Laura Forer says, “”Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is a systematic approach for increasing the percentage of website visitors that become customers,” according to a collaborative infographic by design consultancy XPLANE and conversion rate experts The Good. CRO can have a significant impact on end results, such as when the 2008 Obama campaign ended up increasing conversion 40.6%, which garnered an additional $60 million in campaign funds, the infographic points out. It goes on to highlight seven steps you can follow to use CRO to turn your website browsers in to buyers. And,... [...]

Michael Sandstorm says, “Everything from music streaming services to healthy sweets are being marketed through free trials and there’s a reason why it’s such an effective marketing tactic. It allows your customers to ‘own’ your brand without initially paying for it, and because once they have a brand they value it more highly, they are more likely to continue using your product. Humans are creatures of habit and comfort, making it highly unlikely that we will give up on what we perceive to be a benefit to us once it has become an established part of our everyday lives. Just as... [...]

Astroblu, the WordPress theme development company, has just released a new theme dedicated to building e-commerce stores and affiliate stores. They call is Uzicom. This theme lets you take advantage of many e-commerce advantages such as you might pay thousands of dollars for, annually, with the “big names” of e-commerce, like Sholify.com and BigCommerce.com. It can be used for affiliate sites, such as Amazon stores, or for selling your own products, or as a consultant you can use it for your offline clients who want to create an online sales channel. Uzicom is unusually flexible, allowing... [...]

Ben Davis says, “Amazon has been using algorithms to try to sell you extra stuff for years. But the technology to personalise merchandising, much further than recommendations, is advancing rapidly across ecommerce. Companies such as Sentient and Apptus and their AI-powered systems are changing site search functionality, product lists, facets and more, to try to generate more sales. I caught up with Sören Meelby, VP Marketing at Apptus, to get an introduction to the technology (Apptus eSales), and to pose some questions about the user experience in online retail. Econsultancy: Many ecommerce... [...]

Ben Davis says, “TechCity UK has released its third annual Tech Nation report, revealing that talent supply is the number one growth challenge for more than 50% of digital tech businesses in the UK. The report includes a variety of data on the growth of the sector in the UK. Let’s look at some of the most interesting findings. A third of digital employers say candidates are asking for too much money With technical skills in demand, salary growth is an issue for employers. Of the 2,700 survey respondents (roughly half of them CEOs) over a third said that candidates are asking for... [...]

Kumail Hemani says, “We all know that social media is a great way to promote yourself and spread your business’ message across the web. For e-commerce stores, a few social shares can quickly snowball into unbelievable success. Unlike, brick and mortar stores, e-commerce has the benefit of being available 24/7. Whether your customers are shopping on a holiday or at 2 AM, the store is open for business. But this accessibility is a 2-way street; your customers can shop anytime, but they can also send feedback and share comments at all hours of the day. This problem is amplified if your e-commerce... [...]

Phil Masiello says, “Selling on Amazon is a necessity for e-commerce brands. But learning how to sell correctly and avoid some of the pitfalls is essential for success. If you start asking around, there’s a good chance you’ll find people who have made online purchases through Amazon. In fact, you’ll probably have a harder time finding someone who hasn’t; and of those who have, you’ll likely discover that the vast majority are entirely satisfied and are repeat customers. When you ask why they shop on Amazon, the answer is often one word — Prime. In fact,... [...]

Benjamin Liu says, “In the era of e-commerce and slowing retail sales, can your product’s packaging still provide adequate value to millennials? Let’s face it – millennials (or members of Generation Y) are often considered a new era of mankind, and there are many reasons for this. With constant technological influences, millennials have close to infinite resources within their grasp. Instant access to information, images, video and media means they can find almost everything online, without needing to leave the house. This has greatly changed the retail industry with the average... [...]

Nikki Gilliland says, “Alongside traditional methods of customer service, many ecommerce brands are now turning to social media to solve user queries and concerns. While this is an effective way of tapping into customer pain points, brands shouldn’t overlook the opportunities afforded by live chat. In fact, 92% of customers feel satisfied when they use a live chat feature compared to other modes of communication. And with 55% of US adults also likely to abandon a site if they can’t find the answer to a question, live chat can be an effective key way of keeping customers happy and... [...]

Since 2004, Vstore.ca has been a host to free e-commerce stores for small businesses. These stores were supported by ads that Vstore placed on these e-commerce sites. They also offered premium versions of the stores that were ad-free. They offered a free auction service for the stores they hosted, as well. Offering a free service such as this isn’t a cost-free process; the servers and maintenance are expensive. The costs have to be covered by advertising or by upsells to a significant portion of the clients, or the service isn’t economically viable. Sadly, Vstores.CA has concluded that... [...]