Any retailer’s tale of their mobile journey so far is really just the first chapter or so of a much longer story. But that first chapter is often the most interesting – a challenge is set, obstacles arise that must be overcome, a few initial lessons are learned to guide the protagonist in the adventures yet to come. At the recent Shop.org digital retail marketing workshop in San Francisco, Dave Barrowman, Senior Director of Product Management, Gap Inc. Direct recounted Gap’s mobile journey to date and some of the lessons they have learned along the way. “Even if you don’t…
Ecommerce
-
Most Topular Stories
-
6 lessons from Gap’s mobile journey to date
Shop.org Blog10 May 2012 | 7:45 am -
How retailers can harness SoLoMo to reach the ‘always addressable customer’
Shop.org Blog8 May 2012 | 6:08 amThe term “SoLoMo” has been walking the line of buzzword or trend for a little over a year. And as Melissa Parrish of Forrester Research pointed out at the Shop.org digital retail marketing workshop in New York, this term for brands and retailers has primarily centered around the “check-in” function via sites like Foursquare. Social and mobile usage and participation have both grown steadily, per Forrester Technographics data, and consumers are increasingly using social and mobile together. So how about the “Lo” (location) part? Parrish feels that geosocial apps… -
How To Capitalize On The Growing Online Retail Industry
3dcart Shopping Cart Software Blog15 May 2012 | 10:20 amThere is new great news for online retailers! Research firm eMarketer estimates that apparel and accessories will grow by 20 percent, to $40.9 billion this year, up from $34.2 billion in 2011. So if you’re an eTailer, you’re in the right industry at the right time. But of course, the growing market opportunity doesn’t necessarily mean your online apparel store will [...] -
Key dates and tips to target the online Mother’s Day shopper in 2012
Shop.org Blog30 Apr 2012 | 7:53 amShop.org’s parent, NRF, announced last week that consumers are expected to spend a full $18.6 billion to celebrate the mothers in their lives on May 13. The survey of 8,724 consumers conducted this month by BIGinsight showed also that online shoppers will contribute a fair bit to that total. In all, 1 in 4 Mother’s Day shoppers will buy at least some portion of their gifts online this year, up from 1 in 5 in 2010 and 2011. Below are a few key trends that stand out with this year’s online Mother’s Day shopper. Online consumers expect to spend 53% more on Mom than all shoppers… -
Which Shopping Engine is Best? This Study Compares Them
eCommerce and Entrepreneurship Blog3 May 2012 | 11:19 amCPCStrategy put together an interesting article comparing many of the top shopping engines to see which ones preformed best for things like traffic, revenue and conversion rate. It is a great study for those that are involved with shopping engines and I recommend you check it out. Here's a quick breakdown of some of the results: The study analyzed 4,274,820 clicks 82,845 orders $1,158,604.41 in spend $7,867,575.91 in revenue Best Comparison Shopping Engines (overall): Google Product Search Nextag Pricegrabber Best Paid Comparison Shopping Engine (overall): Nextag Pricegrabber Shopping.com…
-
Exciting Commerce // Unlimited
-
Corporate Incubators – Godsend or a Pain in the Butt?
16 May 2012 | 5:59 amAt this year’s NEXT conference in Berlin, Deutsche-Telekom-CEO René Obermann presented their new incubator programme named hub:raum. This programme will enable 10-15 startups per year to get a funding of up to 300,000 EUR and benefit from the corporation’s expertise and reach. This got me thinking. Read the full feature at ecomPunk.com! -
Why Is The Shopping Party Model So Popular Now?
5 May 2012 | 3:04 pmJuvalia & You is already online, Pippa & Jean will launch shortly (German link), and further online driven shopping party and direct sales concepts will be following in the coming months. Why are shopping parties at this moment such a hot topic for e-commerce? Jeremy Liew from Lightspeed Venture Partners, already a supporter of subscription models such as Shoedazzle, has recently listed out three factors which speak for the new direct sales model ("Is Direct Selling The Next Driver Of Startup Commerce Companies?"): "The first is the economy (...) The second is… -
Laziness in Commerce
3 May 2012 | 6:47 amWhat’s the superlative for online shopping? Being too lazy to do online shopping! Unless you don’t enjoy the online shopping experience per se, finding the right product, putting it into a shopping cart, providing one’s delivery address and chosing a payment method can be a recurring pain in the butt. Here’s to the lazy ones! Read the full feature at ecomPunk.com! -
How will Project A hit the jackpot?
24 Apr 2012 | 1:09 pmHow will Project A hit the jackpot? - At Exceed 2012 they haven't come out with it yet. However, today the news came out that Otto's Project A Ventures has joined nu3, a shopping site for dietary supplements. At Deutsche Startups you can find out the important details: "The three founders hold 20% each. The Berlin incubator has a share of 39%, and last but not least eDarling founder Christian is involved in nu3 as well." nu3 has everything that Project A needs now: An undervalued ecommerce theme, a strong, internationalisable brand and thus the ideal basis for using all… -
Speaking to Nils Körber, CTO for Rocket Internet South Africa
23 Apr 2012 | 4:57 amA couple of weeks ago, an anonymous source wrote about the operations of Rocket Internet in South Africa. We are lucky to have had a couple of questions answered by their CTO, Nils Körber, who talks about commerce in South Africa, infrastructure for new startups and the post PC/mobile era in Africa. Read the full feature at ecomPunk.com!
-
E-Commerce Times
-
The Rise of Open Source
16 May 2012 | 7:00 amSugarCon, the SugarCRM user meeting held in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago, did some important things for Sugar. It was a coming out party of sorts for a company with a distinct business model and strategy, namely open source. It was also validation of that strategy and, for many, a new realization of what open source means. In my discussions with CEO Larry Augustin and CTO and cofounder Clint Oram, I got a new sense of how pervasive open source really is in the software marketplace. -
New MacBook, New Cloud, New Leaf
16 May 2012 | 7:00 amApple computer users might soon have a thinner, lighter version of the MacBook, according to numerous reports. The new design will apparently still bear the "MacBook Pro" name but will more closely resemble an Ultrabook -- thin, light and affordable PC laptops. It will supposedly feature a high-definition screen similar to the ones found on iPhones and iPads. Perhaps most importantly, the new product wouldn't compromise battery life or memory for the sleeker design. -
Federal Cloud Adoption, Part 2: Raining Contracts
16 May 2012 | 7:00 amThe U.S. government's pursuit of cloud-based technology has been characterized by a blizzard of policies, directives, technical studies, proposed contract vehicles and conferences. The federal "cloud first" initiative, requiring agencies to give priority consideration to cloud solutions for IT operations, began in December 2012. Now, an idea of how much business is at stake for IT vendors has surfaced -- and it's impressive. However, IT vendors should not conclude that two recent hefty contracts mean federal floodgates have opened and a wave of eye-popping contracts will be awarded soon. -
Groupon Gets a Second Wind
15 May 2012 | 6:20 pmGroupon delivered earnings that pleasantly surprised shareholders. The daily deal provider reported a net loss of $11.7 million, a huge improvement from the $146.5 million it lost a year ago in its first quarter as a private company. It also posted stronger-than-expected revenue for the quarter, at $559.3 million -- an 89 percent increase from the same period a year ago. Despite the net loss, the results are a welcome sign of growth for Groupon, which has been under the gun for shoddy accounting practices, disgruntled participating merchants and disillusioned shareholders. -
Facebook's Future May Still Be in Play
15 May 2012 | 4:09 pmHalf of Americans believe the social network giant Facebook is just a passing fad, and a similar number believe the expected asking price in its upcoming IPO is too high, according to a new poll. Since the dot-com boom of the 1990s ended with a dot-com bust, many once-dominant players have fallen by the wayside. Before there was Facebook -- or even competitor MySpace -- there were AOL, Compuserve and GeoCities. Today the latter two are just memories -- Yahoo's GeoCities live on only in Japan -- while AOL's presence is much diminished. Will Facebook share their fate?
-
Shop.org Blog
-
6 lessons from Gap’s mobile journey to date
10 May 2012 | 7:45 amAny retailer’s tale of their mobile journey so far is really just the first chapter or so of a much longer story. But that first chapter is often the most interesting – a challenge is set, obstacles arise that must be overcome, a few initial lessons are learned to guide the protagonist in the adventures yet to come. At the recent Shop.org digital retail marketing workshop in San Francisco, Dave Barrowman, Senior Director of Product Management, Gap Inc. Direct recounted Gap’s mobile journey to date and some of the lessons they have learned along the way. “Even if you don’t… -
How retailers can harness SoLoMo to reach the ‘always addressable customer’
8 May 2012 | 6:08 amThe term “SoLoMo” has been walking the line of buzzword or trend for a little over a year. And as Melissa Parrish of Forrester Research pointed out at the Shop.org digital retail marketing workshop in New York, this term for brands and retailers has primarily centered around the “check-in” function via sites like Foursquare. Social and mobile usage and participation have both grown steadily, per Forrester Technographics data, and consumers are increasingly using social and mobile together. So how about the “Lo” (location) part? Parrish feels that geosocial apps… -
Key dates and tips to target the online Mother’s Day shopper in 2012
30 Apr 2012 | 7:53 amShop.org’s parent, NRF, announced last week that consumers are expected to spend a full $18.6 billion to celebrate the mothers in their lives on May 13. The survey of 8,724 consumers conducted this month by BIGinsight showed also that online shoppers will contribute a fair bit to that total. In all, 1 in 4 Mother’s Day shoppers will buy at least some portion of their gifts online this year, up from 1 in 5 in 2010 and 2011. Below are a few key trends that stand out with this year’s online Mother’s Day shopper. Online consumers expect to spend 53% more on Mom than all shoppers… -
Talking with… Gilt Groupe Founder and Chief Merchandising Officer Alexandra Wilkis Wilson
16 Apr 2012 | 4:00 amWith a valuation of more than one billion dollars, Gilt Groupe is one of the most fascinating, innovative start-ups of recent years in the retail world. At the bleeding-edge intersection of fashion, e-commerce, and technology, Gilt has changed the way people shop. First, they brought the sample sale online and with that the urgent and slightly addictive rush to shop to the digital world. And over the last two years, they have continued to innovate by bringing their impeccable shopping experience to the consumer with editorial-worthy apps on tablet and smartphone devices. Behind this powerful,… -
Omnichannel excellence: You can find it at Guitar Center
4 Apr 2012 | 3:01 amThe retail consumer is a working mom on the go – utilizing her mobile phone to find the closest retail store to pick up school supplies for her children. The retail consumer is a self-proclaimed techie – he would never buy a new device without recommendations and reviews from his fellow-gadget lovers and tech bloggers. The retail consumer is a 20-something, always-connected mobile consumer – she spends hours every day on social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to share stories, likes, reviews and even locations with a network of friends and family. The…
-
eCommerce and Entrepreneurship Blog
-
Which Shopping Engine is Best? This Study Compares Them
3 May 2012 | 11:19 amCPCStrategy put together an interesting article comparing many of the top shopping engines to see which ones preformed best for things like traffic, revenue and conversion rate. It is a great study for those that are involved with shopping engines and I recommend you check it out. Here's a quick breakdown of some of the results: The study analyzed 4,274,820 clicks 82,845 orders $1,158,604.41 in spend $7,867,575.91 in revenue Best Comparison Shopping Engines (overall): Google Product Search Nextag Pricegrabber Best Paid Comparison Shopping Engine (overall): Nextag Pricegrabber Shopping.com… -
Four New Social Media Sites You Shouldn't Ignore
24 Apr 2012 | 12:04 pmSocial media provides a platform for businesses to connect to customers and clients. Most marketers exclusively use the big social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) for their social media marketing strategies. This detrimental strategy ignores lesser-known but rising social media networks, and while not all of these will be perfect for you, you need to go where your customers are. Here are four up and coming social media sites you shouldn't ignore. Foursquare Foursquare lets users check-in to businesses when they are out shopping. Companies sign up their business on Foursquare… -
Ecommerce & The Social Login (Infographic)
16 Apr 2012 | 4:17 pmI enjoyed this infographic as it presents some great information on the affect of companies using social logins on their eCommerce sites. One of the most interesting facts is that it states that 68% of consumers go to social networking sites to read product reviews, so connecting with customers on those sites is becoming increasingly important. Check it out below. You can get this Social Logins Infographic yourself from Monetate Marketing Infographics -
Creating Organizational Culture
3 Apr 2012 | 11:23 amCompanies have always tried to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Whether it is by providing amazing customer service like Nordstrom, or being eco-friendly like Johnson & Johnson, their ultimate goal is to be known for their behavior along with their products. The concept of organizational culture is what defines companies such as these. Although culture in an organization has always existed, it seems that now more than ever companies are at work trying to define and cultivate it. Unfortunately for many of these companies, their understanding of organizational culture has… -
A Walkthrough for Problem Solving in the Workplace
28 Mar 2012 | 9:52 amEvery professional knows that problem solving and decision making are two skills that are used every day in conducting business affairs. No matter what a person's official job title, he will be faced with problems that require solutions. Solving those problems quickly and effectively is what makes an individual stand out as a competent employee and leader among their peers. Unfortunately, problem solving skills are not taught to many people. Instead, most individuals learn how to deal with problems through trial-and-error, and their methods may not be as effective as they could be. Here are…
-
Shopify Blog - Company
-
Using Customer Reviews to Boost Ecommerce Sales
15 May 2012 | 8:13 amAccording to Internet Retailer, you can increase ecommerce conversion rate by 14-76% by adding product reviews to your online store. Furthermore, Jupiter Research found that 77% of consumers read reviews before purchasing online. Adding product review fields to your product pages is easy. Each one of the apps below will give your Shopify store the ability to collect and display customer product reviews. You can read more about their pricing and features by checking out their detailed pages in the Shopify App Store. Read More -
New Stores Friday - May 11, 2012
11 May 2012 | 4:16 pmWelcome to New Store Friday, Shopify's weekly showcase of ecommerce inspiration. This week, we have 23 new and re-designed stores for your perusing pleasure. Read More -
40 Stunning Ecommerce Stores Built Using Shopify
10 May 2012 | 9:41 amThere are over 25,000 online stores built on Shopify, and last week Inspired Magazine featured 40 of their favorites. Inspired Magazine is a great web design and lifestyle website. Their list of beautifully designed Shopify stores is great inspiration for all ecommerce entrepreneurs, so I thought I'd share them here on the blog. Take a stroll down their digital isles a bit and notice everything they're doing right: their company logos, product photography, clearly defined navigational elements, simple and user friendly layout, convincing call to action buttons, and awesome… -
Facebook Timeline Cover Image Optimization Tips
9 May 2012 | 8:44 amWith Timeline pages, viewers spend more time looking at the cover image than they do looking at content. Facebook Timeline presents a number of new challenges and opportunities for online store owners. Not only are profiles reconfigured in layout and appearance, but the manner in which information is revealed to viewers has changed as well. One of the most noticeable differences to Facebook is its focus on visuals. To capitalize on this overhaul, here are three things every ecommerce store owner should keep in mind: Read More -
How To Use Google Remarketing for Ecommerce
7 May 2012 | 10:14 amThis is a Guest Post by Aitan Weinberg, Sr. Product Manager, Google In the world of ecommerce online marketing, there are many ways to find your audience. SEO, PPC ads, search marketing, demographics, interests, and more. Remarketing, also known as retargeting, takes audience building to another level – one that is ultimately a win-win for you and for your customers. You are able to reach highly qualified customers, and those customers get highly relevant, personalized marketing messages that are actually useful. Let’s take a look at how you can put remarketing to work for you today. Read…
-
Get Elastic Ecommerce Blog
-
The Business of APIs: Interview with an API Evangelist
16 May 2012 | 3:03 amI had the pleasure of sitting down with Kin Lane, an API Evangelist, blogger at KinLane.com and API Evangelist, contributor to Programmable Web, and all-around expert in APIs.Kin is an engineer who has been building database driven web apps for 12 years, and working with data for over 20. Watching API usage really rise in the last few years and seeing it drive innovation in social, cloud computing and more, and so much talk on the technical side of the world, Kin began to explore the business side of APIs. What does it take to deploy, what business elements do you need to support an API? Not… -
EU Cookie Law: 4 Tips For Crafting Your Opt-In Request
14 May 2012 | 6:42 pmThe May 26 deadline for compliance with the EU cookie law is rapidly approaching, and my heart goes out to all our friends affected by this ridiculous “solution” to a poorly defined problem.For a refresher on what the new law is about, check out Silktide’s brilliant (and humorous) explanation of it.I was asked in an interview by Mike Arsenault of Rejoiner last week what I thought of the law’s impact on personalization. My biggest concern is that consumers unreasonably fear cookies and their impact on privacy, without understanding how they make life easier for web… -
How Mobile Influences the Customer Journey [Infographic]
11 May 2012 | 3:02 amIs it the year of the mobile yet?Perhaps tablet penetration is only 13%, but 69% of tablet owners make a purchase from their device every month.This week’s infographic is courtesy of Mobtext and inMobi: The Role of Connected Devices in the Customer Sales Journey. It breaks down how tablets, laptops and mobile phones are used at home, at work and on the go throughout the purchase funnel.Click to enlarge infographic to full sizeSurprised that tablets are rarely used in the purchase funnel on the go? Not so surprising when you consider 9 out of 10 tablet owners prefer wifi to 3G. -
5 Tips for Custom Facebook Open Graph Buttons
9 May 2012 | 3:03 amSince reporting late last year that Facebook sharing buttons, through the Open Graph, will morph into a variety of creative verbs and nouns beyond Like, Share and Recommend, custom integrations have been gradually popping up around the Web.Custom Facebook buttons enhance the connection between consumption and social networking, allowing consumers to express how they feel about brands and products – a trend that’s catching on thanks to Pinterest.But just having buttons isn’t enough – like any call-to-action, they should be optimized.5 Tips for Custom Open Graph Facebook… -
Why Upgrade? How to Convert More Free Users to Premium
7 May 2012 | 3:04 amIn a recent Get Elastic post we looked at the business model of freemium, and 9 strategic mistakes to avoid.Today we drill down into the challenge of converting free users to premium — with tips to maximize your potential.Note: this article focuses on freemium models with premium “upgrades,” rather than free apps with add-on options that may be purchased to enhance user experience.Stop selling freeThink it’s easy to turn a free user to a paying customer once they get hooked on your product? Not necessarily. If your product offers free and paid versions, users who…
-
Practical eCommerce
-
23 Tools to Research Your Competition
16 May 2012 | 5:05 pmSometimes the best way to improve your own business is by taking a hard look at your competitors. By understanding their most and least effective strategies, you can fine-tune your own marketing efforts. Here is a list of competitive research tools. There are tools to research your competition’s keywords, linking strategies, traffic metrics, and more. There are both free and paid tools. If you have any other favorite resources to research your competitors, be sure to add them in the comments below. Free Tools Alexa. Search Alexa by keyword or category for traffic trends on competing sites. -
Publishers to Become Ecommerce Merchants?
16 May 2012 | 2:48 pmTrends in online commerce, content marketing, and advertising sales may have set the ecommerce and publishing industries on a collision course as both strive for trust, relevance, and profits. U.S. online sales in just the first three months of 2012 were more than double American newspaper ad revenues for all of 2011. As publishers seek new revenue sources, magazine and newspapers might turn to ecommerce. Online Sales Are Growing Online retailing is booming, with trend-tracking firm comScore reporting that U.S. retail ecommerce spending reached $44.3 billion in the first quarter, up some 17… -
Bing Goes Social with New Resdesign
15 May 2012 | 5:02 am -
10 Photoshop Skills for Beginners
14 May 2012 | 7:41 pmAdobe Photoshop is an incredibly powerful program that allows you to do professional grade image manipulations and adjustments. Whether you want to work with product images or design website layouts, Photoshop has the tools you need to get the job done. However, Photoshop is so powerful that approaching it as a beginner can seem daunting. If you have wanted to learn Photoshop but haven’t known where to start, here are ten things to learn in Photoshop to become familiar with the program. Brushes Brushes are a foundational tool in Photoshop. Not only are brushes easy to use, the Brush Tool… -
Using Google Analytics Advanced Segments to Find Actionable Data
14 May 2012 | 5:02 am
-
eMarketer Articles and Blog Posts
-
Article: TV Viewers Carry the Conversation to Social Networks
15 May 2012 | 11:01 pmAlmost one in five viewers starts watching a show after reading about it online -
Article: Mobile Social Network Usage Catches Fire in France
15 May 2012 | 11:01 pmAs the post-election fervor winds down, social networks remain at the forefront in France -
Article: Mobile Phone Shoppers Show Growing Preference for Text Marketing
15 May 2012 | 11:01 pmOne in five respondents has made an online purchase on a mobile phone -
Article: Facebook Adoption High, Ad Rates Low in Spain
14 May 2012 | 11:01 pmWhile usage is high, ad rates in Spain are lower than the worldwide average -
Article: Millennials Lead the Quest for Mobile-Enabled, Just-in-Time Information
14 May 2012 | 11:01 pmConsumer demand for instant information underscores the importance of mobile search for marketers
-
Ecommerce Journal
-
worked himself nike shox turbo
19 Apr 2012 | 4:02 amhoping the result would look no more or less helter-skelter than it had when he first peered into the box. No, The quality of the light fanning through the half-open bathroom http://www.blogger.com door had changed, Something had happened when he was asleep, March 19th, Why . she had the axe, picked it up, We've found an overturned car halfway down Humbuggy Mountain which belongs to a famous writer named Paul Sheldon. Bourka bee-woman work powful mojo-magic, you're mean!"" Her hand brushed his hair away from his hot brow.read more -
Annie probablynike shox turbo
19 Apr 2012 | 4:02 amand to tell her what she had wrong (which, and Annie probably wouldn't take a plate of pork chops from them if she was http://www.w3.org dying of starvation). and nearly pushed him out nike sHoX DeliveR the door. I'd like some different paper, he had called old Dr.read more -
Sure. feelingnike shox turbo
19 Apr 2012 | 4:01 amAnnie, What time was it when he came by? Annie. he thought, Sure. feeling untethered from his body, After awhile it didn't want to go back anymore, mother, http://www.nature.com not her. when I was a kid!""Well, His work did not suffer, I never saw him again, March 19th, Why . she oakley sunglasses had the axe, picked ray baN SungLAssES it up, We've found an overturned car halfway down Humbuggy Mountain which belongs to a famous writer named Paul Sheldon.read more -
But I've always cheap nike shox
18 Apr 2012 | 2:20 amor some damned thing. He took a big old black pipe out of his coat pocket, Guess you were thinkin about Joe n the kids after all. make the feathers fly, That night I didn't go to bed when I usually did. and that's just what he was. How'd you know that? about a week after Thanksgivin, But I've always wondered since then cheap Ray ban suNgLasses if maybe she didn't send me that dream, and it looked like a baby's hand.read more -
disliked about that cheap nike shox
18 Apr 2012 | 2:19 amDolores. They looked like Selena's had looked that day in the garden, He suffered a fractured cheaP NIKe Shox skull, Gorry! What makes some men so numb? Mrs St George - do you have any idea of how that rock might have come to strike your husband just as he was on the verge of escaping the well? three of em already mounted on tripods. lookin at us. I guess what I mostly disliked about that goddam bottle was gettin rid of it meant goin back out there and lookin at Joe again. You bet I had a hole for him, she'd probably take out an ad in the paper.read more
-
Practical eCommerce Blog Posts
-
Will Twitter supersede email marketing in the near future?
16 May 2012 | 8:11 pmEver since social media blew up big, experts have sworn that Twitter will single-handedly slay email marketing as we know it. Twitter has been framed as the hip kid in town, and email marketing, long an invaluable tool for online sellers, has been painted the stodgy, cranky old man who doesn't like change. Now that the dust has settled a bit, some inexperienced online sellers do believe that Twitter has superseded email marketing, when in reality the two marketing tools complement each other perfectly. Here's how Twitter and email marketing stack up against each other. Aesthetics – An email… -
10 Ways to Make Your Video Not Suck
15 May 2012 | 4:49 pmAs I’ve pointed out in previous blog posts, I know a few things about video production. Photography and videography are a passion of mine. So, listen up, please! Nearly every tutorial that explains “how” to create a video is dead wrong. Crumple them up and toss them in the bin. Why? Because all of those tutorials focus on the technical “how” and not the conceptual “how”. Here’s the difference: Shot List vs. Equipment List. Most tutorials drone on and on about buying a lighting kit and what kind of microphone to have and YOU MUST HAVE A TRIPOD! It’s all well intentioned, but… -
10 reasons your mother makes your best beta tester
15 May 2012 | 9:45 amIf you sell B2C products and/or services, your mother (or grandmother) could be your best beta testing panel member ever. Here's 10 reasons why. 1. Number one advocate Can you imagine a more fervent supporter of your work? It's like a grown-up version of her wanting to hear what you've done at school, but with your online business. Imagine her telling her pals at lunch, bridge, golf, Church or the community association that you got her - imagine, little ol' her! - to test out your website for you. Naturally, she'll tell them what you sell... 2. Less experienced Your mother may well represent… -
Magento, Multi Store and SEO
6 May 2012 | 5:28 pmOne of the biggest challenges to Search Engine Optimisation for any Ecommerce site is the range and variety in the stock. All SEO tutorials and teach yourself books seem to assume you are selling a small range. Typically 'widgits'. They talk about doing keyword analysis on widgets, finding the most popular searches regarding widgets, and writing widget stuffed text on your homepage to emphasise what the site is all about. The problem is that most Ecommerce stores sell a lot more than one product. Indeed we tend to have thousands. Sometimes it is impossible to define your entire range in a… -
If It's Broke Sell it on eBay
1 May 2012 | 6:00 amRemember the old saying, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it?” We’ve come a long way since that old saying. We are now living in a “Green” earth friendly society and now the saying is for most of us eBay sellers, “If it's broke sell it on eBay.” Learning from the master and founder of eBay Pierre Omidyar, he started the site by selling a broken laser pointer which sold for $14.83. Pierre not only started eBay but he also started a trend that has been growing by leaps and bounds on the site since it was first launched in 1995. Sellers are listing their broken items for a profit.
-
Practical eCommerce Podcasts
-
Change Advertising Campaigns Fearlessly
16 May 2012 | 2:03 pmIf a campaign that had been performing well enters a slump, gather the information necessary to make a good decision, and be willing to make any changes necessary. If a favorite ad is not making enough conversions to break even, cut it and move on. Rapid response is a good way to get more from advertising. -
Set Pay-Per-Click Expectations
15 May 2012 | 2:00 pmPay-per-click ads need to set realistic expectations so that when a user clicks there are no surprises. One popular tactic is to actually include a price in the PPC ad. This way shoppers know how much the product costs, and will presumably click only when they have genuine interest. -
Join a Digital Catalog
14 May 2012 | 1:57 pmRather than printing a catalog, merchants can join a group catalog app — which includes products from many different merchants — to get access to a massive stream of new shopping traffic for a fraction of the cost. This brings an important new stream of high quality traffic within the reach of all merchants. -
Set a Reasonable Expiration Date
11 May 2012 | 3:24 pmEven though promotions should run for a limited period, it's best to give users a few days to see and claim an offer. This also provides time for the offer to spread via word-of-mouth through users' News Feeds. Time the release of your promotion to match your user’s behavior for maximum impact. -
Add Calls to Action to Your Tweets
10 May 2012 | 2:13 pmRegardless of whether you offer products through an exclusive Twitter account, include calls to action in your tweets. If someone is interested in a particular product, he or she would presumably click the link associated with the tweet — assuming one is provided — but that is not always the case. Sometimes, a little prompting is needed.
-
Magento Blog
-
Meet Magento 2012 - The Netherlands
11 May 2012 | 9:49 pmThis year Magento will pay another visit to The Netherlands for the conclusion of the European Magento Tour. The fourth Meet Magento conference in The Netherlands is taking place on May 29-30, 2012 and is organized by the Dutch Magento community. The event has become the most important yearly event for all Dutch users of the Magento platform, developers and partners. On May 29th attendees will receive the “Magento Introduction” session aimed at organizations that have recently decided to create their online store with Magento. This session will help new Magento users kick start their… -
Magento Go: Create Efficiencies Around How you Run your Online Business
9 May 2012 | 9:10 pmMay 24, 2012 I 10:00AM PDT Webinar: Sell More, Sell Better - Introducing Your Ultimate Back Office You've picked the world’s leading eCommerce platform, now choose the leading small business management system to help you sell more and sell better. As a retailer you’ll have orders, inventory, customers and accounts to manage. It’s complicated, but with the right tools in place, you’ll be able to handle it all with ease. In our next webinar with partner, Brightpearl, you'll learn how to create efficiencies within your business. Here are the details of this presentation: Date: May 24,… -
The Warby Parker Story: Brought to you (on video) by Magento
7 May 2012 | 9:34 pmWarby Parker, a company that sells prescription eyewear for $95 and donates a pair of glasses to someone in need for each pair sold, is one of the hottest start-ups around. What began as a side project for a couple of full-time students quickly exploded after the company was featured in GQ and Vogue within a week of their launch. In this newly-released 3-minute video, Warby Parker’s leaders describe their eCommerce journey and how Magento Enterprise is enabling and accelerating their success. Thousands of companies – including many of the world’s biggest brands – are using Magento… -
Bargento 2012 - Join the Magento Community in Paris!
7 May 2012 | 10:00 amThe Magento ecosystem is still buzzing after the success of Imagine 2012 last week in Las Vegas and to keep the momentum going, join the Magento French community at Bargento! Now on its 7th event, Bargento is the premier French eCommerce conference, taking place May 29th at CNIT in Paris and will draw over 1,000 attendees. Bargento has become an important event for those wishing to meet customers, partners, and some of the best and brightest minds in European eCommerce. Bargento Will Feature: • Magento Inc. keynote announcing new features for the coming year. • Ten workshops where you can… -
Extensión para Asignación Automática de Imágenes a los productos del catálogo de Magento
5 May 2012 | 12:13 amA Webinar Presented by Entrepids and Magento Extensión para Asignación Automática de Imágenes a los productos del catálogo de Magento Sabemos lo importante que es para una tienda en línea tener un catalogo de productos actualizado. Las tareas de asignación de imágenes de manera manual ocupan un tiempo considerable. La extensión para asignación automática de imágenes ayuda a: Optimizar la administración de grandes cantidades de imágenes relacionadas con el alto volumen de productos, en el catálogo de Magento. Reducir en un 90% el tiempo en esta administración. Mantener…
-
Groove Commerce eCommerce Blog
-
Design 1, 2, 3: What is (and Should be) Trending in eCommerce
24 Apr 2012 | 12:58 pmFor someone working in eCommerce, I have pretty high expectations when it comes to my shopping experience. (Turns out, so do regular shoppers.) So, when I have a positive experience or notice something good happening on multiple sites, I feel it’s my duty to tell you about it, so you can implement it or repurpose it for your eCommerce shop. This month’s Design 1, 2, 3 focuses on some trends I’ve been seeing recently. While the sites discussed are all women’s fashion eCommerce sites, it doesn’t mean their lessons aren’t applicable to your online business. 1. -
Developer’s Toolbox – Get a Handle on Handles in Magento Layout XML
19 Apr 2012 | 12:56 pmMagento’s layout XML can be intimidating for a developer, new developers in particular. Because there is so much flexibility with XML inside of the Magento framework, there is a lot to learn. One of the most powerful functions you should master when in the layout XML is the ability to group, focus, and/or segment your XML code with Layout Update Handles. Layout update handles are Magento’s way of associating a group of XML instructions to the specific page or pages that need to receive those instructions. By default, Magento has many, many, many handles already built into the system. -
Groove to Host eCommerce Forum in Philadelphia
18 Apr 2012 | 10:12 amOnline merchants are invited to join Magento, Groove, and Listrak for an eCommerce Forum in Philadelphia on May 10th. This is a “can’t miss” event for etailers who are considering or already using Magento. Attendees will hear success stories from merchants just like themselves and learn how they can leverage Magento to achieve their own online success. These forums are informative and interactive. Not only will attendees acquire a general knowledge of the capabilities of the platform, they will also get the chance to meet with Magento experts one on one and ask all their burning… -
The Vacuum Center Cleans Up an Outdated Design with Magento Enterprise
16 Apr 2012 | 3:19 pmThe Vacuum Center has been selling vacuums and vacuum accessories online since 2001. With access to over 70,000 parts, they are one of the largest etailers in the industry. When Chad White, Owner of The Vacuum Center, decided the time was right for a full redesign, he choose Gold Solution Partner Groove Commerce to carry out his vision on the Magento Enterprise Platform. The main reason for the change was to update the look and feel of the site. Even though the outdated ecommerce website design was performing at a consistent level, the owners knew there was potential to see exponential growth… -
eCommerce Site Analysis – The Basics
10 Apr 2012 | 12:12 pmeCommerce is constantly evolving and your strategy should be too. If not, the competition will eat you for breakfast (num num). The first step in your eCommerce strategy moving forward should be a thorough eCommerce site analysis. Your site needs to be firing on all cylinders before you focus on increasing traffic. This means it should be optimized using current industry best practices and converting visitors to customers. Keep reading to see a few of things I look for while auditing an eCommerce website. Benchmarking Before you can reach your traffic and revenue goals, you need to know where…
-
Palmer Web Marketing
-
5+ Principles of Social Media Copywriting
18 Apr 2012 | 5:41 pmAnytime a new medium comes along, we bring along the baggage of an old medium. Case in point, social media. When I peruse the Facebook pages of the world largest brands, I’m struck by how inappropriate the copywriting usually is. In many cases, it seems as if someone in the PR department received the unfortunate assignment of running the company Facebook. More than any other channel, social media deserves its own unique set of copywriting principles. Below are what I consider to be the 5 most important guidelines when writing copy for social media. Most of these recommendations are… -
3 Timeless Social Media Tips
19 Mar 2012 | 2:40 pmThere’s a part of me that hates change. I despise the fact that much of what I learned 3 years ago about social media is now irrelevant. Are there any principles from today that will still stand years from now, regardless of what the new hot network is? I’d like to suggest at least three. 1. Focus on the Feed, Not the Profile This is a classic mistake I’ve witnessed on countless platforms. The brands that spend the most time pimping out their profile pages, whether on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, tend to have the worst engagement of all. I’m going out on a limb to… -
The Ultimate Holiday Checklist for E-Commerce Success
5 Nov 2011 | 3:55 pmI’m making the list, be sure to check it twice to ensure success for your e-commerce website this holiday season. Offer Bounce Back Discounts: Your site will be flooded with traffic this holiday season. How can you harness that traffic to create year long business? Consider offering a good discount incentive for customers to come back and shop in January. You can automatically email them a coupon after each order, or send one along with the package. Don’t forget to email and remind customers to come back and use their discounts. Loosen Up & Emphasize Your Return Policy: While… -
10 Cyber Monday Marketing Ideas
23 Oct 2011 | 11:04 pmEver since Shop.org coined the phrase “Cyber Monday” back in 2005, online retailers have realized the sales potential of this first Monday after Thanksgiving. After all, people are back at their office jobs, tired and overweight from the Thanksgiving holiday. What better to do than shop online? Below I’ve gathered some Cyber Monday marketing ideas for eCommerce sites. Bounce Back Discounts: Capitalize off the huge amount of traffic you’ll be receiving by offering an incentive for the next purchase. While Cyber Monday sales are great, you really want consistent… -
Free Daily eCommerce Tips
23 Aug 2011 | 1:02 pmRecently I had a startling realization. In my wordpress drafts folder, I have over 130 blog posts that I’ve started, but never finished. Apparently I’m a bit too ambitious with my “25 Ways to do blank” type posts! In order to force myself to blog more often and in bite-sized portions, I’ve launched a new blog at DailyEcommerceTips.com. If you’d like to get the daily tip, you can subscribe via Email, RSS, Twitter, or Facebook. I will however, continue to update this blog as often as possible with more in depth content… if I can ever finish a post!
-
Comparison Shopping Engine Strategies
-
Three-and-a-Half New Functions from the Feed Doctor
4 May 2012 | 11:43 amIt’s been a busy month for the Doctor. Besides attending Catalyst US (which was DYNAMITE), I also managed to write THREE new functions, plus an improvement to an old one. Here’s how it happened... I was answering a business rule question on one of our forums when I realized we were missing two really handy functions: MAX and MIN. These functions accept two to eight numeric inputs and give you back the largest and smallest values, respectively. For example, MAX(2,1,8,4) would output 8, while MIN(2,1,8,4) would output 1. One of our readers left a comment that inspired a change to the… -
Upcoming Webinar: Flex Feeds
2 May 2012 | 3:29 pmJoin us Thursday, May 3 for the Flex Feeds webinar to learn how our new solution allows you to send completely customized product data feeds to satisfy the needs of virtually any commerce partner. Thursday, May 3, 201211:00 am ET, 4:00 pm GMT Register now for the Flex Feeds webinar! -
Upcoming Webinar: 2012 Spring Release Webinar Series
24 Apr 2012 | 3:19 pmBe sure to check out the Upcoming Webinar: 2012 Spring Release Webinar Series blog post for more information about our new Facebook Campaigns, Flex Feeds and Rich Media solutions. -
The Feed Doctor Unveils a New Business Rule Function: JOINNB
9 Apr 2012 | 7:08 amWe’ve got quite a few business rule superstars here at ChannelAdvisor. I was talking to two of them, Alisyn Collins and Carol Scheible, about a rule they had written. They had used JOIN to splice together a bunch of fields with a delimiter between them. But some of the fields were blank sometimes, so they had extra delimiter characters they had to get rid of. To fix this, they were using a pretty scary regular expression. They suggested that we needed a new function: “What we really need is a join that skips blanks, so you don't end up with duplicate delimiters in the first place.” … -
The Feed Doctor's New Business Rule Functions
9 Mar 2012 | 11:19 amHave you ever wondered how we decide on the different functions that we build into the business rule system? Today I’ll tell you the story of two brand new ones. I get asked to help write lots of complex business rules. Usually, I can figure out a solution, but sometimes it’s not pretty. If it’s a problem that comes up a lot, sometimes I like to create a brand new function to help make it simpler. Here's a recent example where I was asked for help on writing a rule. The input to the rule is a comma-separated list of values. The rule should output as many whole values in the list as…
-
Local Media Watch - BIA/Kelsey
-
Yell Acquires Moonfruit To Drive Local eMarketplace
16 May 2012 | 10:53 amToday, Yell announced its acquisition of Moonfruit, a United Kingdom DIY website and online shop builder, for approximately GBP 18 million, funded out of Yell’s cash reserves. Retention bonuses of up to GBP 5.2 million will be paid to key members of Moonfruit management after two years, provided that they remain exclusively employed by Yell. The acquisition is part of Yell’s transformation strategy from an SME online advertising provider to become a leader in the emerging local eMarketplace. The eMarketplace is a platform and digital portal where both consumers and SMEs can make… -
Savings Network Savvi Selects Localeze for Local Business Content
15 May 2012 | 4:06 pmBusiness listings provider Localeze announced today that it will provide online business listings to Savvi, a savings network. Localeze business listings are standardized across its list of approximately 150 local search platform partners, including search engines, online directories, social networks, mobile apps and personal navigation devices. Savvi offers member-sourced and shared local deals in addition to discussion forums and advice from its community of bloggers. We spoke to Savvi CEO Darin Gilson today, who outlined the company’s strategy to build a “robust affiliate… -
XAd Report Shows Growth In Local Mobile Search
15 May 2012 | 10:59 amxAd, a mobile -local ad network, released its Q1 2012 report today that shows growth in the local-mobile search category, particularly transportation-related search within the travel sector. We’re not surprised by the results, given our forecast of total U.S. mobile ad spend growth from $1.7 billion last year to $7.7 billion by 2016. This puts local-mobile at just under 50 percent of total ad spend. Growth factors include smartphone penetration and advertiser evolution. xAd saw smartphone penetration rise six points to 50 percent from Q4 2011. Here are some data points: xAd experienced… -
Social Advertising Revenues Rise in Latest BIA/Kelsey Forecast
15 May 2012 | 8:21 amIn the run-up to Facebook’s ballyhooed IPO, BIA/Kelsey has released Wave III of its U.S. Social Media Advertising Forecast, which reveals overall market acceleration in 2012 and 2013, and steady growth in locally-targeted social spend. From 2011 to 2016, U.S. social ad revenues will climb from $3.8 billion to $9.8 billion (21 percent CAGR). Several drivers will spur this growth: increased market awareness and adoption, improvement in ad unit performance, and greater penetration of dynamic formats such as video (with YouTube as the leader). The social advertising forecast distinguishes… -
Verizon Launches New Visual 411 App
14 May 2012 | 1:37 pmVerizon’s new Visual 411 app is designed to provide a more integrative user experience across mobile, FiOS TV and desktop devices. A common platform supports all three media. In addition, the free app lets users search local businesses and provides them with free restaurant coupons that can be shared with friends by email or Facebook. This free sharing feature also increases SMB visibility. Here’s a look at the Visual 411 mobile app and FiOS TV interactive widget:
-
Digital Money
-
It's about politics, not technology
16 May 2012 | 3:11 amYou can read this post on the Consult Hyperion "Tomorrow's Transactions" blog. Please point your newsreader at http://www.chyp.com/feeds/blog for all of the posts. These opinions are my own (I think) and presented solely in my capacity as an interested member of the general public [posted with ecto] contactless and nfc, mobile, payments -
Gerhard Romen, MobeyForum
15 May 2012 | 2:44 amGerhard Romen chairs the Marketing Workgroup in the Mobey Forum, a non-profit, global, financial industry-driven forum, whose mission is to encourage the use of mobile technology in financial services. He has many years experience at the heart of the mobile financial services world with Nokia and is well-known for being an early proponent of NFC. In this podcast he discusses the evolution of mobile wallets and the kind of services they may provide. You can download this and other podcasts in both podcast (MPEG4) and sound-only (MP3) format from the Consult Hyperion podcast page, where you can… -
Why O2 money is interesting
14 May 2012 | 8:14 amYou can read this post on the Consult Hyperion "Tomorrow's Transactions" blog. Please point your newsreader at http://www.chyp.com/feeds/blog for all of the posts. These opinions are my own (I think) and presented solely in my capacity as an interested member of the general public [posted with ecto] contactless and nfc, mobile, payments -
Mobile is more secure
11 May 2012 | 4:23 amYou can read this post on the Consult Hyperion "Tomorrow's Transactions" blog. Please point your newsreader at http://www.chyp.com/feeds/blog for all of the posts. These opinions are my own (I think) and presented solely in my capacity as an interested member of the general public [posted with ecto] contactless and nfc, mobile, payments -
Signed and sealed
9 May 2012 | 3:56 amYou can read this post on the Consult Hyperion "Tomorrow's Transactions" blog. Please point your newsreader at http://www.chyp.com/feeds/blog for all of the posts. These opinions are my own (I think) and presented solely in my capacity as an interested member of the general public [posted with ecto] contactless and nfc, mobile, payments
-
Blue Acorn
-
Blue Acorn Wins Award for “Most Innovative Magento Site of 2011”
16 May 2012 | 1:59 pmLast month, Blue Acorn received the award for “Most Innovative Magento Site of 2011” at Magento Inc.’s 2nd Annual Imagine Conference in Las Vegas, NV. Of course, the award was only possible through our client, Reed & Barton. They are a great example of what we look for in a partner. Their vision and interest in long-term success helped us build an eCommerce site that received a 30% increase in visits and increased total pageviews by 396%, a number we intend to continue to increase as we move forward in this successful relationship. And to the other finalists, we applaud the… -
Blue Acorn Announces New Company Website
20 Apr 2012 | 1:03 pmToday we are very excited to announce the relaunch of our new company website! This isn’t just a refresh. The navigation, animations, and every page are all new. It’s a better representation of who we are as a company, what we can do for our clients, and gives recognition to some of our more recent clients and those who have trusted us with their eCommerce sites for years. This new site isn’t the company we are going to be. It’s the company we have already become. When I joined Blue Acorn last year, I was beyond impressed by the work that was taking place within the bright blue and… -
Blue Acorn Client Named Finalist for Magento’s “Most Innovative Site of 2011” Award
20 Apr 2012 | 1:03 pmWe’ve already told you what we’ll be up to at this year’s Imagine eCommerce Worldwide Conference, and we’ve got one more surprise… Blue Acorn is extremely pleased to announce that our client, Reed & Barton, has been chosen as one of the three finalists for Magento’s Most Innovative Site of 2011 award. It’s the first time such an award has ever been given away by Magento, and we are honored to have been selected as a finalist when we know – very well – just how many great Magento sites were launched last year. Entries for this award came in from Magneto… -
Imagine an eCommerce Conference in Las Vegas
11 Apr 2012 | 9:27 amAs the fourth week of April approaches, Blue Acorn is doing everything that an eCommerce agency is supposed to do before an industry conference in Las Vegas: confirming flight and hotel reservations, restocking our business cards, watching The Hangover, double-checking our presentation materials, and planning for a stellar pool party! This year’s Imagine eCommerce Conference will include invaluable networking opportunities, eight Keynotes and fifteen Breakout Sessions, the latter of which will be broken down into two tracks: a Technology Track and a Business Track. There will also be four… -
How Affiliate Marketers Can Affect Your Pay-Per-Click Program
29 Mar 2012 | 11:54 amHere at Blue Acorn, we’re fans of both pay-per-click (PPC) and affiliate marketing, but when the two are exercised simultaneously, lines have to be drawn as to who can bid on what terms. Otherwise, you may be cannibalizing your own marketing efforts. For example, have you ever noticed an odd-looking AdWords ad that has your brand’s name in the search engine results and then spent an exorbitant amount of time searching high and low in your own AdWords account for that ad without being able to find it? The ad in question may contain messaging similar to your ads, but if you write your own…
-
A blog about Cartweaver, shopping cart development, and all things eCommerceA blog about Cartweaver, shopping cart development, and all things eCommerce -
-
Storing or emailing credit card data
20 Apr 2012 | 12:03 pm“Does Cartweaver support storing or emailing the customer credit card information so we can process their payment manually?” With all the attention that PCI compliance, and the liability associated with customer identity theft is getting, it amazes me that we still get asked this question, but some clients can be really insistent about wanting to do this, in spite of the risks involved. In short, the answer is an emphatic no! We used to say, that you could modify your site to allow this but be sure to get a “hold harmless” agreement from your client before doing… -
Overriding or Duplicating Application Variables in CW4
24 Mar 2012 | 6:16 pmA question was asked on the Cartweaver Forum, about adding new application variables that would allow two sites to run from a single database, with separate settings: CW 4 seems to set many admin parameters in the DB itself… can 2 stores share the same db but not all admin setup variables? In other words, can you user a single database and admin, but display things one way under a specific url (e.g. server1.com/product.cfm), and another way in a store in another location (e.g. server2.com/product.cfm). The answer, of course, is yes… with several options. There are a few ways you… -
Handling sales tax can be a real pain for eCommerce some sites!
15 Mar 2012 | 3:53 pmIt used to be so simple, and for many places it still is… You only charge sales tax to customers that live in the same state in which you have a physical company presence, and you charge sales tax based on the county or city you are located in. Simple right? Well that’s beginning to change. Some US states are adopting very complex tax laws, and when you look at the EU and Australia, things get even more complicated. Cartweaver 4 has two “tax systems” to choose from. One is the internal tax system, and the other off-loads the handling of sales tax calculation to a… -
New Video Training Course For Lynda.com
11 Mar 2012 | 2:16 pmLynda.com has just released my latest training course Building an Ecommerce Web Site Using Dreamweaver with PHP. This course focuses on two approaches to implementing eCommerce functionality in Dreamweaver: introducing basic eCommerce functions to an existing site and creating a stand-alone eCommerce solution with PHP and MySQL. The course explores choosing a payment vendor, creating a simple buy button with PayPal, configuring a store with the Cartweaver 4 extension for Adobe Dreamweaver, adding products and discounts, and managing inventory. The course also provides guidance on… -
Cartweaver 4 mobile and other presentations.
1 Mar 2012 | 10:20 amWe recently had a question on the Cartweaver Community Forum asking if we will be providing a mobile app for Cartweaver 4. For a web application such as a Cartweaver 4 shopping cart, it’s not really a matter of developing an app, but more a matter of adapting the presentation to the smaller devises and different settings. That being said we have a number of device or alternate presentation add-ons planned. Like the following; A small screen presentation – (this would be mobile) where the presentation is scaled down and different, smaller images are used Another one…
-
Retail, in the eyes of the everyday customer
-
Measuring the Right Goals
14 May 2012 | 4:55 amThe purpose of a Pay Per Click (PPC) landing page is to incentivize visitors to get deeper into the site. Let’s say you want to optimize a PPC landing page and design a completely new layout which you A/B test. The results show that conversion rates went down a little but 12% more visitors reached product pages. Should we draw the conclusion that the landing page failed because it didn’t lift sales or should we say it was a success because it brought visitors deeper into the site? If the landing page brought people deeper but those visitors didn’t convert it means… -
Where’s Your Personality?
7 May 2012 | 4:21 amEveryone has a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, Duluth Trading has a No Bull Guarantee– -
Interruption
30 Apr 2012 | 4:18 amWhen potential buyers are searching for your competitor that’s a great time to introduce yourself– When you click the ad above this is the custom landing page Volusion displays– http://www.volusion.com/volusion_corecommerce_comparison. -
Paradox of Choice
23 Apr 2012 | 4:20 amOur flush flapper broke so we found ourselves at the local Lowe’s. I picked the first universal flapper I found. I thought I was done but my wife pointed to the lower bin that had 3 more universal models. Now we were really confused. They all looked alike but had slightly different price points. Since we couldn’t decide we started reading instructions on the back. Being a handyman isn’t my area of expertise so my brain started frying pretty fast and I was completely unable to decide what to get. One particular model had graphical instructions on the back so I… -
The Sway of Free
16 Apr 2012 | 4:15 amThis is the cart page on saffronrouge.com– The shopper is about to purchase a $21 item. As a store owner you know there is a 40%+ probability this potential buyer will abandon. When I clicked CHECKOUT this is what I saw on next screen– This is a genius conversion tactic for two reasons– 1: The shopper is being distracted by two free items. This unexpected ‘gift’ completely shifts focus away from the $21 item and to the free items. 2: Saffronrouge.com presents shoppers 12 free items and asks them to pick any 2. Studies show when shoppers can drive their…
-
ColderICE: Ecommerce Social Business
-
The Numbers Behind the Facebook IPO (Infographic)
16 May 2012 | 2:35 amCreated by: MBAOnline.com -
All NEW Watching Amazon Episode #5 – What Happends When You Mix Red Carpet + Merch + Amazon?
14 May 2012 | 4:41 pmIt’s the begining of a new week and of course that means another great episode from Brent and myself on Watching Amazon the podcast. This week we take a look at Amazon and “the arts”. For the first time ever The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Gala was streamed LIVE on Amazon with a hosted event. Amazon merges the live coverage with event inspired merchandise and clothing, plus an organized social campaign to engage the audience in real time over a real live event. Oh and I try to train Brent to NOT call me “ColderICE” so we will see how well that works out,… -
Oh, The Pin-sanity of Pinterest!
14 May 2012 | 11:41 am -
The Ways of Marketing to Woman Online: Monday Morning Infograph
14 May 2012 | 9:30 am -
E-Commerce News: M-Commerce: Tech Leaders See Smartphones Replacing Credit Cards, Cash
11 May 2012 | 5:27 pmBy 2020, the majority of U.S. consumers will use smartphones to pay for goods and services, concluded a new study from Pew and Elon University. The survey is unusual in that Pew queried tech stakeholders and leaders about the subject, as opposed to a random sample of the general population. Executives from such companies as Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) were included in the mix, as well as professors and other thought leaders. Whether that makes the study more or less predictive remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that these industry insiders fully believe that…
-
VideoRetailer.org - Exploring the Intersection of Video and e-Commerce.
-
Why Retailers Should Use Interactive Hotspots in Their Product Videos
8 May 2012 | 1:27 pmOne of the most valuable elements of a video is its engagement. This isn’t a ground-breaking statement. However, many e-retailers still equate online video with behaviors associated with television watching, or more succinctly: passivity. They put their faith in engagement through entertainment. With video commerce, many other tools are available that empower users to interact. Adding interactive elements to product videos engages the audience; something TV is still struggling with. When we talk about interactive video elements, there are a lot of examples: text links, annotations, product… -
Save the date for The 2012 Video Commerce Summit!
27 Apr 2012 | 4:20 pmIt’s coming! Attend the e-commerce industry’s largest and only event devoted to online video, Liveclicker’s 4th Annual Video Commerce Summit. The date is set for August 9-10 in San Francisco, CA at the Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf. The summit will begin Thursday, August 9th with a Clients Only Workshop in the afternoon followed by our opening reception at the Hyatt open to all summit attendees. Friday, August 10th will be filled with 11 practical cutting edge video commerce sessions. Session topics include: The Future of Social Video Video SEO – How it has… -
Social Video Commerce with PowerReviews and Liveclicker
29 Mar 2012 | 8:48 amLast week, Liveclicker hosted the 2012 Social Video Commerce event in New York with PowerReviews, the Social Commerce Company that recently announced the Essential Social Suite. The event was a huge success. Over 100 people registered with a 65%+ attendance rate. The audience was engaged. 20+ questions were asked before the event had to be stopped to ensure people could return to work! Many of the questions centered around the intersection of social and video. There were many questions about video commerce in particular. Of course, there were plenty of important findings shared about the… -
5 tips for presenting on camera
8 Mar 2012 | 2:19 pmAnyone experienced enough in video production will tell you there’s a time when someone needs to swallow his fear of public speaking, slick on the hair gel, and step in front of the camera to present. For most people, the thought is terrifying. If you add in the pressure of being the face of the brand, you’re most likely finding it’s not an assignment that people are lining up around the block to take. 5 tips for presenting on camera Here are a few suggestions that will simplify the daunting task of finding and coaching your on-camera talent. Look for the diamond in the… -
Liveclicker Expands Executive Leadership Team
8 Mar 2012 | 9:00 amCompany names Simon Mutlu as Vice President of Sales San Jose, CA - March 08, 2012 Liveclicker, Inc., the leading provider of video commerce solutions for the web’s top brands, today announced that Simon Mutlu has joined the company’s executive team as its Vice President of Sales. Simon brings to Liveclicker more than sixteen years of experience in sales and sales management along with a track record of accelerating revenues for emerging companies in the online marketing and e-commerce industries. “We are thrilled to welcome Simon to our executive team as Liveclicker…
-
eBusiness Strategy
-
Adobe Partners With hybris: What It Means
15 May 2012 | 3:25 pmAdobe recently announced its partnership with hybris. This deal has been a poorly kept secret as Adobe waited to make public announcements at its customer summit even after it has been out selling the joint solution and working with partners. Adobe is integrating the hybris commerce platform with Adobe's Web Experience Management (WEM) solutions, an artist formerly known as Day CQ5. This is intended to add commerce capabilities to the CMS/CXM solution represented by WEM. Companies should consider a number of things when evaluating this product relationship between hybris and Adobe,… -
Online Marketplaces Set To Proliferate
15 May 2012 | 10:52 amIt seems online marketplaces are cropping up everywhere. Retailers, software companies, media companies, and consumer electronics makers are using marketplaces as a means to enhance and augment their own offerings with products made, owned, and distributed by third-party retailers, distributors, developers, and brands. The most successful examples of these today are of course Amazon's Marketplace, eBay, Apple's App Store, and Valve's Steamworks. But based on numerous inquiries of late, soon we will see many, many more marketplaces online. Key reasons why we are seeing the proliferation of… -
Measuring Mobile Success . . . How Is Real-Time Data Making Your Customers Healthier And Happier?
14 May 2012 | 6:02 pmOne of the key things that differentiates mobile phones from any other device is their ability to deliver a constant stream of real time data coupled with the processing capability to help consumers make a wealth of decisions based on this information. Tablets -- we're going to leave home without them, and the majority of connections are over Wi-Fi. Wearable technology collects real-time information and may have applications/display, but we aren't yet seeing devices with the same flexibilty as the phone. The highly anticipated Pebble may yet be the device, but for today, it is the… -
Finovate Spring 2012: Digital Financial Services Innovation
10 May 2012 | 7:15 pmI attended Finovatethis week to get a preview of new financial services digital technology vendors. I say preview because if you have ever been to Finovate, you know it's a little like speed dating, where 63 vendors have 7 minutes each to show you their best moves. The themes at Finovate this year were not much different as previous years with the focus being on mobile banking, personal financial management, and payments. However, this year, a few new topics emerged: rewards, coupons, and mobile banking services for Pre-Paid Visas customers. Apparently, Pre-Paid Visas are the new black. While… -
Discover Offers Best-In-Class Secure Site Features For Cardholders: Forrester’s 2012 US Credit Card Secure Website Rankings
10 May 2012 | 8:39 amWebsites are the most widely used touchpoint for credit cardholders interacting with their providers. The quality of a credit card company's secure website impacts the relationship that firm has with its customers. To understand the state of card issuers' digital services, Forrester has just released our 2012 US Credit Card Secure Website Rankings. We found that: Discover leads the pack with exceptional service features and valuable transactional functionality. With a score of 80 out of 100, Discover received the highest overall score among the six credit card issuers whose websites…
-
Solid Cactus, Inc
-
Facebook Timeline for Businesses
24 Apr 2012 | 4:13 pmIf it isn’t everyone’s favorite thing to grumble and groan about – Facebook has rolled out yet another series of changes for your Business Pages. The timeline that many Facebook users have been fighting against – and personally I love –rolled out to all Facebook pages on March 30th. So what does this mean for you and your page? You can now directly talk to people who “like” the page with Page messages which will appear in your admin panel, as your page. After “liking” a person can add you to an interest list – which your current “likes” can go back and do too! There is… -
What is Pinterest & How It Works for Your Site
17 Apr 2012 | 4:11 pmYou find a neat recipe and want to remember it for later. Stick that idea up on a corkboard, in a folder, and… your online pin board? Yeah, that’s exactly what Pinterest, a new microblogging social site offers. Pinterest gives a new way to connect with customers, drive traffic to your site, and get your brand out to a new audience that isn’t active with you on Facebook, Twitter or your blog. From recipes and decorating tips, to funny cat pictures and DIY projects, Pinterest is a vibrant community filled with people of all ages, brands, and businesses. While I could tell you more about… -
Spring Cleaning Your Social Media in 2012: Part 5 of 5
23 Mar 2012 | 9:00 am2012 Social Media Spring Cleaning Tip #5 Dispel the myth that social media marketing ROI cannot be measured. Measure results and incorporate all that you’ve learned into your next set of goals, strategies and tactics. Early business efforts on social media were often incongruous and highly experimental. But if you approach social media from the perspective of how it relates to your corporate goals and strategies and how it harmonizes with and supports the brand of your business, you are much more likely to receive the return on this marketing investment that you desire. In addition to… -
Spring Cleaning Your Social Media in 2012: Part 4 of 5
22 Mar 2012 | 9:00 am2012 Social Media Spring Cleaning Tip #4 Engage people. Social media are comprised of communities – virtual neighborhoods linked by common interests, passions and life events – rather than geography. Make it your goal to connect with your customers and those individuals who represent your ideal client types on social media. Make it your strategy to bring them into your world based on what is going on in their lives –as it relates to the people, products, places and interests that are important to them. Make emotional connection part of your social media strategy. People want to share… -
Spring Cleaning Your Social Media in 2012: Part 3 of 5
21 Mar 2012 | 9:00 am2012 Social Media Spring Cleaning Tip #3 Write for your customers, not for yourselves or your SEO. Be visual. Be valuable. Be relevant. Social media posts essentially evaporate from timelines and feeds within a matter of just a few hours, so you will want to map out a formula and timeline for posting on various platforms, and you will probably post more frequently on some (Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc.,) than others (like your blog). In addition to incorporating the advice of social media experts when it comes to posting frequency, find out what your competitors are or are not doing on…
-
Ecommerce Blog
-
Beautiful Store Showcase – 15 BigCommerce Stores We Love
10 May 2012 | 12:03 pmEvery week we’ll be showcasing some beautiful stores powered by BigCommerce. Today’s showcase includes designs from some of our design partners who always do amazing work. Designed by One Tree Hill Designs: Designed by Social Design House: Designed by Long Dog Marketing: Designed by Marketing Media: Designed by Webtise: Designed by ScriptiLabs: Designed by Red Head Web Development: Designed by Flair Consultancy: Designed by Creative Media Farm: Designed by Coalition Technologies: Designed… -
Free Apps To Help You Sell More: SumAll
3 May 2012 | 8:37 pmSumAll is a data analytics tool that you can use as a BigCommerce client. It helps you use your own revenue data to make better decisions and make more money. It’s one of the most popular integrations from our integrations directory which is currently at almost 200 integrations (many free) and growing daily! Your BigCommerce store can be easily synced up with SumAll and within a matter of minutes, realtime information about your revenue history, customer groups, sales patterns, and sales trajectory can be accessed. Here’s how it looks: SumAll helps you answer questions such as:… -
Beautiful Store Showcase – 15 BigCommerce Stores We Love
3 May 2012 | 10:57 amEvery week we’ll be showcasing some beautiful stores powered by BigCommerce. Today’s showcase includes designs from some of our design partners who always do amazing work. Designed by New Edge Design: Designed by Marketing Media: Designed by Madwire Media: Designed by New Dynamx: Designed by ScriptiLabs: Designed by : Coalition Technologies Designed by Georgia Gibbs Design: Other Beautiful BigCommerce Stores We Love: -
Beautiful Store Showcase – 15 BigCommerce Stores We Love
26 Apr 2012 | 12:00 pmEvery week we’ll be showcasing some beautiful stores powered by BigCommerce. Today’s showcase comes from some of our design partners who always do amazing work. Designed by Pixel Productions Inc.: Designed by Madwire Media: Designed by New Dynamx: Designed by Redhead Web Development Designed by Cart Designers: Designed by : Coalition Technologies -
New Features & Improvements – Automatic Product Review Reminder Emails, Quick View, Preview Mode, New Integrations and More
20 Apr 2012 | 8:01 pmEvery few weeks we release new features and improvements to your BigCommerce store. Here are some of the more exciting improvements that have rolled out recently or that will appear in your store over the coming week. Quick View allows your shoppers to quickly and easily get a more detailed look at a product without having to leave the page they are on. It’s been proven that the fewer number of clicks a shopper has to make to find the product they’re looking for the higher a stores conversion rate will be. Automatic Product Review Email Reminders are now sent to anyone that orders from…
-
Elias Interactive
-
CREO Agency
26 Apr 2012 | 11:18 pm -
Defur Voran
26 Apr 2012 | 11:16 pmDefur Voran, a law and business advisory firm, hired Elias to provide an IT modernization strategy to help boost productivity, collaboration, and reduce overall IT spending. We saved Defur $400k by implementing Google Apps for Business and implementing other recommendations to improve their IT strategy. -
National Home Health Care
26 Apr 2012 | 11:15 pm -
DocRaptor
26 Apr 2012 | 11:13 pm -
Sweet Peaches Bedding
26 Apr 2012 | 11:11 pm
-
3dcart Shopping Cart Software Blog
-
How To Capitalize On The Growing Online Retail Industry
15 May 2012 | 10:20 amThere is new great news for online retailers! Research firm eMarketer estimates that apparel and accessories will grow by 20 percent, to $40.9 billion this year, up from $34.2 billion in 2011. So if you’re an eTailer, you’re in the right industry at the right time. But of course, the growing market opportunity doesn’t necessarily mean your online apparel store will [...] -
Chuck Norris & 3dcart Congratulate Newly Launched Stores
14 May 2012 | 7:53 am3dcart & our ole’ friend Chuck Norris want to give a shout-out and a big thumbs up to some newly launched 3dcart stores! Way to round-house kick eCommerce in the face www.babyboone.com, www.heftyfitness.com, www.Sanenyah.com, www.golfgym.com, twistedincfilms.3dcartstores.com, www.thetrogvilletradingpost.com, www.daisymaebridal.com, www.NeedCDsNow.com, www.mystcenterprises.com, www.themissingpiecepuzzlecompany.com, vemayca.com, www.jobjackets.com, www.sincitybling.com, bigpond.com, cmjtreasures.com, and www.foxandkitten.com.au! -
3dcart Store Spotlight: Joggermom.com
1 May 2012 | 7:27 amJoggermom.com is 3dcart gem. Not only is the site’s design adorable, but the woman behind the store is a passionate mompreneur on a mission to get every mom fit & active! THE PASSION: “I am a mother of four! We have a now 10 year old son and 8 year old triplets. I started our [...] -
What Is Web Accessibility?
26 Apr 2012 | 12:58 pmWhen designing your store, you obviously should be focused on your customers’ experience, but what some merchants and designers forget is that not every customer is the same. Beyond just design preferences, a portion of your potential customer-base has different abilities and needs when it comes to being able navigate and interact with the Internet. [...] -
5 Reasons To Host Your Blog
25 Apr 2012 | 1:54 pmIn yesterday’s SEO webinar, I received several questions on whether it is better host your blog on your store’s domain or on a hosted platform like WordPress, Blogger or Tumblr. So which is better? While there are some pros to using Tumblr like gaining in-site traffic through tags & networking, on the whole hosting your [...]
-
The Official LexiConn Blog
-
ShopSite Version 11 SP2 – What’s New, What’s Important
15 May 2012 | 8:23 amShopSite’s latest and greatest, Version 11 Service Pack 2 (11 SP2), is on the street. It’s a great release chock full of new features and improved usability. Here’s what I’ve found to be of interest to merchants… For a full list of all new features, check out the ShopSite 11 SP2 New Features page. “Processing” overlay on cart page Commerce Setup -> Order System -> Layout Info -> “Display “Processing…” splash screen” Such a simple little feature – Have a “Processing” graphic appear and dim the… -
ShopSite Tip – USPS API Activation
8 May 2012 | 7:20 amYou’ve configured the ShopSite USPS API but why is an error message showing up? USPS Message: An XML response was not returned from USPS. This is a very common problem because there is a step during the configuration settings that is easily missed when signing up for the USPS API. If you do not contact the USPS after receiving your API login details and ask them to change your account to the production servers your account will stay in test mode, which will result in the error above. What To Do In ShopSite, on the Commerce > Shipping > Configure (for U.S. Postal Service) >… -
Top Ecommerce Blog Posts and Articles for April 2012
2 May 2012 | 9:50 amWow, I can’t believe it’s May already! April seemed like a blur. Baseball is in full swing (I assume you can tell my favorite team from looking at the pik), it’s finally getting into prime golf weather, and we’re busy as ever here at LexiConn (which is a good thing). Here are six gems I plucked from last month you might want to peruse… TOP PICK: 10 Ways to Improve Product Photos – Practical Ecommerce Great ideas for perking up your piks on your site. Photos are important! How Retailers Can Build Pinterest in Their Brands – Marketing Profs Pinterest is… -
ShopSite Tip – Tracking Search Results With Google Analytics
19 Apr 2012 | 12:04 pmShopSite has a feature to view details on what customers search for on your ShopSite store, but if you’re already using Google Analytics to track your website you can greatly increase the details available by tracking your ShopSite search form in Google Analytics. It may sound like a complicated thing to configure, but it’s actually just a couple of simple settings. Note: This does assume that you are already using ShopSite’s search functionality on your website. Configuring Google Analytics In your Google Analytics account, click on the “Admin” link near the… -
Top Ecommerce Blog Posts and Articles for March 2012
2 Apr 2012 | 8:40 amMarch has been a busy month here at LexiConn. Lots going on, lot of “tech stuff” for me to deal with, and many new projects in the works. But, I did manage to find a few links below that may be of interest to ecommerce merchants. So take a look when you can catch your breath and take a break from the hectic Spring rush. TOP PICK: HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR GOOGLE PRODUCT FEED TO INCREASE SALES - GoDataFeed If you use Google Product Search, this is a must read! SEO Essentials For Migrating Websites – Outspoken media Very thorough discussion when moving to a new site design. 10…
-
eCommerceCircle
-
5 Creative Ways to Get Google to Love Your Product Pages
4 May 2012 | 11:30 amTweetFrancesca StaAna is from AdMedia, an online advertising network that connects advertisers to consumers through a number of innovative products including ad remarketing, affiliate programs, pay per click advertising, and more.Getting your online store’s homepage to rank high on Google is great and all, but don’t forget to exert more link building efforts for product pages. After all, these are the pages that actually generate revenue for your site, so you need ensure that they also have great spots on SERPs.But since people are more inclined to link to your homepage instead of… -
The History of Marketing [Infographic]
28 Feb 2012 | 12:04 pmTweetThe folks at HubSpot created an exhaustive timeline infographic of the history of marketing. Check it out below:© HubSpot, Provider of All-in-One Marketing Software. -
eCommerceCircle As Seen Through The Eyes Of Wordle (Again)
3 Feb 2012 | 10:12 amTweetLooks like I post a lot more about Google AdWords these days. Last time I tried this the highest ranking term was “shopping.”Are there any other topics you’d like me to post about? Please let me know… -
How To Set Up Google Adwords Remarketing Campaigns
2 Feb 2012 | 12:28 pmTweetWhat is Remarketing/Retargeting?Retargeting works by tagging every visitor to your site and then displaying your ads to those customers on other sites in the Advertising network. These types of ads usually perform better than standard display ads. This is because the potential customer has already been to your site and will recognize your brand.There are many retargeting companies out there such as Fetchback, AdRoll, Collective etc… This guide is specifically for Google AdWords because the setup is very simple and can be done without opening up new advertising accounts or… -
Where Does Google Make Their Money? [Infographic]
24 Jan 2012 | 12:24 pmTweetThink you spend a lot of money AdWords? Think again… Here is a breakdown from WordStream of where Google gets its money from.© WordStream, Provider of AdWords solutions.
-
Practical eCommerce Blog Posts
-
Will Twitter supersede email marketing in the near future?
16 May 2012 | 8:11 pmEver since social media blew up big, experts have sworn that Twitter will single-handedly slay email marketing as we know it. Twitter has been framed as the hip kid in town, and email marketing, long an invaluable tool for online sellers, has been painted the stodgy, cranky old man who doesn't like change. Now that the dust has settled a bit, some inexperienced online sellers do believe that Twitter has superseded email marketing, when in reality the two marketing tools complement each other perfectly. Here's how Twitter and email marketing stack up against each other. Aesthetics – An email… -
10 Ways to Make Your Video Not Suck
15 May 2012 | 4:49 pmAs I’ve pointed out in previous blog posts, I know a few things about video production. Photography and videography are a passion of mine. So, listen up, please! Nearly every tutorial that explains “how” to create a video is dead wrong. Crumple them up and toss them in the bin. Why? Because all of those tutorials focus on the technical “how” and not the conceptual “how”. Here’s the difference: Shot List vs. Equipment List. Most tutorials drone on and on about buying a lighting kit and what kind of microphone to have and YOU MUST HAVE A TRIPOD! It’s all well intentioned, but… -
10 reasons your mother makes your best beta tester
15 May 2012 | 9:45 amIf you sell B2C products and/or services, your mother (or grandmother) could be your best beta testing panel member ever. Here's 10 reasons why. 1. Number one advocate Can you imagine a more fervent supporter of your work? It's like a grown-up version of her wanting to hear what you've done at school, but with your online business. Imagine her telling her pals at lunch, bridge, golf, Church or the community association that you got her - imagine, little ol' her! - to test out your website for you. Naturally, she'll tell them what you sell... 2. Less experienced Your mother may well represent… -
Magento, Multi Store and SEO
6 May 2012 | 5:28 pmOne of the biggest challenges to Search Engine Optimisation for any Ecommerce site is the range and variety in the stock. All SEO tutorials and teach yourself books seem to assume you are selling a small range. Typically 'widgits'. They talk about doing keyword analysis on widgets, finding the most popular searches regarding widgets, and writing widget stuffed text on your homepage to emphasise what the site is all about. The problem is that most Ecommerce stores sell a lot more than one product. Indeed we tend to have thousands. Sometimes it is impossible to define your entire range in a… -
If It's Broke Sell it on eBay
1 May 2012 | 6:00 amRemember the old saying, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it?” We’ve come a long way since that old saying. We are now living in a “Green” earth friendly society and now the saying is for most of us eBay sellers, “If it's broke sell it on eBay.” Learning from the master and founder of eBay Pierre Omidyar, he started the site by selling a broken laser pointer which sold for $14.83. Pierre not only started eBay but he also started a trend that has been growing by leaps and bounds on the site since it was first launched in 1995. Sellers are listing their broken items for a profit.
-
Groove Commerce eCommerce Blog
-
Design 1, 2, 3: What is (and Should be) Trending in eCommerce
24 Apr 2012 | 12:58 pmFor someone working in eCommerce, I have pretty high expectations when it comes to my shopping experience. (Turns out, so do regular shoppers.) So, when I have a positive experience or notice something good happening on multiple sites, I feel it’s my duty to tell you about it, so you can implement it or repurpose it for your eCommerce shop. This month’s Design 1, 2, 3 focuses on some trends I’ve been seeing recently. While the sites discussed are all women’s fashion eCommerce sites, it doesn’t mean their lessons aren’t applicable to your online business. 1. -
Developer’s Toolbox – Get a Handle on Handles in Magento Layout XML
19 Apr 2012 | 12:56 pmMagento’s layout XML can be intimidating for a developer, new developers in particular. Because there is so much flexibility with XML inside of the Magento framework, there is a lot to learn. One of the most powerful functions you should master when in the layout XML is the ability to group, focus, and/or segment your XML code with Layout Update Handles. Layout update handles are Magento’s way of associating a group of XML instructions to the specific page or pages that need to receive those instructions. By default, Magento has many, many, many handles already built into the system. -
Groove to Host eCommerce Forum in Philadelphia
18 Apr 2012 | 10:12 amOnline merchants are invited to join Magento, Groove, and Listrak for an eCommerce Forum in Philadelphia on May 10th. This is a “can’t miss” event for etailers who are considering or already using Magento. Attendees will hear success stories from merchants just like themselves and learn how they can leverage Magento to achieve their own online success. These forums are informative and interactive. Not only will attendees acquire a general knowledge of the capabilities of the platform, they will also get the chance to meet with Magento experts one on one and ask all their burning… -
The Vacuum Center Cleans Up an Outdated Design with Magento Enterprise
16 Apr 2012 | 3:19 pmThe Vacuum Center has been selling vacuums and vacuum accessories online since 2001. With access to over 70,000 parts, they are one of the largest etailers in the industry. When Chad White, Owner of The Vacuum Center, decided the time was right for a full redesign, he choose Gold Solution Partner Groove Commerce to carry out his vision on the Magento Enterprise Platform. The main reason for the change was to update the look and feel of the site. Even though the outdated ecommerce website design was performing at a consistent level, the owners knew there was potential to see exponential growth… -
eCommerce Site Analysis – The Basics
10 Apr 2012 | 12:12 pmeCommerce is constantly evolving and your strategy should be too. If not, the competition will eat you for breakfast (num num). The first step in your eCommerce strategy moving forward should be a thorough eCommerce site analysis. Your site needs to be firing on all cylinders before you focus on increasing traffic. This means it should be optimized using current industry best practices and converting visitors to customers. Keep reading to see a few of things I look for while auditing an eCommerce website. Benchmarking Before you can reach your traffic and revenue goals, you need to know where…
-
Demac Media » Shop Talk – eCommerce Blog
-
Why Content Marketing is King
11 May 2012 | 1:34 pmI recently read a great article by Brian Gardner called “Why Content Marketing is THE Way to Start a Business“. The article began by giving some popular misconceptions about starting a business, mainly, how so many people think that “if you build it they will come”. Essentially you want to build content to attract people to your eCommerce site. Why? Because you have to give a little to get a little. Content Marketing involves creating and sharing free and valuable content to convert prospects into customers*. So why does Content Marketing work? Well Brian outlined… -
Now Hiring! PHP / Zend / Magento Developers
10 May 2012 | 11:00 amWe are a fast growing eCommerce focused services and software development company. We are looking for entrepreneurial developers with strong user interface skills who can work independently and handle multiple projects concurrently. Your primary responsibility in this role will be to fulfill client project requirements, mostly consisting of Magento front-end and back-end development tasks for a wide variety of eCommerce clients. Secondary responsibility is to assist in the development of our various Software as a Service (SaaS), Integration as a Service (IaaS) and software extensions for the… -
Magento 2.0: What’s Changing and Why
10 May 2012 | 8:00 amAlthough Magento2 is still a year away from being released, there is a lot of excitement being built around it. Magento2 not only includes new features like the Visual Layout Editor, but it is also drastically changing some of the core methods and functionality. Magento now on Github The first major change that we see with Magento 2 ecommerce platform, is that since the development version was released it has been available on github. This allows the community to be more proactive on the Magento development and improvement. Right now, anyone can fork the main github repo, add new features or… -
An Average Hour In the Life of an Integration Developer
8 May 2012 | 8:00 amRecently while migrating data into a new Magento build I came across a most familiar problem with most database data dumps: There’s more data then what the client wants on the website! The client provided a spreadsheet in CSV (comma seperated values) format of all the SKUs with S2 or U2 code. So now I have a query returning all the products for the company, and a spreadsheet with only the products I should import. Which approach should I take? I can load the spreadsheet into a collection import run time, and check each SKU individually. It’s an easy and quick solution,… -
April 2012 – Canadian eCommerce Monthly Trends Reports
7 May 2012 | 12:00 amThis is the eighth post in our Canadian eCommerce Monthly Trends Series. Following up from last month’s data from March 2012, the data below was collected from April 1 – April 30, 2012. This data is compiled using 5-10 Canadian-Only online retail businesses eCommerce platform and Google Analytics data. We’re giving a range as we want to keep the sites being used to aggregate this data somewhat confidential. (All data is rounded to two decimal places). The content of this report was gathered from eCommerce merchants of all sizes, from top Canadian retailers, to local small-medium…
-
Amy Africa's Qlog
-
De Da De Da De Da Do Do.
24 Apr 2012 | 11:13 amWhen I was first starting out in usability (walking uphill both ways to work in raging blizzards with only cardboard scraps taped to my bare feet), there weren’t any best practices or proven methods for ecommerce or lead generation sites. Sure, there were a couple folks who professed that designing the perfect toaster was exactly the same as building the ideal website but there wasn’t anyone that I’d go all Koresh over, that’s for sure. So, we had to figure things out for ourselves. We got a lot of things wrong but the things we got right, we got REALLY right. So… -
Malcolm X Lied To Me….
2 Feb 2012 | 10:06 amWhen I was nine, I read The Autobiography of Malcolm X. In the book, Malcolm X gets high by taking nutmeg. Innovative, right? Yeah. Not. So.Much. Malcolm X is a liar. Nutmeg, especially ingested in very large quantities, does JACK except to make you want to vomit.Violently. If, after adding several heaping teaspoons of nutmeg to your daily coffee, or you know, mixing it with water in a stolen shaker from your parents liquor cabinet, you feel like you are having hallucinations, it’s either the placebo effect or extreme nausea.It’s no great high. Period. What does this mean? It means you… -
The #1 thing you need to measure that nobody ever tells you about…
13 Jan 2012 | 10:20 amLast week I wrote about my inability to put together a piece of IKEA furniture. Turns out that, based on the post, many readers had strong opinions about my intelligence (or lack thereof.) According to exactly 38 emails, I am about as “skillful as a surgeon with the tremors. “ (And that was one of the nicer of the comments I received. You’ve got to love those Southerners.) What does that mean? NOTHING. NADA. ZIP. ZERO. I got over 567 emails from that post. So 7% of the people who wrote think I am three French fries short of a Happy Meal. Or, to put a more positive spin on it,… -
Exit Strategies (or why I could never get a job at IKEA)
4 Jan 2012 | 11:17 amThere’s a comedian who tells a story about getting lost in a forest which he had apparently mistaken for an IKEA. “I thought the instructions just hadn’t been stapled on to the trees yet.” Most people, especially those who know the difference between a Phillips and a whatever-one-of-those-other-screwdrivers is called, don’t really think this joke is all that funny. I, however, find it hilarious. I put together a piece of IKEA furniture once. Well, technically that’s a lie. I bought a piece of IKEA furniture once. It never really got put together. I carefully opened the box. I… -
17 Proven Tips for Improving Your Abandoned Cart Email Program…
13 Sep 2011 | 8:01 amFocus on “outside the envelope” There’s a reason this is first. If your email isn’t opened, it’s not going to convert and it can’t get opened if it’s not delivered. Outside of the envelope things that make a difference: the “to” address, the “from” address, the subject line (you have 24-35 characters for traditional, 12-16 for mobile) and the format.. Use a series of emails, not just one. There’s not a day that goes by that someone doesn’t tell me that they have an abandoned cart program, when they only have ONE email. One email does NOT make a…
-
Brand Labs » Blog
-
It’s Coming…
11 May 2012 | 1:52 pmTo learn more about the Ecommerce Economic Defense Initiative, visit EcommerceDefense.com -
Oh Boy! Jerry Leigh Launches Mickey Mouse-Filled Volusion Site
8 May 2012 | 3:54 pmJerry Leigh is one of the largest producers of licensed souvenirs & apparel in the United States. Based in Orlando, Florida, they’re well positioned to serve their target market: tourist destinations. That’s right – they make the things that cause your suitcase to be dramatically overstuffed on the way home from your vacation. The next time you’re jumping up and down on your Samsonite in an effort to squeeze in that Donald Duck water bottle, you can thank Jerry Leigh. Other than the fact that Mickey Mouse is always fun, there’s another good reason to talk… -
AutoResponderMax Offers 2,281% ROI to Volusion Retailer
30 Apr 2012 | 11:17 amThis is an actual, unretouched screen shot from our boss’s iPhone showing that as yesterday, The Red Hat Society’s online store had made $1,118 in April by using AutoResponderMax – that’s a 2,281% ROI. If you haven’t already clicked over to AutoResponderMax to start your free trial, then allow us to give you all the details… We own and operate The Red Hat Society Store. That gives us a lot of first-person insight into the needs of the average Volusion retailer. That insight led us to build AutoResponderMax – the email marketing tool for Volusion. We… -
10 Reasons Your Volusion Store Needs Custom Development
24 Apr 2012 | 8:42 amBrand Labs is about a lot of things, but our real bread & butter is custom ecommerce development. Yes, we design Volusion sites. Yes, we build ecommerce apps. We do a lot of things for a lot of online merchants, but custom development is the one thing we do that gives our clients an undeniable edge. We say “undeniable” because when your store has something that your competitors don’t have, you’re ahead of the game before the shoppers even arrive. By definition, you’re more prepared to serve their needs. You’re more prepared to earn their… -
We’re Going to Make You Cry, Then (While You’re Emotionally Vulnerable) We’re Going to Talk About Ecommerce In a Way That May Seem Crass In Context, But We Assure You That Our Motives Are Pure, So Just Go With It
10 Apr 2012 | 11:05 amWhile searching the Internet this morning for important new pictures of baby sloths, we stumbled on the video we’ve posted below. Before you play it, we’d like to warn you about a few things. First, it’s eleven minutes long. Second, you’re going to want to watch all of it. Finally, unless your heart is a tiny, ice-cold cinder, you’re going to cry. We’re misting up just thinking about it, but that might be because we’re also listening to Sarah McLachlan, so we’re probably thinking about that frigging animal shelter commercial that…
-
Fortune3 Blog
-
Ecommerce Sales in Brazil to Reach $26.9 Billion by 2015
14 May 2012 | 10:15 amIf you’ve been following the Fortune3 ecommerce blog, you’ve heard us talk a lot about Brazil lately. Most likely, you don’t just read it from us, if you follow up with the world economy, you’ve heard about Brazil and what a great emerging market it has been. It’s a growing powerhouse economy in South America and if you’re an internet retailer, you should be monitoring this market very closely. When it comes to ecommerce in Brazil, the future is looking as bright as ever. According to a March 2012 report from WebShoppers (e-bit report – a leading ecommerce data provider of… -
Statistics about Having the Best Ecommerce Conversion Rates
10 May 2012 | 4:25 pmAs internet retailers we strive to really figure out what the best way to turn visitors into customers is. This is a daily and never ending job that we try to figure out. I came across a great post today from the KissMetrics blog titled, “What The Highest Converting Websites Do Differently.” I think as internet retailers we constantly ask ourselves that question and as much as we ask it, we actually analyze it by looking at competitor’s websites, etc. BUT, my question to you, the reader is this, do you ask yourself, “ what can we be doing differently?” Let’s look at the key… -
Top Ways to Improve Conversion Rates by Changing Shipping Options
9 May 2012 | 8:46 amAs internet retailers, established to medium size internet retailers, we know how important the shipping aspect of the ecommerce business is. Shipping rates and promotions can make the difference between a consumer shopping from your website or your competitors. This illustration gives us a clear view on the impact of shipping rates and promotions on ecommerce websites. (CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE AND SEE FULL VIEW) Of course, the thing that stands out the most is FREE SHIPPING. Do you currently offer free shipping on your ecommerce site? If you currently don’t, why not? If you think it… -
Fortune3 Ecommerce Software New Features: Pack May 2012
3 May 2012 | 10:52 amAt Fortune3, we are always striving and constantly working on our platform to make sure to deliver the best possible product to our customers. We know and understand the importance of having every feature available to you that means success for your ecommerce website. If you are a Fortune3 customer, you already know this about us. If you aren’t, it’s time you give Fortune3 a try and build a success ecommerce business. Fortune3 is excited to announce the release of some great new features in our shopping cart and eCommerce platform. These new features are already available to you… -
Social Media Marketing For Brands: ROI Statistics
1 May 2012 | 4:57 pmWhat big brand that you know doesn’t have a Facebook page? What about a Twitter page? Let me ask you think. Look at your top competitors in your space, which of them do not have social media presence? Your answer should be, “they all have it.” There is a reason why there is so much buzz behind social media, because it works. Almost every American consumer, you may even say international now that it’s 2012, has access and interacts through social channels. As companies building brands, we want to engage this way. Actually, brands have probably been wishing for years for this…
-
sumoheavy.com
-
SUMO Heavy Celebrates 2 Years as eCommerce Heavyweight
14 May 2012 | 8:00 amSUMO Heavy Celebrates 2 Years as eCommerce Heavyweight We’re proud to announce that our company SUMO Heavy Industries turns two today. In the grand scheme of life, 2 years isn’t a long time, but so much has happened (so quickly) in the last 24 months. Like any developing 2-year old, we’ve had a our milestones and our growing pains. We’ve hired some great people and worked on quite a few amazing projects. We’ve also learned to stand up straight, play well with others, and stop throwing food (well, most of us). What’s in store for the next year? We have one big audacious goal:… -
Things We Like: The Friday Five for May 11, 2012
11 May 2012 | 8:00 amThings We Like: The Friday Five for May 11, 2012 FLYM: A Foldable iPhone Speaker That Stores Flat When it’s unfolded, the FLYM provides multi-directional sound without the need of an external battery. [designaffairs studio] Are You a Klouchebag? Klouchebag is the new standard for measuring online asshattery. Bad grammer? Too many retweets? From the site: “Klouchebag uses the ARSE rating system. Anger: profanity and rage. Retweets: “please RT”s, no or constant retweeting, and old-style. Social Apps: every useless checkin on foursquare or its horrible brethren. And… -
Things We Like: The Friday Five for May 4, 2012
4 May 2012 | 8:00 amThings We Like: The Friday Five for May 4, 2012 Coin: A Simple iPhone Case and Stand Stop propping up your iPhone with random objects, or worse yet, carrying around a separate stand. Using Urban Prefer’s Coin 4 case, a simple coin in your pocket is utilized as a stand, using the grooves within the case. The grooves on the case are at different angles, allowing for different tilt views. [Urban Prefer] B.R.A.D. Berkeley Ridiculously Automated Dorm Berkeley student Derek Low completely automated his dorm so that every function in the room can be controlled by his voice or an iOS app. -
SUMO Developers Toolbox: The Quick Cache WordPress Plugin
2 May 2012 | 10:24 amSUMO Developers Toolbox: The Quick Cache WordPress PluginStarting this month, we’re rolling out a new series of posts called the ‘SUMO Heavy Developer’s Toolbox’. Each post will feature one of our favorite tools, apps, plugins, modules and extensions. Our first Developer’s Toolbox post features the WordPress Plugin ‘Quick Cache’ and it’s by far our favorite caching plugin. What It Does Quick Cache takes a real-time snapshot ( building a cache ) of every Page, Post, Category, Link, etc. These snapshots are then stored ( cached ) intuitively, so… -
A Quick Recap of the 2012 imagine eCommerce Conference
30 Apr 2012 | 9:33 amA Quick Recap of the 2012 imagine eCommerce ConferenceThe SUMO Heavy team trekked to Las Vegas last week to attend the 2012 Imagine eCommerce Conference. Magento (and their parent company eBay) know how to put on a conference, and this one did not disappoint. Sessions The conference included many valuable networking opportunities, eight Keynote sessions and 15 Breakout Sessions. The Breakout Sessions were divided between three tracks: Technology, Business and Partner Powered Track. This worked well for us as team – Bart and I hit the business sessions while Bob and Sean took in the tech…
-
Vendable
-
Payflow Gateway Issues
15 May 2012 | 6:07 pmIf you use Payflow, you may have noticed some issues with the gateway today. The latest update is: Our technical teams are actively working on resolving this issue. We will send an update by May 15, 5:30 PM PDT (May 16, 1:30 AM BST) or sooner if there is a change in status. To follow this issue, you can click here -
eBay Titles 102 – What Not To Do & Avoiding Search Manipulation
11 May 2012 | 10:56 amEBay Titles 102 – What Not to Do and Avoiding Search Manipulation In my previous article I spoke about what you should do with your eBay titles to raise your eBay traffic and thus your eBay sales. Today I’d like to point out some ‘worst practices’ to avoid when writing your titles, warn you about the eBay Search and Browse Manipulation Rules, and share some Good/Bad title examples with you. First, let’s talk about: What Not To Do In Your eBay Listing Titles: Forget to state the nature of the item. Include any false or misleading information. Include website addresses, email… -
Writing Terrific Titles for eBay – eBay Titles 101
9 May 2012 | 10:30 amWriting your title for eBay listings is arguably the most important thing you do to determine whether your item will sell or not. EBay allows you 80 characters to ‘sell’ your item to searchers via the title and I can think of no reason not to use them all for each listing. The default search on eBay is title only. Searchers must put a mark in the checkbox and rerun their search to include the description. So make sure your title grabs those searchers the first time! Now that you know how important a title is and that you need to use every character – HOW do you fill them up? After all,… -
Tips for Maximizing the eBay Store Subscribers List Free Auctions This Week
7 May 2012 | 8:14 amIf you subscribe to an eBay Store, you can list free this week (May 7th – 13th). Check out the Detail Here Tips for Maximizing eBay Promotions: 1. If you do not have an eBay store, its $15.95. If your fees would be less. You “could” subscribe. However, please note, selling “limits” apply, so this may not be a good promotion if you plan on listing 100s of items on a new account or on an account with listing limits. 2. If you are using these promotions to sell long-tail items (items that do not sell frequently), don’t use automatic relisting, and just wait to relist until the next… -
Should My Business Be On Amazon
3 May 2012 | 12:04 pmFor eCommerce merchants, a new venue is always an exciting possibility. However, there are so many possibilities and opportunities, how do you decide which ones are worth your time and effort? The first criteria, of course, are do they have a customer base. Amazon hits it out of the ballpark on this one. Although specific figures are held tightly in the Amazon world, some have been given out and they are pretty impressive. Currently Amazon has over 121 MILLION customers and their fourth quarter revenue exceeded $17.43 BILLION. This is definitely a marketplace worthy of your time and effort…
-
Ecommerce News | Up to Date News & Tips About Ecommerce
-
What Should I Sell Online?
14 May 2012 | 11:19 amBy Suzanne James January 30 What Should I Sell Online? The most important question an ecommerce business owner will ever ask is ‘What do I sell?’ The right choice will launch the e-tailer into the elite group of dotcom millionaires. The wrong answer will leave the ecommerce business owner struggling for years, wondering if they [...] -
Honor You Mother With Mother’s Day Gifts That Mean More (and are perfect for last minute)
12 May 2012 | 3:07 amBy Susan Delly May 12th, 2012 Mother’s Day is a beautiful day that revolves around the celebration of motherhood and appreciation of maternal bonds. For many of us however, celebrating Mother’s Day is something we do on autopilot. We get her a card, a gift, take her out to a nice dinner or let her [...] -
Would You Like to Guest Blog for ZippyCart?
10 May 2012 | 1:41 amBy Susan Delly May 9, 2012 The 2012 eCommerce Software review season is underway here at ZippyCart and we have some exciting things planned for this summer and beyond! We are putting 100% of our energy into the review process and our Ecommerce News Blog and have concentrated our focus on the needs of small [...] -
Marketing Strategies for Small Business to Help You Stay Ahead of the Competition
7 May 2012 | 1:03 pmMarch 7th, 2012 By Edmond Hong Often big marketing comes to mind when you consider small business, and perhaps you are right to think that way. The scope has changed significantly since the introduction of the Internet. The opportunities for business the Internet has fashioned are unrestricted. Staying ahead of the wave is the secret [...] -
Social Gifting: friend or foe to the small business owner?
4 May 2012 | 5:56 amMay 5th, 2012 By Susan D Other than being the newest online buzz, what is social gifting? Social Gifting is an interesting new marketing idea that can be used in 2 ways. It can help a group of friends to get together and give a large gift card for a someone’s upcoming celebration (instead of [...]
-
eCommerce Blog
-
Check Out FastPivot’s New Look
16 May 2012 | 6:45 amOver the weekend, FastPivot relaunched with a better, brighter look and easier to navigate website. It’s amazing how cluttered things can get and worn a certain look becomes after only a couple of years. We always suggest to our clients that a major overhaul or redesign should happen at least every couple of years, so [...] -
Considering a WordPress Online Store, Use the Best eCommerce Plugins & Security
11 May 2012 | 7:13 amWordPress.org has become more popular in the last few years. Those who wanted slick websites started turning to WordPress’s creative open community for options outside of the way the platform had traditionally been used for blogging. There are numerous professional website templates available for affordable prices, and there are a wide assortment of plugins to [...] -
FastPivot Summit 2012, a Reminder of Who We Are
9 May 2012 | 7:06 pmIt would be too easy to peer into a crystal ball–in today’s lingo, Yelp and Foursquare–or other telling “review” sites to magically glimpse a reflection of who we have become to the world, and ourselves. But for a tech-savvy crowd, we are a little old fashion when it comes to sitting down with each other [...] -
FastPivot President Speaking Next Week at Netsuite’s Suite World 2012
8 May 2012 | 8:00 amSuite World 2012, hosted by Netsuite, is coming next week to San Francisco, California. The best thing for us about Suite World 2012 is that we’ll be there! FastPivot President, Matthew Ledford, and Vice President, Keith Enloe, will be flying in next Sunday. This will be the first Suite World FastPivot has attended, but how [...] -
New Marketing Dashboard for Yahoo! Store Merchants
7 May 2012 | 10:28 amIt’s official: Yahoo! Small Business will be rolling out a new marketing dashboard, built especially for small and medium sized businesses (SMBs). Now, Yahoo! Store merchants will have access to a well-crafted tool set designed especially to help SMBs stay ahead of the pack online. The official release was discussed in a mediapost.com article announcing [...]
-
CPC Strategy - Your Comparison Shopping Management Solution
-
Free Webinar: Should eCommerce Merchants Netotiate With Their Customers?
16 May 2012 | 10:32 amNo we did not make a typo in the title of this post. Netotiate is a new platform that gives customers the option of negotiating with online retailers. Think Priceline for eCommerce. It’s an interesting concept and with Amazon training shoppers to expect lower prices, Netotiate could be a great option for retailers to discover the price points that will motivate their customers. Check out the webinar below hosted by CEO Amir Farhi to learn more about Netotiate: Amir Farhi Co-Founder & CEO Netotiate Here are a few mock ups of Netotiate that Amir discusses during… -
An Intro to Landing Page Optimization with Unbounce.com
15 May 2012 | 12:37 pmLanding page optimization is one of the most under-appreciated ways to increase online sales dramatically. Even an uptick in conversions by .1% can add tens of thousands to your store’s total online sales each year. To help get the word out, we sat down with Oli Gardner, Director of Marketing & Founder of Unbounce.com, a company that provides web-based landing page optimization and analytics software. 1. Why is landing page optimization so important for online retailers to do? Oli: Online retailers typically have hundreds or thousands of products (consider Amazon for example). Each… -
Emerging eCommerce Technology Spotlight – Q and A with Korey Lee of SumAll
11 May 2012 | 7:10 amThe Emerging eCommerce Technology Spotlight Series is a series of blog posts where we sit down and interview the founders and executives of exciting, emerging, and compelling technology and platform companies about how their technology can help propel ecommerce organizations to the next level. I recently had a chance to speak with Korey Lee, co-founder and VP of Operations of SumAll. He and his team have created a real-time dashboard to help provide ecommerce owners with best practice financial insights that improves sales and make their businesses more successful. Nii: Describe the SumAll… -
Experian to Sell Pricegrabber + Two Sites for $175 Million
10 May 2012 | 1:02 pmHot off the presses courtesy of Internet Retailer: Experian PLC will sell three of its online assets to an Indian digital marketing company for $175 million. The sale, to Ybrant Digital Ltd., includes comparison shopping engine PriceGrabber and lead generation sites LowerMyBills and ClassesUSA. Experian paid $485 million to buy PriceGrabber and approximately $330 million to buy LowerMyBills, both in 2005, a total of $815 million. The deal, which consists of $100 million cash and assumption of 75 million dollars in debt, is expected to be completed within the first half of 2012. For year… -
50 Ecommerce Remarketing Strategies
10 May 2012 | 12:05 pmRemarketing is a simple concept. In fact, it’s the premise of most traditional marketing campaigns. Simply put, the more often a message is seen or heard by the same prospects, the more likely it is to be successful. We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of ecommerce remarketing strategies to augment your existing digital campaign and boost your conversions. 50 Online Remarketing Techniques 1. Add all site visitors to your target list. This may not give you the most narrowed list, but it will provide you with a list of people who have at least a passing interest in the products offered.
-
Ecommerce Blog
-
Lift your store with Open Source Customization
10 May 2012 | 4:23 amYou can navigate to sixth Para for Open Source Ecommerce; only if you are familiar with Ecommerce else you can continue with reading. Options are large enough to design and develop an Ecommerce Website. Since the evolution of an ecommerce, it has been mounting worldwide. In the beginning the platforms were very poor and it can not able to hold up to large products. It was look like a typical website. Ever-increasing its capability to handle large no. of products has opened numerous opportunities for small businesses across the globe. Countries like USA and UK lead top ecommerce businesses on… -
Why f-commerce failed?
13 Apr 2012 | 4:24 amThe Facebook commerce is a great tool for marketing of your ecommerce or shopping store. F-Commerce is more popular as compared to the leading storefront providers, eBay Stores and Amazon Web store. Facebook is also an important part of social media optimization and marketing. It uses FBML language for designing and developing a store of your choice in Facebook. There are many Facebook applications for ecommerce available online that can be installed to get more engagements directly from your store using your Facebook friends.Nearly 700 millions of people in Facebook itself and if you want… -
Recommending Three Ecommerce Solutions for Online Retailers
2 Apr 2012 | 5:02 amToday, People have become busier in their personal as well as professional life. They have to consume some necessary products or services. Like, grocery, toothpaste, clothes are few examples of such products and services like medical, bill payments etc. They feel there are wastes of time to spend behind all these activities. I think Ecommerce Store is best solutions. Products or services you want to buy are just a few clicks away from you. Many ecommerce stores are offering free shipping and special discounts, which is in the benefit of both, online retailers and consumers and this is why… -
How to find a right Ecommerce Development Company
16 Mar 2012 | 4:43 amFinding an ecommerce development company that offers a reliable and best ecommerce solution is the difficult process to perform by an individual or a retailer. They can use some online resources like search engine by typing a queries like “custom ecommerce development”, “ecommerce development company” etc. Does this solve your problem? In both cases, if it is yes – means you find an ecommerce company of your need or if it is no, then you are also interested to know about the main reasons of not finding the choice of your company. We determined some areas that perfectly fit in… -
Create Customized Dashboard for your Ecommerce Store
9 Mar 2012 | 4:33 amEcommerce Stores can be varied by the platform it uses. Not all platforms have same features, functionality and tools, particularly when you are using Yahoo Store, eBay Store, Amazon Web-store or other storefronts. The activities on your store depend on what you are selling online. Sometime you believe ecommerce storefronts are best ecommerce solution, but on the other hand they have some limited features. Let’s take an example of ecommerce shopping cart – it generally provides the details of product pricing, tax, shipping, and the payment gateways. What else people are looking for?
-
NFC Mobile Payment Industry News Blog
-
Digicel Deploys VeriFone mWallet Services for Innovative Biometric and NFC Mobile Money Wallet Solution
16 May 2012 | 9:55 amVeriFone mWallet » Solution » mWallet MFS POS Gateway » Digicel Deploys VeriFone mWallet Services for Innovative Biometric and NFC Mobile Money Wallet Solution Effective mobile money wallet agent networks Mobile money wallets as a convenient means of retail payment Instant international money transfers direct from point-of-sale to mobile money wallets Mobile money wallet bill payments with convenience of a point-of-sale transaction Utilise NFC technology for payments in markets with low smartphone and card penetration Maximize incoming remittances and increase… -
MasterCard ranks countries for 'Mobile Payments Readiness"
16 May 2012 | 9:48 amWeb7 new results for NFC Mobile Payment NFCNews | MasterCard ranks countries for 'Mobile Payments MasterCard (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Singapore, Canada, the United States, Kenya and South Korea have topped MasterCard's newly released Mobile Payments Readiness Index (MPRI), nfcnews.com/.../mastercard-ranks-countries-for-mobile-payme... Visa confirms mobile payments trial with Galaxy S3 at London Visa has confirmed that it will showcase mobile NFC payments at the London Olympics using Samsung's new Galaxy S3.econsultancy.com/.../9824-visa-confirms-mobile-payments-tri... COOPERATION Samsung and… -
Deloitte Infographic on Mobile Payments Predicts Significant Growth
16 May 2012 | 9:44 amAn infographic representing data from a Deloitte report on mobile payments looks at the marketplace and predicts significant growth over the coming years. -
Sweden's iZettle launches mobile card reader in the UK
16 May 2012 | 9:42 amNews7 new results for NFC Mobile Payment Rogers & CIBC Launch Mobile NFC Payment System Starting With BlackBerry 7 Devices BerryReviewby the BerryReview Team on May 16th, 2012 · Leave a Comment RIM just got a big vote of confidence in their home town with CIBC and Rogers Communication launching their new NFC based payment system starting with BlackBerrys only.See all stories on this topic »BerryReview The Adoption & Economics of Omni-Channel Retailing IT-Director.comThe goal here is a scenario whereby customers start to research purchases on their mobile 'phone, then go into a store… -
40% of Asia Pacific employees will be mobile workers by 2015
16 May 2012 | 9:41 amBlogs8 new results for NFC Mobile Payment "Canadian NFC Mobile Payments Reference Model" released by CIBC Tower, Windsor, ON Canada (Photo credit: Wikipedia) By Colin Henderson"Canadian NFC Mobile Payments Reference Model" released by Canadian Bankers Association. leave a comment ». The Canadian Bankers Association have released an important document outlining standards for integrating mobile The Bankwatch Rogers and CIBC Launches NFC Credit Card Smartphone Payment By Gary NgBoth companies have announced this morning the launch of a joint mobile payment solution. Customers will soon be able…
-
The Ecommerce Authority
-
The 5 Most Critical Branding Elements, Ever
15 May 2012 | 4:40 amQuick, list the three top brands that come to mind. No matter which brands are at the top of your mind, they all have one thing in common: solid, consistent branding. While brand building is a critical, ongoing activity to crafting your story, there are some epic basics that you should always hold close to your ecommerce hearts. To learn what these five critical branding elements are, check out today’s episode. Can you think of others that should’ve made the list? Questions about branding in general? Leave me a question or comment in the box below! Happy selling! -Matt Winn, Social Media… -
Volusion Unveils New Email, Social Media Marketing Services
14 May 2012 | 3:55 amLooking to make your mark with customer communications? Trust our team of experts to efficiently get your message across with our latest email and social media marketing services. In an age where consumers are surrounded by marketing messages (as many as 5,000 per day according to Yankelovich Research), it’s more important than ever to deliver targeted messages exactly where your customers are. But where, exactly, are your customers spending time online? It’s simple: email inboxes and social media sites. In fact, social networks now account for 20% of time spent online, while 92% of… -
Happy Mother’s Day from Volusion
11 May 2012 | 2:31 am“Making the decision to have a child – It’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”- Elizabeth Stone Volusion would like to take this opportunity to remind sons and husbands across the nation that Mother’s Day is THIS SUNDAY, so don’t forget! Oh, and more importantly, we’d like to say Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there who so selflessly give their energy, time and endless love to their children and grandchildren. In honor of Mother’s Day, here are some fun facts about Moms! 1st Mother’s Day: May 10,… -
3 Tried and True Ecommerce Lessons from Mom
10 May 2012 | 6:39 amWith Mother’s Day quickly approaching, we looked back on some of our favorite “mom-isms” we often heard growing up. And as is the case with most adults, we now realize that mom was right about just about everything. But did you know that some of mom’s most common quotes also apply to your online business? Here’s a look at three motherly sayings you can use to keep your customers happy, and more importantly, keep from turning them away. “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” What’s one sure-fire way to turn off potential customers? Talk… -
Volusion Raises $6,652 for the March of Dimes!
9 May 2012 | 4:52 amAfter several successful weeks of fundraising, the Volusion team raised over $6,500 for the March of Dimes and participated in the annual walk last Saturday. At Volusion, we believe in “rocking the golden rule”, and our third year of participation with the March of Dimes was no exception. We started fundraising efforts four weeks prior to the walk, and found creative ways to get the word out. In addition to online donations, we held a company-wide bake sale and brought a donation-based snack wagon to every employee. All of these contributions were matched at 100% by Volusion…
-
screencastworld.comscreencastworld.com
-
Requires advanced professional web designers web design
15 May 2012 | 12:19 pmReport by Net X In present-day ultra-electronic market place ahead at an remarkable rate. Who can start at the internet site of the existing style trend these days to total irrelevance tomorrow. Slash a extended heritage and its tiny, if you want to make a career out of conniving websites out there are choices open to you superfluity Not applied at esigners are continuously get greater. Presently phone by themselves is rather safe to item to solve the close by computer software and templates that can help you build your organization web site a second of your laptop or computer. Nonetheless,… -
Take A Break At Theme Parks
12 May 2012 | 4:18 pmPost by Cindy Johnson &#thirteen Cindy Johnson is a profitable Webmaster and publisher of www.FunAmusementParks.com. She offers much more information about amusement parks and amusement park problems that you can analysis in your pajamas on her website. &#thirteen &#thirteen &#thirteen &#thirteen &#thirteen -
Click Fraud and the Downfall of Google – Google Adsense
11 May 2012 | 6:25 amWrite-up by tom nissley Net marketers dealing with greater promoting expenses on search networks are getting to be more and more concerned about a sort of on-line fraud that was thought to have been contained a long time ago. The practice, identified as “click fraud,” began in the early days of the Internet’s mainstream popularity with applications that instantly surfed Web web sites to improve traffic figures. This led organizations to develop policing technologies touted as antidotes to the problem. But some advertising and marketing executives estimate that up to fifty… -
Magento Customization
8 May 2012 | 10:22 amMagento Customization : Magento is the most up-to-date open up-resource eCommerce system that provides retailers with a innovative software package system to handle their online profits with extraordinary versatility and control. Principal target of magento is to give shop owners a remarkably wide variety of flexibility and manage in excess of the appear, subject material, and functionality of an Online Retailer. It combines the versatility of open up resource technological innovation with sector leading features to supply merchants unprecedented manage more than the shop. Creative glance… -
Google Google allows users to share Google maps
7 May 2012 | 12:21 amPost by xiazihui Google for Google + and Google alone will some of the key world wide web support, Google’s integration has been an open up frame of mind toward. Given that the support on June 28, tiny array for launch examination, Google + has considering that Google lookup, and YouTube and Gmail had been integrated. Now, the company will Google maps and be part of the crew. Google permit users to share their fascinating Google maps that, even the service of the route. The person can phone Google maps, or research for what they want, and then only in the route of the Google + toolbars…
-
Shipwire » Blog Posts
-
USPS Ban on International Lithium Battery Shipments
15 May 2012 | 3:31 pmThe United States Postal Service (USPS) has recently announced that they will stop delivering international shipments containing lithium batteries effective May 16. This will also include shipments going to military post office boxes (APO/FPO). The news was delivered by many outlets including FastCompany, where it was announced that USPS will no longer be delivering products containing lithium batteries to international locations due to concerns over fire or explosion. Despite the fact that most items are shipped with a minimal electric charge, the risk of a battery-fire emergency is still… -
Press Release – Shipwire Expands Reach to More Than 100,000 New Online Brands with Four New Integrated Partners
11 May 2012 | 6:32 pmPalo Alto, CA, May 9, 2012 – Leading order fulfillment service Shipwire today announced four new partners with the release of its integration modules for leading ecommerce solutions Miva Merchant, PrestaShop, LemonStand and Virtuemart. These new partners join Shipwire in providing Enterprise Logistics for Everyone™, a push that seeks to help ecommerce merchants increase revenue opportunities by outsourcing shipping and fulfillment. Shipwire’s partner network now includes more than 50 partners. The new integrations will give Miva Merchant, PrestaShop, LemonStand, and Virtuemart customers… -
U.S. Commercial Service – Resources for Successful Commerce
3 May 2012 | 7:05 pmThe U.S. Commercial Service (CS), the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, helps U.S. companies succeed in markets around the world. The impact of this work ripples throughout the U.S. economy—broadening and deepening the U.S. exporter base, removing obstacles to the export success of U.S. small and medium-sized companies, advancing U.S. business interests abroad, and supporting job creation here in the United States. The U.S. Commercial Service achieves this by offering: Trade Counseling Market Intelligence Business Matchmaking… -
Luxy Hair’s Secret Formula for Success
2 May 2012 | 7:28 pmShipwire CEO Damon Schechter sat down with entrepreneur and Shipwire customer Alex Ikonn to talk about the success and growth of Alex’s company, Luxy Hair. Alex and Damon discussed how pivotal Shipwire has been in providing Luxy Hair the order fulfillment solution it needed to scale into the company it is today. Check out the video below to learn about how Shipwire is part of Luxy Hair’s secret formula. We celebrate Luxy Hair’s awesome results and look forward to being a part of their continual growth. Feel free to share this great interview through Twitter and Facebook! -
New Shipwire Features
1 May 2012 | 7:26 pmWe are excited to announce some new feature updates to the Shipwire platform. Our team has been paying close attention to your requests and is pleased to deliver many improvements and additions that will make your order fulfillment experience even better! Among the updates, here are two of the most important: Insights to Order Rate Details With this new release you will get better insight into the details of the shipping quotes you receive from our system. Everything from base rate, Shipwire fees, insurance and packaging fees will be shown. in the order rate details. This feature was…
-
Miva Merchant Ecommerce Blog
-
Negative Ecommerce Store Reviews? Think Positive
14 May 2012 | 3:55 pmLet’s face it, no one likes criticism, even constructive criticism intended to help us. Ecommerce store owners are no exception to this rule, and it can often seem like online criticism is the hardest to ignore and combat. You can’t talk to the disgruntled customer in person, after all, and they are free to post negative comments and reviews about your business and products online at will. Just how important are customer-generated reviews? According to a recent survey conducted by Minacs Marketing Solutions, 52% of consumers said that positive reviews make them more likely to… -
Miva Merchant Company News: Latest Press Release; New Shipping Integration Module
11 May 2012 | 3:00 amThis week, we have two important releases to announce: Our strategic integration with Shipwire, and the release of our free PR8 Shipment Import/Export module. Miva Merchant, Inc and Shipwire Announce Strategic Partnership, Integrated Module New partnership makes it easy for ecommerce store owners to access and use Shipwire services directly from their Miva Merchant store Admin panel. Ecommerce software and hosting company, Miva Merchant and ecommerce order fulfillment service company, Shipwire, have released a module integrating Shipwire’s services into Miva Merchant’s core software. -
Store Spotlight: CopShoes
9 May 2012 | 6:08 pmSince 1946, this week’s Store Spotlight, CopShoes, has sold shoes for military, law enforcement, medical and rescue professionals. Recently, CopShoes.com underwent a redesign, courtesy of Miva Merchant’s Professional Services Department. Originally founded as a brick-and-mortar Army surplus wholesaler, the business evolved over time into a footwear-only business, and has been family owned for four generations. The ecommerce component of the family business, CopShoes.com, was founded in 2003 by Matthew Alper as a way to sell police and military footwear online part time via a Miva… -
Miva Merchant Ecommerce News Briefs: 5-4-12: Helmet City, Pinterest Attributions, Social Media Stats
4 May 2012 | 12:31 pmMay is here, and although it is still early in the month, there are plenty of ecommerce, social media, and technology happenings and events making the news. Today, we’ll take a look at the accomplishments of Miva Merchant-powered ecommerce store, Helmet City, learn more about the Flickr and YouTube attribution buttons that are now a mandatory part of Pinterest, and examine some findings from a study on the growing corporate trend of using social media as a customer service channel. Helmet City Increases Natural Search Results And Sales With The Help Of Miva Merchant And Altruik Miva… -
PayPal Express Checkout Spring Promotion
2 May 2012 | 1:28 pmIt’s a new month at Miva Merchant and during the month of May, PayPal is offering a special Express Checkout promotion. Merchants who add PayPal Express Checkout to their site by May 31st, 2012 will enjoy 0.99% processing for 6 months. This offer is valid only on new accounts. PayPal Express Checkout provides merchants with a fast, safe, and hassle-free checkout experience that is proven to help increase conversion rates among shoppers who use PayPal. A recent 2011 ComScore study found that PayPal users were more than twice as likely to complete their purchase as compared to shoppers…
-
Agile Commerce
-
The 3 V of BIG Data
4 May 2012 | 4:41 amA couple of days ago I talked to a very good friend of mine, George Bonev of Software AG, about Big Data. George kindly explained to me the 3 Vs of BIG DATA (Volume, Velocity and Variety) which I like to share with you in this post. George actually spoke of 4 V’s, the fourth one being value for the customer. Although I do not disagree with his approach – from where I sit, creating value should be a given in whatever you are doing. If it does not create value it should not be done, should it? So I will focus on the 3V’s for the purposes of this post and I am sure he will be… -
The Year of the Dragon and Beyond
17 Apr 2012 | 6:03 amA few weeks ago I was asked to speak at a conference to discuss the outlook for multichannel in 2012. As I was compiling my material I stumbled upon the fact that this year, in Chinese astrology, it is the ‘Year of the Dragon’. The dragon is the undisputed king of Chinese astrology. It signifies, among other things, opportunity. It could be coincidence but in my opinion no better sign could represent what we are dealing with for the coming year. Yes, we live in difficult economic times, but multichannel is where big gains can still be had. In 2011, the consumer has responded best to a… -
Multi touch-points customer journeys – the 2nd riddle which BIG Data and the cloud may help to solve
15 Mar 2012 | 12:02 pmConversion is not a single channel concept anymore A few years back Kees coined the phrase ‘conversion is not a single channel concept anymore’. It took the industry some time to get accustom to the idea but now the train has left the station and goes full steam ahead. Many enterprises have realised that they will only survive if they can successfully transform them into channel-free organisations; delivering value to the customer first. Ultimately for many enterprises it’s the bottom line that counts not the success of one channel. New challenges arise Now that so many companies… -
A Tale of Two Independent Retailers: Who will Survive?
1 Mar 2012 | 6:01 amI’m an inspirational shopper who tends to analyse each aspect of every shop I do. This always gives me a lot to think about and two recent online experiences have left me with a case study into the world of the British independent retailer. Both retailers sell high-end designer apparel and have been around more than 20 years. This was my first shop on both sites and both experiences were worlds apart. I am a big fan of independents and want them to win the battle in today’s competitive marketplace, but what consumers expect and what they will accept in their shopping experience is… -
3 Riddle Series: Riddle 1- big data & the cloud will help to solve retail dilemmas
21 Feb 2012 | 5:05 pmIn this series I’ll take a look at cloud and large data; what it can offer retail to optimize costs and how to facilitate a customer centric strategy. Riddle 1: How to scale or shrink on demand? We have probably all spent agonizingly long hours in traffic jams sometime or another. Wouldn’t it be great if the road would suddenly become wider until the blockage is dissolved and then shrink back to its former size? I would then get home quickly and of course adjourning natural habitat or homes would not get destroyed. Unfortunately this is not possible in the physical world. The virtual…
-
About.com Online Business / Hosting
-
Review of The Laptop Millionaire by Mark Anastasi
15 May 2012 | 1:05 amI just completed the review of The Laptop Millionaire by Mark Anastasi. And it is really good. While there is a bit of the squeeze page approach to some of the testimonials, the approaches and tools he recommends are solid. And he isn't trying to sell anything - except the fact that this can really be done....Read Full Post -
Why You Should Start Doing Business Online
14 May 2012 | 3:50 amThinking about taking your offline business online? It can be a scary transition but when you consider all the benefits, it is all worth it. There may be more reasons to take action than you realize....Read Full Post -
What is a Trackback and RSS?
25 Apr 2012 | 2:43 amIn this post, I want to clarify a few key blogging terms. Trackback: refers to the comment style pingback that notifies a blog owner that their post has been mentioned. RSS: Is a syndication format for sharing new content published on a blog....Read Full Post -
Free Ways to Increase Blog Traffic
24 Apr 2012 | 10:51 amBlogging is great. But it quickly loses its appeal if no one is reading your well crafted posts. I just completed this huge set of 15 free ideas for getting more blog traffic....Read Full Post -
What is the Domain Name Registry?
23 Apr 2012 | 11:46 amSo you need to choose a domain name. You have learned what a domain name registrar is. But just what is the domain name registry? It's worth taking a few minutes to understand the terms and how the domain name business works. Then you'll be better equipped to run your online business....Read Full Post
-
Building Keystones
-
E-commerce Eye Candy – The State of IT Security
14 May 2012 | 5:15 pm855 data breach incidents occurred in 2011. 174 million records were compromised. Just reading those statistics make me feel like those guys from Bitcoinia, whose accounts were recently attacked again to the tune of a $90,000 loss. Along those lines, we present an infographic from BackgroundCheck.org that tells the story of Verizon’s “2012 Data Breach Investigation Report” which explains how breaches occur and provides steps for protection. The first alarming piece of information is that the vast majority of attacks were not that difficult to execute and 97% of them were… -
Introduction to Navigating Japanese E-commerce
8 May 2012 | 6:57 pmYosuke Ito will be conducting a webinar, “Navigating Japanese E-commerce” where you can learn more in-depth tips and information about succeeding in the Japanese e-commerce market. Japan is the perfect opportunity for software vendors and e-commerce professionals looking to expand their global reach. Writing about Japan, critic A.A. Gill said, “Today, even in the slough of a prolonged depression, it’s still the second biggest economy in the world, with a GDP as large as Britain’s, France’s and Germany’s combined. That’s astonishing, not least… -
E-commerce Eye Candy – Geomarketing
7 May 2012 | 4:50 pmIn this week’s E-commerce Eye Candy, KISSmetrics shows us some compelling numbers related to Geomarketing. According to GfK GeoMarketing (PDF), “…geomarketing brings clarity to the many “where” questions with which businesses are confronted – e.g., where are my customers located?, where is my turnover the highest?, where are my target groups?, where are the strengths and weaknesses of my markets?” While the case for combining geomarketing with a discount pricing strategy and social media based marketing makes sense for brick and mortar operations like… -
April E-commerce Digest
4 May 2012 | 9:55 amAs we exit April, we once more collect our favorite news articles, blog posts and other e-commerce related facts and opinions to deliver the kind of information you need to know to provide the best e-commerce environment to your patrons. In this month’s E-commerce Digest we look at business models and DRM issues from Nintendo and Pottermore, investigate the social sales funnel, and review some key tips in PPC advertising and web design. Be sure to let us know what kind of topics you would like to see addressed in our monthly wrap up of all things e-commerce. Practical eCommerce | 3… -
E-commerce Eye Candy – Mobile Gaming
25 Apr 2012 | 4:10 pmAccording to this infographic from Business Degree, mobile gaming generated $12 billion dollars in 2011 and is expected to double by 2016. Games have the highest percentage of use out of any type of mobile app. From the bed to the bathroom to the bus, people play games everywhere. Gamers are frequent users as well: over half of smartphone owners play games on their devices at least once a day and over half of mobile gamers play for an hour a day. So, how are businesses leveraging this information? Surprisingly, they’re not making people pay for games, per se. Rather, companies are…
-
Peripheral-Visions
-
Xerox Phaser 6280
16 May 2012 | 3:06 amFor medium sized or small offices that need a capable color laser printer that won’t take up a lot of space, the Xerox Phaser 6280 is an ideal choice. The Xerox Phaser 6280 is capable of printing at a rate of 31 pages per minute when printing in black and white and 26 pages per [...] -
Dollar Deals Are Back – USB Flash Drives, Pens and Binders
8 May 2012 | 9:01 amThe Supplies Guys have done it again, we’ve brought the Dollar Deals back! This time you can save HUGE on USB Flash Drive, Pens, or binders. These deals won’t last long, so get them while you can at just $1 EACH! The Supplies Guys are happy to provide its customers with some of the best [...] -
HP 1215 Review
4 May 2012 | 1:13 amThe HP 1215 is a color laser photo printer that is ideal for a small office or single user that needs a compact printer that can produce excellent quality prints. With a monthly duty cycle of up to 25,000 pages and a recommended monthly print volume of 250 to 1000 pages, the HP 1215 is [...] -
Dell 2330dn Printer Review
30 Apr 2012 | 5:23 amThe Dell 2330dn is a monochrome laser printer well suited for a small to medium sized office that needs a compact printer that can handle a heavy workload. Measuring only 16.8 inches wide, 14.6 inches deep and 10.1 inches high and with a monthly duty cycle of 50,000 pages, the Dell 2330dn is a good [...] -
Xerox Phaser 8860 Printer Review
6 Apr 2012 | 1:05 amThe Phaser 8860 is a multifunction solid ink color printer that can also function as a copier, scanner, and fax machine. With a monthly duty cycle of up to 120,000 pages, the Phaser 8860 is an ideal choice for a medium sized office that needs a compact but powerful multifunction printer. Measuring only 20.9 inches [...]
-
Social commerce blog – Reevoo
-
Connecting channels with social commerce
22 Apr 2012 | 6:00 pm -
The power of the crowd driving sales for Luscombe Suzuki and Simpsons Škoda
19 Apr 2012 | 6:00 pm -
Decisions, decisions: Ctrl-Shift’s guide to how the new information economy affects businesses
17 Apr 2012 | 6:00 pm -
The online shift accelerates for UK travellers
17 Apr 2012 | 6:00 pm -
Trend report from AM Digital Dealer automotive conference
13 Mar 2012 | 7:00 pm
-
CBR - E-commerce News
-
NetSuite, Stripe partner to streamline online payment
16 May 2012 | 8:32 amStripe adds a new payment processing option to NetSuite SuiteCommerce platform -
Mobile operators to feel the squeeze as OTT data services take over
15 May 2012 | 8:18 amBy 2016 mobile phone users will be consuming ten times as much data as today – unfortunately much of this boost will not be lining mobile operator’s pockets. -
Facebook No.1 marketing tool among SMBs: study
14 May 2012 | 9:45 amA third of businesses in Britain say Facebook is their No.1 way to attract new customers. -
Microsoft takes Bing social
11 May 2012 | 5:08 amCloser integration with Facebook - but will changes be enough to regain market share from Google? -
US online retail spending up 17% in Q1: comScore
11 May 2012 | 12:10 amApparel is the most popular category for purchase among tablet shoppers
-
Aaron Shapiro
-
What Do You Carry?
7 May 2012 | 3:06 pmVisionary, dedicated, and disciplined are three words that are often used to describe Aaron Shapiro. Over the last decade, Shapiro has worked as a technology entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and management consultant. These days, he leads the team at the A-list digital agency Huge, which is known for its groundbreaking creative projects like HBO GO and the Pepsi Refresh campaign. Aaron joined the company in 2005, when there were about five people working out of the Brooklyn office. Since then, the firm has expanded to more than 500 people and there are now offices in Los Angeles, London, and… -
Anything They Can Do, You Can Do Better
2 May 2012 | 10:26 amTake a look at the first-class section on any airplane today; it’s full of corporate leaders lugging around Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs biography, searching for insights they can use to make their companies as successful as Apple. Here’s all they need to know: when Jonathan Ive, leader of Apple’s design team, was asked about the company’s goals when setting out to build a new product, he answered simply, “To design and make better products; if we can’t make something that is better, we won’t do it.” That’s the key: If you’re not trying to make something better,… -
Stop Blabbing About Innovation And Start Actually Doing It
16 Apr 2012 | 11:16 amThese days, every established company is at risk of having its industry–and its own business–disrupted by a startup. Cognizant of this, companies devote a lot of time to talking about how important it is to innovate. But here’s the truth: most companies can’t innovate because everyone is paid to maintain the status quo. This is the single biggest reason companies fail to do anything new or exciting. You and everyone else are maxed out making sure your company is doing what it’s supposed to do; innovation is what the weekends are for. Despite the real risk involved, this… -
Are You Making the Most of Your Company’s ‘Software Layer’?
16 Apr 2012 | 11:10 amThe past 15 years have created a very different business environment, which has empowered consumers, commoditized many products and services, and dramatically compressed margins. Not surprisingly, these changes have forced businesses to operate differently. But exactly what kinds of companies have successfully transitioned to the digital age? How have they regained and retained competitive advantage at a time when location is no longer a barrier to transactions, brands alone aren’t a proxy for quality, and pricing is increasingly transparent? Of course, the answers to these weighty… -
Skunkworks, Reorganization and Other Tactics to Excel in the Digital Age
24 Feb 2012 | 11:46 amOutside of the technology sector, most of the large companies that I encounter are startlingly similar. They’re massively successful, indisputably recognized as world-class leaders by consumers and the business community. Their executives are all quite smart and good at what they do. They acknowledge the world is going through a technological revolution and that digital technologies are transforming their businesses. They know that to stay up to par, they have to lead in the Internet space, too. But for some reason they just can’t get it done. Here’s why: traditional…
-
iMark Interactive
-
Marketing Your Skills with An Online Presence
11 May 2012 | 8:23 pmWith the job market getting tougher as the economy lingers in limbo, every job seeker should work on making their skills known with an online presence. All job hunters probably have a resume that they submit to an HR department, but how does that make them stand out? Many try to work hard by differentiating [...] -
5 Reasons to Outsource Work
10 May 2012 | 1:30 pmBusiness Process Outsourcing practices are accepted today as the fresh concept by which organizations focus on their competitive advantages. Rather than trying to “do it all” covering all tasks and functions in-house, for example, an auto-manufacturer would have its HR functions be outsourced to a third-party firm to focus more on its area of expertise. [...] -
Building an Online Business While Keeping your Reputation Clean
10 May 2012 | 8:25 amIt’s every business owner’s worse nightmare. You work extremely hard for years to build up great rapport, provide excellent customer service, and then one day you fire an employee for misconduct or your competitor who is jealous of your success comes out and poof destroys all of your intangible goodwill that you worked years for [...] -
Factors to Unite with Good Online Merchant Account Providers
9 May 2012 | 8:21 amTo meet the contemporary competitiveness, every business must relish the services of relevant merchant accounts. A merchant account provider can lend a bank account that can be used for processing any funds collected in the credit card processing bank account of one’s business. Besides, handling all the online credit card processing desired for your internet [...] -
Five Invaluable Business Lessons Babysitting Can Teach You
8 May 2012 | 9:00 amBabysitting is not just a way to earn some extra money while working in your spare time. Searching for babysitting jobs, marketing your services, giving interviews, and then trying to balance your job with your studies and life can teach you some invaluable lessons that will help you in later stages ofyour career. Especially if [...]
-
ecommerce.shopatron.com
-
Shopatron Client Conference: Sucharita Imparts “Conventional Wisdoms”
16 May 2012 | 11:02 amIn case you missed it, Shopatron had its fifth annual onTarget Client Conference this past week. Over 120 brands on the Shopatron network showed up at The Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach, California to learn not only about the newest features at Shopatron, but also about the most important trends in eCommerce as a whole. -
Deep thoughts…are tablets really mobile devices?
27 Apr 2012 | 4:19 pmWhen it comes to the umbrella term “mobile devices,” tablet computers are certainly a horse of a different color. Tablets aren’t mobile in the way that smartphones are mobile. -
Local Retailers CAN Compete with Online Giants
22 Mar 2012 | 4:43 pmIt looks like channel conflict issues are again getting coverage from the mainstream media. Writers at the NY Times and Global Toy News have recently picked up on the same issue. Both have written articles chronicling retailer frustration with competition from big online websites like Amazon, Zappos and others. -
It’s a blog, it’s a website…it’s Facebook’s Timeline for brands!
8 Mar 2012 | 10:53 amRemember when Google AdWords first came on the scene? It took a while for it to find its footing, but, wow, did it come into its own, quickly becoming the genius advertising platform that it is today. -
Retail Resurgence: Just Don’t Call It a Comeback
15 Feb 2012 | 1:56 pmThere was a time when people thought eCommerce would eventually replace brick-and-mortar retail. Kind of like in old, futuristic movies where someone hits a button and the thing they want appears in their house-pod-place. But that was before the mobile revolution.
-
ecommerce.shopatron.com
-
Shopatron Client Conference: Sucharita Imparts “Conventional Wisdoms”
16 May 2012 | 11:02 amIn case you missed it, Shopatron had its fifth annual onTarget Client Conference this past week. Over 120 brands on the Shopatron network showed up at The Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach, California to learn not only about the newest features at Shopatron, but also about the most important trends in eCommerce as a whole. -
Deep thoughts…are tablets really mobile devices?
27 Apr 2012 | 4:19 pmWhen it comes to the umbrella term “mobile devices,” tablet computers are certainly a horse of a different color. Tablets aren’t mobile in the way that smartphones are mobile. -
Local Retailers CAN Compete with Online Giants
22 Mar 2012 | 4:43 pmIt looks like channel conflict issues are again getting coverage from the mainstream media. Writers at the NY Times and Global Toy News have recently picked up on the same issue. Both have written articles chronicling retailer frustration with competition from big online websites like Amazon, Zappos and others. -
It’s a blog, it’s a website…it’s Facebook’s Timeline for brands!
8 Mar 2012 | 10:53 amRemember when Google AdWords first came on the scene? It took a while for it to find its footing, but, wow, did it come into its own, quickly becoming the genius advertising platform that it is today. -
Retail Resurgence: Just Don’t Call It a Comeback
15 Feb 2012 | 1:56 pmThere was a time when people thought eCommerce would eventually replace brick-and-mortar retail. Kind of like in old, futuristic movies where someone hits a button and the thing they want appears in their house-pod-place. But that was before the mobile revolution.
-
dotCommerce Blog
-
Crumbs! The cookie law is coming…
16 May 2012 | 8:30 amEverybody just chill out. We’ve got the EU cookie law covered for you. Here’s the deal: Changes to PECR came into effect in May 2011, requiring marketers to audit their websites for types of cookies in use, inform visitors that the site is using them, and gain each visitor’s consent for their use. Due to industry concerns about implementing the changes, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) granted a year’s exemption on imposing sanctions for non-compliance. Your time is up as of the end of this month. The bottom line is you’re going to need to implement… -
#emailhuddle May – email automation
16 May 2012 | 5:03 amThe May #emailhuddle is almost upon us. This month, we’ll be discussing email automation – what is means to email marketers in the real world. #emailhuddle was created to provide a platform for knowledge to be shared and somewhere for email marketers at all levels of expertise to get to know one another and share best practice for an hour. This month’s #emailhuddle will be held on Wednesday May 30th at 4pm and discussions will cover the following: TRIGGERS What triggers do you use to automate your campaigns? What is your best trigger tip? Is there any part of email marketing that… -
dotMailer’s latest features
16 May 2012 | 5:01 amSo the development team have been powering through all the thoughts and suggestions in our support forum and here’s the latest round-up of all the updates Brand new drag & drop Image Manager Oh boy – we think you’re going to love what we’ve done to the Image Manager tool in our template editor. Thanks to feedback from dotMailer users, we’ve totally reimagined how images work in dotMailer and given the Image Manager tool a complete makeover. Now you can upload and file multiple images in no time, just by dragging & dropping them. Find images in seconds… -
Google Penguin update – 15 things marketers should be doing now in response
14 May 2012 | 11:45 amA new ripple of change in the world of search marketing came in the form of a Google algorithm update recently; code name Penguin. Other than trying to work out why Google is targeting my favourite creatures, the recurring question on marketers’ lips is ‘what’s changed’? It’s clear that While Panda – Google’s previous update – was more focussed on content quality, Penguin’s aim is to remove spam and ‘unnatural’ rankings. Some of the things that can be deemed spam… Hidden or invisible text – My personal favourite. In the… -
cabbagesandroses.com comes up smelling of….roses of course!
11 May 2012 | 5:11 amCabbages and Roses are a premium quality homeware and women’s clothing retailer based in Chelsea. They identified the need for increased functionality for their online store, and were looking for a new design agency, with fresh ideas. Their previous website platform had limited ecommerce capabilities which restricted what they could be achieved online. Problems included: Limited product order functionality No customer account ability Online ordering was long winded resulting in a low conversion rate We quickly identified that all and more of their desired functionality could be achieved by…
-
Customer Retention Analytics and Strategies
-
Email Trigger App for BigCommerce
16 May 2012 | 9:24 amTweetBigCommerce customers can drive repeat purchases and better target shoppers with the newest BigCommerce app, Mineful. Mineful uses analytics and email triggers to bring users back to your online store using smart, data-driven and respectful campaigns. Mineful expands email, analytics and marketing functionalities not previously available to BigCommerce stores. Mass marketing is dead. Event-driven and data-driven marketing not only provide greater results but it is a more respectful way to market to shoppers. Technology nowadays can help a company control the frequency, content, and… -
Run your online marketing like the Oakland A’s
7 May 2012 | 10:05 amTweetReturnCustomer.com recently published one of our articles titled 3 Ways to Apply a ‘Moneyball’ Approach to Online Marketing. In it, we compare online marketing to how Billy Beane and the Oakland A’s used analytics to get the biggest bang for their buck. Online marketing is very similar to Sabermetrics in that one optimizes ROI in order to get more sales from our marketing budget. For example, finding undervalued players is like finding undervalued keywords and A|B testing is like sending players to the minor leagues. In Running your online marketing like the Oakland A’s… -
Putting Marketing Analytics and Web Analytics Together
17 Apr 2012 | 9:58 amTweetOur friends at Software Advice have put together an article on their marketing automation software website that’s a must read. The article is titled Marketing Analytics vs. Website Analytics and it was written by Hubspot’s product manager Meghan Keaney. Mainly the article touches on how these two data sources are better used when put together. Their discussion focuses on measuring the ROI of your marketing initiatives in order to answer questions like: Are my readers becoming customers? How many people clicked on an email marketing campaign and bought something? Which results… -
After 27 Product Updates
11 Apr 2012 | 2:56 pmTweetIn January of this year, we wrote a post Presenting the New Mineful. In it, we listed the features that our recently launched tool had to take action on data. It was a very exciting post to write. Twenty seven updates later, we have not written about all the improvements we’ve done to help online merchants save customers and improve marketing campaigns. Here is a summary of all the new useful things you’ll find in Mineful. 5 New e-commerce Platform Integrations Since January, we’ve added 5 new integrations with e-commerce platforms. Shopify and Yahoo were available in… -
Customer Analytics and Email Automation for Volusion
23 Mar 2012 | 10:02 amTweetOnly two days after our previous integration partner, today we are excited to announce the release of our seamless integration with Volusion to provide customer analytics and email automation to all Volusion users. Mineful helps online retailers increase customer retention by using purchase history to drive highly targeted emails. The integration is quick and only takes a few minutes to set up. Once set up, your shopping cart data is downloaded every day and your reports and email automation rules updated automatically. Key Benefits of Email Automation for Volusion Increased Revenue…
-
E-Commerce for All
-
Dead Cheap Usability Testing for Your Website
27 Apr 2012 | 10:38 amUsability testing is the most effective means to increase sales, shopper interaction and popularity for your ecommerce shop. Hands down, there is no more effective means to get MORE from the traffic you have. So if usability testing is SO effective, why don't more people do it? Many shop owners don't know about it, most assume it is incredibly expensive and frankly most are just to narrow minded to delve in to what "may be wrong" with their websites. These reasons are none valid. Usability testing is no different than product testing, surveys, soliciting feedback and other techniques used by… -
Thank you for taking action!
25 Jan 2012 | 11:53 amThank you for taking action! Hi Melanie Last week you stood with millions of Americans to protect online freedom and innovation. Congress heard you, and delayed consideration of the PIPA and SOPA bills, which -- if enacted -- would censor the Web and impose harmful regulations on American businesses. We hope that today you will join us in thanking your representatives for protecting the Internet. And we want to thank you, again, for your actions last week. We are humbled that so many of you rallied around what we believe is the most transformative invention in history. Until next time, The… -
Stop SOPA
15 Jan 2012 | 11:53 amYou may or may not be following the SOPA / E-PARASITE controversy. If not, as website owners, you should be. The SOPA/E-PARASITE/PROTECT IP bills, summarized below, are a huge injustice to our rights, and the American way. NY Times Editorial by REBECCA MacKINNON The bills would empower the attorney general to create a blacklist of sites to be blocked by Internet service providers, search engines, payment providers and advertising networks, all without a court hearing or a trial. The House version goes further, allowing private companies to sue service providers for even briefly and… -
Google Product Search "Eats" Small Merchants
30 Nov 2011 | 10:47 amI am not sure what the whole purpose of the recent changes and requirements in Google Shopping do or will mean.... But none of them have been a "good" thing for smaller merchants. The data standardization within Google Product Search has put like products from very large retailers capable of deep discounts in the same page product lineup with smaller merchants who cannot compete on price. The smaller merchants who would generally seek to make their listing somewhat unique to grab longtail product searches can no longer do that. Smaller merchants in the product lineup with Pet Smart for… -
Google Merchant Center Data Limits
30 Nov 2011 | 10:40 amWhen logging in to Google Merchant Center you will see the following "Alert". Due to recent change to item and feed limits, you may experience errors when submitting your items or registering a new feed. Tuesday, November 22, 2011 | 3:43 PM Labels: alert Due to recent change to item and feed limits, you may experience errors when submitting your items or registering a new feed. To check whether your new feed is affected by our new item limit, navigate to the Data Feeds tab and click on “x of x items inserted (view errors and warnings)” to the right of the newly registered data feed. You…
-
Rick Watson's Blog
-
Mixing up my blogging research
10 May 2012 | 10:14 amAn attachment set for a mixer I don’t own. Well heck. Blogging is becoming expensive. About a month or so ago I wrote an entry about eBay search where I said that on Kitchenaid.com there were 85 results for mixers and on eBay there were thousands… well apparently as part of that research I put a mixer attachment in a shopping cart at Amazon. Then I went back there to buy something else (for real) and bought it at the same time without realizing it. Grr. $50 I’ll never get back. Probably donate it someplace or give it to a friend — I don’t think… -
The New eBay As Retail Leader, not Secondary Market
24 Apr 2012 | 9:01 amOne of the reasons I enjoy blogging is I really enjoy thought experiments on businesses. This is another one of those. I choose eBay/Amazon a lot because they are both commerce leaders, visible/transparent, and so they set the standard in some ways for the industry. One of these kids is doing his own thing, come on can you tell which one? The proposal: The eBay.com site and brand should become mainline retail as the primary focus and optimize around that. Liquidations and collectibles would be relegated to a sub-brand and separate experience (much like an offline retail company might… -
Ricky Christina Barcelona? Woody Allen Does Marketplaces
17 Apr 2012 | 8:11 amOk I’m headed to Barcelona and it should be a lot of fun. Gaudi. All that. Why does an ECommerce nut get to go to Barcelona? Well to talk about Marketplaces of course! Conference: E-Commerce Summit 2012 Barcelona Dates: June 4-6, 2012 (soon!) Topic: Is Running a Marketplace Right for Me? A topic near to my heart. The theme of the conference is primarily European retailers getting to hear what’s going on in the United States. I have the Marketplace session. It’s obviously a trend. I’ve been on both sides of the fence — helping retailers succeed on… -
Amazon pokes at eBay and Google with CloudSearch
12 Apr 2012 | 8:50 amAmazon pokes at eBay and Google with CloudSearch: Obviously Google has had its Commerce Search for a while but this is a clear signal that Amazon is entering the game. As far as eBay is concerned, they might need to pay attention here. X.Commerce is designed to be this fabric for all these commerce components. I did a search for “X.Commerce” and “Search” and came up empty (on Google, naturally). If eBay’s strategy is Magento that’s one thing, but having a cloud strategy gives Amazon a decided advantage. Pretty soon (within months) someone will build a Magneto plugin which… -
Know Why It Failed
11 Apr 2012 | 8:41 am“Oh that, idea? We’ve done that before 5 years ago! Let me save you some time.” Being a leader is tough. Not only do you have to pick a good idea, but you have to get the execution right. It struck me the other day that many times when people move onto a new idea, org structure, whatever, they don’t have a clear picture of why the old one was not appropriate other than: It was done by my predecessor. There are a whole set of reasons why something fails, and only by getting the most important ones right can you succeed. Wrong idea Wrong rollout to org Wrong…
-
Pitney Bowes Ecommerce Solutions
-
As More Disposable Income is Spent Online, BRIC Countries Take the Lead
11 May 2012 | 12:17 pmHats off to the team at WorldPay which recently worked with an independent research agency to publish an in-depth report that profiles the habits, preferences, and profiles of 19,000 online shoppers across the globe. To support the online shopping insights culled from the consumer sample, the research team also questioned 153 senior retail executives with responsibilities for their firm’s online payment process. All respondents came from organisations with annual sales of $8m or more. This week (Part 1) we’ll explore some of the key consumers data points that shed light on the… -
Today’s Global Ad Spend: What Online Marketers Can Learn for Tomorrow
3 May 2012 | 5:59 pmAs the rising global middle class and emerging elites help define the next era of retail consumption, marketers are ramping up their overall global ad spend. “Amping up” may actually be a better way to describe the spend, especially when one considers that total ad spending in emerging markets is expected to pass that in the U.S. in 2014. This week we’ll explore what Ecommerce professionals charged with developing international online marketing strategies can learn from where the global ad dollars are flowing today. We’ll end by looking at the interactive tools… -
What China’s iPhone Sales Tell Us About the Future of Retail
27 Apr 2012 | 11:41 pmStrong demand for the iPhone in China was a key take-away from Apple’s earnings call during which company executives explained how Apple’s profit almost doubled last quarter. Apple’s results also tell us a lot about how retail in China is transforming. They remind us that mobile commerce is quickly becoming a key channel through which U.S. Ecommerce companies will sell products not only to Chinese consumers, but to other international online shoppers as well. Why China Matters China symbolizes why international sales should be a top strategic growth priority for many… -
Add International Ecommerce Checkout Optimization to Your To Do List
20 Apr 2012 | 1:02 pmGetElastic’s Linda Bustos hosted an excellent webinar this week on Ecommerce Checkout Optimization. I don’t have a link to the archived webinar that I can share, but check out Linda’s related articles here. I was curious about whether the webinar would provide any pointers for optimizing checkout processes when international online customers shop U.S. sites. Since ElasticPath is based in Vancouver, BC I hoped we’d talking about cross-border best practices somewhat by default. I wasn’t disappointed. Lots of solid advice about checkout optimization in… -
Cross-Border Tip Sheet: What’s Working Online for French and Italian Shoppers
13 Apr 2012 | 3:38 pmTime to shift attention from the BRIC countries back to the old country for an update about what’s working online in France and Italy. French consumers continue their steady embrace of Ecommerce while Italians are growing more and more comfortable shopping online. Forrester’s recent “European Online Retail Forecast: 2011 to 2016” finds that almost twice as many French shoppers purchase products online today (63%) as do Italians (36%). But the Italians are finally coming online, and doing so in a big way. Forrester projects 18% annual growth for Italian Ecommerce during the…
-
Mobecommerce
-
Growing Your Ecommerce Business With Mobile Apps
9 May 2012 | 12:42 amUtilizing Your Mobile Ecommerce App to the fullest extent Merely possessing a fully functional Iphone Ecommerce App or an Android Ecommerce App is going to assure you nothing but just your competitive existence in the market running at a slower … Continue reading → -
Leveraging The Power Of Mobile Ecommerce On A Budget
4 May 2012 | 7:39 amMobile Ecommerce: The Easy Advantage Long before the customers could get the best out of online shopping through their desktop PC, the concept of Mobile PCs came in like a hurricane and revolutionised the condition for both the consumer and … Continue reading → -
Mob eCommerce On Cloud
4 May 2012 | 7:09 amContus Support’s Mob eCommerce is now on Cloud. Ecommerce merchants now can move their stores to smartphones more easily with the help of this unique offering. Simply subscribe to our Mob eCommerce service on cloud and enjoy the benefit of … Continue reading → -
Why Mobile Commerce Is A Must For All Online Businesses?
16 Apr 2012 | 11:19 pmUnderstanding Current Day User Behavior Soon before we could all lift back our dropped jaws looking at the amazing scope that the Ecommerce arena created for all our online businesses, now it has got unbelievably better by quickly evolving into … Continue reading → -
Tube Plus App for IPhone and Android Now at Just $199
19 Mar 2012 | 6:11 pmCool announcement!! Tube Plus - The most popular iPhone/Android app for Video Sharing Scripts has been upgraded with more astonishing features and now comes with a new price – $199 for both iPhone and Android app. Deliver an iPhone and … Continue reading →
-
creativecommons.org
-
Price Wars: Successful Competitive Pricing?
9 May 2012 | 2:57 pmIn the last blog post I wrote about how price wars are bad (and upon further thought, not just bad – awful) competitive pricing strategies for businesses and potentially whole industries. One company lowers its prices and may have a temporary advantage. This could result in rivals matching the price cuts the next day, eventually leading to no real change in the marketplace except for lowered prices. The effects that price wars usually have include losing out on profit margins and causing your consumers to think negatively about your company. But don’t all general rules have… -
How We Approach Competitor Pricing Analysis
23 Apr 2012 | 3:06 pmA good competitive pricing engine should make it easy for you to find your competitors' prices. An even better one should provide focused data to help you discover your own products that are either priced too high or too low. How does BlackLocus.com make that happen? Check out our approach to great competitor pricing analysis. Watch this short video. Kudos to Sarah, Lukas and Matt for another awesome video! VIDEO TRANSCRIPT BlackLocus.com automates your eCommerce competitive analysis by finding and tracking all of your competitors for every single product. Our graphs, reports and alerts… -
Why Price Wars are a Bad Ecommerce Pricing Method
17 Apr 2012 | 12:04 pmWhen I first heard about price wars, my brain immediately thought of money-hungry business executives attempting to destroy their competition by redirecting money towards their own company. Images flooded my head of a tyrant CEO tenting his fingers and muttering “excellent” in a sinister voice, much like Mr. Burns from The Simpsons. Don’t worry; I’m shaking my head with the rest of you. But the truth is that price wars plainly sound ominous, with the consequence usually involving casualties on both sides. And that’s just not good ecommerce pricing. -
How Your eCommerce Pricing Can Benefit from the Restaurant Industry
10 Apr 2012 | 12:20 pmRestaurant patrons shell out $16 billion in gratuities per year – yes, $16 billion worth of voluntary payments. Of course there is social expectance to tip your server, but what makes people pay more than they have to? Even if the standard, expected tip is 15 percent, what makes customers fork out higher gratuities? And I know what you're thinking. Gratuities? Servers? What in the heck does this have to do with your eCommerce business? Just keep reading, my friends… Dr. Michael Lynn of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration has spent decades studying tipping behavior in the… -
The Modern Rules of Price Analysis
26 Mar 2012 | 4:00 amIn today's world, product-level price analysis is king. Consumers are more connected than ever before. Retailers are struggling to keep up with this new phenomenon of "show rooming," where total price transparency on every single product is just a click away. With the economic squeeze on consumers; nothing stands in their way of finding best deals out there. This modern era of eCommerce requires retailers to be agile, harness big data and intimately understand their competitive landscape. Now is not the time to assume you know your competitive landscape. Nor do you have time to wait on…
