Daniel Burstein says, “On the MarketingSherpa blog, we report on every conceivable element of marketing success — from customer service to content marketing, email deliverability to responsive design. One element of marketing success you shouldn’t overlook is passion. Push-through-all-obstacles, make-the-impossible-possible, Teddy-Roosevelt-man-in-the-arena passion. I met Marc Lobliner, Chief Marketing Officer, TigerFitness.com, at the MarketingSherpa Media Center at IRCE 2015. TigerFitness.com has been on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies for three years in a row with... [...]

Susan Warren says, ““There are so many ecommerce retailers who now believe that in order to differentiate themselves and establish better brand relationships with their shoppers, they [need to consider] opening brick-and-mortar stores,” Debbie Hauss, Editor-in-Chief, Retail TouchPoints, said. According to Advertising Age, 80% of companies have increased digital marketing budgets for 2015. Whether it’s selling products on a website or through a mobile or desktop app, virtual marketing has become the norm. However, some ecommerce retailers have recently invested in the opening of brick-and-mortar... [...]

Daniel Burstein says, “Ecommerce has long been considered to have a cost advantage over brick-and-mortar retailers. After all, real estate, inventory and human resource costs are all lower. However, these reduced costs come at an expense — Internet retailers rely on a third-party for fulfillment. Which means their margins and perhaps overall business model is at the mercy of other companies. This dependency became all the more clear recently when UPS and FedEx announced a significant change to shipping policies by applying dimensional weight pricing (also known as DIM) to all ground shipments.... [...]

Ginny Marvin says, “E-commerce sales in the US shot up 14.1 percent to $83.9 billion in the second quarter compared to Q2 2014 when adjusted for seasonality, the Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce reported Monday. That compares to an overall increase in US retail sales of just 1.0 percent year-over-year. In all, 7.2 percent of the estimated $1,1771.5 billion in US retail sales transactions occurred online in the second quarter, up from 7.0 percent in the first quarter of 2015 and 6.3 percent a year ago“. US E-Commerce Sales Jump 14 Percent, Account For 7.2 Percent Of All Retail Marketing... [...]

Arie Shpanya says, “Many retailers resort to sales and discounts to boost sales. However, smarter retailers have demonstrated there’s more to it than that. The busiest times of a retailer’s business cycle are usually synonymous with storewide sales and massive discounts. From Black Friday to Prime Day, popular shopping days typically involve low prices and limited time offers. While discounts can increase sales in the short term, they can damage your brand image. As is true with anything enjoyable in this world, discounts are best in moderation. And implementing “everyday... [...]

Charlie Keegan says, “When you’re desperate to spread the word about your ecommerce site and get visitors clicking on products, your first thought may be to blast out a coupon to everyone on your contact list. While coupons definitely work, they’re not the only marketing tools you have in your toolbox. Several other techniques exist and have been proven to work. Try some of the following tactics and watch your conversions grow. Free Shipping Giving customers a chance to save money is a great way to reel them in. If you’re inundating them with coupon offers, however, the power is diminished.... [...]

Greg Randall says, “Tackling the topic of product detail page layouts is daunting because there is no short answer. Saying one element such as large product images increases conversion, though it’s proven, does not tell the full story.   The product detail page needs to be dealt with as a whole. This article will do just that. It will focus on the ‘must have’ page elements, recommend where they should appear on the page, explain why, and provide tips on how to maximize the value of each. To support recommendations, experienced online retailers will be used as examples,... [...]

Geoffrey Grow says, “The rise of e-commerce offers consumers better access to goods, lower prices and an improved shopping experience—these are just some of the many benefits driving growth in the $1 trillion global e-commerce industry. From a business perspective, e-commerce gives exposure to a larger audience than could be reached with traditional retailing. However, it can also expose businesses and their customers to serious data risks. Businesses have the responsibility of collecting and transmitting private information from consumers; therefore, these retailers must be aware of... [...]

Xiaofeng Wang says, “In my previous report, Overcome Top Digital Challenges In 2015, we found that digital marketers’ top challenge is meeting increased pressure to deliver business outcomes. In fact, they’re gradually taking on more responsibilities directly related to business outcomes, such as eCommerce. My latest brief, Digital Marketers Are Embracing eCommerce, And China Is Leading The Way, helps B2C marketers understand this emerging trend and embrace the opportunity to deliver consistent digital experiences to customers. One-third of the digital marketers in China who responded... [...]

Greg Wise says, “Remember that old game show, Let’s Make a Deal? Contestants were given the choice between a prize they could see—such as $1,000 right here, right now—and a prize they couldn’t. Let’s see what’s behind door number two! While we watched at home, yelling at the contestant for being so stupid as to give up the certain prize for the cheap toaster that inevitably waited behind the closed door, we still knew deep down that we’d have taken the chance on the possibility of a bigger prize. It’s the same anticipation that drives us to play the lottery—to give up our... [...]