Thomas Smale says, “In 2015, overall web sales across Europe were up 12.6 percent. For the United States, results were the same: The same study found that web sales here in 2015 grew by 14.6 percent. Clearly, consumers in multiple countries are shopping online more often, and that’s a trend we can expect to continue. It’s also good news for anyone with an ecommerce site or looking to launch and grow one in the future. Today, launching an ecommerce site has become easier. Companies have emerged that offer a complete ecommerce software package deal, allowing you to choose a business... [...]

Liva LaMontagne says, “Traditionally, brick-and-mortar stores have displayed their products in their windows, enticing passers-by to come in and learn more, perhaps meet and talk with the owner and other shoppers, and, ultimately, fill their shopping baskets and purchase the goods. Today’s digital stores (ecommerce websites) are striving to achieve the same goals as their brick-and-mortar counterpbrick-and-mortararts, with varying scopes of products ranging from unprecedented breadth (e.g., Amazon) to narrow specialization (e.g., your local cupcake bakery). Though ecommerce stores come... [...]

Steven Wright says, “Open The Door To Sales Enablement Success After seven months as a Forrester research analyst, with scores of vendor briefings and customer inquiries under my belt, I’ve seen certain patterns to unlocking sales enablement success emerge. Five Keys To Sales Enablement Automation Success brings together lessons learned from vendors and practitioners to show where B2B marketers should focus their attention. Some considerations to keep in mind – especially when it comes to content: Design content for conversation. B2B marketers naturally focus on outwardly focused... [...]

Nikki Gilliland says, “Since Innocent popularised the informal tone of voice, many brands have followed suit by trying to make friends with the customer (as well as sell them a product). But lately, I’ve noticed a shift away from this conversational style of copywriting. With an increasing desire from consumers to know how and where products are made, small and artisan brands are growing in popularity. As a result, reassuringly authentic copywriting is popping up all over the place. So why do we want to buy beer from micro-breweries, get our caffeine fix from pop-up coffee shops, and... [...]

Ben Davis says, “Mega-menus are a mainstay of desktop ecommerce. Five years ago, we published a post dissecting 26 of these menus, back when they were relatively novel. In 2014, we revisited the topic, seeing that full-width menus with a greater number of products and featured images were en vogue. So, what of 2016? Let’s have a look. Argos 2016 might not look much different to 2014 but in the example tab below there are 82 categories now where there were only 53 in 2014. There’s also an additional way to shop (by room). This increase is a trend for many ecommerce sites, comparing... [...]

Ahmad Raza says, “When running a B2B business, your main concern is generating leads. According to a study, 61 percent of B2B marketers pointed out that generating high-quality leads is their biggest concern and biggest challenge. You already know that creating content is one way to generate B2B sales, and you already know about the importance of building relationships. This guide is going to show you some of the ways to generate sales leads like never before through inbound marketing and more. Podcasting is Big Business The podcast is a format of content that has been around for over a decade,... [...]

Emma Brudner says, “What is a sales pipeline? Not to be confused with a sales funnel, a sales pipeline details the steps on the buyer’s journey from lead to customer, and describes what actions reps should take at each stage. The following infographic from Technology Advice provides an overview of seven basic sales pipeline stages: Lead generation Lead nurturing Marketing qualified lead Sales accepted lead Sales qualified lead Closed deal Post-sale If you’re just getting started out in sales, or need a sales pipeline step-by-step guide to systematize your process, consider printing... [...]

Joanna Alter says, “User-generated content (UGC), like customer photos and reviews, increases engagement, encourages shoppers to convert into buyers and boosts word-of-mouth marketing. While there are many ways to display UGC throughout your site to create interest and provide shoppers with real information from real buyers, here are four of the most effective and attention-grabbing uses of UGC in ecommerce (and actionable tips on how to emulate their impact). BOOM! Shows Real Products on Real People BOOM! cosmetics company gives customers the option to submit original photos with their product... [...]

Brendan Witcher says, “Omnichannel fulfillment services have indubitably piqued the interest of today’s retail leaders; nearly one-third of the retail organizations we surveyed already support “buy online, pick up in store” (BOPIS) functionality or have plans to implement the technology by the end of next month. However, proponents of omnichannel fulfillment are starting to recognize that simply offering services like BOPIS does not in itself lift the bottom line. eBusiness professionals must actively ensure that these initiatives are driving real profits for their business, leaving... [...]

Morgan Jacobson says, “Bonobos is a wildly popular men’s online shopping boutique that is changing the way people shop. They recently hit $100 million in revenue, after nine years of business. The model is pretty simple: several variations on popular clothing items like pants, dress shirts, and casual shirts. No matter what you’re looking for, Bonobos probably has it. Simply put, Bonobos has come to define ecommerce with a guide shop sales model that seems to work—but are they missing out on some key sales? Let’s examine the pros and cons of their guide shop sales model. Pro: Huge... [...]