| News about digital retail commerce |  |
- Google Commerce Search aims to help online retailers
Google has unveiled its latest initiative just in time for the holidays. Google Commerce Search is a service designed to help make the Web sites of large online retailers easier to search. Google says the service, which costs $50,000 and up each year, will improve user experience and boost sales. "If the users are able to find that laptop easily, they are more likely to buy the product," said Nitin Mangtani, a lead product manager at Google. "If it takes them eight to 10 seconds, and they can't find it easily, they leave the Web site." Los Angeles Times/Technology blog
(11/4)
     
- EBay launches online fashion magazine called The Inside Source
Although eBay may not be the favorite shop of fashionistas, the company is striving to change that through The Inside Source. The online magazine, which will be written and edited by magazine writers, will focus on fashion trends while pitching items that are for sale on eBay. Meredith Barnett, the editorial director of the magazine, said it is geared toward the consumer "who is sophisticated, has a sensibility about fashion and lifestyle and may be familiar with eBay but maybe not the full extent of everything it has to offer." The New York Times/Bits blog
(11/4)
- Contests can help retailers add quality names to databases
Jason Heflin, vice president of e-commerce marketing at CoolComputerBags.com, was striving to expand the company's e-mail list during the summer of 2008. Heflin only wanted quality, relevant leads, rather than a list of addresses. In about eight months, he managed to more than double the size of CoolComputerBags' e-mail list with consumers who are responding better than the original names. Heflin and his team used a monthly contest to achieve the goal. MarketingSherpa
(11/4)
- Kohl's tries aggressive strategy for boosting online sales
Kohl's is aiming to increase online sales this holiday season by 30% through an aggressive strategy designed to reach cost-conscious consumers. The retailer's strategy includes updating its popular Facebook page and adding a function that enables recipients of its e-mail promotions to post offers from Kohl's to the consumers' Facebook pages. InternetRetailer.com
(11/4)
 | Help your best customers bring their Facebook friends to you — If done right, your Web site's social features are driving up traffic, conversion rates and customer engagement (and if they aren't we need to talk). Next, make it easy for your customers to expose their many Facebook and Twitter friends to your destination and products. We can show you how. Learn more. |
- Amazon's vision for PayPhrase includes mobile, in-store
Amazon recently rolled out its new PayPhrase service that allows consumers to easily make purchases at certain online retailers by linking to their Amazon account. Amazon executives, however, envision PayPhrase to work with mobile commerce and in-store as well as online. "We want [PayPhrase] to be used anywhere they want to pay, anywhere a customer happens to be," said Matt Williams, general manager at Amazon PayPhrase. StorefrontBacktalk
(11/4)
 | In this free white paper, privacy expert Larry Ponemon of the renowned Ponemon Institute reveals the results of a 500+ consumer survey on anti-fraud technology's impact on perceived privacy. You'll learn why it's now easier to fake an identity than break into a network, and several proven ways to overcome consumer privacy concerns related to device fingerprinting. |
| Companies in the News |  | |
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- ASDA adds virtual assistant to groceries Web site
ASDA has installed a browser-based customer service representative named Amy to its groceries site. The virtual assistant can help online consumers find their way around ASDA's online offering and respond to typed queries. "We always get the thumbs-up from customers for providing the best service in stores and now we're extending the service we offer them online," said Jackie Hill, ASDA's head of marketing communications. InternetRetailing.net
(11/3)
- Nordstrom debuts international e-commerce
Nordstrom is enabling consumers in 30 countries to purchase its merchandise through its online site. The Seattle-based retailer will offer its products in foreign currencies, including the euro, pound, Czech koruna and Canadian dollar. The Seattle Times
(11/4)
| Interactive Advertising | | |
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- Mobile-ad budgets are on the rise for 2010
Almost one in three agencies in 2010 project a mobile spend of $100,000 to $250,000, compared with 22% for this year; nearly 13% are budgeting $250,000 to $500,000, compared with 4% for 2009; and more than 15% are penciling in $1 million-plus, compared with 11% for this year, a poll by Millennial Media and DM2Events.com has found. Also, six in 10 nonmobile marketers say they will advertise in the segment next year. MediaPost Communications/MoBlog
(11/4)
| Legislative & Regulatory | | |
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- Massachusetts regulations expanded to cover online sales
Massachusetts' Retail Advertising Regulations have been amended to address online sales and will become effective early next year, according to state Attorney General Martha Coakley. The AG's office has been investigating some online sales and advertising practices. "These amendments were designed to ensure that consumers understand what is being offered in a business transaction, while offering the business community more clarity on what is expected of them with respect to their advertising practices," Coakley said. Legal Newsline
(11/4)
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