dedicated contest page. The contest rules are here. And, I made my contest introduction into a "news" piece for the news section.

And for all you out there wondering, the t-shirt with Kurt Russell picture doesn't really exist. I Photoshopped it into existence. If you look closely, you can see the dvd symbol in the lower right corner of the image.

What am I doing to publicize the contest? Well, this morning I sent out emails to all of my customers announcing the contest. In fact, some of you have probably received it already. (I messed up on this, by the way. I sent it from "Tom Rose" and not "Springheel Jack". Not too smooth with the whole professionalism thing.)

I'm also going to try to contact the list of publishers we came up with. I'll probably wait until I have a few shirts to publicize, say a week or two.

I took out a classified on dailykos.com that will run for a week. I'm also going to take out a classified on Craigslist.org. If you have any other ideas on how to spread the word, please let me know.

Lastly, here is the part where I ask a big favor of all of you. For those of you who have blogs, would you please post about my contest? It doesn't have to be more than a few words. Just something as simple as "Hey, check this out." with a link to the contest page. (http://www.springheeljack.net/shop/custom.asp?recid=12) Your combined readership, even excluding overlap, dwarfs mine by comparison. I could really use the help getting the word out there. Thanks!

Monthly Contest?

Question for you all: Should the contest be a monthly contest right out of the chute? In other words, should I announce it as a monthly contest from the beginning? Or, should I announce it as a one-time contest and then, assuming there is enough interest, switch to a monthly contest when the time comes? Thoughts?

Contest: What Is It?

Kyle's comment made me realize that I also need to explain what the contest is. I probably won't lead with this because once the contest is up and running, people will likely get it. But, I should have some text explaining what it is to the uninitiated. Here's what I came up with:

Ahh...the t-shirt! The workhorse of wardrobes everywhere! Clearly the most universal article of clothing in people's closets, nothing feels more comfortable, nothing says "easy-going" with such ease, nothing goes better with a new pair of jeans than the perfect t-shirt. Admit it, we all love t-shirts. That's why we own so many of them.

And yet, despite our love of the t-shirt, it is one of the most maligned and often neglected articles of clothing. Sadly, we've all seen (and possibly owned) t-shirts that never really made the cut. Whether it was an teal-colored tanktop with day-glow lettering bought on vacation in Key West, or a concert tee of a now defunct 80's hair band (sorry, Winger), there still exist t-shirts that should have been put out of their misery long ago.

Well, we at Springheel Jack feels it is our obligation, nay duty, to do something about this sad state of affairs. It is hereby announced that Springheel Jack will be conducting the first ever "Ugly T-Shirt Contest". Contestants are encouraged to scrounge through their closest to find the ugliest t-shirt they own and send it to us at:

Springheel Jack
c/o Ugly T-Shirt Contest
208 Villa Circle
Boynton Beach, FL 33435

All contestants who enter will be given a gift certificate of $5 to use at Springheel Jack. The lucky winner of the contest will receive $50 in cold, hard cash and a free Springheel Jack t-shirt of their choice. The contest will run from July 1st, 2005 to July 31st, 2005. For a complete list of rules, click [link].

Contest Rules (DRAFT)

One of my "to-do" items for today is to draft a list of rules for the contest. I thought I would kill two palmetto bugs with one shoe by combining it with my post. Submitted for your approval:

Contest Rules:

• All contestants who submit a t-shirt will be given a $5 gift certificate to SHJ just for entering the contest. Mmm...I love the smell of marketing in the morning.
  
• The winner of the contest will win $XX in cold, hard cash. What you tell the IRS is up to you.
  
• The winner will also receive a brand new SHJ t-shirt of their choice to replace their old ugly one. We think of it as part contest, part public service.
  
• The contest will run from X date through Y date. Submissions should arrive no later than Y date. The winner will be announced on Z date, or whenever we get around to it.
  
• Submissions are limited to one t-shirt per person. If you're having trouble deciding which one to submit, go with your gut. If your gut spews bile, that's the one to go with.
  
• All submissions will be posted on the website. If you don't want other people to see the skeleton you've been keeping in your closet, this probably isn't the contest for you.
  
• All t-shirts submitted to the contest become the property of SHJ. To be honest, we're thinking about making an "ugly quilt".
  
• The winning t-shirt will be judged on it's overall ugliness. What more can we say? You just know ugly when you see it.
  

To enter the contest, send a t-shirt along with your name and address to:

Springheel Jack
c/o: Ugly T-Shirt Contest
208 Villa Circle
Boynton Beach, FL 33434

Contestants are also encouraged to send a letter/postcard/dollar bill along with their package describing themselves, their relationship with the t-shirt, how it came into their possession, how long they've had it, or any other important facts we should know about you, or your shirt. Think propaganda, people. Sell us on your shirt! We, of course, will deny that it had any impact on our decision, but the mind works in strange ways. After all, who among us can definitively say how any decision truly gets made?

Well, those are the rules. Good luck and may the ugliest shirt win!

Ugly T-Shirt Contest

Ok, so the blog idea went over like a lead balloon. No big deal. It was just one idea. Besides, the work-to-potential-benefit ratio was probably problematically high, anyway.

However, I think I have come up with a winner. I want to host an "Ugly T-Shirt Contest". Contestants who submit t-shirts will be given a $5 gift certificate just for entering the contest. The winner will receive $100 cash. Pictures of the shirts will be posted on the website, and people can vote for their "favorite".

I don't know that this is critical, but I haven't yet determined the criteria for "ugly". For example, does ugly only apply to the graphic image, color, style, etc. or does it also apply to general abuse, wear-and-tear or even pit stains.

I think this could be big. Everybody has that one t-shirt in their closet that they should have tossed, nay burned, long ago. I'm giving people an opportunity to cash in on their packrat ways.

Depending on interest, I could very easily see the contest becoming a monthly event.

In discussing the idea with Al, he raised a very good question and I'll throw it out to you. Which websites and publications might be interested in writing about a ugly t-shirt contest? I could see Maxim (and other magazines like it) having an interest. Really, anyone who likes pointing out the oddities and freak shows of human existance could have an interest. Maybe we can come up with a list here.

UPDATE: see the comments for the continuing discussion on this post.

Full Report

I am happy to report that our anniversary was a success. We went to the movies and saw "The Breakup", which was funny and I'd recommend (and not just as a date movie). We had dinner beforehand and ate and drank ourselves silly.

And in case you were wondering, my present for Kendra a bike. A Trek 7300 hybrid, to be exact:



Though, hers is burnt orange and silver and a girls version.

Yeah, I know, a bike doesn't scream "romantic present", but I got high marks because it was something she definitely needed and she would not have bought it for herself.

Our "play date" was a very romantic picnic by the lake. In our basket, I packed a roast chicken, potato salad, a bottle of wine and some brownie cheesecake. Needless to say, it was a big hit.

Unfortunately, I cannot enjoy this victory long. I have to start planning for Kendra's birthday. Her birthday is September 5th, which may seem like a long time away but it isn't when you consider I have to top last year's "5 Days of Kendra".

Wish me luck.

Anniversaries

Today is a very special day. Today marks the 2 year anniversary of Kendra's patience with me. In this regard, she has a remarkable talent, and the day should be recognized for what it is - an achievement. I love you, honey.

To celebrate this occasion, I have a couple of activities planned. As of the writing this, she has already received her flowers. They came in a special vase with a engraved charm around the neck - a big hit. Soon we will be making a trip to a store to pick up her anniversary gift. (I let you speculate for awhile as to what it could be.) After that, we're going to a dinner and a movie at a premier theater/restaurant thingy. Lastly, we're going on a play date of sorts tomorrow. I don't want to give too much away as it is a bit of surprise also.

We're also coming up on another anniversary - the anniversary of SHJ. The Jack was incorporated on June 26th, 2005. It's been a long road to get here, and I'm happy to mark this milestone.

In light of SHJ's anniversary, I will try to come up with some lessons learned. I know I have a bunch of them, but they are escaping me at the moment. So, they'll have to wait until next time.

In the meantime, go shop at www.springheeljack.net

SHJ Blog

I have had an idea that has been rolling around in my head for awhile now, and I wanted to get your collective take on it.

The idea is to create a blog over at Springheel Jack where people can see the inner workings of SHJ and offer their feedback. Basically, it would kind of be like this blog except that I would be opening it up to a wider audience. I'd still ask the same types of questions, post new art and generally share my thoughts.

I think this endeavor would be unique to some extent in the corporate world. I don't know of any other companies that share as much info as I do. In some ways, this blog is like "How To Start A Business: 101". In other ways, it's just a great way to get feedback.

I might also be willing to go one step further and actively solicit input from my customers. It is kinda in keeping with my whole socialist philosophy about running a company in the 21st Century. I took a stab at writing a manifesto of sorts on the potential new blog. Tell me what you think. Did I go too far? I am I completely whacked out? Is it just right? Or, did I not go far enough? Nothing is set in stone, so feel free to offer suggestions.

And, if I haven't said it before, you guys are great. Thanks for all the wonderful advice you give me. I truly appreciate it.

Stats: Baseline

In the online retailing biz, there is only one number that really matters: the number of visitors. The question is can you drive visitors to your site. Your conversion rate is also an important number and can undoubtedly have a big impact on sales, but without visitors your conversion rate means little.

So, that being said, I thought I would lay a few baseline measurements on you:

• Unique visitors last week: 206 (Site record: 292)
  
• Returning visitors (within 30 min) last week: 30 (Site record: 30)
  
• Page Loads last week: 593 (Site record: 593)
  
• Shirts sold last week: 2 (Site record: 7)

Some new records last week. That's good, of course. The record for unique visitors was set on the third week of the bicyclemark spots (3/27/06), which was the third consecutive week of record-breaking visits. The number of visitors dropped off in the fourth week of spots back to normal levels. So, it's clearly true what they say -- marketing does indeed work.

On a related topic, we're creating new bicyclemark spots this week highlighting the newly re-designed site. We'll see if that impacts visits at all. Also, after the 15th I will be no longer be a sponsor of the bicyclemark podcast. As the stats above show, the largest impact is within the first month of sponsorship. Therefore, it seems clear that I need to change up my sponsorship to attract new visitors. No plans as of yet as to who that sponsorship might be with. If you know anyone who has a blog, or other online venture, that needs a sponsor, let me know.

Lastly, please go skew my numbers by visiting Springheel Jack and buying something. They say that shopping can have an almost euphoric effect on people. Don't you want to feel better?

Google Me This, Batman!

So, I am doing a little research on how to get up there in the Google search rankings, and it seems the best way to do it is to have other popular websites link to your website. This seems simple enough, right? Well, not really. People have to keep creating new links, or updating their links, to your site in order for you to stay in the rankings.

For example, a number of months ago, I used to link to Springheel Jack from this blog all the time, and perhaps as a consequence, my google rating was fairly high. (Actually, it's probably from the fact that I had a whole bunch of new links from a whole bunch of friends and artists, trying to help me out. Very nice of them.) But, I have fallen to third or fourth in the rankings for "springheel jack".

I little humorous sidenote: right now, when you search for "springheel jack" on Google, my site comes up as "an invisible hit counter". It's a glitch from the new site that's been fixed, but it will take Google a few days to crawl my site again. Until then, I'm probably not going to get many hits. That is, unless there are a lot of people looking for t-shirts AND invisible hit counters.

So, here's my question: how does one get consistently linked to? My guess is that you have spend a lot of time creating and sustaining buzz for your company, hoping that people will link to your site.

In traditional media, press kits are used to create awareness of a particular company through stories written about that company often written by that company. The story is usally something on the order of "Local Boy Makes Good". The company then sends the story, along with pictures, to various newspapers and magazines, hoping that the story gets picked up.

My guess is that a similar approach can be taken with websites, who like newspapers and magazines, are constantly looking for new "content".

I decided back in February that I wanted to try this approach with coolhunting.com and cuteoverload.com but then decided to wait until the website was finished. So, my goal for this week is to put together a electronic package, with text blurbs and pictures, for both of those sites and to send it to them.

Do any of you know other sites that might be in need of content and that would have an obvious interest in SHJ?