Ginny Marvin says, “Last week, my dental hygienist told me she was taking Monday off “for Cyber Monday.” Not Black Friday, but Cyber Monday. The irony of taking off the day that started strictly as a workplace shopping experience is rich, but her choice turns out to have been an early indicator of a broader trend. Consumers didn’t flock to offline deals on Black Friday, and sales were lackluster this year; meanwhile, Cyber Monday produced another e-commerce sales record.Online sales topped $3 billion on Cyber Monday, according to Adobe. The company says 200 million visits... [...]

Ajay Kapur says, “The holidays are approaching, and mobile is going to play a bigger role in eCommerce than ever before.Last year, mobile holiday shopping traffic surpassed desktop for the first time.Retailers are expecting even higher mobile traffic this year.Below are six key mobile holiday shopping trends we’re seeing take shape for 2015, and how to optimize your mobile site for the forecasted web traffic.1. More Holiday Purchases Will Be Influenced by Mobile Than Ever BeforeConsumers are turning to their mobile devices during all steps of the shopping journey, from inspiration... [...]

Matt Linder says, “Through the morning, Cyber Monday online sales rose 14% year over year.The holiday shopping season is off to a lucrative start for online retailers.Data from IBM shows that online sales grew 25.2% year over year during the four-day Thanksgiving weekend, traditionally the kickoff to the holiday shopping season. On Cyber Monday, as the Monday after Thanksgiving is called, IBM was projecting online sales to grow 18% compared to 2014 on what is often the busiest online shopping days of the year.Traffic and sales on mobile devices are helping to drive that growth. As of... [...]

Patricio Robles says, “On Thanksgiving and Black Friday, while many companies were working to lure customers in with hefty discounts, one company decided to ask customers to give it money in exchange for nothing at all. Cards Against Humanity, maker of politically incorrect playing cards, ultimately convinced nearly 12,500 people to literally gift it $71,145.Why would anybody give a company $5 or more in exchange for nothing? As Cards Against Humanity’s FAQ explained…Because the greatest Black Friday gift of all is buying nothing. We’re offering that for the rock-bottom... [...]

Greg Sterling says, “Black Friday ain’t what it used to be. The cultural ritual (if I can call it that) appears to have lost some of its mojo, as many retailers, seeking attention and competitive advantage, make Black Friday-style deals available before Thanksgiving. There has also been a shift of some in-store shopping to online (and mobile).According to in-store analytics provider ShopperTrak, brick-and-mortar retail sales on Thanksgiving and Black Friday this year came in at roughly $12.1 billion, which is lower than in 2014. Specifically, Black Friday brought in $10.4 this year versus... [...]

Zak Stambor says, “Email accounted for 25.1% of e-commerce sales referrals on Black Friday, says one report, while another finds that marketing emails drove 25% more online sales over the weekend than they did a year ago.Email marketing may not be flashy, but the channel drove a significant share of e-commerce orders over the holiday weekend and today.25.1% of e-commerce transactions on Friday stemmed from shoppers clicking from emails, according to report by marketing platform vendor Custora. Another report, by Adobe Systems Inc.’s Adobe Digital Index, finds email marketing accounted... [...]

Patricio Robles says, “The holiday shopping season is one of the marketing world’s annual highlights, but for many non-retailers, the last two months of the year are nothing more than business as usual.Even so, the billions of dollars that retailers pour into marketing during this period can complicate matters for non-retail brands.How can they market effectively when just about everybody is being bombarded with retail-related campaigns? Here are five tips.1. Don’t sit on the sidelinesThe holiday shopping season can be an intimidating time for non-retail marketers tasked... [...]

Staples says, “It’s that time of year again: The first hint of frost is in the air, the conversations are turning to turkey and gift-giving, and holiday puns are dancing like sugarplums in the minds of social media managers everywhere.Small business owners already have a lot on their plates during this time of year, so when it comes to holiday marketing, it can all feel a bit overwhelming. Staples is here to help. Beyond being the one-stop shop for everything small businesses need to make more happen, below are some tips to help small businesses capitalize on this season’s top... [...]

Kavin Labick says, “As Cyber Monday and Black Friday approach once again, both online and in-store retailers are preparing for intense shopping—both digital and physical—across the nation.For online retailers, preparation means hours of unglamorous, behind-the-scenes preparation, endless performance testing, countless iterative tweaks, and thorough user research to ensure that websites, apps, and electronic systems can withstand heavy traffic.Meanwhile, in-store retailers engage with Black Friday consumers on a personal level, relying heavily upon customer service and in-store-only... [...]

Jawad Khan says, “One of the biggest weekends for online retailers and eCommerce companies in the U.S, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just a few days away.Last year, Black Friday and Thanksgiving sales reached unprecedented scales with more than $1.5 billion in a single day.This year, however, Cyber Monday, in particular, promises to be even bigger and better. But did you create your eCommerce website design with buyer conversions in mind?To take advantage from the customer surge this Black Friday, here are a few things you should do immediately.1. Switch to a Responsive Website DesignThe... [...]