Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions for New eCorks Retailer Members Register Now! We’ve compiled a list of the most common questions we get from retailers. If you’ve got other questions, email us anytime at info@ecorks.com. What is eCorks? Does eCorks sell wine? Do you sell my information or SPAM people? How do my customers benefit? How do I benefit? What is so different about eCorks? What do I get when I register? What’s the catch? What are the costs? Will there ever be subscription fees? How do I sign up? What is the activation process and how long does it take? Can retailers advertise on or sponsor eCorks? What’s next for eCorks? How many wines are in the eCorks database? Can members enter their own wines if they aren’t in the eCorks system? What if I decide I don’t need eCorks after I sign up? What if a customer decides they don’t need eCorks after they sign up? How do I advertise on eCorks? How can I be a sponsor? How much are ads or sponsorships? What if I find a bug in eCorks, or have ideas and suggestions? Do I have to install or have any special software? Are there any other cool things about eCorks? What is eCorks? back eCorks is an online virtual wine cellar community. Wine lovers use eCorks to track the wines they buy and enjoy. They can create wish lists, see the wines they’ve tried in the past, create tasting notes, rate wines, and share their favorite wines with friends – all online. We are not affiliated or linked to any winery, retailer distributor, or publication – we’re 100% independent. We give your customers a simple tool to manage the wines they purchase from your shop. They can: Enter and track each wine Search the online Wine database (now over 15,000 wines) Create tasting notes Track drink dates Create their own ratings Share and recommend their favorite wine picks with friends Create a “Wish List” of wines they want Track the wines they drink in their “Wine History” cellar Does eCorks Sell Wine? back eCorks does NOT sell wine. We exist to help support and enhance the relationships you build with your customers. We do not compete with you (the local wine retailer). It’s free for customers and retailers – the basic eCorks membership is no cost to the customer. Do you sell my information or SPAM people? back No! We don’t SPAM people or sell any lists, customer information or share this information with anyone. How do my customers benefit? back eCorks is a great added benefit you can provide to all your customers – even if they aren’t serious wine enthusiasts. eCorks is ideal for people who are interested in wines, but who aren’t a big collector. eCorks is perfect for someone who has 10 bottles on top of the refrigerator or in their basement. Here are just some of the benefits for customers: It’s free! There is no risk to try it out. It lets customers track and manage the wines they buy – no more saving wine corks in the kitchen drawer or stashing wine labels in the file. It helps customers learn about – and enjoy – the wines they buy. It’s simple and easy to use. It helps customers understand their own likes and dislikes – which helps them consistently pick wines that they like. It lets them share their favorite wine picks with friends – and see the wines their friends like. It keeps them connected to you – their local wine shop. How do I benefit? back It’s free! There is no risk to try it out. It is a great value for your customers, and it helps build stronger connections to you as their retailer. It’s a no-cost, simple way to get your wine shop in front of more customers – and new customers. It helps attract new customers and encourages loyalty. It is a simple, unobtrusive, and courteous way to get news, promotions, and information in front of your customers on a regular basis. It supplements and compliments existing marketing and sales programs, such as newsletters, wine clubs, and promotions. It gets your name in front of more customers – and qualified customers. It’s an inexpensive and effective way to use the Internet to promote your business. What is so different about eCorks? back eCorks is different than most wine tracking software because we help wine lovers learn about and enjoy wines they buy locally. eCorks isn’t just wine cellar management software – it’s an online community that helps people learn about, share, and enjoy wines. eCorks makes wine more accessible – because it connects people with local wine shops and local wineries. What do I get when I register? back Signing up is free, and there is no obligation. You get: Free listing in the wine retailer directory. Store description, contact information, email address and Web site. Up to 100 free limited-time full access eCorks memberships you can give to your customers. As a member, you can submit monthly news and information for eCorks members to see online, including: News and events Specials Newsletters New Releases Option to upload your inventory so customers can search for wines they buy from you and add them to their own personal wine cellars. We’ll also send you information about eCorks and a window sticker. What’s the catch? back There isn’t a catch. eCorks is brand new, and we’re developing a whole suite of tools for local wine shops to help their customers learn about and enjoy wines they buy at the store. We need customers and retailers to give us feedback on eCorks while we build these tools – so we thought we’d get people to start using it! What are the costs? back Retailer registration is free – but only for a limited time! Anyone can register with eCorks for free. Customers can view and share wines, get wine news, and stay connected with local specials and news from you (their local wine shop). eCorks costs about as much as one bottle of wine! Full access 1-year subscriptions are $39.95. This gives them access to the full wine cellar management tools. Will there ever be subscription fees? back Yes, but there will still be a basic membership that is free for both customers and retailers. Today, customers can sign up for full access memberships for $39.95 per year. This gives them access to all the wine cellar management tools. Retailers will have the option in our next version to subscribe to new and expanded features for nominal fees. How do I sign up? back Click here to complete a simple registration form, or you can sign up anytime at www.ecorks.com. Click on the "For Retailers" link on the left hand side of the page. What is the activation process, and how long does it take? back eCorks confirms each retailer either via email or phone. This ensures that the information we have is accurate and relevant. Once you complete the registration form, it normally takes between 24 and 48 hours to activate your membership. Can retailers advertise on or sponsor eCorks? back Absolutely – we’d love it! We give great discounts on sponsorships and ads for new members. Sponsorships are $50 per month for the first 3 months – the best bargain on the Web these days! Ad rates vary – contact info@ecorks.com for information. What’s next for eCorks? back eCorks is working on an entire suite of tools to help local wine retailers craft long-term, loyal customer relationships. Our vision is simple – we want to allow wine shops to automatically upload customer wines into their eCorks wine cellars at the point of purchase. This will greatly enhance the customer’s experience. They won’t need to manually enter or search for each wine because they will automatically appear in their eCorks wine cellars. We are also creating tools for retailers to add and update tasting notes for their customers, track and report detailed analysis of the wines customers purchase, drink, and enjoy (in aggregate) to supplement your POS inventory data, and direct online orders directly to local retailers. How many wines are in the eCorks database? back We have listings for approximately 15,000 wines. We will add more on a regular basis. Can members enter their own wines if they aren’t in the eCorks system? back Yes. Anyone can enter wines into their online cellars using the “Add Wine” feature. What if I decide I don’t need eCorks after I sign up? back There is no obligation for retailers who register with eCorks. We don’t charge anything unless a retailer upgrades later. You can stop using eCorks at any time. What if a customer decides they don’t need eCorks after they sign up? back eCorks doesn’t automatically renew any membership, so you don’t need to worry about automatic recurring charges. Basic membership is free – and a trial account has no strings attached. We don’t charge anything unless members upgrade. How do I advertise on eCorks? How can I be a sponsor? back If you’re interested in advertising on eCorks, or if you want to be a sponsor, please contact Nels at 303-776-8464 or via email at nels@ecorks.com. How much are ads or sponsorships? back Sponsorship are $50 per month for the first 3 months – a bargain! It’s an inexpensive and effective way to get your name out in front of a targeted, interested audience. Advertising rates vary – Contact Nels at 303-776-8464 or via email at info@ecorks.com to send you a rate sheet. Rates will change! As we expand rates are likely to increase, so check with us for the latest information. What if I find a bug in eCorks or have ideas and suggestions? back We love to hear from customers! If you find a bug in eCorks, or have ideas/suggestions, let us know! Drop us a note at info@ecorks.com. Do I have to install or have any special software? back No. eCorks is completely Web-based. All you need is a Web browser and Internet access. We work with most recent Web browsers except AOL. (If you are an AOL user, you can still use eCorks, you will just need to use a different browser, such as Internet Explorer). Users do need to have an email address. eCorks will work best with Internet connections 56k or faster. Are there any other cool things about eCorks? back eCorks was honored in 2005 to be a finalist in the sixth annual IQ Awards sponsored by the Boulder County Business Report. The IQ Awards search for and showcase the most innovative products and services in Boulder and Broomfield counties. eCorks was selected as a finalist from a field of dozens of innovative and exciting companies. We use some of the latest technology and techniques to develop eCorks, including Microsoft.Net. We have a Web server farm hosted at Reveal Systems in Longmont, Colorado, a dedicated Internet hosting and service provider. Register Now!