Around the Workstand

• If you haven’t checked out our last 2 episodes with our guests Lauren and Alex, please do. They are fun and informative.
• Who would you like to hear from next? Which part of Workstand are you curious about? We’ll do our best to get a guest to match.
• Content is coming out of our ears!
  • All complimentary content is live in your Page Library
    • Here's the How To video that explains where to find and how to install Library Content.
  • Partner created content 
    • Trek Project One https://libpreview2.smartetailing.net/page.cfm?pageid=5148&contentType=1&preview=1
    • Santa Cruz V10 - launches today 
    • Specialized Holiday Promotion - https://workstand.com/specialized-holiday-2023
    • More on the way from Giant, Cannondale - keep an eye on your inbox!
• Tuesday marketing tip: Let’s talk more about holidays
  • Start talking about it now
  • Make sure your products are easy to find - homepage sections (hero, product carousel, etc) google local listings, email marketing 
  • Not sure what to promote in marketing? If I came into your store looking for a gift, what would you recommend? 
• Tech Tip(s): Using the complimentary library content - start and end dates, use them when and where to save time/mistakes - Google Local Listings!

Be sure to email your questions to [email protected]. We read all emails sent, and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email [email protected] or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email [email protected].

Find Us on LinkedIn
Mark Still, Senior Business Development
David Martinez, Key Accounts Advisor

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email [email protected].

This week we’re joined by our Product Team Manager, Alex Slocum. Alex tells us about how he got into the world of bicycles and technology and how he ended up here at Workstand with us. We learn what a Product Team does and what the roles are in our Product Team along with how the team interacts with other parts of the company such as Development, Client Success, Marketing, and of course, our Leadership Team.

Alex is a key figure in the development of our new Point of Sale features and in the ongoing development of our ecommerce platform and tools. The episode is another example of Alex’s commitment to transparency and his openness to feedback and what becomes of it once his team receives it. We get into the genesis of these new features and how the progress we’ve made as we ready the official release compares to the goals set two years ago when it all began to take shape.

Alex’s creativity isn’t confined to his days here at Workstand. He’s a builder at heart and we get to hear about his love of fixing up cars, woodworking, creating scary Halloween costumes, and even sewing!

Come meet Alex Slocum Around the Workstand!

Be sure to email your questions to [email protected]. We read all emails sent, and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email [email protected] or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email [email protected].

Find Us on LinkedIn
Mark Still, Senior Business Development
David Martinez, Key Accounts Advisor

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email [email protected].

We have a guest this week with us Around the Workstand. Lauren Webb, our Marketing Agency Director, is here to talk about her history working with bike shops, her team of 16 folks and the work they do with more than 400 Workstand merchants, and how local businesses can get ready for the holiday shopping season and thrive amongst all the choices choppers have at their disposal.

Lauren advises listeners to start planning their direct mailers and creating a gift guide on their websites. We offer affordable options and have a creative team that can design custom content. We stress the importance of planning ahead to avoid last-minute stress. We introduce our homepage takeover package that promotes holiday content and can be used for as long as you want. We explain how it works well with our free or premium options and has a history of success.

Holiday Homepage Takeover
Premium Gift Guide
Holiday Sale

Lauren explained how we encourage retailers to consider Cyber Week promotions and in-store promotions for last-minute gifts rather than focusing on a single Cyber Day. We also encourage driving traffic to websites through social media, video content, emails, and Google ads. We mention the importance of properly setting up Google My Business and assure listeners that our team is here to help with these tasks.

Lauren and the entire Marketing Agency team here at Workstand are ready to help in the holiday season and beyond. You can reach out to Lauren with questions at [email protected] to learn more about our marketing work with local bicycle retailers and you can learn more about our agency subscriptions and other services offered by her team.

We'll see you Around the Workstand!

Be sure to email your questions to [email protected]. We read all emails sent, and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email [email protected] or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email [email protected].

Find Us on LinkedIn
Mark Still, Senior Business Development
David Martinez, Key Accounts Advisor

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email [email protected].

There is a lot going on Around the Workstand this week. Holiday marketing planning, Supplier Fulfillment, aka Drop Shipping, reminders, our partnership with Ride with GPS, and more!

• Fulfillment is included in all Professional subscriptions
• Holiday marketing - just a little preview for our conversation with Lauren, director of our Agency team https://marketing.smartetailing.net/articles/2023-premium-holiday-marketing-packages-pg256.htm
  • Complementary content in the library now - Holidays
  • October - gift guide
  • November - mid-month promotions kick off
  • December - holiday sale and/or last minute gifts
• Ride with GPS partnership @ridewithgpsdotcom #ridewithgps
  • https://workstand.com/ride-with-gps
  • to offer free personalized content directly on your website
  • Multiple page layouts to choose from that are great for custom engagement and SEO 
• Blog published this morning to compliment the Ride with GPS content - https://blog.workstand.com/ride-with-gps
  • Leverage your website to create riding experiences for your customers
  • Great link destination for email and social - direct new bike buyers to etc 
• Tech Tip: Whatever you call it - Supplier Fulfillment, Drop Shipping, Direct Ship, letting suppliers pick, pack, and ship orders for you is one of those ‘why didn’t I do this before’ pro tips. If you aren’t using it or aren’t using it with all of your available suppliers, step one is gaining approval from each supplier. Step one is the hardest because, after that, our Client Success Team will help you get things dialed. So, approval with suppliers, payment methods, shipping methods, and understanding the process with each supplier. Advanced move: PPC/Paid ads targeting products your supplier can fulfill for you.

Be sure to email your questions to [email protected]. We read all emails sent, and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email [email protected] or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email [email protected].

Find Us on LinkedIn
Mark Still, Senior Business Development
David Martinez, Key Accounts Advisor

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email [email protected].

Winter is coming!

• Need marketing content to promote your snow sports categories? Let us know!
  • New xc content up (came from a client request) - https://libpreview2.smartetailing.net/page.cfm?pageid=5134&contentType=1&preview=1
  • Content available right now - Website > Page editor > Page Library > Snow Sport Content
• Speaking of Snow, remember that we offer a snow sports catalog
  • Demo website with snow products
• NBDA webinar with Ryan and Alex tomorrow - https://nbda.com/#!event/register/2023/10/11/workstand-commerce-software-explained
  • Join Ryan and Alex for an informal presentation discussing details of Workstand's expanding capabilities and a live demo of new features. No boring PowerPoint slides, but lots of time for questions.
• Tech Tip: Temporary Homepage - the way our system works, it’s possible to build a new page to be used as your homepage for things such as a holiday season homepage takeover - full disclosure, this is such a good idea that we sell projects to do this every holiday season - or to have summer and winter homepages for stores that sell bikes and ski gear, or for any other number of reasons that having a different homepage for a period of time can be beneficial.
  • First, create a new page 🙂
  • Second, go to Settings > Website > Entry/Home page, select the new homepage, and save the change at the bottom.
  • You’ll see two options in Entry/Home page - as the name of that section suggests, you can define an entry page (that is the page a visitor will see when first landing on your primary URL) and a home page (what the visitor will see after landing on your page and then navigating back to the home page by clicking on the logo or other links to the home page). 
  • Our primary recommendation is to use the same page for both.

Be sure to email your questions to [email protected]. We read all emails sent, and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email [email protected] or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email [email protected].

Find Us on LinkedIn
Mark Still, Senior Business Development
David Martinez, Key Accounts Advisor

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email [email protected].

It’s still us! Same company, same team members - just a new name to match our growing capabilities. We've gotten some questions that suggest we weren't as clear as we could be about what changed and what didn't. 

• Our Point of Sale offering is aimed at stores with no POS solution or with an outdated system. It’ll certainly expand quickly over time but for the many stores with no or a poor POS system, get in touch with us now! 
• Ryan has been out and about talking about our evolution as a company and our new POS features. You can see more of that in the NBDA podcast and the two-part PeopleForBikes, Inside the Outdoors podcast (Part 1 and Part 2) that Ryan was recently a guest on.
• Upcoming guest reminders
  • Alex Slocum - ever wonder what it takes to build a software application like Workstand? Alex knows exactly what it takes and will tell us all about it and the path he’s been on as we develop our Point of Sale offering.
  • Lauren Webb - you know about the websites and POS products but did you know Workstand is also a full-service marketing agency? Lauren is our agency director and she’ll give us some strategies and tactics to win at holiday marketing this year. We do this type of work for more than 400 Workstand merchants.
• Tech Tip: Discounts - we’ve talked a lot about the sales that brands have been having and we’ve started talking about holiday sales already too. If you’re planning to offer promotions, now is a good time to take a look at our discounts tool as it has changed since last year. The help center walks through using both automatic discounts and discount codes and both are very useful tools for promotions. Side note: be sure to adjust your Google Merchant Center settings if any of your promos will affect your paid ads and if any of your holiday promos include changes to your shipping methods and rules.
• Snack question of the week - to pumpkin spice or to not pumpkin spice?

Be sure to email your questions to [email protected]. We read all emails sent, and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email [email protected] or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email [email protected].

Find Us on LinkedIn
Mark Still, Senior Business Development
David Martinez, Key Accounts Advisor

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email [email protected].

It's getting to be fall here Around the Workstand and we've got lots to talk about today related to fall marketing, new POS features, and upcoming guests from around Workstand, the company not the podcast. :) So, let's get to it!

• All POS features will be available to everyone in January 2024, until then, we’re inviting a few merchants to be early entrants and beta testers
  • You can still schedule your demo even if you just have some general questions, with no commitments
  • For existing Workstand ecommerce clients, many of the POS features are already live in your Workstand Admin - take a look at Purchase Orders, Work Orders, In-Store Sales
• Upcoming episodes/guests
  • October guests include Alex Slocum and Lauren Webb
• Fall riding marketing topics in the library
  • Cruise with your crew
  • Enjoy Fall by bike
  • Fall bike clearance
• Electric Bike Safety
• Fresh premium content - fall clearance sale, get your ebike locally 

Tech Tip: Purchase Orders - if I were going to suggest one of our new POS features for a merchant to try out, it would be Purchase Orders because they play well with any existing POS system. POs could be the most eye-opening in that being able to ‘see’ many different suppliers in one spot is very helpful when building POs. It’s certainly still a work in progress but it’s already quite powerful.

Be sure to email your questions to [email protected]. We read all emails sent, and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email [email protected] or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email [email protected].

Find Us on LinkedIn
Mark Still, Senior Business Development
David Martinez, Key Accounts Advisor

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email [email protected].

The response to our new company name has been wonderfully positive since we made the big announcement last week. We've scheduled dozens of demos of our new point of sale features with existing Workstand ecommerce merchants and brand new folks who don't work with us in any capacity ...yet!

We've had some press in BR&IN.

Blog post with our announcement video.

Our Help Center has been updated.

Remember, if you're curious about what we're doing, we would love to meet and show you our new POS features, our ecommerce capabilities, and our marketing offerings. Use the links below to request a demo meeting.

The Tech Tip this week is to get in there and take a look at all the new in-store POS features that are already in your Workstand admin. We'd love your feedback!

If you're an existing Workstand client, you can request a demo here.

If you are not yet working with us at Workstand, you can request your demo here.

Of course, this podcast got a new name too. We're moving away from Up Next and 10-Minute Tuesday and the podcast will now be known as Around the Workstand. We'll continue posting episodes weekly and we hope to bring in other Workstand teams to share what they are working on to ensure you know all the good stuff that's coming down the pipe.

See you next week Around the Workstand!

Be sure to email your questions to [email protected]. We read all emails sent, and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email [email protected] or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email [email protected].

Find Us on LinkedIn
Mark Still, Senior Business Development
David Martinez, Key Accounts Advisor

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email [email protected].

We have exciting news to share. SmartEtailing has undergone a significant transformation and is now known as Workstand. Along with this name change, we have launched a new point-of-sale system that is aimed at the many bike shops with no point-of-sale or an outdated POS.

Our new point-of-sale system is available on its own for in-store use and is also included in our existing e-commerce packages. This development addresses a gap in the market, where many shops either lack a point-of-sale system or are using outdated ones. Our goal is to provide a solution to these underserved businesses and contribute to their sustainability.

The transition from SmartEtailing to Workstand signifies our commitment to modernization and becoming the heart of the bike business. With over 25 years in operation, we have built a trusted reputation within the industry, and we are excited to bring this cutting-edge software to the market.

The development of our new features was a complex process, but we are confident that this system will enable bike shops to compete with larger retailers. By leveraging data and organizing information effectively, we have created a sleek and compelling system, offering tools for local merchants that rival industry giants like REI.

We are implementing a freemium business model, where our point of sale system is available with no monthly subscription fee, making it affordable for bike shops to upgrade and streamline their operations. Our purpose is to assist and support the industry's health and the success of independent bike shops.

We are dedicated to providing support to our customers through various channels, including a help center, live chat, email, and phone. We want to ensure that we earn your business and provide the help you need. 

We will be sharing more information about the changes via email, social media, blog posts, and our weekly podcasts. We are in an exciting time at Workstand, finally able to deliver on what our customers have been asking for. We encourage everyone to request a demo and see what Workstand is about. Stay tuned for more updates, and we look forward to seeing you Around the Workstand.

Existing Workstand ecommerce merchants who'd like to learn more about our new point-of-sale features can schedule a demo here.

Not yet a Workstand client? Schedule your demo here.

Be sure to email your questions to [email protected]. We read all emails sent, and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email [email protected] or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email [email protected].

Find Us on LinkedIn
Mark Still, Senior Business Development
David Martinez, Key Accounts Advisor

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email [email protected].

There's no denying here in Colorado, that the seasons are changing and fall is on its way.
End-of-season sales are happening and other, not-so-pleasant things may be on the way as well.

Be mindful of fraud. Criminals know that merchants can't pay as close attention to processes during the holiday season when it's hectic and many are employing seasonal workers. Double down on your processes and training to protect your business from this increased risk of fraud.

Agency team check-in! Our Marketing Agency is quite busy as we head toward fall. Google Local Inventory and paid Google ads are helping them sell more bikes and gear. We're also helping many get their homepages back up to best practices for maximum user efficiency which always leads to better organic search performance a.k.a. SEO.

Tech Tip: Order Workflow - If you haven't revisited your online order workflow lately, now is a great time to do that. These features can help optimize your staff's time and energy when dealing with orders from your website.

• Order Confirmation Page Message
• Order Notification Email
  • Choose the ‘from’ email appropriately
  • Use both top and bottom messages
  • Enable Supplier Fulfillment notification 
• Record Store Fulfillment
• Order Status and Comments
  • Note Comment to Customer vs. Internal Comment

Be sure to email your questions to [email protected]. We read all emails sent, and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email [email protected] or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email [email protected].

Find Us on LinkedIn
Mark Still, Senior Business Development
David Martinez, Key Accounts Advisor

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email [email protected].