Posted by Daniel Peden on March 28th, 2008
Natural search
More people are shopping online due to the credit crunch, according to one industry representative.
The web’s reputation as a haven for bargains has helped the e-commerce sector come to the rescue of those consumers whose options have been restricted by tighter credit conditions, claims Shopsafe.co.uk director Simon Crisp.
According to Mr Crisp, this trend is set to continue throughout 2008 as consumers look for ways to maximise the funds available to them.
"The future will probably stay strong. This year certainly people are looking for bargains online; they’re looking to squeeze every penny out of their budget," he states.
Mr Crisp’s comments come after the IMRG Capgemini e-retail sales index revealed that web sales were up 46 per cent in February compared to the same month in 2007.
The fashion and household goods sectors are claimed by Mr Crisp to be particularly lucrative for e-commerce, with the former described as "massive on the internet" by the industry member.
Posted by Daniel Peden on March 28th, 2008
Social Media
A sustained approach to online marketing has been described as essential for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Howard Gerlis of the British Computer Society (BCS) notes that too many SMEs abandon their web projects after the initial stages.
While those SMEs with websites recognise their value, Mr Gerlis notes that some need persuading that e-commerce is a lucrative route for their particular sector.
Once this recognition is achieved, it needs to be sustained, the BCS representative says, claiming that SMEs should avoid letting their websites "languish very quickly".
"A good website must catch the eye and provide good content which is quick and easy to find," he says.
Users need to be drawn to the website and persuaded to remain there, the expert explains.
Mr Gerlis’s comments come after Netflare research discovered that 23 per cent of small firms had not updated their website since its launch, which was an average of four months ago.
Posted by Alex Postance on March 27th, 2008
Paid Search
Spending on alternative media could reach $161 billion (£321 billion) by 2012, according to one forecast.
A new report from PQ Media Research asserts that vehicles such as mobile devices, digital out-of-home networks and social networks are to see a 20 per cent hike in investment this year, with the figure reaching $88 billion in 2008.
Marketers have a specific hurdle to overcome as such advertising techniques proliferate, says the president and chief executive officer of the analyst.
Patrick Quinn states: "A key challenge is riding that line between effective advertising and marketing without annoying consumers to the point where they’re completely turned off."
The company defines alternative media strategies as those which are based primarily on the internet, but also involve the integration of traditional media platforms with alternative approaches.
Its report is released after research released by Krillion and the e-tailing group advised that all kinds of retail activity are increasingly incorporating web activity.
Posted by David Wilding on March 27th, 2008
Social Media
American Airlines wants to get to know its customers better, according to a new report.
In a bid to do so, MediaPost reveals that the carrier has launched a Facebook widget in order to monitor consumer habits and interactions through viral marketing.
"We want to understand how consumers interact with one another," explains Billy Sanez, director of advertising, promotions and corporate communications with the airline.
Mr Sanez admitted that there is "no controlling a widget", however.
The tool, Travel Bag, invites users of the social network to share their experiences of travelling and offer tips about heading abroad.
Features of the application – to be advertised on Windows Messenger and Hotmail – include Travelogue, Trip-O-Vent and Favourites.
As well as its Microsoft marketing partnership, American Airlines is to publicise the application on Digg.com and various ad-buying networks.
The company was founded in 1929 via the consolidation of a number of smaller aviation companies.
Posted by David Wilding on March 27th, 2008
Natural search
The Jacques Chirac-pioneered cyber search initiative Quaero is not attempting to usurp Google, a leader of the project has said.
Jean-Charles Hourcade, chief technology officer of Thomson, the multimedia company that is leading Quaero, told the International Herald Tribune that its critics have misunderstood the aim of the project.
Rather than an attempt to stray onto the Google-dominated turf of consumer search, Quaero is instead claimed to be a research collaboration aimed at developing multilingual and multimedia search prototypes.
Mr Horucade cited "coopetition" – the marriage of competition and cooperation – as the key driving force behind the programme and pointed out that any results achieved through its investigations would be made available to any interested company.
However, renewed criticism of the scheme has emerged following the European commission’s approval of an aid granted by France to Quaero this month.
Other companies supporting the initiative – billed as the next "Google-killer" by some of its critics – include Siemens AG and France Telecom.
Posted by Gavin Smith on March 26th, 2008
Natural search
Consumer search habits are complemented by the resources offered by product comparison sites, one industry practitioner has claimed.
Michael Yang, founder and chief executive officer of US comparison shopping site Become.com, told MediaPost that the service provided by such web spaces differs "fundamentally" from conventional search, but that both have a place in the e-commerce landscape.
The publication observes that the online resource enables users to browse customer ratings and reviews, create shopping lists, read catalogue content and engage in social networking.
Mr Yang agrees that this community aspect is a crucial component of the comparison shopping experience.
"Users can create lists for things like birthday wish lists, Christmas shopping or upcoming summer vacation products and if other people are looking for, or already have the products in the list then it creates a dialogue," he explained.
In related news, specialist retailers such as AbeBooks and Play.com are distinguishing themselves from their mainstream competition through excellent customer service, according to a recent Which? study.
Posted by Malcolm Slade on March 26th, 2008
Social Media
People are using the internet to enhance their shopping experience even when they make their final purchase on the high street, new research has shown.
An investigation by Krillion and the e-tailing group discovered that the internet plays a crucial role in the e-commerce process, despite the location of the ultimate transaction.
"Consumers are actively gathering detailed product information, insight from other shoppers and third-party validation from multiple sources – regardless of where they end up consummating the final purchase," explained Sherry Thomas-Zon, vice-president of marketing at Krillion.
Data from the study indicated that 67 per cent of savvy online shoppers spend more than 30 per cent of their total shopping time on the web.
The report isolated a specific group, known as "web-informed buyers", which spends more than 50 per cent of total purchase time research items in cyberspace.
Some 60 per cent of such users had paid for an item online and picked it up in-store, compared to a corresponding figure of 50 per cent for shoppers overall.
The report has been released after an article in E-consultancy claimed Tesco should give customers the chance to email queries on its website for greater e-commerce success.
Posted by Mike Gomez on March 26th, 2008
Natural search
Companies looking to enhance their search engine optimisation (SEO) should ensure their title tags are working effectively, a new report asserts.
According to a new E-consultancy article, title tags are a key aspect of good quality SEO and should not be ignored.
For instance, the Campaign for Real Ale could improve its Google ranking – currently at an impressive number four for the term ‘beer’ – by including this word in its title tag, Leon Bailey and Jonathan Hirshler recommend on the site.
The advice comes alongside an array of advice for campaigning groups attempting to navigate cyberspace.
For instance, a social network for commuters could improve the Campaign for Better Transport’s success, while a blog platform for news is said to offer a potential SEO boost for the Plain English Campaign.
Meanwhile, the British Computer Society’s Howard Gerlis has this week asserted that small and medium-sized businesses should maintain their initial interest in a new website rather than letting it languish.
Posted by David Wilding on March 25th, 2008
Paid Search
Traditional media companies are increasingly launching tailored ad initiatives in a bid to rival online giants like Google in the web marketing sphere, a new report observes.
The latest company to make such a move is Forbes, which the Associated Press reports is to begin selling ads to about 400 finance blogs this spring.
Known for its flagship bi-weekly publication Forbes magazine the publishing company is also responsible for BusinessWeek and Fortune.
According to the news provider, the formation of sector-specific ad networks enables conventional media presences such as Forbes’s peers Conde Nast and Viacom – both of which have recently announced similar moves – to assert their ability to match Google and Yahoo!’s ad success.
Sarah Chubb, president of Conde Nast’s online division Conde Net, told the news provider that the firm had been approached by web companies eager to combine their own advertising nous with the traditional firm’s content expertise.
However, Ms Chubb maintained: "We’re pretty good at selling advertising, too."
Posted by Gavin Smith on March 25th, 2008
Social Media
Online retailers can win customers by maximising usability rather than lowering prices, according to a new study.
A survey of 5,710 people by consumer watchdog Which? discovered that specialist retailers are among the most successful e-commerce companies in terms of customer satisfaction.
The clothes category saw underwear retailer figleaves.com emerge top, with respondents citing its range, ease of use and ordering processes as a welcome boost to the shopping experience.
Meanwhile, the entertainment category saw specialist book sales site AbeBooks and computer game, DVD and CD etailer Play.com tied for first place in the customer satisfaction stakes with 89 per cent.
"It was really interesting to see that it was the specialist shopping websites, like AbeBooks, Play.com and figleaves.com, that came out top in our survey – it appears that you can’t put a price on customer service," said Jess Ross, editor of Which?.
Phil Gates, marketing director of web optician Glasses Direct, told E-consultancy last week that the internet optometry sector could mimic the success of the online insurance market.
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