Just a few weeks ago we held our quarterly leadership meeting. This virtual gathering is something we began doing about a year ago and is a day full of reviewing what we accomplished in the previous quarter, setting our goals for the current, and planning for the future.
When planning out “what’s next,” we work in 90-day blocks based on what we need to accomplish for the year. These quarterly meetings keep us focused and aligned with what we need to do in order to complete what we set out to do by year’s end.
Your Store Wizards isn’t a large company, we’re a close-knit group of entrepreneurial-types focused on creating cost-effective ways for eCommerce store owners to maximize sales. Our creativity isn’t held back by red-tape, corporate roadblocks, and other impediments. We’re driven by the trust our clients put in us to help them succeed.
This past quarter, our team wrapped up a very ambitious project you’ve heard me talk about quite a bit, AMP Wizard. This SaaS (Software as a Service) product provides store owners with a fully Google-compliant AMP-based version of their store that is served up to mobile searchers. (I won’t go into all the details of the product, but you can read more about it here and our FAQs here.)
AMP Wizard has quickly become one of our core products and a must-have for any eCommerce store owner looking to capture more mobile sales. With the holidays coming up, there is no better time to consider adding it to your store. (Subtle hint and sales pitch, I just couldn’t resist!)
In addition to our initial roll-out, we featured and demonstrated it to store owners at IRCE 2019 in July. Much of Q4 of 2018 and Q1 of 2019 was spent on building the backend that powers AMP Wizard before it made its official debut.
All that backend work takes time, resources and careful planning to make sure we hit our launch timeline. In this case, our team hit their goal and created an app that has been well received by store owners.
When making the decision to build an app like AMP Wizard, we carefully consider whether or not there’s going to be a demand for it and survey the competitive landscape. It’s always a gamble when we green-light a project like this because like many things, you don’t know if it’s going to be a success until after it’s launched!
The initial reception of AMP Wizard has been great and the team has continually rolled out updates and enhancements to the product based on client feedback, usability studies, and more.
Q2 saw the launch of AMP Wizard for Yahoo! Store and this quarter the team is busy not only adding additional features but working on the backend in preparation for launching the app on BigCommerce and Shopify.
A project of this magnitude requires a lot of teamwork and once again our team wowed me with their dedication and commitment to get the app built and launched on our first platform. I would be remiss If I didn’t offer up my congratulations on a job well done.
BigCommerce Certification
Another one of our goals for the last quarter was to become a Certified Partner with BigCommerce, a leading eCommerce platform powering around 20,000 stores*.
As I mentioned in my July update we met that goal becoming one of +/- 60 developers that have received the certification. However, just a few days after announcing that accomplishment, we received even better news!
In addition to being a certified partner, Your Store Wizards is now a BigCommerce Preferred partner, one of just 26 companies worldwide to receive this designation (as of publication date).
Take a moment to view our profile on BigCommerce’s website and visit some of the stores we’ve built on the platform.
Search Magic Update
Another goal completed in the last quarter was the integration of Google Analytics into our flagship product, Search Magic. Store owners can now see how much revenue Search Magic generates as well as which products are winners, which are losers, and more. For more information on this update, click here.
Speaking of Search Magic, this product is hands-down the most affordable, feature-packed third-party advanced search engine for Yahoo! Store. One look at the feature list for Search Magic and the low monthly cost for the service, you’ll be wondering why you haven’t canceled your contract with your current search app provider and moved over.
If your contract is coming up for renewal, give us the chance to demo the product for you, show you how we compare to your current search provider and calculate the savings. Best of all, unlike the competition, Search Magic is contract-free. That’s right, you pay for it on a month-to-month basis and can cancel at any time.
With the holidays coming up, now is the time to either upgrade your search from the standard Yahoo! Store search or switch from your current third-party search provider to Search Magic. Visit our website or email support@yourstorewizards.com for more information and to schedule a demo.
While Search Magic is currently available for Yahoo! Store, we’re hard at work getting it ready to launch on BigCommerce and Shopify as well.
Stay tuned!
Magic Edit Button Updated and Re-Released
Have you ever been browsing your store, stumble upon a page and find something that needs to be updated, then struggle through bookmarks, logins, and editor pages just to find the page to edit?
Admit it, we’ve all been there and it’s frustrating.
Just last week we relaunched a free tool that we’ve had around for years, our Magic Edit Button. This bookmarklet installs quickly to your browser’s bookmarks bar and gives you instant access to edit a store page right from your live site.
Originally built for Yahoo! Store, the Magic Edit Button has been updated to support not only Yahoo! but BigCommerce and Shopify as well. For more information and to install this free time-saving tool, click here.
Quick Updates
Some other updates you may have missed:
- Pinterest support has been added to Feed Wizard! If you’re a store owner who uses Feed Wizard and Pinterest, creating those pins and boards has been simplified. For more information on this update and to add it to your account, click here.
- FavIcons now appear in search results, does yours? Find out with our free FavIcon tester! Quickly see if your website’s favicon meets the requirements to be included in search results. If it is, you’re all set! If not, our free tester will show you what steps to take next to make sure your site stands out.
Looking Ahead
Phew! That’s a lot. But we’re not slowing down anytime soon. This quarter the team is focused on a great deal of behind-the-scenes programming for apps coming out in Q4 and Q1 2020 as well as upgrading much of the infrastructure our apps run on today.
We’re also working on more free tools, like the previously mentioned FavIcon Tester, to make sure your store is always up to date with the latest search engine technical requirements.
To make sure you’re always in-the-know with what’s new in our corner of the Internet, be sure to subscribe to our blog by entering your email address in the top right corner of the page and follow us on Facebook.
That’s all for this month’s update. As always, thanks for placing your trust in us, and…
Happy Selling!
Scott Sanfilippo
General Manager, YSW
Scott Sanfilippo began his eCommerce journey in 1994 by co-founding one of the Internet’s first online retailers, TheFerretStore.com, which was acquired by PetCo in 2006. In 2001, he co-founded the eCommerce design and marketing firm Solid Cactus, which was acquired by web.com in 2009. Today, Scott is the General Manager of Your Store Wizards and lives in Delray Beach, FL. Scott can be contacted at scott@yourstorewizards.com.