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News & Updates about our platform and the Wine & Spirits industry at large.

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What's New with Bottlenose Release 2.11

Consumer Website

  • ADDED - When ID and DOB are required to place order, boxes appear under credit card entry

  • ADDED - When User Way accessibility widget is enabled, Consumer can use to improve shopping experience.

  • ADDED - Google map widget on the home page to show all locations

  • ADDED - Gluten Free and Vegan product attribute

Admin Interface

  • ADDED - Merchant can configure orders to require government issued ID and DOB

  • ADDED - Merchant can select List Mode when setting up a product group so the items will d…

Christie Johnston (Unlicensed)
Christie Johnston (Unlicensed)

What's New with Bottlenose Release 2.10

Consumer Website

  • ADDED - As a consumer, choose a specific day and time for my local deliveries.

  • ADDED - Case Pricing button will appear on eligible products.

  • ADDED - As a consumer, have to ability add tipping to curbside and In-Store pickup orders

  • ADDED - As a consumer, receive an abandon cart email notification and be directed to your shopping cart to complete order.

Admin Interface

  • ADDED - Ability for merchant to use case pricing field to display a case price on product page for consumer.

  • ADDED - Mer…

Christie Johnston (Unlicensed)
Christie Johnston (Unlicensed)

What's New in Bottlenose Release 2.9

Consumer Website

  • ADDED - Tipping - Enable Customer to add a Tip to Local Delivery Orders

  • IMPROVED - Rebuild Bottlenose eCommerce Cart and checkout

Admin Interface

  • ADDED - Ability for Merchant to add tipping to Local Delivery

  • IMPROVED - Admin Area Quick Search for platform 2

Email Marketing

  • ADDED - Add name field to email subscribers. Capture name in email subscriber import tool.

  • ADDED - As merchant capture single email subscriptions (email, name)

  • ADDED - Record email subscription date and include (displa…

Christie Johnston (Unlicensed)
Christie Johnston (Unlicensed)

Tips For Preventing eCommerce Fraud

As sales growth in the eCommerce sector of the wine and spirits industry continues, so does the increase in online stores that have been touched in some way by fraud. In most cases, the experience is limited to fraudulent orders and "charge backs". However, even minor fraud is reminder enough to make any merchant audit their eCommerce presence. Adhering to best practices minimizes the chance of losses at the hands of some of the shadier actors out on the internet.

Luckily, there are proven method…

Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)
Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)

Happy Holidays From The Bottlenose Team

At Bottlenose we consider this blog to be our best way to share news and updates about our platform and the wine and spirits industry at large. But today we would like to use it to simply wish you a very happy holiday season and start to the new year for you, your family and your business.

We are excited for 2019 as we have many exciting improvements coming to our platform to take advantage of the trends we have seen and reported on here in the wine and spirits industry. We look forward to helpin…

Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)
Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)

Tips For Increasing Holiday Sales With Social Media

For many businesses, social media offers an exciting new channel to engage your current customers and attract new shoppers. However, it can quickly become overwhelming when you start to think about the number of platforms available and the need to create content for that many audiences. And what content will help actually drive sales, not just add to the noise. Today we will take a look at some simple rules for using social media to drive sales this holiday season and beyond.

Know Your Audience A…

Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)
Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)

When Selling Virtual Inventory Online Makes Sense

Managed correctly, online retailers can take advantage of a unique opportunity to increase sales, avoid upfront cash outlays, and build customer loyalty. They can sell products and quantities of products that are not physically on hand in their brick & mortar store. A common term for this is selling virtual inventory. Today, we present when it Does and Does Not make sense to sell virtually online.

When It Makes Sense To Sell Virtually:  Many online retailers offer products or quantities of product…

Howard Morrison (Unlicensed)
Howard Morrison (Unlicensed)

David vs Goliath: Get Your Competitive 'Hat' on, David

Every Wine & Spirits small business store needs to identify what competing Goliaths do well, what you can do to mimic them, and how you can expose their weaknesses.

The internet has proven to be the great equalizer in the battles between Davids vs Goliaths. Even the smallest retailers, using a strategic, well executed eCommerce plan, can earn the marketshare they need to feel successful in their marketplace. The best of today's eCommerce platforms are made up of features that combine the hard ear…

William Carr
William Carr

Local Delivery and In Store Pickup - Keys to Holiday Success

Industry sales data suggests wine and spirit shops should have an eCommerce presence even if they do not ship. This is especially true during the holidays. Parties and social gatherings are at their peak. Shoppers are pressured for last minute gifts. Having an online store plan to accommodate Pickup at Store and Local Delivery orders should be part of your holiday preparation. Today we will look at some best practices to follow in order to make your online Pickup at Store and Local Delivery sale…

Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)
Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)

Best Practices For Running Holiday Promotions

During the busy giving season, not unlike the rest of the year, price will always be a huge factor when shopping online. Offering well timed and meaningful promotions that give shoppers a break on price is a good way to build loyalty with current customers and attract new ones. Not all promotion strategies fit all stores, factors like profit margin and ability to ship can make a store's circumstances unique. Having a plan for promotions before the holidays can greatly increase your profits headi…

Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)
Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)

Tips For Email Marketing During The Holidays

For many businesses, the holiday season (November to January) is one of the most profitable times of the year. It can be especially important for eCommerce sites to have their marketing right for the holidays for just this reason. Poor planning or execution of holiday marketing can result in lost sales income. October is the time to get your holiday marketing planned and organized. Today, we will focus on one of the most important tools any eCommerce retailer needs in their toolbox, email market…

Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)
Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)

The Holiday Shopper Mindset - Give Me Convenience & Speed, I'm In a Hurry

A successful holiday sales season begins with getting your eCommerce pieces in place in October. This month, our blog series will focus on the tactics, tools, and tips you need to start planning and executing an eCommerce strategy that will yield positive results when the holiday season is in full swing.

First, it is important to recognize that during the holidays your customers are likely to put speed and convenience at the top of their list of priorities when choosing how and where to shop. Hec…

Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)
Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)

Mobile Optimization Methods and SEO - What are Best Practices?

Recent studies show that nearly 50% of visits to eCommerce websites are from mobile devices such as phones and tablets. These visits account for just over 25% of all eCommerce sales.

Building an eCommerce site that contemplates how you will host mobile users is the key to making sure you do not miss out on this growing segment of sales. In addition to putting yourself in the best position to sell your products to customers on the go, optimizing your website for mobile users has an important secon…

Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)
Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)

SEO: Best Practices For Getting Your Products And Store Found

For online retail, success often depends on new customers finding your store and your products. How a merchant and their products perform in search engines will dictate how many new customers will find their way to that merchant's shopping cart. A store or its products landing on "Page 1" of search results can make a large contribution to that store's bottom line. But how can a merchant make sure their store and products are positioned to succeed in Google, Bing, or other searches? Tod…

Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)
Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)

Budgeting for Website Product Management

In our last blog, we explored the importance of robust Website Product Management for successful wine and spirit eCommerce sites. When budgeting for Website Product Management, there are several components for a merchant to consider. In most cases, merchants must choose how and where to invest in product management. A good understanding of the basic information gathering processes and their cost structures can be the difference between a profitable eCommerce site and one that fails to live up to…

Howard Morrison (Unlicensed)
Howard Morrison (Unlicensed)

Website Product Management - What is it, Why Important, and Best Practices

Research has found that wine labels, descriptions, images, and reviews can actually alter people’s emotions, even encouraging them to pay more for a bottle. Your online customers can't hold the bottle in their hand, so if your website doesn't provide complete, precise details about the products you sell, you're missing sales. The name of the wine and price is just not enough, people want to know more. And lack of product information is where a lot of online wine and spirit shops fail.

We get a lo…

Howard Morrison (Unlicensed)
Howard Morrison (Unlicensed)

What's New In Bottlenose 2.8

Sales On The Go

First, a note from the Bottlenose team:

At Bottlenose our top priority is to be your partner in building a successful online presence that compliments and expands your brick and mortar operation. We believe that in order to do this, transparency is the primary building block for that relationship. With that in mind, we wanted to address the bumpy roll out of our 2.8 feature release these last couple of weeks. In hindsight, we could have done a better job making feature decisions th…

Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)
Larry Kilroy (Unlicensed)

Yes... Include Vintages and Everyday Products

It is in your best interest to list vintages on most of your wine products. Notable exceptions would be non-vintage wines such as champagnes and lower budget bargain wines. Examples are Barefoot wines and other Gallo products which do not provide a vintage. All other wines, which annually harvest grapes for a production from that year, should be listed with their vintage. Wines with vintages provide shoppers with specificity and confidence to purchase since critic reviews and scores, as well as…

Howard Morrison (Unlicensed)
Howard Morrison (Unlicensed)

How To Use Your Website

Who is your most valuable Assistant?  Your website is, bar none.  It is capable of answering multiple questions from thousands of customers in less than a minute.    It can complete an order - shop, find, place in cart, checkout, in a fraction of the time it takes in-store.  It is your hub for in-store information and social media communication.  Your website works tirelessly 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.  It can build your brand, give customers confidence, and lead you to long term growth.

How to Us…

Howard Morrison (Unlicensed)
Howard Morrison (Unlicensed)

How To Use Your Website

Who is your most valuable Assistant?  Your website is, bar none.  It is capable of answering multiple questions from thousands of customers in less than a minute.    It can complete an order - shop, find, place in cart, checkout, in a fraction of the time it takes in-store.  It is your hub for in-store information and social media communication.  Your website works tirelessly 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.  It can build your brand, give customers confidence, and lead you to long term growth.

How to Us…

Howard Morrison (Unlicensed)
Howard Morrison (Unlicensed)

Product Details Increase Sales, Transactions and Page Views

Wine merchants face a unique set of challenges due to the ever changing inventory they present online. Faced with many options such as number of products to list and how much info to add per product, they, understandably become perplexed, seeking advice, answers, and solutions. QUESTIONS: Is it worth the time it takes to provide completed info on products? Can't I pick and choose which products get complete and which get minimal information? ANSWER: You are better off not listing products with m…

Evan Brown (Unlicensed)
Evan Brown (Unlicensed)

What's New In Bottlenose 2.7

Bottlenose 2.7 is live and includes many new features and improvements.

Consumer Website

Slideshow Improvements

  • Homepage slideshows now expand to the full width of the device and are smart-cropped to fit the ideal aspect ratio. 
  • Slideshows can now be navigated by swipe on touch-enabled displays.

Calendar Improvements

  • The layout of Events in the Calendar have been adjusted to be more readable and provide navigation to view other events.
  • If no upcoming events are available, the Calendar will display recen…

Evan Brown (Unlicensed)
Evan Brown (Unlicensed)

What's New in Bottlenose 2.6

Bottlenose 2.6 has been released and comes with a host of new features and improvements.

Email Marketing

Platform Overhaul

Bottlenose has completely replaced the underlying system driving our Email Marketing platform, which results in a faster, more responsive experience. All screens related to Email Campaign management load significantly more quickly, without the loss of any functionality. This change was made to improve performance and lay the groundwork for more features in the future.

Choose Cam…

Evan Brown (Unlicensed)
Evan Brown (Unlicensed)

Email Marketing Campaigns - 3 Must Haves

If you are a retailer who is about to create an Email Marketing campaign, you should review our three "must haves" before sending to your subscribers.

1. Make sure your website and email campaigns are mobile optimized

As an average, Bottlenose reports that 29.6% of all online sessions and 18% of all online sales for wine & spirits retailers come from customers using a mobile device. The Apple iPhone represents 47.28% of the total mobile sales. These numbers signify the importance of mobile. It con…

Evan Brown (Unlicensed)
Evan Brown (Unlicensed)

Best Practices: Guest Checkout

Why do I want Guest Checkout?

Some retailers may question why their website should offer a Guest Checkout feature in addition to the traditional Account creation. Simply stated, you will have a higher conversion rate and make more sales with your website by offering Guest Checkout.

Research studies show...

Research studies reveal that over 20% of the time cart abandonment is due to lack of a Guest Checkout option being offered. Formisimo quotes 23% and B1 Intelligence quotes 28%. This group of pote…

Evan Brown (Unlicensed)
Evan Brown (Unlicensed)

What's New In Bottlenose 2.5

What's New

Merchant Admin Portal

Bottle Count Promotion Trigger

You can now craft Promotions using a Bottle Count trigger, which will trigger the Promotion only when consumers have a certain quantity of Products in their cart.

Deposits

You can now include deposit amounts on your Products, which will shown separately from the price, but will be included in the order total as a separate line item.

Shelf Talkers

You can now create Shelf Talkers for any Product on your website. You can choose to include th…

Evan Brown (Unlicensed)
Evan Brown (Unlicensed)

What's New in Bottlenose 2.4

Merchant Admin Portal

Color-Coded Order Statuses

In addition to Pending orders being colored yellow, Cancelled orders now show in red and Ready orders show in blue.

Ready for Delivery status

Orders can now be set to "Ready for Delivery". This status sends an email to your customer asking them to schedule delivery.

Subscription Pop-Up

You can now enable a pop-up window to new visitors to your site, prompting them to sign up for your Email Marketing campaigns. You can also attach a key-based promotion t…

William Carr
William Carr

Best Practices: Promo Code

Promo Codes Grow Your Business

Offering your customers discounts using Promo Codes is a powerful way to induce customers to Buy Now! Customers like Promo Codes because they get a discount, such as Free Shipping or savings on their products or subtotal.  Retailers like Promo Codes because they're an easy way to target and track their promotions and learn about what their customers want. However, many retailers might not realize that they're doing Promo Codes the wrong way.

The Wrong Way: An Input Bo…

Evan Brown (Unlicensed)
Evan Brown (Unlicensed)

What's New in Bottlenose 2.3

Bottlenose has just released version 2.3 of our platform, which brings new features, improvements and fixes.

For Customers

Improved Visibility of Promotions

Customers who trigger a Promotion will now see the Promotion name listed with the order total in their cart, during checkout, and on their receipt. Also, if a Promotion has discounted a Product, the customer will see the original price of the Product and their savings in their cart.

Pre-Arrivals & Futures

Products with these attributes now offer…

Evan Brown (Unlicensed)
Evan Brown (Unlicensed)

Bottlenose 2.2 Released

What's New

William Carr
William Carr

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