ecommerce | Internet Marketing Blog

The value of affiliate marketing today

Based out of the 7thingsmedia New York office, I was glad to attend this week's Linkshare affiliate network Symposium.

The networking-heavy event had various sessions that were packed with affiliate insights, tips and best practice processes.

However, one session which particularly caught my interest was with Andy Hoar from Forrester Research on the Direct and Indirect value that affiliates deliver to advertisers.

by Chris Bishop 02 July 2012 10:25am 5 comments

New research: Cross-Channel Marketing Survey now live

In partnership with Responsys, Econsultancy has launched some new research for 2012, the Cross-Channel Marketing Survey, which looks at the cross-section of different online and offline channels, including integration with email, display advertising, mobile, plus much more.

The research aims to benchmark trends within the market, and the launch of this brand-new survey reflects the growing necessity for companies to take an integrated approach to marketing and remove the organisational barriers that are holding them back.

by Aliya Zaidi 01 May 2012 09:51am 0 comments

E-commerce growth is plateauing: how do you stay competitive?

Recent figures published by BRC-KPMG give the UK retail industry another grim reality check.

According to the report, there was only a small 2.3% rise in total UK retail sales numbers during February 2012, a significant slowdown when compared to January (where sales grew 11.3%) and 2011 (where overall growth was 18.5%).

by Geoff Galat 05 April 2012 09:08am 3 comments

Managing your brand abroad: a guide to multilingual branding

We’re nothing if not resourceful in the UK. While high street sales may be dropping, a number of UK-based retailers are marketing themselves abroad, yet keeping the business (and product fulfilment) on UK shores.

Scottish brand Lyle & Scott, for example, has expanding markets in France, Germany and Sweden through e-commerce sites designed for those markets, while managing the business from its home in Selkirk.

by Patrick Eve 28 March 2012 12:14pm 9 comments

Seven tips for global e-commerce

As retailers begin to ramp up their online presence overseas, two weeks ago at a conference in San Francisco I was asked to examine the benefits – and challenges – of international e-commerce.

Entitled: The Global Push, I took the audience through a statistics rich presentation that should be an aid to any brand considering global e-commerce expansion.

For those of you who weren't there, Fiona Gandy, Key Account Manager at 7thingsmedia, will cover a rundown of the session, summed up in seven takeaway tips.

by Chris Bishop 22 March 2012 11:39am 2 comments

Making the most of mobile commerce opportunities in 2012

Mobile is booming. Chances are that, if you’re shopping online in 2012, increasingly you’ll be carrying out part of the transaction on a mobile device.

The majority of smartphone users are now using a mobile device to browse and shop online while, in the UK, 5m tablet owners are expected to purchase a second device in 2012.

IHS screen digest recently released research predicting that in-app purchases will hit £3.6 billion in 2015, accounting for as much as 64% of mobile app market revenues.

So one thing is clear: if optimising your mobile channel isn’t high on your list of priorities in 2012, it really should be.

by Geoff Galat 22 February 2012 14:29pm 4 comments

How to improve mobile app user ratings

As discussed in a previous blog post, customer experience needs to be at the heart of your mobile strategy in 2012.

With online forums, comment boxes online and the growing number of brands with a social media presence, a customer has more ways than ever before to vent their frustrations following a poor online customer experience.

What’s more, a customer who has a poor experience online using a mobile device can use the very same device to log on to Facebook or Twitter and tell their entire network of friends and family about the poor mobile online experience they encountered.

by Geoff Galat 02 February 2012 15:22pm 0 comments

Bridging the gap between online and the call centre: Part one

Just how important is your customer contact centre to you?

For some companies, call centres are seen as a last resort for extremely frustrated customers who have struggled online or in store and need assistance completing their transaction.

In reality, the customer contact centre is at the forefront of customer experience and can often be the only ‘human’ interaction a customer has with a brand.

by Geoff Galat 30 November 2011 09:55am 5 comments

Mobile email: Six tips for building a campaign that works

Mobile email is big, and getting bigger. By 2015, more US internet users will access the web through mobile devices than through PCs.

The mobile email numbers are even more indicative of a seismic shift in web behavior. comScore found that while web-based email declined significantly throughout 2010, mobile email surged 36% from the prior year.

As consumers are increasingly browsing, shopping, and interacting with brands on the go, mobile commerce presents a powerful opportunity.

by Igor Faletski 24 November 2011 13:44pm 2 comments

Choosing the right online payment system for foreign markets

The one area of international e-commerce for which there's not a great deal of free tools available is the issue of preferred online payment systems for foreign markets.

by Christian Arno 18 August 2011 13:04pm 1 comment