Allison Howen says, “The holidays may be a time for socializing, but last year not all e-commerce brands mingled where it counted – the top social media networks.According to a quick report from StatSocial (infographic below), a social analytics platform, the social chatter around last year’s Black Friday blew Cyber Monday out of the virutal water. Last year, there were 1.6 million tweets around Black Friday, compared to just 486,000 tweets about Cyber Monday 2013. Men tended to also tweet more about Black Friday than they did Cyber Monday last year”.Here’s to a More... [...]

Tom Caporaso says, “As 2014 winds down, the results of your retail holiday strategy will slowly come into focus. Hopefully, you’re having a merry old time, reaching record heights in sales, customers, revenue, website traffic—all the things that help to make a holiday marketing season bright.However, now is no time to rest on your laurels (or lick your wounds, as the case may be). As every retailer knows, there’s no off-season in retail marketing, especially in the online world, where if you’re not moving forward… you’re automatically falling behind.Even... [...]

Matthew Whitehead says, “Paid search is a key element of marketing campaigns during the festive shopping season.What should advertisers be focusing on to succeed this year?Here are six key tips to inform your search advertising campaigns this festive season:1. Analyse past performance and forecast for the futureReference historical data when planning your campaigns, but don’t simply replicate the same tactics from the previous year. Where were your peaks in 2013 – and how does the changing calendar impact them?In 2014, there will only be 26 days between Black Friday and Christmas itself... [...]

Verónica Maria Jarski says, “Looking at the past can help you prepare for the future. So, here’s what Black Friday e-commerce looked like last year.This year won’t likely be too much different, so plan accordingly.The overall online sales for Thanksgiving and Black Friday in 2013 was $1.964 billion, according to the infographic by Nextopia.The top purchases were electronics (87% of shoppers), clothing (71%), toys (58%) and jewelry (30%).Mobile shopping grew to 39.7% of all online traffic, with mobile sales reaching 21.6% of total online sales, Nextopia states”.What... [...]

Allison Howen says, “A new study reveals that the number one reason consumers avoid online shopping is the lack of in-person assistance and proactive engagement from brands.The study, which was commissioned by Moxie Software and surveyed more than 2,500 consumers, found that 72 percent of respondents want brands to proactively engage with them online – especially when they are struggling on a website. Moreover, two out of three shoppers say they would do more of their shopping online if they were offered proactive engagement”.Is Live Chat the Key to Conversion for Holiday Shoppers?Website... [...]

Rex Santus says, “Happy holidays, mobile users. Google updated its search engine on Sunday to include fancier functions for smartphones and tablets that make your Christmas shopping easier.In time for Black Friday, your shopping on mobile devices will yield some extra information, like where the product is available and user reviews, at the top of Google‘s interface. You don’t have to use Google’s “shopping” tab, either. The details will pop up on a regular search. You’ll also have the option to use a 3D, 360-degree rotation tool to view some products.According... [...]

Christopher Ratcliff says, “Although this may just seem like a topical festive themed post, the lessons here are applicable all year round.I just thought why not use 2014’s biggest toys as a control group, then I can do some sneaky Christmas shopping at the same time.Transparency! It’s what we stand for here at Econsultancy.As our editor Graham Charlton points out in his article on essential PPC landing page success factors a common mistake in paid search strategy is to focus entirely on keyword targeting and CPC management whilst ignoring the vital role that landing page optimisation... [...]

Verónica Maria Jarski says, “More than half (51%) of shoppers plan to purchase holiday items online, according to the following Yahoo infographic.Use the infographic’s search advertising tips to get on holiday shoppers’ wish lists.One big tip: Make sure your site is optimized for mobile. “Some 76% of smartphone owners plan to use their device for holiday shopping,” states Yahoo.Moreover, 88% of shoppers have researched a product online then purchased in a store.Also, be mindful of the busiest days of the season, such as Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday,... [...]

Jillian Kumagai says, “If your shopping fantasy is a week-long Black Friday sale, then you’re in luck: This year, Amazon is counting down to Black Friday with limited-time deals all the way up until the big day.While Amazon’s sales, like all major Black Friday sales, are heavy on tech gadgets, the mega online retailer’s variety is also represented this year from men’s shoes to cookware. The main thing you need to know is that they’re broken down into Daily Deals (available through Dec. 22) and 15,000 lightning sales that will be available until the Black Friday... [...]

Olivia Dello Buono says, “The holiday season is almost upon us! Aside from spreading the yuletide cheer, your customers have only one thing on their minds: shopping.This time of year marks a lucrative opportunity for small businesses: it’s forecasted that consumers will spend over $616.9 billion this season (that’s a 4.1 percent increase over holiday 2013 sales).Since we believe it’s better to give than to receive, we’re gifting you this handy list (don’t worry – we’ve checked it more than twice!) to help you engage your audience and optimize your holiday marketing efforts”.12... [...]