eMarketer team says, “The webinar will address these key questions:Why did mcommerce make a big jump in holiday 2014?What is the best way to reach the omnichannel holiday shopper?How is the online holiday shopping calendar changing shape, and how are retailers responding?What to expect in 2015—eMarketer’s ecommerce forecast revealed”Webinar DetailsOrganizer:  eMarketerKey Speaker: Yory WurmserTopic: Lessons from Holiday Shopping 2014—What You Need to Know for 2015Day/Date: Thursday, March 26Time: 1.00 pm ET – Time Zone ConverterRegister for webinar details.‘Lessons... [...]

Greg Sterling says, “Both Amazon and Target released holiday related statistics this week. Most striking was Target’s that a majority of the traffic to its Target.com site was from mobile devices during November and December.Both Amazon and Target released holiday shopping related statistics this week. Most striking was Target’s statement that a majority of the traffic to its Target.com site was from mobile devices during November and December.The company said, “Mobile traffic made up 60 percent of Target.com traffic November through December.” In its press release the company... [...]

Arie Shpanya says, “To say the least, it has not been a typical holiday shopping season and that’s a good thing for online retailers.One possible explanation for the unprecedented ecommerce growth this holiday season is that the duration has been expanding for years.It started off as just the weeks leading up to Christmas, but slowly it crept back into November.This year Amazon even started ‘Black Friday’ deals on November 1, when Halloween decorations had barely been taken down yet”.How ecommerce won this holiday season and what it means for 2015‘Econsultancy’... [...]

Pamela Parker says, “Online holiday shopping activity slowed during the Christmas week but certainly didn’t stop entirely. Traffic was still clocking in at 1.6 times the holiday baseline while conversions dropped precipitously, to only .9 times the baseline number.Traffic was especially notable on the day after Christmas, when it spiked to 2 times the baseline number. Interestingly, conversions stayed fairly strong through Christmas Eve, according to this week’s Marketing Land Online Retail Sales Report.The report is based on data from HookLogic, a company which gathers data on online... [...]

Kevin Edwards says, “Black Friday finally took hold in the UK this year thanks largely to a huge marketing push by retailers.Econsultancy has previously rounded up a number of stats from the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend, and here’s some new data from Affiliate Window.The company’s affiliates recorded 1m sales in the UK over the four day pre-Christmas peak trading period.For more on this topic, read Econsultancy’s posts on Black Friday email marketing campaigns and the retailers that failed to adequately prepare for the traffic surge.1. Black Friday was a daytime event,... [...]

Kristopher Arcand says, “Thanksgiving weekend has traditionally been highly lucrative for retailers, but this year saw another drop in spending specifically on Black Friday. In the meantime, online shopping continues to soar, and the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving weekend provided consumers with deep-discount sales. In short, the weekend itself is becoming less valuable to the average consumer. But how does consumer sentiment match up with this shift in behavior? How do perceptions of the 2014 holiday season differ from those of years past and consumers’ initial expectations?As part... [...]

Jay Calavas says, “To create long-term customer loyalty and profits, marketing professionals need to find a way to extend the yearend holidays’ sales momentum into the New Year.Marketers often spend months preparing for the holiday rush. They undertake ad campaigns, data collection initiatives, and mobile commerce site optimization. The light at the end of the tunnel is often December 26, when Black Friday is a distant memory, Cyber Monday is over, and Christmas has come and gone.However, there’s no reason to consider the season over just because the mistletoe has come down.As... [...]

Ayaz Nanji says, “Marketers hoping that the rapid shift toward mobile devices will help simplify their email approaches during the holiday season may be disappointed, according to a recent report from Return Path.Global consumers appear to be engaging in more multi-screen rather than mobile-only email interactions this year, the analysis found. Moreover, in November, less than half of the emails examined were opened on a mobile device, a decrease from last year when mobile open rates surpassed 50%.The report was based on data from 16 billion email opens that occurred between October 2013... [...]

Amanda Brief says, “Consumer-generated reviews are now the most influential form of social media. Bill Tancer, our resident data expert and author of Everyone’s a Critic – Winning Customers in a Review-Driven World sat down to discuss how businesses can leverage online reviews to their advantage, especially during the critical holiday season.To get started, embrace these five simple rules to leverage online reviews: 1.)  Showcase your passionWhen you are interacting with a customer, make sure that your passion for your business shines through to customers. If a customer recognizes... [...]

Briana Mulherin says, “Each week, we will provide you with real time insights and trends for the 2014 holiday season: how consumers are shopping, what they are searching for and how marketing campaigns can be optimized to maximize rewards for both consumers and brands. Sign up to receive the weekly #HolidayHotSheet in your inbox and stay tuned to the blog for highlights and additional holiday coverage.The biggest shopping days of the year – Black Friday and Cyber Monday – just passed us by and they did not disappoint! Cyber Monday was, as expected, the busiest online shopping day... [...]