related_results_labels_thumbs({"version":"1.0","encoding":"UTF-8","feed":{"xmlns":"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom","xmlns$openSearch":"http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/","xmlns$georss":"http://www.georss.org/georss","xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371662734465550695"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-09-06T01:01:58.094-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Retail Ecommerce Blog - Online Retail Marketing | eCommerce SEO Tips by Mobius"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":""},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/feeds/posts/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7371662734465550695/posts/default/-/eCommerce+Marketing?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026max-results\u003d6"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/search/label/eCommerce%20Marketing"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7371662734465550695/posts/default/-/eCommerce+Marketing/-/eCommerce+Marketing?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026start-index\u003d7\u0026max-results\u003d6"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Idris"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08662471303028726341"},"email":{"$t":"idris@mobiusservices.com"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"24"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"6"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371662734465550695.post-5762292942928682412"},"published":{"$t":"2010-05-11T03:49:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-05-11T03:51:41.246-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"eCommerce SEO"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"eCommerce Marketing"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"New Changes To Google: What Will They Mean To Your Ecommerce Business?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eThis is a guest post written by Arie\u0026nbsp;Shpanya from Imonline Group, a top\u0026nbsp;\u003c/span\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.imonlinegroup.com/\" style\u003d\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eecommerce agency\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\"\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eThere is no question that Google is a vital resource for any eCommerce business. With the Google landscape transforming as frequently as it does, it is important to stay afloat of these changes if you expect your business to have an edge over the competition. With that in mind, let’s examine the recent changes to Google, and see how your eCommerce business can benefit from them.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003ca name\u003d'more'\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eGoogle Real-Time Search\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eIn October last year, Google announced that it would begin including real-time updates as a part of the search result. By December, Google released a \u003c/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eLatest Search\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e feature as part of the natural search. The feature displays the latest news updates and Tweets within any given search result. Thus, shoppers are exposed to up-to-the-minute information about products they are searching for. It is clear then that eCommerce businesses must adapt to this new feature by integrating social marketing strategies into their current SEO campaigns. The \u003c/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eLatest Search\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e feature shows the writing on the wall: Shoppers will be purchasing goods in real-time, and it is important for your business to attract their attention at that phase of the search, or else it may be too late.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003co:p\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eGoogle Product Extensions\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eGoogle Product Extensions connects keywords with relevant products offered directly by retailers. However, in addition to triggering paid search ads, results can now display images and pricing information. The good news is that your products can now claim more screen space and, thus, increase your click-through rates. The bad news is that if you do not have images for display, you will now show up lower in the results, which will lead to a lower click-through rate.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eGoogle Product Listing Ads\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eBesides for paid search ads, Google now includes Product Listing Ads, which come from Google-approved affiliate networks and product search inventory. In short, these Product Listing Ads display an image, followed by product name and price. The big deal is that these ads use a cost-per-acquisition (CPA) model instead of the typical cost-per-click (CPC) model. This means these ads are lower risk for you. Lower risk and more efficient – so what’s the catch? Right now these ads are limited to a few advertisers in a limited beta. However, if these ads come into play, the entire scheme of attracting customers will shift significantly.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eGoogle Product Reviews\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003co:p\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"display: inline !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eRecently, Google announced a partnership with Bazaarvoice – a top product review company – which will allow user reviews and ratings to appear within relevant search results. Currently, this feature is exclusively available to retailers who work with Bazaarvoice, but expect all that to change in the near future. It is unclear at this time exactly what affects these reviews will have, but you can be certain they will have an impact.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cdiv align\u003d\"center\" class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"display: inline !important; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"display: inline !important;\"\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"display: inline !important;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eAndroid Apps\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"display: inline !important;\"\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"display: inline !important;\"\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"display: inline !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eGoogle research shows that in the three years since the launch of the first iPhone, mobile shopping-related search queries have grown by more than 3,000%. It is important for retailers to recognize the emergence of mCommerce as a legitimate sales channel, and take the necessary steps to be a part of the growing excitement. Google’s smartphone operating system – Android – is the fastest growing smartphone operating system currently on the market. Google recently launched Google Shopper, a mobile app that lets consumers search for products via a barcode scan, picture scan or keywords. There are many other such apps that make shopping via mobile smartphones a breeze. If you don’t want your business to be left lying in the dust, now is the time to take action and find your niche in the mCommerce arena.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"display: inline !important;\"\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"display: inline !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eRemember, Google is a big part of what makes any eCommerce retailer successful. It makes sense to keep up-to-date and align your business to these fresh, exciting changes.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7371662734465550695-5762292942928682412?l\u003dwww.retail-ecommerce.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/2010/05/new-changes-to-google-what-will-they.html#comment-form","title":"10 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7371662734465550695/posts/default/5762292942928682412"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7371662734465550695/posts/default/5762292942928682412"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/2010/05/new-changes-to-google-what-will-they.html","title":"New Changes To Google: What Will They Mean To Your Ecommerce Business?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Idris"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08662471303028726341"},"email":{"$t":"idris@mobiusservices.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"09682962941223380762"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"10"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371662734465550695.post-4028843555521204912"},"published":{"$t":"2010-04-22T21:23:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-04-22T23:29:31.339-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"eCommerce Marketing"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"ABC of Blogging - Definitely Not!!!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ayGo5fKPsHM/S9Eh9TuKzcI/AAAAAAAAAFM/cWiyhhMQRRo/s1600/redetail.jpg\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"145\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ayGo5fKPsHM/S9Eh9TuKzcI/AAAAAAAAAFM/cWiyhhMQRRo/s200/redetail.jpg\" width\u003d\"200\" /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eBlogging has been around for some time now. Though early bloggers did not have an exact term for what they were doing, soon Jorn Barger coined the term web log, which was later reduced to blog by Peter Merholz, President and one of the founders of Adaptive Path.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eDon’t be misled; I am not going to elaborate on the history of blogging, but rather about the chemistry between blogging and retailers.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca name\u003d'more'\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eRetailers are popping up everywhere like fireworks on the 4th of July, trying to sell through all possible channels. So it comes as no surprise that they would invade the blog space to reach out to more customers. Our statistics reveal that \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/2009/03/of-top-100-online-retailers-44.html\"\u003e44 of top 100 online retailers\u003c/a\u003e indulge in blogging. No harm there! The question is – “Are they doing it right?” \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"line-height: 14px;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eAs I tried to emphasize in my title,\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"line-height: 14px;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eI am not here to talk about the ABC of blogging - Architecture, \u0026nbsp;Back links\u0026nbsp;or\u0026nbsp;Content\u0026nbsp;– but more on the blogging strategy.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003ePeople who usually subscribe to blogs are looking for some information that is engaging and useful. They want to take back ideas, thoughts, views and so on from an article. They might not be appreciative of a blog that is centered on sales.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eSo the obvious question is, if not for selling, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/2009/02/5rs-of-retail-blog.html\"\u003ewhy should retailers blog?\u003c/a\u003e I never said don’t sell, but don’t sell your products. Sell your credibility, information and create the perception of expertise. Now how can you do that?\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eFor instance, say you are an apparel merchant and want to include blog marketing as a strategy. How can you go about it? First and foremost, do not try to push your products on the readers. Create posts that give information on the latest fashion trends or tips on how to take care of clothing, or styles for different body types and so on.  You can even cover a few fashion weeks or give updates on celebrity fashion in your blog. Your reader base will definitely increase and may be they will convert into potential customers. \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eIf you smartly include a few products now and then as season must-haves or the latest trend, people might be more willing to buy as they always like to buy from people who understand the market and its trends.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"Apple-style-span\" style\u003d\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eSo, before you jump into the ABC of blogging, have a strategy in place. Only you can decide whether you want your blog to sound like a commercial soundbite or a relational and conversational tool.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7371662734465550695-4028843555521204912?l\u003dwww.retail-ecommerce.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/2010/04/retail-blogging-strategy.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7371662734465550695/posts/default/4028843555521204912"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7371662734465550695/posts/default/4028843555521204912"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/2010/04/retail-blogging-strategy.html","title":"ABC of Blogging - Definitely Not!!!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sheeja"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/04316139994620787836"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"14399732853070280645"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ayGo5fKPsHM/S9Eh9TuKzcI/AAAAAAAAAFM/cWiyhhMQRRo/s72-c/redetail.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371662734465550695.post-9147542002918281964"},"published":{"$t":"2010-03-25T03:14:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-03-26T03:19:04.866-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"eCommerce Marketing"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How to gain online shoppers’ trust?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/S6yJ8RBWmgI/AAAAAAAAAmc/L3t_NCy07yg/s1600/trst.jpg\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"145\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/S6yJ8RBWmgI/AAAAAAAAAmc/L3t_NCy07yg/s200/trst.jpg\" width\u003d\"200\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003eSetting-up an ecommerce store with mind-boggling merchandising functionalities will never get you sales unless you gain the trust of your customers because it is one of the most important elements of ecommerce success, which an online retailer should strive to achieve. \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003eBy gaining trust, I mean gaining the confidence of your shoppers so that they buy from your online store without any apprehension. One of the nicest ways through which online retailers (especially pure online retailers – with and without inventory) can gain trust is to “HUMANIZE THE ONLINE STORE”. \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSo, what exactly is humanizing an online store?\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003eIt simply means making your online store more humane by adding extra features on your website to ensure that your prospective online shoppers believe that you are a real business and/or person to deal with and not an automated machine or a piece of junk software. \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003eThere are a few strategies that can help you humanize your ecommerce store, which in turn would help you gain trust and build a huge \u0026amp; loyal customer base.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca name\u003d'more'\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eChat Live:  \u003c/b\u003eI am sure you know what live chat means. Well, adding a LIVE CHAT button on your website is a technique for telling people that their queries will be immediately answered by the appointed customer support representatives. More often, live chats are text based but you can make it more effective if an additional feature like web camera is installed at your CSR’s desk, so that online shoppers can actually see the person who is answering their query.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eDifferent Live Chat Buttons \u0026amp; Windows...\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ctable border\u003d\"0\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/S6s6-YhgMXI/AAAAAAAAAlg/BrMyFQN0S4I/s1600/Directdeals+Live+Chat+Button.gif\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/S6s6-YhgMXI/AAAAAAAAAlg/BrMyFQN0S4I/s320/Directdeals+Live+Chat+Button.gif\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/S6s7E_uaIeI/AAAAAAAAAlo/nhQL6f5h7Xo/s1600/Live+Chat+Button.gif\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/S6s7E_uaIeI/AAAAAAAAAlo/nhQL6f5h7Xo/s320/Live+Chat+Button.gif\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/S6s703L249I/AAAAAAAAAlw/oRTNwhLDtZQ/s1600/text+chat+support.gif\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/S6s703L249I/AAAAAAAAAlw/oRTNwhLDtZQ/s320/text+chat+support.gif\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/S6s-TnI0eEI/AAAAAAAAAmA/X34g-xoK7kc/s1600/Live+person+chat.JPG\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/S6s-TnI0eEI/AAAAAAAAAmA/X34g-xoK7kc/s320/Live+person+chat.JPG\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eSpeak Live:\u003c/b\u003e Providing a facility for your online shoppers to speak to you or your associates is one of the best ways to humanize online business. You can have toll-free numbers/contact numbers displayed on your site or call back forms or click to call functionality, whichever is more convenient for you.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eCSR icon from http://www.safeandvaultstore.com \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/S6s_Vf2JjhI/AAAAAAAAAmI/kLIttoUeglI/s1600/CSR.png\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/S6s_Vf2JjhI/AAAAAAAAAmI/kLIttoUeglI/s320/CSR.png\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/center\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAct Live:\u003c/b\u003e Videos of product reviews, demos, and so on from your product expert would also add value. Check some of the reviews and demos from top online retailers like \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query\u003dzappos+review\"\u003ezappos\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://onlineshoes.tv/\"\u003eonlineshoes.com\u003c/a\u003e, etc…\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cobject height\u003d\"265\" width\u003d\"320\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"movie\" value\u003d\"http://www.youtube.com/v/s1fsHgZk2YU\u0026amp;hl\u003den_US\u0026amp;fs\u003d1\u0026amp;rel\u003d0\u0026amp;color1\u003d0xe1600f\u0026amp;color2\u003d0xfebd01\"\u003e\u003c/param\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"allowFullScreen\" value\u003d\"true\"\u003e\u003c/param\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"allowscriptaccess\" value\u003d\"always\"\u003e\u003c/param\u003e\u003cembed src\u003d\"http://www.youtube.com/v/s1fsHgZk2YU\u0026amp;hl\u003den_US\u0026amp;fs\u003d1\u0026amp;rel\u003d0\u0026amp;color1\u003d0xe1600f\u0026amp;color2\u003d0xfebd01\" type\u003d\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" allowscriptaccess\u003d\"always\" allowfullscreen\u003d\"true\" width\u003d\"320\" height\u003d\"265\"\u003e\u003c/embed\u003e\u003c/object\u003e\u003c/center\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eEmail Live:\u003c/b\u003e Another feature that can help is email forms and email ids provided on your website. It allows people to email instantly to reach you if they have any queries. \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAnswer Live:\u003c/b\u003e  Online shoppers are always on the quest for product information, so they ask questions on forums, visit review sites and other authentic sources. Making your staff/product experts available at these places for answering these queries will help shoppers gain trust. \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBe Social:\u003c/b\u003e Bringing your online store to the social environment contributes a lot towards humanizing your store. There is not just one but several tools that can increase your visibility in the social media space like \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/2009/12/top-online-retailers-on-twitter.html\"\u003etwittering\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/2009/03/of-top-100-online-retailers-44.html\"\u003eblogging\u003c/a\u003e, etc which has becoming more and more common among the online retailers.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBlow your own trumpet:\u003c/b\u003e Talk about yourself (your company, products, and services) through different mediums like text, voice, and video highlighting why someone should buy from you. Take a look at the video from an online retailer called “Sweet Services”.  I think this video is a little amateurish, yet natural. \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cobject height\u003d\"265\" width\u003d\"320\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"movie\" value\u003d\"http://www.youtube.com/v/xDCagSthitw\u0026hl\u003den_US\u0026fs\u003d1\u0026rel\u003d0\u0026color1\u003d0xe1600f\u0026color2\u003d0xfebd01\"\u003e\u003c/param\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"allowFullScreen\" value\u003d\"true\"\u003e\u003c/param\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"allowscriptaccess\" value\u003d\"always\"\u003e\u003c/param\u003e\u003cembed src\u003d\"http://www.youtube.com/v/xDCagSthitw\u0026hl\u003den_US\u0026fs\u003d1\u0026rel\u003d0\u0026color1\u003d0xe1600f\u0026color2\u003d0xfebd01\" type\u003d\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" allowscriptaccess\u003d\"always\" allowfullscreen\u003d\"true\" width\u003d\"320\" height\u003d\"265\"\u003e\u003c/embed\u003e\u003c/object\u003e\u003c/center\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7371662734465550695-9147542002918281964?l\u003dwww.retail-ecommerce.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/2010/03/how-to-gain-online-shoppers-trust.html#comment-form","title":"13 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7371662734465550695/posts/default/9147542002918281964"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7371662734465550695/posts/default/9147542002918281964"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/2010/03/how-to-gain-online-shoppers-trust.html","title":"How to gain online shoppers’ trust?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Idris"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08662471303028726341"},"email":{"$t":"idris@mobiusservices.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"09682962941223380762"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/S6yJ8RBWmgI/AAAAAAAAAmc/L3t_NCy07yg/s72-c/trst.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"13"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371662734465550695.post-1090457178788515654"},"published":{"$t":"2009-12-11T06:52:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-02-10T03:48:32.069-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"eCommerce Marketing"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Twitter, a Preferred Social Media Outlet for Top Online Retailers"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/SyJeBgWgcXI/AAAAAAAAAhk/3mxhTsjScgg/s1600-h/twitter-bird-2.png\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/SyJeBgWgcXI/AAAAAAAAAhk/3mxhTsjScgg/s200/twitter-bird-2.png\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003eA couple of years ago, if you had asked what twitter meant, you would have been called a bird brain. Excuse the pun, but don’t they teach at elementary school that birds twitter, dogs bark and so on!! And if you ask folks what twitter means now, some might still call you a bird brain as who doesn’t know about this burgeoning social tool that has revolutionized the way we communicate.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.twitter.com/\"\u003eTwitter\u003c/a\u003e is a popular service, which combines social networking, instant messaging and micro-blogging features. \u0026nbsp;You can send updates anytime via SMS, instant messaging, or email to the Twitter website.\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003eIt is a powerful tool which if effectively used can help you connect with your audience and build your brand. You can also use this platform as a promotional medium. So, it comes as no surprise that online retailers are tweeting like crazy. They are using this tool to increase visibility and stay ahead of completion. All it takes is 140 characters!!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003eSo, we did a small research to find how many of top 100 online retaielrs of 2009 are on twitter and who is not.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca name\u003d'more'\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;Of 100 almost 92 are on Twitter. Top retailers like Staples, Apple Abercrombie and Allposters are on Twitter but they are not active yet. Retailers like QVC Inc, Victoria’s Secret and Walmart have initiated tweeting but the number of tweets by them is limited to single digits. It is astonishing to know that retailers like Hpshopping.com, bedroomfurniture, effollet, Ralphlauren and others still don’t have twitter presence. VistaPrint, Buy.com, Overstock and Kohl's Corp are exploiting the service to the most as they are churning out tweets by the thousands with Buy.com leading the pack with 8491 tweets. \u003ca href\u003d\"http://twitter.com/Zappos%20\"\u003eZappos\u003c/a\u003e have the maximum number of followers at 1574483 followed by \u003ca href\u003d\"http://twitter.com/DellOutlet%20\"\u003eDell\u003c/a\u003e at 1468239. Toys 'R' Us, Nordstorm, Buy.com, and Overstock also have a lot of ardent followers. It is quite plain that retailers who tweet regularly have a good volume of followers.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003eBlack Friday saw ferocious activity on Twitter with deals and promotional offers and as Christmas and New Year advances, we can only expect these activities to pick up more pace. In other words, we can expect changes in Twitter activity by retailers and the numbers furnished by us might change (for the better). Twitter is here to stay……and why not, retailers are flocking to \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v\u003duj29NknXzhw\"\u003eTwitter for marketing\u003c/a\u003e. Excuse the pun and \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.twitter.com/mobiusservices\"\u003efollow us\u003c/a\u003e on Twitter ;-) \u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7371662734465550695-1090457178788515654?l\u003dwww.retail-ecommerce.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/2009/12/top-online-retailers-on-twitter.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7371662734465550695/posts/default/1090457178788515654"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7371662734465550695/posts/default/1090457178788515654"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/2009/12/top-online-retailers-on-twitter.html","title":"Twitter, a Preferred Social Media Outlet for Top Online Retailers"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Idris"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08662471303028726341"},"email":{"$t":"idris@mobiusservices.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"09682962941223380762"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/SyJeBgWgcXI/AAAAAAAAAhk/3mxhTsjScgg/s72-c/twitter-bird-2.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371662734465550695.post-5373785763858771665"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-21T03:38:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-23T05:57:27.566-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Guest Blog"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"eCommerce Marketing"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"10 Expert Tips to Retain Your New Customers on eCommerce Websites"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/SwfOEw43ilI/AAAAAAAAAhc/w-HAvIinMLI/s1600/retain.bmp\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/SwfOEw43ilI/AAAAAAAAAhc/w-HAvIinMLI/s200/retain.bmp\" yr\u003d\"true\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: large;\"\u003eS\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/b\u003euccessful retailers retain their customers, and that's how they become successful. :)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eHere, our guest blogger Michelle talks about retaining the customers. Michelle Strassburg heads the sales and marketing at \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.woodandbeyond.com/\"\u003ewood and beyond\u003c/a\u003e that sells \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.woodandbeyond.com/\"\u003ehardwood flooring\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWinning new customers is often easier than keeping them! Not too dissimilar to other types of relationships, business or personal, you must work hard to make sure the other party is happy. Retaining customers creates a happy relationship for both parties and should therefore be considered as a key objective for the business. The math is simple, retain more customers to win more returning business.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eHere are 10 tips to retain new customers:\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca name\u003d'more'\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e1. Stay in touch and actively communicate\u003c/b\u003e – Looking at things from a customer's point of view is the key to a successful retention programme. Before the days of e-commerce, staying in touch with customers was costly and complicated. Nowadays, newsletters and even mobile SMS messages offer a cost-effective way to stay current.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e2. Diversify your communication tools\u003c/b\u003e - The web has not only brought us fast search and easy online shopping, it has also brought us new communication tools. Some customer groups might be using Twitter, some might be using Skype and some still prefer to pick up the phone to hear a voice on the other side. In order to cater to everyone, businesses need to diversify their communication tools as a means to retain customers. \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e3. Encourage communication from customers\u003c/b\u003e - Hearing from customers keeps them engaged with the brand and also helps you to identify and address potential problems quickly. Consider signing every newsletter with a message asking for feedback. Offer an easy way to add comments and product reviews.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e4. Make customer service a business priority\u003c/b\u003e - Most types of e-commerce sites I know, heavily depend on returning business to offset costs involved in winning new business. It therefore makes sense to invest in customer-centric resources such as a dedicated customer service teams, customer service procedures and of course high level of staff training. \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e5. Make customer service a priority across all departments -\u003c/b\u003e There is little to be gained if one department upholds excellent customer service, but others do not follow suit. To make customer retention work, all departments from customer support to billing and shipping should place customer needs first. A happy customer is likely a returning customer, simple!\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e6. Stay one step ahead of the competition -\u003c/b\u003e Losing parts of the customer base because the competition has outsmarted you happens in business. To minimize this risk, invest in brand relevancy by constantly diversifying product offers and promotions making the brand more sticky. \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e7. Stay competitive and relevant -\u003c/b\u003e Even the best brand and product loyalty programmes will not beat a better deal if your competitor has one. To retain customers, it is essential to keep prices competitive and stay relevant by going with current customer tastes and trends. Always be on the lookout for new products and services if you have recognised an opportunity in the market.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e8. Build a loyalty programme -\u003c/b\u003e In addition to staying at the forefront of customers' minds, you also want to make it worth their while to purchase from your store. The most straightforward loyalty programmes are money off a next purchase and they often work. Other e-commerce sites sometimes employ an element of referrals to their loyalty programmes, but it will require more resources to manage.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e9. Be seen as an authority not only as an e-commerce site -\u003c/b\u003e Other than selling, do something extra for your customers which others cannot. My favourite is offering maintenance how-to and product guides which customers appreciate and tend to bookmark, increasing the likelihood of them returning.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e10. Use commonsense\u003c/b\u003e - Try and put yourself in your customers' shoes and ask yourself what would make you come back to the site.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI hope my tips have pointed you in the right direction.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7371662734465550695-5373785763858771665?l\u003dwww.retail-ecommerce.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/2009/11/10-expert-tips-to-retain-your-new.html#comment-form","title":"8 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7371662734465550695/posts/default/5373785763858771665"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7371662734465550695/posts/default/5373785763858771665"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/2009/11/10-expert-tips-to-retain-your-new.html","title":"10 Expert Tips to Retain Your New Customers on eCommerce Websites"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Idris"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08662471303028726341"},"email":{"$t":"idris@mobiusservices.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"09682962941223380762"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/SwfOEw43ilI/AAAAAAAAAhc/w-HAvIinMLI/s72-c/retain.bmp","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"8"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371662734465550695.post-3828659196001995948"},"published":{"$t":"2009-10-08T02:49:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-10-26T04:45:28.304-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"eCommerce Marketing"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Boost your holiday sales – Convert browsers to buyers"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/Ss3Qt1YLJ3I/AAAAAAAAAdI/N-SAq-ZSV58/s1600-h/Girl-santa.jpg\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/Ss3Qt1YLJ3I/AAAAAAAAAdI/N-SAq-ZSV58/s320/Girl-santa.jpg\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe holiday shopping season is just round the corner, but before you hit that road, you must work on your SEO to boost your natural search traffic and revenue. \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.practicalecommerce.com/member/22-Lisa-Wehr\"\u003eLisa Wehr\u003c/a\u003e over at practicalecommerce.com has provided a few great tips on how to boost your holiday sales for this shopping season. I am more than happy to share her views with my visitors.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca name\u003d'more'\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAccording to Lisa, apart from initiating fresh keyword mining, starting pay-per-click campaigns and going in for link building, you must also try new tactics to convert browsers into buyers.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eUnfortunately, a weak economy and plummeting income have brought down the number of impulsive buyers and increased the number of cautious buyers.  People visit and re-visit a site before they are ready to make a purchase. They even visit other online stores, compare prices and only then are ready to take the plunge.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAccording to a study released by the online security provider, McAfee, out of the 163 million shopping transactions they tracked, 65% shoppers completed their purchase after waiting for a day or more.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eShopping cart abandonment is an albatross around the neck of any online retailer, but such instances can be used as opportunities by e-tailers. You can actually get the customer to come back and reclaim the shopping cart. Now the question is, how can you convert browsers into potential customers?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003eOffer special deals and discounts:\u003c/b\u003e A little more for a little less! Shoppers love to shop at a discount. If a shopper shows interest in your product, lure him/her back to your website with a discount or free shipping. You can even offer them free gifts if they purchase from your online store, say a complementary scarf when she buys a dress or a pair of socks when he buys a pair of trousers. Get inventive!!\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003eSend an email:\u003c/b\u003e Give shoppers the option to sign up for emails and bring them back with exciting offers. For instance, send a welcome mail with a discount on the first purchase.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003eTalk about your security:\u003c/b\u003e You are convinced that your site is secure but do your customers share that confidence? According to McAfee, conversion rates are higher if shoppers feel that they are in a shopping haven.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSo, wrap your products attractively with some interesting deals and discounts to get the most out of this shopping season, but make sure that you keep these offers going through Christmas and afterwards. You never know when the sales will pick up, and a missed opportunity is a missed sale!!\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7371662734465550695-3828659196001995948?l\u003dwww.retail-ecommerce.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/2009/10/boost-your-holiday-sales-convert_08.html#comment-form","title":"6 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7371662734465550695/posts/default/3828659196001995948"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7371662734465550695/posts/default/3828659196001995948"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/2009/10/boost-your-holiday-sales-convert_08.html","title":"Boost your holiday sales – Convert browsers to buyers"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sheeja"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/04316139994620787836"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"14399732853070280645"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dlghruORuhI/Ss3Qt1YLJ3I/AAAAAAAAAdI/N-SAq-ZSV58/s72-c/Girl-santa.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"6"}}]}});