Antony Maina says, “This year’s holiday season promises to be the strongest in five years with mobile eCommerce playing a bigger role than ever. A study by eMarketer, a research agency for insights on marketing in a digital world, projected a 5.7 percent increase in retail sales in November and December, reaching $886 billion. If that’s fulfilled, it will be a significant adjustment from the 3.2 percent growth rate that was predicted earlier in the year and it will also be the biggest increase since 2011, which saw a 6.3 percent rise. Mobile made its first big showing as a transactional... [...]

Corey Beale says, “It’s no secret that the digital media industry needs new business models. As our 2014 Digital Publishing Benchmarks Report points out, digital media companies are operating in a volatile time of transition and discovery. The biggest challenge? It’s a time of uncertainty. Publishers know that ad revenues are on the decline, and they’re experimenting with new monetization channels like sponsored content, webinars, and courses. Consequently, Media companies are also facing option overload, with options spread thin across multiple channels. It’s times like these that... [...]

Georges Berzgal says, “Marketers are very aware of the potential that social media holds for ecommerce retailers. In particular, Pinterest and Instagram are proving to be popular with many brands, as the image-based networks enable them to provide engaging content directly to consumer’s devices. However, what hasn’t always been obvious is how to convert these followers into sales. Both platforms recently developed new tools to more easily facilitate commerce across the board. So what are the inherent benefits of services like Pinterest and Instagram, and which provides the best platform... [...]

Conner Burt says, “As Q4 winds to an end, there are inevitably open deals needing to be shut and (hopefully) shoved into the “closed-won” bucket. Just one problem — this is far easier said than done. Below are a few tips I gave the Lesson.ly sales team on closing before the opening of Q1 2016. 1) Adjust your mindset. Have you ever heard a sales colleague load on the excuses towards the end of the year? I’ve heard complaints about the short schedule, the vacations, the lack of responsiveness, the lack of decision making, and a million other things. If you’re hearing this from... [...]

Greg Wise says, “With Black Friday totals down from last year, according to a survey by Nielsen, and total sales for the day slipping more and more each year, is it safe to say that the biggest shopping day of the year is losing its luster? Sure, Black Friday sales topped out at around $10.4 billion, but that’s down almost 10% from last year’s $11.6 billion. There are quite a few possibilities for the decline, with many shouting that opening on Thanksgiving will harm Black Friday sales. However, Thanksgiving sales were also down by 10%. One of the reasons for that might be the number... [...]

Jordan Simas says, “Seasonal and Black Friday shoppers are unique in that many of them will buy your products without knowing anything about your brand. This means they might forget about your business entirely if you don’t make an effort to keep them interested. Turning Black Friday shoppers into repeat customers can have an enormous impact on the success of your business; over time they’ll cost less, buy more, and even develop a real connection with your business. Now that Black Friday is over, turning these first-time customers into lifetime fans should be your number one priority. In... [...]

Brian Hughes says, “Despite the continued hype around social media, retailers are still figuring out how to best drive sustainable e-commerce purchases via social media. In 2015, we saw major developments including Pinterest’s launch of the “Buy it” button and Instagram’s expanded ad program. Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube also made their sites and apps more eCommerce-friendly with the addition of new buy buttons. While social commerce may still only drive a small fraction of retail sales, small businesses can’t ignore its impact. According to the Internet Retailer’s Social... [...]

Pamela Parker says, “Americans are getting more serious about their online holiday shopping as Black Friday approaches. According to aggregate e-commerce figures from HookLogic, which runs an ad network on retail sites like Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Macy’s, traffic to product pages was up 53 percent in the week beginning Monday, November 16, as compared to the baseline established in October. Compared with the previous week, traffic was up 15 percent. Meanwhile, the folks visiting those product pages were increasingly likely to move from browsing to buying. HookLogic says the conversion... [...]

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... [...]

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 Design The... [...]