IndieCommunication: Webinars, Independent Bookstore Day, and Staff Reviews

Due to scheduling conflicts, the IndieCommerce webinar for April will now be held on Thursday, April 19, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. EST and will cover the topic of mobile-optimized and responsive websites.

More and more people are using mobile devices to access the Internet. A mobile-friendly website is no longer an option, but a necessity for all businesses. By not having a website that can adapt to mobile devices, you may be losing some customers and business.

This webinar, to be presented by IndieCommerce Specialist Chanthee Keokhaw, will review the importance of mobile-optimized websites, what to consider when you plan your website, and tools available to achieve your goals. Sign up now.

Your Website & Independent Bookstore Day

How can the IndieCommerce team help you prepare your website for Independent Bookstore Day? Do you need assistance with IBD product promotion? The team is available to help in any way they can. Send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 1 (800) 637-0037 (Option 2).

Bulk Upload Your Staff’s Book Reviews

For booksellers whose staff is generating lots of book reviews and have found it difficult to get them all online, the IndieCommerce team may have a solution. IndieCommerce has new software and is seeking stores that will volunteer to test it out. The software will allow for a bulk upload of large numbers of staff reviews to an IndieCommerce site. Want to try it out? Contact [email protected] and put “Testing Staff Reviews” in the subject line.

Tip of the Week

Book availability statuses: Do you know what they mean? Did you know that you can customize the language? Booksellers can view what they mean or edit the language by going to Store -> Configuration -> Account Information and Preferences -> Configure Book Settings. 

For example, some titles may be marked as “Special Order.” “Special Order” means that a book is listed in the database but is not currently in stock with Ingram. This could be because the title is OSI at the publisher (usually a precursor to going out of print), because the title is not carried by Ingram, or it could just be a popular title that Ingram has run out of for a couple of days.

Changing the wording of the status to something like “Special Order - Subject to Availability” can make it more obvious that these books may not be available if ordered. Some stores may also opt to post a block on the site that explains availability.

Booksellers are encouraged to send their thoughts, questions, or suggestions via e-mail to IndieCommerce staff at any time.

Past editions of IndieCommunication are available on the IndieCommerce Updates page on BookWeb.org.