Online sales are the key to economically surviving the hellscape that is Covid-19. Evan Connell tells us how to succeed online.
Let’s Get Started
Having an e-commerce website as well as a brick-and-mortar retailing site is a really good idea. The e-commerce site allows you to reach customers who are not in your immediate vicinity. Your online website can be open 24/7. Most bricks-and-mortar retail outlets cannot be open all day every day. Also, the operational costs of an e-commerce site are much lower.
Many customers are starting to prefer shopping online to actual shopping in-person. Despite this, so many online shopping websites utterly fail. This is due to several issues, and most have easy fixes.
Here are some things that you need to be aware of to ensure your ecommerce site is a winner.
Online sales: Have good quality images
Make sure you display the product from several viewpoints. Use excellent quality photos, that enables the customer to zoom in and really check the product out. Customers cannot pick up the product, so you need to provide the closest substitute to this as possible. If your photos are of poor quality, you will almost certainly lose the sale.
Have excellent product descriptions
Make sure your product descriptions are very detailed, and unique to that product. Don’t use generic descriptions, which have been supplied to you from the supplier. You need to draw in the customer with creative product detail. Put the effort in, it is worth it!
Missing contact information
Having clear, easy-to-find contact information makes customers trust you. Having it buried deep in the site is not a good idea. It will put a trust barrier up superfast and they may even just simply log out and never come back.
Customers need to know that they can contact you if a problem arises. If they get this peace of mind, they are much more likely to spend money with you. You need to show your location, your full contact details, and your phone number. If you don’t, then your customers won’t be breaking down their trust barriers any time soon.
Complicated checkout
The big, successful ecommerce websites all have simple purchasing processes. This is why they are so successful. Make sure you keep your payment process easy and clear. Once it gets too complicated, with too many steps, customers are likely to get spooked and click away from the purchasing process.
Online sales: Make registration optional
If customers have to register for their first product, they might not commit to the purchase. Let the customer go through the checkout process. Then give them an option to register their details at the end. If they come back for a second purchase, their details will be saved and the checkout process will be even easier. Otherwise, let them view products and buy as a guest, and use the checkout as a guest. It builds trust and is more likely to get that sale.
Don’t have hidden fees
People abandoning their cart is a massive problem for online retailers. A big part of this is surprise fees added at the end, like unexpected shipping costs. The shipping rates need to be clear from the very start of the purchase process. Show customers clearly how many items (or the spending threshold they need to cross) to get free shipping. Hiding them until the end is a big no-no. It is easy to give your customers a shipping calculator based on where they are in the world.
Which Screen?
Most shoppers are moving away from bigger screens like laptops and tablets to their mobile phones. You need to make sure your website looks great on both types of screens. Make it a priority to be mobile responsive, so your customers don’t click away because your site doesn’t load properly.
Tell customers what to do
As soon as your customers log on, tell them what to do. If they get confused or cannot work out the next step, you’ll lose them. Pages that don’t have products for sale on them should steer the customer towards the products you want them to buy. Make sure they are guided through your website from start to finish.
Online sales: Marketing
Your products are ready. Your site is finished and looks snazzy. And now, you have arrived at the hard part – internet marketing. You might have the best ecommerce site in the world but if you don’t drive traffic towards it, then it’s not worth having.
You will need to create an inbound marketing strategy. Then implement it. You will need to collect leads from social media, Google organic and paid advertising. As you start to get sales traction, people will start rating you online and offline, and you’ll be able to grow your business. But you will need to get the initial marketing right.
Engage with your customers
Get into the minds of your customers. Talk to them if you can on social media by creating a discussion etc. If a customer is not satisfied with a product, or has returned it, try to find out why. This way, you can work out what went wrong and make the process better for future customers.
Targeting
Make sure you are targeting the right market. You may have many online campaigns driving customers to your site. But if they get there and it is not what they are into, then your marketing efforts are wasted. You’ll need to research what your target market likes, and match that to your ad campaigns and how your website looks and sounds.
Get the pricing right
Pricing online is incredibly important. Online shoppers can check with other websites in just minutes. In physical stores, they have to walk from store to store. But online, you have to be smarter. If your price is too cheap, customers will think your products are rubbish. If the price is too high, then they will just go to an alternative supplier. Keep an eye on your competitors and work out your customers’ pricing ‘sweet spot.’
Online sales: Conclusion
You can build a business online with minimal overheads. But it does take some thought and work to make it a truly great selling machine. If you want more advice, you can contact the author from our contact page.
The organic pool has entered the chat. The movement to swim in natural bodies of water, instead of artificial, stagnant bodies of water full of chemicals is growing momentum. Several decades ago in Austria, people were used to swimming in wild, pristine lakes in the summer. When they moved to the cities, they wanted the same experience. When the first natural pools started to be built in Austria, people were amazed. The idea spread to Germany. And then all across Europe, as far as Britain and Ireland. And now, the idea is taking hold in Australia.
A lot of people don’t like the artificial smell of chlorinated pools, or the “dead zone” of water that is created. And, people can also get red eyes, green hair, and skin problems from the chlorine. So “organic” or “natural” pools have started to appear. There is a whole online community, where people are teaching other people how to self-build natural pools. And, these pools are very inexpensive and relatively easy to construct. Additionally, they become a nature strip – a paradise for local creatures and birds. David Pagan Butler of Organic Pools tells us how we too could have a little piece of paradise in our garden.
Organic Pool Construction
A natural swimming pool is simple to construct and works perfectly. Indeed, there are many people who would have you believe this is too complicated for the nonprofessional. That is nonsense. It is hard work but deeply rewarding and completely achievable.
Why do we smile, or for some of us, struggle to contain our gushing beams of joy, the first time we see a natural swimming pool? Is it because inside we know this is so right. It is giving something back to nature by the creation of a small wilderness? Perhaps we have always secretly wanted to jump into deep luscious pools of freshwater. But we have been frightened off by decades of myths listing battalions of hazards awaiting any adventurous swimmer.
Building an organic pool
Organic pool: Nature
Today, flourishing on a tide of awareness, we see living freshwater with fresh vision. Thankfully now, we can jump in as happily as an otter. A natural swimming pool, or the name I prefer – organic pool, has been the most magical addition to our home.
It is a beautiful place to observe nature throughout the seasons, bringing us closer to wildlife. The multitudes of species that now live in the pond are an endless fascination to my children. They spend hours observing them from the small jetty which traverses the shallows. They dangle down their nets to catch water boatmen or dragonfly larvae for a close-up look at these incredible creatures.
Creatures will come to say hello in your organic pool.
Then come the birds, visiting the pond in the morning and evening. They skim the surface to drink or bounce with delicious splashes to bathe. Dragonflies patrol, buzzing into skirmishes with intruders. Bats flit in and out of their invisibility cloaks in the evening glow reflected on the pond. And sometimes, in the skidding sunbeams of the morning, I may catch the iridescence of a kingfisher feeding on water beetles.
This pond has become another stepping stone for wilderness. Local native flora and fauna has found its way in and flourished, increasing local biodiversity. If we create more ponds, we will contribute to re-establishing our country’s diminishing freshwater network.
Organic Pool Swimming
And of course, there is the swimming. Our children are learning to swim in a healthy environment free from the unpleasant effects of disinfectants found in most pools. I imagine, one day we will look back and wonder how we ever thought it was reasonable to let our children swim in anything other than natural water.
Until now only people with a fair amount of cash have been able to consider having one of these pools built for them. But there is a different way. I built my organic pool for roughly $12,000. And knowing what I know now, I could do it for considerably less. It takes a lot of work but, after all you’ll be saving tens of thousands of dollars by building it yourself, and I can’t think of any work more rewarding than creating a pool. Once you see how easy it is to construct one of these pools, the process will be demystified and you’ll think it’s a project you could happily be immersed in.
Organic pools work with nature to provide clean healthy water for swimming. Plants and animals in the pond condition the water without the use of chlorine or other disinfectants. So the water doesn’t sting your eyes, bleach your skin, corrode your teeth or make your swimming trunks fall apart. Instead, the water holds a vibrant and diverse ecosystem, teeming with micro-organisms that constantly filter and devour any human pathogen that has the misfortune to plop in.
Not enough room for a large pool? Try a plunge pool.
Sections
In the Organic Pool, the area is divided into two sections, the swimming zone and the regeneration zone. The regeneration zone contains the plants so is also referred to as the planted zone. The pool has the deep swimming zone in the middle surrounded by the planted zone. The planted zone should represent at least half of the total area of the pool, and it is here that most of the water conditioning occurs.
The water is circulated throughout the whole pool. If a pool is large enough, with enough deep areas, then it can rely upon natural convection currents and surface wind movement to maintain the water circulation. If the pool is smaller, or the regeneration zone proportion of the whole is reduced below half, then technical equipment can provide the circulation and filtration.
You can even install a little sandy beach in your organic pool area.
Chemicals
Conventional chorine pools can expect a build-up of chemical residues, so the pool needs to be drained out and the water changed from time to time. The water in an organic pool, on the other hand, never needs to be changed because it is constantly being maintained by the pool’s ecology. This equates to a huge saving in precious water resources.
Because tap water contains chemicals that interfere with how a natural pond works, it is better to fill your pool with rainwater. All the rainwater that falls on our house is collected and pumped to the pool. Even better, it is quite simple to construct devices to divert the first flush of roof water away, reducing the amount of detritus making its way into the pool. It may still take many weeks or months to fill the pool, but if you are making the pool yourself, you will find that it fills up as you are working on the project.
The laboratory water tests for my organic pool showed, not only was it perfectly safe for swimming, it was good enough to drink. It comfortably exceeded drinking water standards in all parameters tested.
Organic pool: DIY Help
In 2007 I made my organic pool with the simplest circulation system I could devise, using only partially competent DIY skills, standard domestic plumbing pipes and bubbles. At the time, I had no idea it was such a novel approach but it turned out to be the world’s first bubble-powered Natural Swimming Pool. Compared to a commercially-installed pool, it was ultra-low energy and a fraction of the cost to build. I then effectively made the design open source, by just charging a small amount for my DIY film “Make a Natural Swimming Pool” and my Organic Pools DIY Manual.
The Idea Spreads
Since then, all over the world, others have taken up my design and applied it to their particular location. The pool was made for the UK climate. But the design has proved remarkably robust for a range of conditions. This is from the frozen winters of Canada to the tropics of Brazil. Indeed, interest for these pools has proved particularly keen for those in warmer climates. I suppose I should not have been surprised by this. Now there are examples in Goa, Bali, Ecuador, South Africa and Thailand. And of course, in Australia.
It is possible to make an organic pool with a swimming pool physically separate from the planted filtration bed. This is suitable for those who prefer their pool to look more like a conventional swimming pool. But it may also be suitable for some tropical locations where it is important to keep the local wildlife separated from swimmers. An organic pool built in South Africa has the planted filter bed surrounding the swimming area. But it is physically separate with a wall that doubles as a path around the swimming pool. The owner is now proud to have wild turtles living in his regeneration zone.
This DIY approach to making organic pools has led to more people rediscovering the joy of swimming in freshwater and simultaneously helping biodiversity for their local ecology. ■
Surf Lakes Gold Coast have some news. The Gold Coast-based artificial wave park creator is edging closer to bringing its “5 Waves” surf technology to the Gold Coast. This is after signing an agreement with a group who have land suitable for the development of a Surf Lakes facility. The site location is still confidential, but the good news is that this project is going in the right direction. A team of town planners, architects and specialist consultants are currently being engaged to make the build happen.
The Perfect Wave
There’s no arguing that we have the best beaches in the world at the Gold Coast. However, some days the surf can be flat or just too wild. So the idea behind this surfing theme park is to have guaranteed perfect waves, every day.
Said co-founder and director, Reuben Buchanan, “After an exhaustive search, we are positive that this is the right site and location, plus the site owner shares our enthusiasm of bringing this project to life. Our vision is to build a world-class facility for recreation surfing and training that suits all surf craft – not just short boards.”
Surf Lakes Gold Coast = An experimental prototype facility in Yeppoon has shown great promise
Surf Lakes Gold Coast – Features
Ambassador for the company Mark “Occy” Occhilupo is equally enthusiastic. “The Gold Coast is screaming out for a something like this,” said the 1999 world champion. “Surf Lakes is ideal because it has perfect waves for every level of surfer. It will be huge for the thousands of surfers who live here, as well as visitors who will be able to surf perfect waves without relying on the ocean.”
When built, the facility will feature:
-Eight separate breaks – four left breaking and four right breaking
-Five levels of waves at the same time: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert and Pro
-Wave-face heights from 0.5 metres for beginners, to over 2.4 metres for expert surfers
-Guaranteed offshore conditions at all times, regardless of wind direction
-Five second hollow barrels at the premier break (both left and right)
-A heavy slab for expert surfers and bodyboarders
-Ride lengths ranging from six seconds for the slab style wave, up to 14 seconds for the two-point break style waves
-Throughput capacity of up to 160 surfers per hour (including learners)
-The ability to cater for the “after work hours crew” via night surfing
-Capacity to host major events for all surf craft plus events for broader action water sports.
Mark Occhilupo tries out the never-ending perfect wave.
The Perfect Location
With an estimated 2.5 million recreational surfers, Australia has amongst the highest ratio of surfers in the world per capita. Surf Lakes Gold Coast is aiming to attract more surfers from within Australia, which will help to boost local tourism and jobs. It will also deliver a range of economic and community benefits such as high-performance surf training programs, school surfing programs, adaptive surfing opportunities, indigenous focused surf programs and more.
Surf Lakes hopes to start construction in early 2021. It is expected the project will be completed and open to the public within nine to 12 months after first soil is turned. ■
In the meantime, there are other adventures to investigate on the Coast. See below!
There is an extremely endangered tree that only exists in a tiny part of the Gold Coast. With just 121 adult trees remaining, it is so rare, it is at crisis point! Nature warrior David Cuschieri explains the situation and how you can help.
The Ormeau bottle tree, the Gold Coast’s very own tree, is found nowhere else on earth. It is a seriously endangered tree. There are only 121 mature individuals existing in the wild. They are so rare that they only live in a space that’s just one square kilometre in size! And they are found nowhere else on the planet!
Currently, some dedicated Gold Coast residents are trying to bring the Ormeau bottle tree back from the brink of extinction. These organisations desperately need a whole slew of volunteers.
An old specimen of Ormeau bottle tree in Kingsholme.
The Backstory
There is a fascinating world beyond the glitter strip to explore. The hinterland with its World-Heritage-listed national parks makes the Gold Coast one of the most bio-diverse region in Australia. It has more than 1,800 plant species. Of these, 93 of are listed as endangered, vulnerable, or rare. On this rare list is the critically endangered Ormeau bottle tree.
Leaves from the old specimen in Kingsholme. Notice the oval shaped leaves are very different to the leaves of younger trees.
Gold Coast’s Iconic Ormeau Bottle Tree
Unlike our iconic cute and cuddly animal species, our unique and interesting plants often go unnoticed by most of the population. Yet they are just as special and deserve our awareness and protection. The Ormeau bottle tree is so rare that it only grows in the Upper Pimpama and Albert River Catchments of the Darlington Range. We need to keep an eye on this endangered tree.
While the entire population consists of just 121 adult trees, there is hope. There are approximately 560 juveniles. These numbers are according to Paul Donatiu and Liz Gould from Healthy Land and Water. In 2019, they surveyed the health of the population and conducted a series of habitat mapping across private and public land. This is a positive sign. It is believed that birds are spreading the seeds, and the endangered tree is beginning to expand its range.
This magnificent tree was rescued from a development site and moved to the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens in 2009
Habitat
The mature individuals of this dry rainforest tree have a distinctive canopy. They grow in riparian rainforest, occurring near small streams, deep gullies, and rocky gorges. Here in these moist pockets or refugia areas, they are protected from the threat of fire and extended dry periods. They prefer undisturbed rainforest habitats with few weeds.
The Ormeau bottle tree, or Brachychiton sp. Ormeau is thought to live for over 100 years. It grows to a height of 25 metres and has glossy leaves which are usually elliptical and 12-20cm long. I myself have grown Ormeau bottle trees and the juvenile trees have narrow leaves with 5-9 lobes. The very young leaves start out as distinctive pink starfish-shaped gloss leaves and the smaller leaves start out a deep crimson in colour.
The very first shoots of a young specimen I have been growing with its crimson starfish-like hairy leaves.
The crimson leaves turn light green after a few days and as they grow they turn a darker shade of green.
What to Look For
Paul Donatiu and Liz Gould have observed that trees growing in moist protected environments grow straight and tall. Those that were out in the open exhibited more of the distinctive swollen, bottle-like trunk appearance. They added that the species was not formally described until the 1990s, when it was discovered to be a new distinctive species.
One of the distinguishing features that made it unique was the numerous greenish-white bell-shaped flowers that grow at the end of branches. Other species of bottle tree don’t have flowers of this colour.
After a long wait, the critically endangered Brachychiton sp.Ormeau at the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens was in bloom late 2019. The flowers produced seeds, helping to conserve the tree. Credit K. Heffernan.
Threats
Because of its low population and being found in such a small restricted area, the Ormeau bottle tree faces many threats for its very survival. The main threats are extractive industry, invasion of habitat by weeds, lack of genetic diversity and changing climate.
With such a small and restricted population combined with the likelihood of extended periods of drought and dry conditions, these juvenile trees are at risk of more frequent fires. These long-lived trees take over 20 years to reach sexual maturity. It is plausible that a single fire event could wipe out the entire juvenile population.
The good news is that now the Ormeau bottle tree is protected under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992. This means all efforts must be made to conserve individual trees and their habitat. Permits are required to collect seeds and cuttings.
A mature specimen growing in a moist rainforest environment along the Pimpama River in Kingsholme
What Is Being Done To Save Them?
Just under a year ago at Boral Park in Kingsholme, Healthy Land and Water launched the Ormeau Bottle Tree Project. It was built on existing and long-standing collaborations and activity by local community groups. These included North East Albert Landcare and Friends of Ormeau Bottle Tree and land managers from the City of Gold Coast, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Boral and Holcim.
Chatting with Sue Durance from North East Albert Landcare, I discovered that this group has been instrumental in the Ormeau Bottle Tree Project undertaking the ‘on the ground ‘work for this project. In conjunction with Healthy Land & Water they identified properties which contained naturally occurring bottle trees. They then carried out fire and weed control and revegetation activities to encourage natural revegetation and the potential for natural recruitment.
North East Albert Landcare restoring Ormeau bottle tree ecosystem.
A Challenging Future
Most recently NE Albert Landcare has been provided with funding through the Communities for Environment Program to continue this work to protect and conserve the Ormeau bottle tree. Sue added that the surrounding area where the Ormeau bottle tree occurs is rich in biodiversity and contains some other very rare and endangered plant species.
The Ormeau bottle tree has a challenging future, however, with individuals and organisations working together, this Gold Coast natural treasure may well be saved from the brink of extinction. It’s heartening to know that with the passion, dedication and energy of many people, this Gold Coast botanical gem is in good hands. If you, like me, have become obsessed with this unique Gold Coast botanical treasure and are interested in learning more or getting involved in its conservation, then here are some ideas.
Visit A Rare Tree
There are a few Ormeau bottle trees planted in public areas that are easily accessible and where you can see these beauties in the flesh.
Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens.
This specimen is over 8 metres high. You’ll be able to see what the mature leaves look like. If you are lucky you may get the chance to see it in flower.
The Botanic Gardens Friends volunteer guides lead walks around several endangered species. There is also a self-guided endangered plant trail. Visitors can pick up a trail map at the Friends Centre between 10-2 every day.
Gold Coast Historical Museum
You can visit ‘Arthur’ the Ormeau bottle tree sapling at the Gold Coast Historical Museum at 8 Elliott Street, Surfers Paradise. Arthur was named after a Gold Coast koala. This reminds us that when we all work together for a common cause, even our precious koalas can be saved from population decline and ultimately extinction. There is currently an opportunity for an individual, organisation or business to sponsor this rare and endangered tree if you are quick! Please contact the Museum if you are interested.
Griffith University Gold Coast Campus
You can also stop in at the Griffith University Gold Coast Campus. Each year, Catherine Pickering, the Professor of Botany from the Griffith School of Environment holds the Rare and Threatened Plant Walk on the Gold Coast campus. This is to highlight both the beauty and fragility of native plants in the region. On this walk you will be able to discover several Ormeau bottle trees planted on the grounds.
One of multiple Ormeau bottle trees growing in the rare and endangered plant collection at the Griffith University Gold Coast Campus.
For those who can’t make the annual walk, an interactive tour is also available year-round at the Gold Coast campus starting at the Red Zone in G40. An existing app, Grows at Griffith, is also available to make it easier to identify native plants on the campus. Griffith University encourages visitors to come visit their campus.
How to Follow the Issue
Join the Facebook Friends of Ormeau Bottle Tree for news and future events. You can also donate your time. North East Albert Landcare Group wants you to join up and get your hands in the dirt with outdoor activities to restore habitat for this species. You can also donate your cash. Email: s.durance@bigpond.com
The Watergum not-for-profit organisation helps the community engage in real, on-ground work to restore, maintain and protect the natural environment. Go to their website at watergum.org to learn more about their events, citizen science, workshops and events. ■
Author
David Cuschieri with Bailey the orphaned brushtail possum
DAVID CUSCHIERI is a Gold Coast resident with a keen interest in our unique wildlife and natural environment and their conservation. As well as fighting for an endangered tree, he’s also a koala campaigner. With his wife Heidi, they are Wildcare volunteer koala rescuers, having attended over 100 rescues in 2019 alone. In late 2019 he launched Koalas On The Green, a pilot program at Arundel Hills Country Club which was auspiced by Gecko Environment Council and funded by a Federal Communities Environment grant.
The goal has been to help enhance and extend habitat and food sources for Gold Coast urban koalas on golf courses. Golf courses are often the largest privately owned tracts of land in our suburbs and they provide valuable habitat, food sources and ‘koala superhighways’ for koalas to travel safely through a suburb and reduce the threat of vehicle strikes or dog encounters. To learn more about this project go to Koalas On The Green on Facebook.
JELLYFISH BLOOMS are on the rise. Overfishing decreases the numbers of jellyfish competitors. But also, jellyfish adore the rising water temperatures and increasing ocean acidification.
Jellyfish in Australia can sting us. Painfully. When they bloom out of control, we can get more serious problems than getting stung while swimming. Jellyfish blooms can disrupt fishing boats, break nets, they can clog engines, and affect other species. And, it isn’t just Australia that has a problem with these floating blobs. Jellyfish blooms have already destroyed entire fish farms in Europe. They have even blocked cooling systems of power stations near the coast.
Jellyfish Blooms Be Gone!
A German project, called GoJelly, would like to transform problematic jellyfish into a resource. One idea is to use the jellyfish to battle another, man-made threat. Studies have shown that the mucus from jellyfish can catch microplastic that currently is a polluting scourge in the oceans.
Jellyfish are being used to catch microplastics
GoJelly are developing a filter from the mucus of jellyfish that will capture microplastics from household products. It will prevent the microplastic from entering the marine ecosystem. Microplastics come from fleece sweaters, the breakdown of plastic products or from cosmetics and other modern products.
Other Uses
Jellyfish can also be used as fertiliser for agriculture or as aquaculture feed. Said the GoJelly team, “Fish in fish farms are currently fed with captured wild fish, which does not reduce the problem of overfishing. Jellyfish as feed would be much more sustainable and would protect natural fish stocks.”
Another option is using jellyfish as food for humans. In some countries, jellyfish is already on the menu. As long as the end product is no longer slimy, it could also gain greater general acceptance.
Finally, jellyfish contain collagen, a substance very much sought after in the cosmetics industry. The GoJelly team are seeing the jellyfish overpopulation problem as a potential problem solver. The answer is drifting right in front of us. Watch this space! ■
