Graham Charlton says, “Ecommerce brands have embraced content marketing over the past couple of years.  Of course some, like Net-A-Porter, have used content effectively long before it became a buzzword. However, while some are using content well, others just seem to be ticking boxes and failing to incorporate content fully. In this post, I’ll look at how ecommerce brands should be using content, and some of the mistakes to avoid. How ecommerce brands can use content:  In his new content strategy report, which looks beyond just ecommerce, Mike Baxter sets out three content types: 1.... [...]

Tracey Wallace says, “Choosing what to sell online is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as an entrepreneur. To be successful, you need to pick products that you’re passionate about andfind an ecommerce model that resonates with your personality. With that in mind, let’s look to popular TV show Shark Tank to help you get started on the right foot –– because no one embodies passion and personality like the stars of the Tank“. The Tale of Two Ecommerce Companies That Turned Down Shark Tank Deals HubSpot  [...]

Tamara Barber says, “In a post last month, Rethinking search in the mobile age, I discussed how search has consistently been one of the top drivers of website traffic over the past decade. However, as important as search is, the share of search-driven visits to the top retail sites is falling as shoppers become increasingly mobile. In fact, our research found that consumers are increasingly drawn to retail websites through avenues other than search. Email and social media sites, for instance, are already major drivers of traffic to retail sites, and they’re getting even bigger“. E-commerce... [...]

Zia Daniell Wigder says, “Last week there were a couple of great events related to global eCommerce here in New York — Borderfree had its annual Global eCommerce Forum and Adyen held alocal merchant event. A few themes emerged: Omnichannel is now a must-have. At both events, omnichannel retail was front and center. Adyen underscored the opportunities inherent in integrating online and offline payments. At the Borderfree event, Stephen Sadove, the former chairman and CEO of Saks, kicked off the event with 10 disruptive trends. He declared that #1 and #10 were most important: #1 was the shift... [...]

Owen Thomas says, “PayPal is making some of the advances it’s pushed in mobile-app payments available on the Web, the company announced Tuesday. Its in-app checkout experience, which it calls One Touch, is now rolling out to websites which already use PayPal’s payment technology. Consumers will notice a new option to stay logged into PayPal, which will remember their payment options. In a marked change, PayPal will no longer force shoppers to change their payment method from a default bank-account withdrawal; instead, the service will remember the credit or debit card or bank account... [...]

Matt Asay says, “Mobile commerce is booming. Indeed, according to Forrester’s estimates, by 2018, mobile commerce (excluding travel/food services) will exceed 53% of US online sales. But in a striking reversal to the norm, wherein the rich get access to the future first, mobile commerce is thriving first with the comparatively poor. This suggests that to truly see the future of mobile, you might first want to take a look at India or other emerging economies. The Money Is In Commerce While the history of mobile has been consumed with peddling 9-cent apps, and now in-app purchases, the... [...]

Tracey Wallace says, “In July 2014, a study analyzing the SEO of the top 500 retailers for Internet Retailer’s Mobile 500 guide found that the mobile adoption rates across those top 500 retailers were as follows: 59% use dedicated mobile sites, 15% use dynamic serving, 14% had no mobile presence, just 9% were responsive. In all, that’s less than 50 of the top 500 retailers using responsive, and that is still about a 3x increase from 2013 adoption rates. Of course, if that study were to be run again this summer, responsive is likely to take up a larger chunk of that mobile-friendly... [...]

Darryl Adie says, “For years people have subscribed to newspapers and magazines, but now consumers can subscribe to receive a wide range of basic products, from fashion to fresh vegetables. As consumer buying habits are trending towards simpler, hassle-free shopping experiences, companies like Pact Coffee, Graze and Glossybox are invading the subscription space and seeing incredible growth. While subscription selling may not be a new model of retail, it has the potential to up-end traditional shopping patterns. Just this month, music streaming subscription services like Spotify were included... [...]

Amberly Dressler says, “If it feels like your e-commerce advertising is like trying to win a Formula 1 race on a bike you’re not alone. It’s possible to come in first but not likely… The competition is stronger, fiercer and enjoys way more horsepower. Not to mention they’re everywhere too. It doesn’t matter what channels you try and how well you optimize campaigns there’s always someone up ahead. If you struggle with promoting your store with AdWords PPC, Facebook ads or PLAs, read on. I’m going to show you a few tricks to turn your advertising efforts around”. 4... [...]

Josh Haynam says, “As a marketer at an ecommerce site, there is constant pressure to deliver more sales. See how quizzes can help by personalizing your product selection. Personalizing your ecommerce site to offer up a tailored product for each visitor can increase conversions by 30% or more. Unfortunately, the reality is that personalization software can be expensive and time-consuming to implement – until recently. A few months back, ecommerce sites began to adopt the quiz as a mechanism for providing targeted product recommendations, and the results have been nothing but impressive”. How... [...]