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ms-rampage · 4 years

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Eden’s Gate: Aftermath Chapter 5 - The Growing Family of Hunters

Warnings: Swearing.

Word count: 2.9k

This is a short follow up series to Kidnapped leading up to the nuclear holcaust, and the beginning of New Dawn.

Summary: Kate recovers from her Bliss hallucination after being forced out by her Archangel, Paige gets a new lead on Joseph, and the guys' families come by.

Guest OCs: Too many at this point. FML.

Guest Characters: Gabriel [mentioned], God/Chuck [mentioned], Sam and Dean Winchester [in flashback]. Too many FML.

**********

Flashback

One year earlier

Toledo, Ohio

"So you sure you're not mad at her anymore?" Dean asks Paige.

She sighs, "Yes Dean, I'm no longer mad at Kate".

Sam, Dean, Paige and Kate are tracking down a nest of vampires in the Ohio woods.

"Okay but from what Brent told me. You were very upset because she wanted out of this life" he tells her.

She sighs again, "Yeah, yeah I know I was, but I got over it".

10 feet behind them, Sam and Kate have their conversation on the whole "leaving the hunter life behind".

"You know I wanted to stop hunting as well" Sam tells Kate.

She looks up at her tall cousin, "Really?".

He nods, "Yeah I went off to college at Stanford. Studying to be a lawyer".

"What happened?!" she asks.

"Our dad went missing, and Dean went by my dorm. I helped him out on one hunt then that night I went back to my room" he takes a deep breath, "Then the demon that killed our mom killed my girlfriend Jess".

She looks up at him once more with sad eyes, "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that" she tells him.

He exhales, "It's fine. We were able to kill him".

"What demon?" she asks.

"Azazel. Yellow eyes" he tells her.

She looks up at him again, "Azazel?. He killed our dad".

Dean and Paige look back at them.

"What happened?" Dean asks.

"Paige the demon that killed dad, what was his name?!" she asks.

"Azazel" she responds.

Kate scoffs, "What is up with that bastard killing our parents?!?"

"We're Winchesters" Dean replies, "That's what happens to us".

*******

Trying to recover from her hallucination trip. Fucking Gabriel pushed her out. Forcing her ass to wake up. Dealing with the withdrawals of the Bliss.

The sun shining in her face, making her go blind for a brief moment.

“It’s morning already?!” Kate thinks to herself.

She stares off into space, staring up at the ceiling. “What the hell Gabe?!”. She gets startled by a knock at her bedroom door, followed by the knob jiggling.

“Kate!!” Paige calls out, “We got a lead on Joseph come down and we’ll talk about it”.

She gets out of bed, and looks in the mirror.

Her eyes aren’t as white as she thought they would be.

Unlocking her door, and going downstairs with the others.

Everyone including Rachel are sitting at the kitchen table.

“Okay so now that we’re all here” Paige says, “I finally got the lead on Joseph’s whereabouts”.

“So where could he be hiding out?!?” Cody asks.

“It could be anywhere in Hope County” Marty says.

“True!!” Paige says, pointing a pointer at them like she were a teacher, “But I got an exact location, and its pretty fucking obvious”.

Waiting and already knowing of his whereabouts. They all just want to see Paige look like an idiot, or more like an idjit.

“Where is he hiding?!” Kenny asks in a smartass kind of way.

“His fucking church” she mutters angrily, “Please fucking kill me!!”.

Everyone stares at her as if she were a fucking dumbass.

“I could’ve fucking guess he was there!!!” Adrian yells.

“Well he wasn’t there before” Paige says in her defense, “He wasn’t anywhere near the statue. Or Teller Ranch which is a real location in a different part of Hope County that I didn’t even know existed!!”.

“So now what?!?” Mandy asks.

“Well we go there, we get him, and we fucking kill him” Paige answers as if it were a dumb question.

“Is killing Joseph Seed really a necessary thing?!?” she asks.

Paige glares at her mother with furrowed eyebrows, “Is that a real, serious question?!. Of fucking course killing him is necessary”.

“I mean we don’t have to kill him though. Maybe have him arrested? Maybe?” she says.

Paige scoffs, “Mom I get you were the “Mother of Eden’s Gate” for a few months, but come fucking on. This man fucking tortures, and manipulates people. Rachel is a good fucking example of that”.

“You’re not going soft for this man are you Mandy?!” Kenny asks in a calm voice.

“I feel like he needs to be protected” Mandy says, shrugging.

“Protected?!?! What the fuck?!?” Paige blurs out, “He doesn't need to be protected. If God, or Chuck wants Joseph to be protected he would’ve shown himself to him. Like he has with us in the past. Like he has with Sam and Dean”.

Barbara steps in and defends Mandy, “Paige you shouldn’t talk to your mother like that. If she says Joseph needs to be protected then he needs to be protected”.

Paige sighs, and says “Barb I know you and my mom are close. But this man, he doesn’t deserve to be protected. Not by my mom, not by my family, not by his followers, and definitely not by Chuck”.

Barbara and Paige stare at each other for a moment, then Rachel clears her throat and speaks up. Everyone looks over at her.

“Joseph, he may seem like a good person to his followers. But he’s a monster. I was afraid of him, and so was John. Jacob not so much. I’m still afraid of him. Joseph, he drugged, manipulated, and threatened me. I was only 17, he took advantage of me. He helped me find my purpose but I was still scared of him.”

Mandy speaks up, “Is that why you were always around me when I was The Mother?”

Rachel nods, “Yes because I felt safe around you. Joseph wouldn’t hurt you because you were The Mother. He wanted to keep you safe, protected and to guide us to New Eden”.

“Mom did Joseph ever try to do anything harmful to you?” Kate asks, still recovering from the Bliss trip.

“No, he didn’t try to do anything that’ll cause me harm” she says, shaking her head.

Mark clears his throat, and awkwardly says “Very bad timing, but our families are coming over to live with us. They’ll be over around 1pm”.

“Alright good, but where are they gonna stay?!?” Kate asks.

“Well my wife and kids can sleep in my room” Nate says, “Since the extra houses are still being put up”.

“My family can do the same” Mark says.

“My wife Brandi is gonna live with us as well” Cody adds.

“So is my wife” Adrian says as well.

“And my fiance as well” Martin says.

“Okay!!” Paige says loudly, “So we’re gonna have Nate, Ellen and your guys 3 kids, Mark, Dana and your guys 2 kids, Cody and Brandi, Martin and Megan, Adrian and Amanda. As well as Kenny, myself, Cristina and baby number 2. Rachel, Kate and the Seed spawn, mom, and Barb”.

She lets out an exaggerated exhale after saying the names of all the people that are gonna live with them in the one huge soon to be 3 house.

“Are we gonna ignore the fact that we’re gonna have more people living here with small children. When we have a bunch of crazy Cultist fuckers running around and trying to kill us?!?” Kenny asking the real questions.

They all exchange looks for a bit, and Paige speaks up.

“I mean Kenneth. We all hunt demons, ghosts and monsters for a living. We all have died at least 3-6 times at some point, and came back. Who wins? A bunch of human cultists? Or a bunch of demon boys with powers?”.

They all once again exchange looks. “She has a point, Kenny” Mark tells him.

They all agree with Paige’s analogy. They’ve all died several times in their lives, were brought back and continued their lives as hunters. Them being hunters is how they all met. It’s how Paige and Kenneth met. It’s quite a romantic story. How they met.

“Well, thank Chuck we’re putting up 2 more houses” Kenny chuckles.

“Speaking of that!” Adrian speaks out, “We should get going with that”.

“Agree” Cody says, getting up from his seat.

The guys all go upstairs and change into their construction gear. They spent the next several hours putting up the houses with the help of 8 Holland Valley locals.

******

1pm arrives, and the guys families, and significant others arrive.

They hug and greet each other. Catch up on life.

Introduce each other to their families.

The children go, and explore the huge 11 bedroom house.

All of them sitting at the kitchen table.

“How was the drive?” Paige asks Cody’s wife Brandi.

She groans, “Hell. Complete Hell”.

Paige laughs softly, “Sounds about right”.

“This house is huge!!!” Dana says, looking around.

“Yep, when Kenneth and I bought it last year after we got married. It had 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, the living room was 450 square feet I think. The kitchen was 450 as well, but with the dining room it’s 780 square feet. The backyard was 2 acres. After a few months we remodel the entire house. It took 7-9 months, we finished back in April of this year. We added 6 more bedrooms, 6 more bathrooms, the living room is now 690 square feet, we purchased 2 more acres of land, so we now have 4 acres of land. We have a bunker that I didn’t had until we’re half way through remodeling the house.”

“It’s huge!” Kate says, “The bunker. It has a full kitchen, a library, a medical room, I think like 10-12 rooms, 6 bathrooms. I think it was a hidden military bunker because we found a lot of Army paraphernalia, old weapons and shit. There’s beds, it’s all stocked up with canned foods, pasta, water, toilet paper and all that shit”.

“I really like the garage that leads down to the bunker” Mandy adds.

Paige says, “Oh yeah the garage we have has a secret entrance inside. That’s why we park our cars in the driveway because we often go down there. The floor lifts up and leads underground. Very Batman-like. My cousin Dean would be very jealous”.

*****

Later that evening they all sit outside, and have dinner.

Mandy, Paige and Kenny made some burgers, fries and a bunch of other meats for them, and their guests. Celebrating the freedom from 2 of the 3 Seeds. Since Faith/Rachel has a change of heart and she’s proving everyday that she has.

Kate invited Wheaty because she’s dating him, as well as all her friends Morgan, Alissa, Sarah, Ryan, Dylan, Kevin the twins Ivan and Isaiah. She really needed to get John off her damn mind and having all her friends around will help with that.

Hoping they’ll give her some comfort. Paige also invited the Rye’s, Mary May, Pastor Jerome, Grace, Sharky, Hurk Jr, Eli, Tammy, and Jess Black. Amongst others.

Kate hugs Wheaty tightly, sinking into his arms, forgetting all about John, and actually listening to Gabriel’s advice.

“I missed you” she says into his shoulder.

He chuckles, “I missed you too”, and kisses the side of her head.

Everyone has a great time, eating, talking and either getting to know each other, or catching up. Paige and Jess finally caught and set up a day for them to go hunting. Seeing her goddaughter Cristina for the first time in several months.

Kate goes the rest of the evening not thinking about John, or even having any memories of him, or his existence in her life. Doing what her Guardian Archangel told her to do and forget about him. Thinking about the good things happening in life.

The tiny human that's growing inside her, she’s with someone that makes her happy. She has her family, and friends.

"So what do you wanna do on Halloween?" Wheaty asks her.

Paige gives Kate a narrow eyed look, "Tell him" she nudges her sister's arm.

She stumbles and tells him, "To, to uh. To be 100% honest Wheat, I don't like Halloween".

He raises his eyebrows at her, "Really? I figured you would love Halloween!".

Paige looks over at her little sister, "Kate tell him why you don't like Halloween!".

She shakes her head, "Uhh no I don't want to".

"I'll tell him if you don't" she playfully threatens.

She groans, rolling her eyes, giving in to tell them "Okay fine!. One time when I was 11-12 before we were taken away from our mom. We were living in Louisiana at the time, and I was invited by one of my classmates to go to her Halloween party. She invited one of our classmates that I had a huge crush on".

"It gets better!!" Paige interrupts, telling Sharky, Jess, Eli and Wheaty.

Kate rolls her eyes, "Anyway. She had a bobbing for apples game thing, and I for some fucking reason wanted to impress that boy in my class. So I bobbed for the apples, but when I’m around someone I like, I tend to get a little queasy. When it was my turn, I went to grab an apple and I threw up in the water”.

Paige bursts into laughter, while everyone at the table looks over at Kate either trying to hold back laughter, or gasping dramatically. Wheaty puts his arm around Kate as a sign of comfort, kissing the side of her head.

“But wait!. It gets better!!’ she tells them, “Everyone saw that I threw up in the apple bucket. Some laughed, some gasp in shock. The boy that I liked saw everything, I went to run away, but I slipped, I stupidly grabbed the bucket and the water along with my vomit and the apples spilled all over me”.

Paige continues to laugh hysterically. “What happened afterwards?!?” Sharky asks.

“I ran out the house and hid in the woods behind her house until my mom came to pick me up”.

Wheaty kisses the side of her head again, comforting her.

“Ya know the same thing happened to me when I was a kid” Sharky tells her.

“Really? What did you do?” she asks.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember much from that” he tells her, and walks away to the other guests.

“Anyway, we can still do something for Halloween. It doesn’t have to be Halloween related” Wheaty tells her.

She’s hesitant about answering him. “C’mon Kate that was 10 years ago. Get over it!” Paige tells her.

“Paige that was humiliating” she tells her, “It all happened in front of a guy I liked”.

“Well what if I told you we can hang out and it won’t involve bobbing for apples or any Halloween related games” he tells his girlfriend.

“Come on Kate spend some time with your boyfriend” Morgan tells her, “Who cares if it's on Halloween”.

“Just pretend it’s another day” Sarah tells her.

She finally gives in after all her friends and sister convince her after 10 minutes “Okay we can do something for October 31st” she finally gives in and gives him an answer.

“Don’t dress as a clown” Morgan tells them, “Kate hates clowns”.

“More like is afraid of clowns” Alissa adds.

They all laugh and have a great night together. Celebrating their freedom from the Seeds with only 1 more to go. With the Winchesters around they’ll all be gone before Halloween.

Joseph’s days are numbered.

******

Later that night when all the guests leave and everyone goes to sleep, Paige and Kate are down stairs putting leftovers away. Once they're done, Paige goes upstairs to her bedroom.

“Welp I’m gonna get some shut eye” she tells her, “You coming up?”.

Kate who is distracted by her thoughts, snaps her head up to look at her sister, “Uhh yeah, yeah I’ll be up in a bit. I just need to do something first”.

Once she leaves upstairs, Kate goes to the backdoor and steps outside into the backyard out into the cool Montana night.

She walks 20 feet away from the house, far enough where the others won’t be able to hear her. Looks up into the sky, looking at the stars, moon, thick clouds covering the moon, the visible galaxies from Earth and prays.

Taking a deep breath, “Hey Gabriel” she starts, “It’s me. Ya girl”. She lets out a short laugh before continuing.

“I just. I just wanted to say” trying to keep her breath steady, “I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for getting me over John. For getting me out of Hell, protecting me from Lilith. Everything. I don’t. I don't think I ever thanked you for all that".

The night goes completely silent, the crickets go silent, “If you can show me a sign that you heard me that would be great”.

She looks around the property to see if anything changed, she looks up at the moon and sees the clouds surrounding it disperse. Moving away from the glowing rock in the sky.

She chuckles softly to herself, looking up “Is that you?”. A shooting star flies past the moon confirming that her Archangel heard her and is giving her a sign that he heard everything she said. Followed by a cool gust of wind, making her hair dance in the breeze.

Smiling up at the sky, “You heard” she mutters and goes back inside the house.

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beingallelite · 5 years

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Nearly twenty years after the end of the “Monday Night Wars,” the landscape of professional wrestling is on the precipice of a massive shift.

The catalyst for the seismic change is All Elite Wrestling, the upstart company founded by Tony Khan, son of Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan, and professional wrestlers Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega and Matt and Nick Jackson — better known as the Young Bucks.

After holding four shows — two pay-per-views and two free events — all eyes will be on the upstart wrestling company this week as it debuts its live television program, titled “Dynamite,” on TNT.

“I guess you could say there are a lot of nerves because going live you face that fact that anything could happen,” Nick Jackson told Yahoo Sports. “You just never know if something wrong is going to go down, like someone getting hurt. Knock on wood, hopefully everyone just kills it and we have a great time. We’re just hoping everything goes right.”

The birth of All Elite Wrestling

Wednesday night represents a culmination of a months-long effort by the Bucks, Omega, Rhodes and Khan, among others. On the heels of their successful independent show, “All In,” in August 2018, the group announced the creation of All Elite Wrestling in January and the buzz immediately started.

What started as a conversation on his back patio between Matt Jackson, his wife and Khan had finally become a reality.

“With the feedback right away we knew it was something that could be big,” Nick Jackson said. “As soon as we announced Chris Jericho, then people knew this was real and it could be as big as anything we’ve seen over the past 20 years. Right off the bat we knew. When we hit a home run with [May’s event] ‘Double or Nothing,’ that was further proof that this was going to be the next alternative.”

While the concept of All Elite Wrestling kicked into high gear over the past nine months, the Jacksons recognize that their YouTube series, “Being the Elite,” served almost as a training ground for the production aspect of AEW.

“I don’t think we would have ever guessed that it would get this big,” Matt Jackson said. “When we first started it, it was just a fun little project that was Nick’s idea to document our day-to-day activities for the fans to help us connect on a more personal level. The fact that it became what it became is really crazy to us. We’re hoping to keep it around.”

Since its inception in 2016, “Being the Elite” has grown to include several other members of All Elite Wrestling’s roster and has served as a conduit to further storylines in between events. As AEW grew, inching closer to the October debut, the Jacksons’ responsibilities expanded and ultimately, the brothers admit that the hit series may change.

“We’re hoping to keep it around,” Matt Jackson said. “I don’t know what that means though exactly, it will depend on what our schedule looks like. We have a huge following, it’s too big to just go away. I think we’ll be going through a transitional phase here soon while we figure out what ‘BTE’ will look like.”

‘My sleep schedule hasn’t been great’

The biggest adjustment for the Jacksons has been juggling dual roles. In addition to being two of the marquee talents on AEW’s roster, the brothers serve as executive vice presidents for the company.

It’s one thing to have to prepare for your own match ahead of a show, it’s an entirely different beast to ensure every aspect of the production is firing on all cylinders.

“I’m learning that it was a lot easier just being a wrestler, especially with this whole project,” Matt Jackson said. “The biggest adjustment for me has been being on the phone every second of the day, trying to be a dad also. Trying to stay fit, trying to do all of my other daily things.”

“A few months into this my phone never stopped ringing and I never stop getting text messages. It’s been a non-stop work pace since June. I love it, but at the same time I will admit that of course I’m struggling with balance. We’re an upstart but I have my own family too. Juggling a billion things at once, my sleep schedule hasn’t been great.”

Juggling their time is just one part of the equation for the Jacksons.

As All Elite Wrestling continues to grow, there’s inevitably going to be the perception that if they are continuously booked at the top of the card that the Jacksons — along with Rhodes and Omega — are putting themselves “over.”

The Jacksons are attempting to squash the issue before it starts.

“That’ll always be a concern,” Nick Jackson said. “Matt, myself and Kenny, we’ve made this a rule where you cannot talk about our position in the office on camera. You’ll never hear about anything that we do outside of being in the wrestling ring when you watch an episode on TNT. The only way you’ll know that is if you’re really a true insider, a huge wrestling fan and we want to keep it that way.

“If we’re the most popular act on a show, then that popular act should win,” Nick Jackson continued. “If we aren’t getting the biggest reaction, we should lose. We just have to know better and what’s right and wrong. I feel like Matt and I are pretty thoughtful in a selfish business.”

Making a place for tag-team wrestling

The Jacksons are one of the best — if not the best — tag teams in the world, so it’s no surprise that All Elite Wrestling is placing a huge emphasis on the format.

The early success of “Dynamite” will hinge on a number of factors, but one of the most important will be the tag-team tournament that will inevitably crown the promotions first champions.

“We’ve always fantasized — we never thought we’d get to do it — but if we had the book, we would make tag-team wrestling a priority,” Matt Jackson said. “Every team that you see with us, they were hand-picked by Nick and I. We’ve either worked with them elsewhere or have been watching them. We asked ourselves, ‘Who are the teams we want to work with?’ We figured, if we could have a good match with these wrestlers, the other teams could as well. A lot of it was almost selfish, us saying, ‘Who can we tear the house down with? OK, sign them.’”

There’s obviously an old-school feel as AEW goes up against WWE — by far the biggest competitor in the wrestling industry — but putting tag-team wrestling front and center is a sign that the company hopes to take the business even further back than the “Monday Night Wars” of the 1990s.

“Tag-team wrestling historically has been big box office,” Matt Jackson said. “In the old territory days, the Rock ‘N’ Roll Express was the main event in every town. It was clearly something that worked. Even as recently as the TLC era, Matt and Jeff Hardy were the biggest box office draw in tag-team history. They’re brothers, there’s a lot of parallels. I don’t know why it hasn’t shined as brightly in the past 20 years, but it’s time for it to take its spot back.”

With teams like the Young Bucks, Lucha Bros. and SCU, among others, it won’t be difficult for AEW to sell tag-team wrestling. Anyone who has watched a match involving these teams knows that there is no shortage of death-defying and jaw-dropping spots.

While some teams may alter their style with the move to weekly television — there’s a belief that wrestlers want to save certain moments for bigger shows — don’t expect that in the early going from the Jacksons.

“Matt and I have built a career off doing everything every day and every show,” Nick Jackson said. “I don’t think we’re going to change that philosophy. You might see that change with other wrestlers, but Matt and I are going to go into it thinking, ‘Let’s do what we do and keep doing what got us to the dance.’ Maybe during commercial breaks we’ll take it a little more easy.”

“Now is not the time to hold back,” Matt Jackson said. “Now is the time to show the world what we’re capable of. This may be the moment where everyone wants to sample our product and we may just have 15 seconds to gain some viewers when they are flipping through the channels. Now it’s the time to show the world what AEW looks like.”

And if fans are hooked, they’ll get to see tag-team wrestling in the biggest time slots.

“I don’t want anybody to be surprised when tag-team matches headline and main event a bunch of our shows,” Matt Jackson said. “There’s nothing more beautiful than a good tag-team wrestling match.”

The billion-dollar question

AEW is far from the first wrestling promotion to try and compete with Vince McMahon and WWE.

After Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling and Paul Heyman’s Extreme Championship Wrestling were purchased by McMahon, the wrestling landscape has been dominated by WWE.

Smaller promotions such as Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling Guerilla, New Japan Pro Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action have all operated over the past 20 years, but none has gained a large enough share to truly pose a threat to McMahon’s behemoth.

With AEW debuting on TNT — the same channel that aired “Monday Night Nitro” in the 1990s — things feel different. WWE has also moved its NXT brand, which more closely resembles the independent-adjacent style that AEW will have, to air on Wednesday nights in the same exact time slot as “Dynamite.”

“Of course [competition] is a conversation [we have],” Matt Jackson said. “I feel like the entire group of guys, we’re all so tunnel-visioned on what our idea is and what we want our show to look like, we have a vision of what we want AEW to be and we can’t stray too far away from that.

“Obviously, it’s smart to survey, see what the competitor is doing and what’s clicking or not clicking. A lot of this is going to be organic. If one week they are putting on something similar to what we have planned, maybe we change that. If they have a huge match planned and we didn’t, maybe that changes things. I think all it does is breed competitive nature in all of us, makes us all step up our game and put on the best show possible. It’s corny, but the fans win in all of this.”

At the end of the day, AEW’s ability to compete will boil down to the in-ring product and its production value.

Although the members of the AEW roster have vast experience in the professional wrestling world, there’s a significant difference between working on the independent circuit and putting on a live television program every week.

“We need to learn how to tighten up the show and tell our stories in 90 minutes,” Matt Jackson said. “The other thing is it’s going to be on live television, so we’re working with commercial breaks. I think we will gain our footing. This is all new to us and we’re a brand new company. We’re expecting hiccups but the best thing will be for us to pivot from those things and learn from our mistakes. We’re learning on the job but we also think we’re the most qualified team.”

Much like wrestlers calling a match in the ring, everyone involved in AEW will also need to be able to change things on the fly.

“We have an idea of where we want to go, but we also have to be ready to switch gears,” Matt Jackson said. “In wrestling, things just kind of organically happen. I always use this example, but we didn’t have a clue that after doing four shows that having a guy who dresses up as a dinosaur be one of our most over acts. Happy surprises happen. One thing we need to be ready to do is shift things and go with the flow.”

Saying goodbye to the old Young Bucks

In August, the Jacksons said goodbye to the independent circuit with a main event match against Private Party in Queens, New York. The show, put on by House of Glory, was in a venue that held maybe 1,000 people.

For comparison, “Dynamite” will take place at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. — a 20,000-plus seat venue that sold out in minutes.

“The one thing Matt and I will certainly miss is how close we were to that fan base,” Nick Jackson said. “We’re not leaving them, but it felt so intimate, being in a smaller venue.”

It’s not just moving to a bigger venue for the Jacksons, it’s leaving behind the part of the business that helped make them who they are today.

“It’s an environment for being able to really thrive, be creative and try new things, take risks,” Matt Jackson said. “That’s one thing I miss. Every match we have there’s a lot of pressure, it’s high stakes, we have to hit a home run every time. It felt good to do independent shows because that’s where we really crafted our act and created these characters that everyone has come to love now.

“[Now we’re] realizing that that part of our career is over and I’m not sure if it has really sunk in for us.”

On arguably the biggest night of their careers on Wednesday, it will.

#the young bucks #nick jackson #matt jackson #all elite wrestling #aew #posted on: 9.30.19 #aew on tnt #aew dynamite #wednesday night dynamite #article #yahoo sports

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transcriptroopers · 7 years

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Training: Part 1

After months of waiting, I'm finally going to get into what training looks like. This will be a four part series and will include reception, basic training, and AIT. Feel free to send questions regarding anything you read here, but for questions involving training that I haven't covered yet, please wait until I finish the OP! My goal is to have all four of them finished by May, so let's crush it!

Part 1: Reception (you're on it!) Part 2: Basic Combat Training (coming soon!) Part 3: Basic to Advanced Individual Training (coming soon!) Part 4: Advanced Individual Training (coming soon!)

Things to keep in mind while I go through this series:

•We're “recruits” or “warriors” or some other nickname before we're “soldiers.” We have to get through BCT at least before people start considering us soldiers. So typically I'll be referring to people as “recruit.”

•As always, I'll be using the terms “male” and “female” to refer to recruits, as that's what's proper and respectful in a military setting.

•This series starts assuming you've already gone through the recruitment process. If the recruitment process is requested, that'll be a separate post.

•I'll be using a lot of slang in this post because otherwise it'll read extremely tediously. I will attempt to explain the slang the first time it's used, but if you're confused you can always ask me. If you suspect you'll have trouble, you might try keeping notes of what things mean; maybe it'll help your writing at a later date as a quick reference!

Part 1: Reception

The day has come: it's time to ship off to basic training. You don't really need to bring anything with you other than the clothes on your back and your folder of paperwork, which will likely be a big ol' bulky pain in the ass. You can bring hygiene stuff with you if you want, but considering your NCOs will probably just make you buy more hygiene stuff when you arrive anyway, there's almost no point. You show up at your recruiter's office at the appointed time. They either put you on a bus or drive you all the way to MEPS, which is the Military Entrance Processing Station. You've already gone through MEPS a few weeks prior, so you won't be there very long. Your flight doesn't leave until tomorrow morning, (the army wants accountability of you the night before) so you get shipped off to a hotel to twiddle your thumbs. You'll be rooming with other recruits and your evening meal will be taken care of by the hotel.

The next morning, you wake up bright and early, probably around four or five a.m. You and the other dozens of recruits take a bus that takes you to the airport, where you'll separate into smaller groups. Not all of you will be going to the same basic training location, so your group will probably be on the smaller side, maybe three to five people. You'll stick in this group until you arrive at your new unit and likely get separated.

Depending on how long it'll take you to arrive, you'll receive meal vouchers. The army will pay for one to two meals at the airport. The voucher has to be all used up in one go, so if you get a $20 voucher and only use $10, that other $10 is gone. Those vouchers are only good while you're in transit to basic training. You'll also have paperwork with instructions on your way there, including phone numbers to call in emergencies and where to go after you arrive.

If something comes up to where you either miss your flight or your flight is delayed, there's a hotline you can call to inform the army of the delays so they know you haven't gone AWOL. Your plane will touch down wherever your new unit will be. The instructions will lead you to the waiting place, which will likely be full of many other recruits from all over the country. There will be restrooms, food, drinks, and possibly entertainment while you're waiting. You still have all of your personal belongings, including your phone.

When it's time, (whether that means ten minutes later or ten hours later) you hop on a bus to be taken to the next step, and the official title of this section: reception.

Reception will be your first taste of military life. You'll be separated into male and female barracks and assigned a temporary reception platoon, which could easily be a hundred individuals. In the barracks will be bunk beds, lockers, showers/toilets, and washing machines/dryers. You still have your phone, but during the day it must be kept in your locker, and you can get in big trouble for having it on you during the day. You're still waking up bright and early in the morning, probably 5-6 a.m. You have a morning formation every day (and multiple more formations after that) which requires you to be in that day's uniform.

Every day, you have a designated chow time in the morning, afternoon, and evening. The Dining Facility, or DFAC, will often be extremely full, which means you'll probably have to wait before you can even enter. You'll still be in formation standing outside the DFAC, entering slowly one or two at a time. It might take half an hour just to get inside the DFAC and an hour and a half before chow time is over.

Because of this, you won't be permitted to dawdle. Your NCOs (who aren't drill sergeants, yet) probably won't let you take more than ten minutes to eat, although they might only give you five minutes if they don't like you. If you look like you're eating too slowly and you've only been sitting down for like two minutes, they might shoo you out to make room for others. The DFAC is basically a buffet, (free to enlisted) although at this point you're only allowed one run through it, and it sucks to be you if you forgot something. They serve hot chow even for breakfast, cereal, milk and juice, fruit, and possibly even a salad bar. The food itself is a bit subpar, but all things considered it's not horrible. It's probably no better or worse than a school lunch. You won't be permitted to drink coffee or hot tea, and you can't go up and refill your drink if you finish it too quickly.

Because I went to training in the cold, our strategy for staying in the DFAC longer was actually getting as much food as was reasonable. We'd still have to eat it fast, but because there was so much of it it often took us longer to the point we could maybe stretch out fifteen minutes of sitting there. The stomachache kinda sucked after, but with how cold it was outside it was worth it to avoid it for ten more minutes. We'd eat oranges, (which require time consuming peeling) cereal, (taking smaller spoonfuls) apples, (eating the whole thing, core and all) whatever it took not to have to stand in the cold anymore, knowing we were destined for hours of bracing the cold.

It is absolutely forbidden to remove food from the DFAC. People still do it to have something to snack on while they're in the barracks for the evening, but you'll get a nice chewing out if someone catches you.

You'll go through CIF, which is the Central Issue Facility, to get your proper attire. Four sets of ACUs, Army Combat Uniforms, and two sets of PFT gear, (physical fitness training; you get a winter set and a summer set). You'll also receive two duffel bags which will be marked with your name and the last four numbers of your SSN, social security number, and a laundry bag which was the only acceptable thing to keep dirty laundry in.

You'll be issued a card containing your first paycheck from the army, a forwarded salary. Using this card, you must buy your own white socks and athletic shoes (for the PT uniform) ranks, (for the ACU) and hygiene products, including tooth brushes, soap, and shampoo, as well as any other little things you might find useful (baby wipes, cough drops, and chapstick = the basic training holy trio, always have these on you at all times). Females also have to purchase hair ties. They have to be the really small thin ones, not scrunchies, and they have to roughly match your hair color. If females have an unnatural hair color when entering basic, they have to pay to have their hair dyed their natural color. Females can also no longer shave their heads in accordance with 670-1.

Males will have their heads shaved, and they will continue to have their heads shaved every two weeks until BCT is over. This isn't covered by the army either; even though they require your hair is cut every two weeks during BCT, and they actually march you along to the barber themselves, you're the one paying for the haircut. And despite the fact that your hair is constantly being shaved, they still expect you to have and use shampoo on your bare pathetic scalp. And sunblock, if needed. Fun fact: the top of your head can sunburn, even in cold weather.

The rest of reception takes about a week barring any delays. You'll spend those days going through a number of medical evaluations (even though you already went through medical eval in MEPS) including hearing tests, dental exams, (any work that needs to be done is marked in your file unless it's priority, in which case they take care of it right there) and eye exams. Those who wear glasses will be issued GI glasses, which are sturdier and shouldn't break easily. Back when I joined we were still using the S9 model, which were so ugly we called them BCGs: birth control glasses. Nowadays it appears the army has switched over to the 5A model, which look much more respectable. My experience with BCGs was fairly awful; they didn't have nose pads, meaning they constantly fell down the face and sometimes caused sores on your nose where the hard plastic was rubbing unprotected on your skin. I'm afraid I'm not sure how the 5As fare as far as comfort goes.

Vaccinations are going to be numerous and quick. When I was going through reception, we lined up in a column and we would take a step, stop, get stuck, sometimes in both arms at once, and then step forward again. These are just basic vaccinations; others like smallpox will be waiting until AIT. If you can medically confirm you've already had a vaccination, you can skip it, but considering most people can't, they just stick you anyway. This includes things you “don't need” like the chicken pox vaccine. The less diseases we have to worry about, the better. Fears of needles will not be respected or humored. You'll also be spending a lot of time getting your paperwork settled. The army has life insurance, which you have to choose, sign, and declare a beneficiary. You'll have to set up your direct deposits with your bank for your paychecks and if necessary set up any powers of attorney for your family while you're in training.

Finally, you'll be getting some quick crash courses in drill and ceremonies and army history. You'll learn the Army Song and probably sing it at least once a day, as well as the Soldier's Creed. You start learning the ranks, how to march, and military etiquette. It won't be drilled into you quite as much yet, but the more you can learn and absorb before you go to BCT, the less you'll get yelled at by your drill sergeants. At the very least you'll be expected to know the basics of marching, (keeping step, various commands) and how to stand at attention and the various positions of rest.

All throughout reception, you'll have a lot of downtime and a lot of “hurry up and wait.” You may be forced to just literally sit around for hours, rain or snow, hot or cold, and often you'll be unaware what exactly it is you're waiting for. During this downtime, you have to keep your voices down and not walk around or move from the designated area. You can't sleep (believe me – as deprived of sleep as you are you'll find yourself falling asleep anywhere) and you still can't use your phone, which should be locked up in your locker back at the barracks. Don't bother complaining about this downtime to your NCOs, because they won't be sympathetic and they probably won't tell you why you're waiting or how much longer you'll be waiting. You do have the opportunity to bond with your fellow recruits, although you'll probably wind up in separate units come BCT. A lot of drama can arise from this, including Star-Crossed Lovers Syndrome, but I don't recommend giving into that. Relationships in reception, BCT, and AIT are not allowed. Theoretically.

This is all I have for you regarding reception! I hope you've gotten some useful information and that you can look forward to part 2. Thank you for your patronage! Your continued support is appreciated!

-Kingsley

Was this post informative? Entertaining? Eye-opening? Then consider supporting SPC Kingsley on Patreon!

#writing advice #military advice #reception #training series #processing #recruits

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elainescookingforthesoul · 5 years

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TRANSCRIPT for Episode 1.05 “Rebecca’s Churros” (PART 2/2)

ACT II

ELAINE: Thank you for returning to the show, listeners. I know each and every moment you devote to podcasts such as this represents actual passing time on your aging body and waning spirit. I'm so grateful for your dedication to content on your journey for true contentment. We're working on a churros recipe brought to us by friend Rebecca Heimlin and a middle school home-ec binder. We left off with Rebecca folding in some flour to our mixture of boiled water, salt, sugar, and vegetable oil.

REBECCA: It's important not to over-mix, or you'll get really tough churros.

ELAINE: And I've reset the station that includes a clean pan and a now fully-functional hot plate thanks to Rebecca's handiness. Thanks, Rebecca!

REBECCA: Elaine, it was not only a pleasure, but a hazard.

ELAINE: So that mixture appears to be holding together. What's next?

REBECCA: We're about to get into the fun part. You have to have your wits about you, but it's a good time. I use this thick ziploc bag you mentioned earlier, and put the dough right in here. While I'm transferring that, can you get the canola oil heating up? We're going to be very thrifty here and use just half of that quart of oil.

ELAINE: Sure thing.

[OIL GLUGS INTO PAN]

[GAS/LIGHTER WHOOSH OF HOT PLATE]

REBECCA: Phew.

ELAINE: Works like a charm now.

REBECCA: Do you have a pair of scissors, Elaine?

ELAINE: Possibly somewhere...will a scalpel do?

REBECCA: Oh, um...sure! I'm just slicing one of the bottom corners of this bag straight across. Now, I don't want noodles, but I certainly don't want these churros to be too thick either, or they won't cook all the way through. Better to be cautious and start small, but I happen to know from experience that right about...here is the perfect size.

ELAINE: Looks to create an opening the size of an nickel--the Old American five-cent piece, that is.

REBECCA: That's about right. Now I see that the oil is starting to look ready. Precisionists will want this to be three hundred and seventy-five degrees. The more lackadaisical cooks like myself will just kind of just roll with it, knowing that some will be a little undercooked at first, and will just try our best not to burn the absolute life out of anything along the way.

ELAINE: I'm with you tonight, Rebecca.

REBECCA: Like Thelma and Louise. Let's get going. Oh! I almost forgot. Quick. Take this paper bag and throw like a fourth of a cup of white sugar and just a little bit of cinnamon. Less than a teaspoon. Yeah that looks good.

[SUGAR AND CINNAMON POUR INTO BAG]

ELAINE: This is how we're going to coat them after we take them out of the oil, right?

REBECCA: Yep! You have paper towels?

ELAINE: Well, I have these paper bibs with the curly cord we clip onto patients.

REBECCA: That'll do. Lay those out towards the foot of this chair. This oil is ready, chattering away.

ELAINE: I have a metal slotted spoon at the ready. Let's doula these churros.

REBECCA: We are just going to pipe this dough straight into the oil in small batches...

[CHURROS SIZZLE]

REBECCA: Let them turn a nice golden brown in the course of about a minute. Maybe less...Then we fish them...ouch!

[SPOON CLATTERS]

REBECCA: Hot oil. I'm all right.

ELAINE: Here are those paper bibs.

REBECCA: We can let them rest for just a few moments. Then you just throw them in the sugar-filled bag and shake shake shake!

[CHURROS GO INTO BAG, SHAKE]

ELAINE: Wow. And then?

REBECCA: We repeat!

[DOUGH SIZZLES]

[SPOON CLATTERS]

ELAINE: I can't believe I've never made these before! I can see why your daughter enjoys this so much.

[CHURROS GO INTO BAG, SHAKE]

REBECCA: Right?

[HOT PLATE FLAME SPUTTERS OFF]

ELAINE: This whole thing took about ten minutes, prep and all! What an fun and easy recipe.

REBECCA: And we both know that any good churro has a solid partner. I don't have the time or patience to whip up any real chocolate sauce, but I do have...

ELAINE: A chocolate-hazelnut spread.

REBECCA: I threw in just a smidge of hot water just to sauce it up. It's not perfect but it is...

[CRUNCH]

ELAINE: Delicious!

REBECCA: Exactly.

ELAINE: Wow. I'm suddenly remembering visiting my aunt and uncle in Chicago when I was a kid...they used to run out and get these from this little churro truck that posted up near their house. There was always one weekend morning when cooking for me and my siblings was too much to hassle with. I almost forgot about those mornings, full of laughter, sugar-covered fingers, warmth...they seem so distant and unreal.

REBECCA: So are these, like...as good? Better?

ELAINE: Rebecca, I think these are wonderful because they bring new memories that are not paired with my dearly departed relatives.

REBECCA: Oh, stop. They're that good? I can't wait to tell Ellie you loved them, she's going to be so happy.

ELAINE: Well, it's true. I'm so thankful you could be here to share this recipe with us.

REBECCA: Elaine, it was my pleasure.

ELAINE: Now it's getting late. Will you be okay biking home?

REBECCA: Oh, sure. I'll usually just swing my bulky chain lock around like a lasso as I ride, screaming. People generally don't mess with me.

ELAINE: Well, you simply can't be too careful these days. Would you like me to affix a couple of scalpels onto the end of your bike lock for added menace?

REBECCA: Oh, Elaine, what a charming idea!

[CHAIN CLATTERS]

ELAINE: And...there. That epoxy dries in just a minute. Looks good, don't you think?

REBECCA: I always thought I should carry a mace, as a woman. Thank you so much, Elaine.

ELAINE: Thank you. Ride safe. Here is your half of the churros!

[BIKE CHAIN RATTLES]

REBECCA: Never safer. Would you mind holding the door open for me? I'd love to just ride out straight from this building.

ELAINE: Of course.

[DOOR BELL JANGLES]

[BIKE GEARS CLICK]

[BIKE CHAIN RATTLES]

REBECCA: Cool. I'm ready. Bye Elaine!

ELAINE: Goodbye!

REBECCA: [warlike] Ahhhhhh!!!

[DOOR BELL JANGLES]

Elaine settles back in as Rebecca's scream fades.

ELAINE: What a wonderful guest! I'm so lucky to have ran into her as she rummaged through my garbage can. When I consider the complexities of my own internal self, I must remind myself of the vast nuance that every human being possesses. Like peeking into the lit windows of homes as you drive by in the night, we are all infinitely and sometimes painfully alike. And yet I am warmed by the thought that although so much seems to separate us, we are bonded by the extreme unlikelihood of our continued existence. We are truly one cell divided, and yet paradoxically we are also one cell multiplied. I'd like to thank you, dear listener, for taking the time to listen to this podcast. I hope you consider reaching out to me at [email protected] to purchase the rights to and subsequently enjoy these churros brought to us by our friend Rebecca Heimlin. If you can't afford to buy permission to replicate this incredible recipe, you can always at least share this podcast with those you love and trust. Maybe they can buy the rights for you. Join me next week for an exciting guest whipping up an untested recipe. As for now, this has been Elaine's Cooking Podcast for the Soul. I'm your host Elaine Martínez, not crying, hugging you goodnight.

[OUTRO MUSIC]

END OF ACT II

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josephkchoi · 5 years

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12 Simple Rules to Boost Your Ecommerce Conversion Rates

Would you be frustrated if you discovered that tons of your potential customers are leaving your ecommerce website (and that your conversion rates are in the pits) because of a poor visitor experience?

Unfortunately, that’s often the reality: many ecomm storefronts don’t have the best checkout experiences, and it absolutely crushes their sales efforts. This is most often the result of not understanding what customers need to see before they feel comfortable with buying.

There are several things you can do to avoid common abandonment pitfalls. Today, I’ll go over the 12 rules I follow to create a shopping cart experience that’ll grow your ecommerce conversion rates.

Jump to an Ecommerce Conversion Rule

1. Avoid long forms 7. Simplify your checkout form 2. Use “email” as the first field in your checkout forms 8. Let customers checkout as guests 3. Use cart abandonment software 9. Offer social login 4. Show off your site security 10. Give ‘em an incredible return policy 5. Promise free shipping 11. Provide online chat and phone support 6. Include a checkout progress bar 12. Include exit-intent popups

Rule #1: Avoid long forms

Let’s start with a classic example. In 2011, Expedia made a change to their checkout form that increased profits by $12 million.

What was it? Take a look:

They removed a single and inessential form field. We can learn from this.

Like Expedia, make the checkout experience as easy as possible for your customers. The longer your form, the less inclined people will be to fill it out. This can kill your conversion rates. For that reason, only ask for the information you absolutely must have (including billing and shipping information).

Consider this from the customers’ point of view. Every additional field is just another hindrance keeping them from buying your product—another missed chance at conversion rate optimization (CRO). Focus on the possibility of a lost sale due to friction instead of focusing on filling up your lead gen list.

If a field isn’t essential to your business, then why have it?

Rule #2: Use “email” as the first field in your checkout forms

Repeat business (when a customer returns to your site to make a purchase) is essential for every retailer, not just ecomms. It’s vital to reach out to these customers to entice them to buy again.

For this reason, a customer’s email address is the most critical piece of information you can get during the checkout flow.

Even if a visitor doesn’t complete their purchase, you can still use cart abandonment automation to recoup a sale you might have otherwise lost. (We’ll talk about this a bit more in our next point.)

The Fixed Gear Shop leads with an email address field and lets customers know that they can create an account after checkout if they’d like.

Editor’s note. Even if your customers are based outside of areas where it applies, it’s always smart to ensure your forms are compliant with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Like other security features, it’ll help your visitors feel more secure as well as protect you from liability.

Rule #3: Use cart abandonment software

Even if your checkout form leads with email first, you’ll still have people who drop off during the purchase stage. However, you can use cart abandonment software to engage and nurture these customers—and, hopefully, get them back on track.

There are plenty of options for cart abandonment software available. For instance, you can use Rejoiner to create personalized emails and send them a custom number of days after the date of cart abandonment.

Rejoiner automatically retargets window shoppers with products they’ve viewed and related items. It also follows up with abandoners in real-time by using messaging that relates to their desired product. Plus, it helps save your customer’s carts so they can continue checking out from any device without having to re-enter their data or retrace their steps.

The goal of this type of software is to catch people before they change their minds completely. Clearly, these individuals were in the market for your product and they were so close to getting it, but maybe the price or the cost of shipping threw them off.

You can use cart abandonment software to reach out to these individuals with discounts and other offers to get them to complete an order.

In addition, survey platforms like Qualaroo can poll visitors and find out what they don’t like about your site or why they’re lingering on certain product pages. Then you can put those insights to work to improve your checkout flow, too.

Rule #4: Show off your site security

Cybersecurity is crucial for ecommerce. Without proper protocols in place, online sellers put themselves and their customers at risk for payment fraud. Things can get messy fast!

Trust badges and seals, logos of your payment providers, the little “lock” icon on the browser—all of these add the needed sense of security to get your customers to buy.

Most importantly, you must set up your store with an SSL certificate (“https://” pages). This isn’t optional in today’s ecomm world.

Finally, make sure you require the CVV for debit and credit cards for added security. This extra step will discourage fraud without frustrating customers.

Rule #5: Promise free shipping

Let’s say your product is $100 but your shipping cost is $5. Logically, the value of the product greatly outweighs the shipping cost—but for some reason, many folks are reluctant to pay that $5.

I’m guilty of this myself. People would rather spend an extra $10 to get free shipping than pay a $5 shipping charge. But why?

Like many of the rules I’m talking about, it makes sense when you think of the issue from the point of view of your customer. Why pay for shipping when you could spend an extra 10 bucks to get another item you wanted and have both items delivered for free?

Free shipping is very appealing. In 2014, comScore released a study which found that 83% of US online shoppers are willing to wait an additional two days for delivery if shipping is free. Similarly, 58% of US online shoppers have added items to their shopping carts to qualify for free shipping.

Additionally, the number one reason shopping carts are abandoned is because of unexpected costs. Free shipping puts a stop to these nasty surprises. Since this data shows that since people are willing to buy more to get free shipping, it can also lead to greater sales revenue.

Prepping for Black Friday and holiday shoppers? Read expert-certified tips from Aaron Orendorff, Jonathan Naccache, Taylor Holiday, and Lianna Patch on how to best plan your campaigns and landing pages.

Rule #6: Include a checkout progress bar

Look at this beautiful checkout progress bar example from Haggar Clothing. It’s clean and easy to understand.

Letting your customers know where they are in your checkout flow is an essential way to keep your ecommerce conversion rates growing.

Your customers want to know how long the checkout process will take and what is required of them. So, if yours has multiple stages, make it simple and show them the steps along the way. If customers can’t see how close they are to completing their purchase, they can become frustrated and abandon the cart midway through checkout.

Rule #7: Simplify your checkout form

As I mentioned above, avoiding long forms is the first principle of boosting ecommerce conversion rates. Beyond that, you’ll get a better understanding of how your visitors use your checkout form by examining the session recordings you receive from Hotjar, CrazyEgg, or other qualitative research tools.

If people are unable to click through or follow the questions you’re asking on your checkout form, you may want to consider changing it. Either remove unnecessary questions or add more direction around what you want customers to do.

When optimizing a form, I like to take these creative ideas from Mockupplus.com into consideration:

Don’t force your customers to create an account. Guest checkout is your friend here. (More on this below.)

Don’t use field labels as placeholders. When a prospect enters their information, the field label disappears and they could lose the context of what you’re asking them to do.

Design single-column forms. Multiple columns can cause a confusing zigzag. Simplify the process here so your prospects know exactly how to navigate your page.

Group relevant information together in chunks. This ties back into showing the checkout flow. By dividing information into buckets (such as an address, shipping, and payment), you can make checkout smoother.

Set up autofill with Google’s geolocation search to help prospective customers add their address.

Provide different payment options and design a perfect credit card form. Digital wallets are payment processors like PayPal Express, Amazon Pay, Apple Pay, and others.

Walmart offers as many ways of paying as they can. You can even buy online and pay with cash in the store.

And, from my experience, always show shopping cart contents so customers know exactly what they’re buying.

Your checkout form will either improve or hinder your ecommerce conversion rate. Make sure it’s a seamless experience that requires as little effort from the visitor as possible.

Add even more smarts to your ecomm campaigns and landing pages by connecting tools like Hotjar and Crazy Egg into Unbounce. Read about 900+ supported Unbounce integrations.

Rule #8: Let your customers checkout as guests

If you’re visiting a website for the first time, you probably have no intention of creating a long-term account. You want to see if this initial purchase is worth your while.

When a customer buys something, the seller will usually get their name and email from the checkout form. However, forcing visitors to register just gives them another reason to leave—especially if they’re new to your online store.

Don’t distract your customers from completing their purchase by making them create an account.

If they’re happy with your product (and if you provide them with offers through retargeting and email), they’ll be inclined to create an account down the road. More importantly, they’ll feel comfortable buying from you again.

Rule #9: Offer social login options

I shop on a number of ecommerce sites. For the ones I visit frequently, I’ve created a profile. For the ones I’m new to or don’t visit often, I’d rather not have an account.

If we’re not really invested in a website, the thought of making another account (and remembering yet another password) seems like a waste of time. Social login lets customers quickly use the same information for any new accounts they make across all of the sites they visit.

This is a quick alternative to creating a new account because it doesn’t require a new username and password.

Despite the concerns many people have with companies using their data, a Gigya survey found that 88% of US consumers say they’ve used social logins. This leads us to believe that more often than not, people will choose convenience over privacy.

With the WooCommerce Social Login extension, customers can link their accounts on your website with their social media profiles for a simpler checkout experience.

Plus, considering the size of social networks like Facebook and Twitter, customers may feel more comfortable in the security of their personal information knowing you’re using platforms that are current.

Rule #10: Give ’em an incredible return policy

How many of us are wary of purchasing a product that is “final sale”?

The possibility of being stuck with that item makes you think a lot longer about whether or not it’s the right one for you, doesn’t it? A good return policy is an extremely important selling point.

Studies show that 60% of online shoppers make at least one return or exchange per year, and 95% will make another purchase if the return experience is positive.

Returns are a big part of online commerce. However, if you craft and manage your return policy well, you can also drive growth.

Look at how Midori Bikinis explains exactly how their returns work. Providing a 30-day return policy can increase conversions by 17% because they avoid locking their buyers into a commitment upon sale.

It stands to reason that the more flexibility you give your customers, the more inclined they’ll be to stick with your products.

Rule #11: Provide online chat and phone support

If someone encounters a problem during the ecommerce checkout process, you’ll need to address it immediately to save the sale. Asking someone to wait 48 hours for an email reply when other companies offer real-time support will almost certainly result in increased sales—for competitors, not you.

Ensure that your customer service team on-hand as much as possible to address any questions customers have about your products.

Rule #12: Include exit-intent popups

Let’s say someone decides they’re done browsing your site and starts to leave without buying anything. At this point, it looks like you’ve missed out. But wait! With exit-intent popups, you get one last chance to coax visitors into action—whether that be a sale or just capturing their email address.

Exit-intent popups let you entice non-buyers with coupons, limited-time offers, or newsletter subscriptions. (Maybe the visitor is a fan of your brand, but they just aren’t in a place to buy at this very moment?)

You can create them in lots of different programs, but I’m a big fan of popups from Unbounce. They’re easy to create in the drag-and-drop builder, and you can apply them directly to your Unbounce landing pages and your web pages alike.

In this popup from Livingshop, it’s hard to pass up the pitch for 50% off. As a buyer, I may not have wanted to buy before—but if I know I’m going to get my items half off, I may reconsider.

Instead of using popups to try to close a sale, you can also provide your customers with information. This will lead to a higher ecommerce conversion rate and amplified sales in the long run since you’ve added value instead of applying pressure.

For example, Zulily uses this popup to provide important information about how their app works. It allows people to browse brands in their own time.

Interested in a quick way to add popups to your campaigns? Learn more about how Unbounce popups and sticky bars let you present relevant offers to your visitors at exactly the right time.

Next Steps for Boosting Your Ecommerce Conversion Rates

Most of the tips above focus around optimizing your current checkout form. But don’t forget to install cart abandonment and customer review software so you can pinpoint where your customers are getting frustrated or confused. This will save you from losing many more customers down the road.

Your ecommerce checkout is one of the most vital parts of your business. Without sales, there’s no revenue—so it’s up to you to ensure your checkout process is as seamless as possible.

Optimizing this flow may take time, but there are always new tactics out there to test and implement. (Testing should be mandatory when it comes to best practices, even these ones.) Try to keep up with the most effective checkout tactics and you should start seeing an increase in sales coming down your pipeline.

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roypstickney · 5 years