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Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 9th, 2010. Last year, Americans spent a total of $14.1 billion dollars on their moms. For some mothers, it’s a practical gift like house wares or gardening tools. For others, nothing beats a day at (more…)

According to Internet Retailer, 4 of the top 20 websites grossing between $25MM & $100MM online send out 20 or more emails per month in 2009. This seems counter-intuitive as sending a mass email to your entire list will surely burn leads. How is it done?

# Monthly Emails in 2009 (Internet Retailer)

The answer is (more…)

Prepare now for the second largest retail season

Valentine’s Day 2010: Sunday, February 14
Valentine’s Day, while often overshadowed by its gargantuan cousin the Christmas Season, is the second largest retail season of the year. Luckily, this holiday comes just in time to give a bump in sales after December’s spending frenzy comes to a halt. If you plan your marketing and promotions correctly, this Valentine’s Day – Sunday, February 14, 2010 – will be very lucrative for your online business. (more…)

It’s been a snowy morning here in NYC and in just a few hours, we will celebrate a new year filled with hope for a promising future. Time’s Square will be packed with tourists and locals alike, counting down the minutes in the slushy streets typically bumper to bumper with taxi cabs and impatient drivers. Illuminated by the light of a blue moon, we can take time out to reflect on the past as we plan for a successful 2010 personally, professionally and as a society.

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Although nothing is certain in today’s economy, ecommerce remains a beacon of possibility and profit. Your customers don’t have to leave home to buy your products, and it’s often more cost-effective to host a virtual storefront than a brick-and-mortar one. Ecommerce sites are well positioned in this turbulent time. However, with the economy in flux and competition intensifying now is certainly not the time to become complacent. (more…)

A recent study may put to rest the Internet marketing version of the chicken and the egg debate once and for all.  Should we as ecommerce marketers be targeting online content, or should we be going after the audience?

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We as Internet marketers have become accustomed to the ever-evolving ecommerce marketplace, but in light of an economy that continues to see (and find) new lows on a regular basis, it is time to start looking at the consumer and how they are changing before our very eyes.

According to an eye opening cover story in this week’s Advertising Age magazine, the average age of an American Head of Household is only six months short of 50 years old. The implications are tremendous as you might expect, but what does it mean to us as ecommerce professionals?

Well for one thing, pandering is out. Don’t even think about playing up 60 as ‘the new 40’. The article suggests playing up suggested advantages including safety, security, guarantees and experience.

Read the full article here.

In light of Siddhartha’s recent post about the new top level domains being made available next year, I found an excellent white paper over the weekend penned by the folks at BuyDomains, called “Five Key Things You Need To Know Before Buying a Domain Name”.  In three short pages, they had me cheering from my desk chair no less than five times.

Most e-commerce and marketing neophytes miss the boat when it comes to several of the key points covered, so I have to rate this one as a must read.  Before the marketing plans can be completed, before the ecommerce software is implemented, you have to establish your brand and your domain name (or names) are a crucial step in that process.

Go.  Read.  It is only three pages.

While the economy is in the toilet, it would seem that home based businesses are doing just fine, thank you.

According to a recent piece on WebWire, the U.S. Department of Labor says that over 20 million people had work-at-home businesses in 2004, and estimated that by 2025 half of all working Americans will be working -at least in part – from home.

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An interesting research tracing preferences of fashion clothing, denim in specific, was recently published. Synovate surveyed around 7,700 people in the United States, Canada, Brazil, France, Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia, Serbia, Russia and South Africa.

Some interesting culture differences originating in social norms:
French were the ones to show style differentiations (highly in favor of jeans in the office, while finding it inappropriate to wear in parties
Russians were found highest in money spending on jeans while Americans were the lowest spenders.
Brazilians are the ones to own the most pairs of jeans.
Canadian and American women faced the greatest difficulties with purchasing the right fit.

Why is this interesting? If your clients are American and Canadian women, help them build their personal online shopping experience by giving them an online tool to help them find their right fit:

• Ask them to select their shape (you may also ask for their measurement to get detailed information) and recommend the right fit and color (check MyShape.com)
• Give them style tips and feature complimentary items
• Have an “Ask Our Stylist” email address to which they could mail their fit and style questions
• Add customers’ reviews and ratings features to the products, enabling them to share their comments about the different shapes

If you have French clients, feature different complimentary items which are more suitable for casual and office environments, and if you have many Brazilian clients – it’s a good enough reason to go to next year’s carnival