Online reviews are mostly positive – Bazaarvoice
The vast majority of product reviews left by consumers on websites are positive, while most of the reviewers are motivated by the desire to help others make better purchase decisions.
That's the verdict of a Keller Fay Group / Bazaarvoice report, which surveyed 1,300 US online reviewers.
Online review authenticity - do we really have a problem?
Sam Decker, Chief Marketing Officer at Bazaarvoice, sorts the hype from the facts.
Etailers struggle to cope with Cyber Monday traffic
Internet shoppers in the US are reported to have spent around $733m (£355m) on 'Cyber Monday' - the biggest day of the online retail year.
Figures from comScore suggest Amazon and Wal-Mart attracted the most custom, while the overall number of people shopping online was up 38%.
However, the traffic also caused issues - some sites were operating up to 400% slower than usual while Yahoo's Merchant Solutions service buckled under the strain.
Osoyou launches social network / shopping site
By combining shopping with social networking, new UK site osoyou.com is looking to capitalise on growth in the online clothing market and deliver predominantly female shoppers to retailers and advertisers.
eBay posts Q3 loss but sales growth continues
Online auction giant eBay has posted its first quarterly loss since 1999 after a $900m write-down relating to its now-famously misjudged acquisition of Skype.
The firm's deficit for Q3 came in at $936m (£458m), although sales were up 30%.
The NPV of reviews: customer voice will drive traffic and sales this Xmas
Sam Decker explores the business case for implementing social commerce functionality on retailers' websites before Christmas.
Years ago, when I managed the Dell.com consumer website, it was always a mad rush to the deadline of getting site functionality up before mid November.
Sellers criticise eBay's ad policy
Online auction site eBay has come under fire from sellers that are critical of the company's policy of using contextual advertising, as they feel that these ads could be luring potential buyers away from the site.
The auction giant starting running ads from Google and Yahoo! last year and, according to Juan Carlos Perez, sellers are unhappy that the targeted ads compete with products that are already on eBay.
TUI Travel buys holiday review site - report
TUI Travel, the holiday group that includes major travel brands Thomson Holidays and First Choice, has reportedly acquired holiday user review website Holidays Uncovered.
Travolution reports that a deal was concluded within the past few weeks and will soon be officially announced.
Ebay introduces video listings
Auction site eBay is to give its UK sellers a new tool to boost their sales by allowing them to advertise their products by using videos in their listings for the first time.
Sellers can upload video from a list of hosting sites approved by eBay. These include YouTube, Dailymotion, and Vzaar.
L'Oreal sues eBay over counterfeit goods
French cosmetics firm L'Oreal has sued eBay over the sales of counterfeit versions of its perfumes and other cosmetics products on the site.
The company said it had contacted eBay to deal with the issue, but has not been satisfied by its response. Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior both filed similar lawsuits against the auction giant last year.
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
