Holiday shopping 2009: five tips for online retailers
The holidays are right around the corner and that means that online retailers are gearing up for what is usually the busiest shopping season of the year.
This won't be your typical holiday season, however. Although one might argue that the global economy is in a better place than it was at this time in 2008, times are still tough for a lot of people and that means that retailers will need to go into Holiday 2009 prepared for another challenging year.
Google beats estimates in Q3
Google reported its third quarter earnings after the close of the US stock exchange today and, as it has done more than a few times in the past, the Mountain View company delivered more than analysts were expecting.
Net revenue in the quarter was $4.38bn with earnings per share of $5.89. Analysts had expected $4.24bn in net revenue and $5.42 in earnings per share. All told, total revenue was up 7% year-over-year. So the good news: Google is managing to grow even in a very tough economic environment. The bad news: growth is, by past standards, a bit modest.
Making your site recession proof through better usability
The recession is an extra obstacle to shopping online. To stop it from being insurmountable, you need to make sure you remove all the other barriers you can.
Last summer I asked if the downturn was leading to greater use of e-commerce? The answer then was 'yes'. The answer is still “yes”, only maybe more so now...
Ready for the end of recession?
Do you believe the economy is now ready to recover or that we're in for a double-dip recession? Have you been worried about your business's survival? Are you simply looking forward to consumers becoming happier to spend their cash again?
Whatever your opinions and concerns, it's time to give some very real thought to your online marketing strategy and what you will do once the economy does finally pick up.
How independent retailers are selling in a tough, new economy
Online and offline, retail has never seen such tough times before. Veteran entrepreneurs are saying retailing itself has fundamentally changed, and forever. Yet some exceptional small-to-mid sized retailers are surviving. Some are thriving.
I decided to find out how this could be in such a down market by interviewing one of the brightest stars in U.S. retail. Surprisingly, what separates the winners from losers isn't what you'd expect.
Welcome to the temp worker economy
The impact of the Great Recession on global workforces has been huge. Around the world, countless employers have been forced to lay off workers, make painful cuts and change the structures of their businesses.
The tech industry has not been immune. Stalwarts such as Microsoft, Google and Adobe are among those that have laid off employees and contractors.
The importance of recession decision-making
During a recession, many companies are forced to make very difficult decisions. This has been especially true in the current recession, which has been not only been deep, but global.
Most recession decision-making is pragmatic. The future is not guaranteed and depending on your company's financial situation, short-term survival often trumps long-term strategy. But while surviving may be your priority, decisions made during a recession can have a significant impact on the future of your business well beyond the recession.
Google continues growing, slowly
All eyes were on Google yesterday afternoon when the search engine giant reported its earnings for the second quarter. Because of its position, Google has served as a sort of proxy for gauging the global recession's effects on the internet economy.
Based on Google's results, there's good news and bad news. The good news: things could be far worse. The bad news: things could be far better.
15 enlightening ecommerce and online retail presentations
Ecommerce is one of the most mature markets online but that doesn't mean that it isn't a dynamic and fast-paced market in which participants need move quick to stay ahead of the curve.
Here are 15 enlightening presentations that can help you do just that.
Delivery costs sending bargain hunters offline
Cash-strapped shoppers are moving offline and shopping at discount stores like Primark and Matalan, mainly to save on delivery charges, according to a survey released this week.
Verdict Research's e-Retail 2009 report predicts online retail growth of 13.3% this year, to £20.9bn, but also had some interesting stats about how the recession is affecting online shopping habits.
Social media: the best and worst of 2009
Email marketing: six steps to improving customer engagement in 2010
Web 2.0
Graham Charlton
Strategy & Planning
