Most Clicked Shop.org SmartBrief Stories
1. EBay launches online fashion magazine called The Inside Source
Shop.org SmartBrief | Nov 05, 2009
Although eBay may not be the favorite shop of fashionistas, the company is striving to change that through The Inside Source. The online magazine, which will be written and edited by magazine writers, will focus on fashion trends while pitching items that are for sale on eBay. Meredith Barnett, the editorial director of the magazine, said it is geared toward the consumer "who is sophisticated, has a sensibility about fashion and lifestyle and may be familiar with eBay but maybe not the full extent of everything it has to offer." New York Times, The (11/04)
2. Retailers prepare for Black Friday, Cyber Monday
Shop.org SmartBrief | Nov 04, 2009
Despite concerns about the economy, consumers are widely expected to shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but surveys find the shoppers will be looking for bargains. Also, research shows that more shoppers are heading online on Black Friday, traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year for bricks-and-mortar stores. Sales on the major shopping days could be affected, however, by consumers' plans to do their holiday shopping earlier. Web Ad.vantage (11/03)
3. Column: Consumers leave online retail sites for various reasons
Shop.org SmartBrief | Nov 03, 2009
Columnist Darpan Munjal, president of the Chicago-based e-commerce consultancy LeapMatrix, explains 15 reasons consumers will exit an online retail Web site. For example, Munjal says to stay out of the consumer's way during the checkout process. In other words, don't require shoppers to register. "If I click on checkout, that is usually a safe assumption that I have made a decision to purchase. Please get out of my way so you can take my money as quickly as possible before I change my mind," Munjal writes. Practical eCommerce (11/03)
4. Google Commerce Search aims to help online retailers
Shop.org SmartBrief | Nov 05, 2009
Google has unveiled its latest initiative just in time for the holidays. Google Commerce Search is a service designed to help make the Web sites of large online retailers easier to search. Google says the service, which costs $50,000 and up each year, will improve user experience and boost sales. "If the users are able to find that laptop easily, they are more likely to buy the product," said Nitin Mangtani, a lead product manager at Google. "If it takes them eight to 10 seconds, and they can't find it easily, they leave the Web site." Los Angeles Times (11/04)
5. M-commerce may not be mainstream yet, but it's heading there
Shop.org SmartBrief | Nov 02, 2009
More than 100 retailers have mobile-commerce sites and applications. Pioneering retailers are realizing that m-commerce may not have reached the masses -- despite eBay's reported $380 million in m-commerce sales during the first nine months of 2009 -- but they are learning valuable lessons from early trials. With more consumers jumping onto the m-commerce bandwagon every day, retailers are realizing the increasing need for mobile capabilities. Internet Retailer (11/2009)
6. Forrester predicts 8% increase in U.S. online holiday sales
Shop.org SmartBrief | Nov 03, 2009
Forrester Research said mass-market online retailers who are able to offer discounts will outperform others, but the overall online sales figures for the U.S. for November and December should be around $44.7 billion, up from $41.4 billion in 2008. "Despite the lingering effects of the global financial crisis, the online space remains the retail industry's growth engine," Forrester said. Reuters (11/02)
7. BadCustomer.com provides chargeback history of shoppers
Shop.org SmartBrief | Nov 06, 2009
BadCustomer.com is offering online retailers a free database of shoppers who initiate chargebacks with credit card companies, which becomes a headache for the retailer. "We help prevent that nightmare before it even starts by running the customer against our database during the purchase process to make sure they're not a known chargeback risk," said BadCustomer.com CEO Brien Heideman. Hundreds of retailers contribute to the database. InternetRetailer.com (11/05)
8. Tips on developing a successful corporate blog
Shop.org SmartBrief | Nov 06, 2009
A corporate blog can help a company share internal experts' knowledge, boost the number of natural search-generated visits and increase sales. Developing a blog with multiple authors, however, can be challenging. Acoustics By Design, a small consulting firm, has managed to pull it off and offers suggestions for other companies interesting in launching a corporate blog. MarketingSherpa (11/05)
9. Kohl's tries aggressive strategy for boosting online sales
Shop.org SmartBrief | Nov 05, 2009
Kohl's is aiming to increase online sales this holiday season by 30% through an aggressive strategy designed to reach cost-conscious consumers. The retailer's strategy includes updating its popular Facebook page and adding a function that enables recipients of its e-mail promotions to post offers from Kohl's to the consumers' Facebook pages. InternetRetailer.com (11/04)
10. Contests can help retailers add quality names to databases
Shop.org SmartBrief | Nov 05, 2009
Jason Heflin, vice president of e-commerce marketing at CoolComputerBags.com, was striving to expand the company's e-mail list during the summer of 2008. Heflin only wanted quality, relevant leads, rather than a list of addresses. In about eight months, he managed to more than double the size of CoolComputerBags' e-mail list with consumers who are responding better than the original names. Heflin and his team used a monthly contest to achieve the goal. MarketingSherpa (11/04)
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