George Anderson says, “It’s no secret that e-commerce adoption in the B2B market is still light-years behind B2C. The B2B market is extremely complex, and B2B e-commerce websites aren’t as simple as B2C online stores. This complexity has kept B2B selling largely in offline mode. However, all of that is changing. As Forrester reports, the B2B e-commerce market is expected to reach $1.2 trillion in the next 5 years. B2B companies are pursuing e-commerce solutions with a vigor which we haven’t seen before. Today’s B2B executives and operations managers understand the benefits which... [...]

Ben Davis says, “AI has myriad applications in our industry, but how quickly will marketers accept that the machines know best? We all like to believe we are rational human beings, and can understand the power of machine learning, just as we understand the simple logic of an A/B test. But how will company cultures react to machines that could be seen to undermine your star copywriter or best biz dev guy? The rise of the machines Machine learning is used to predict how people will react, which is basically what all marketers want to understand. Applications include: personalising advertising informing... [...]

Nikki Gilliland says, “What will be the biggest trends to hit the world of ecommerce next year? With 2017 drawing ever closer, it’s time to do a little star gazing, with help and insight from our experts as to what we’ll all be talking about. If you’d like to learn more about ecommerce, book yourself into one of the following training courses from Econsultancy: Ecommerce and Online Retailing Training Conversion Optimisation – How to Deliver Digital Growth Training Usability and Persuasion in E-commerce Training Seamless customer experience Matt Curry, Head of Ecommerce at LoveHoney: I... [...]

George Andersom says, “It’s no secret that e-commerce adoption in the B2B market is still light-years behind B2C. The B2B market is extremely complex, and B2B e-commerce websites aren’t as simple as B2C online stores. This complexity has kept B2B selling largely in offline mode. However, all of that is changing. As Forrester reports, the B2B e-commerce market is expected to reach $1.2 trillion in the next 5 years. B2B companies are pursuing e-commerce solutions with a vigor which we haven’t seen before. Today’s B2B executives and operations managers understand the benefits which... [...]

Dayna Winter says, “Think back to the last time you bought something online. Did you consciously think about the design of the site? Maybe not. If the design was doing its job, it wasn’t demanding attention. It was quietly allowing the products to shine, and helping you to make your purchase in the most seamless way possible. Now, think about the last time you left an ecommerce store frustrated, abandoning your shopping mission before even reaching the cart. I’ll bet design was top of mind that time. Bad design is obvious, leaving customers confused and irritated, and costing merchants... [...]

Nikki Gilliland says, “Next up in our series of yearly roundups, we’re looking at the year in ecommerce. So, what were the biggest trends and talking points? For more on this topic, check out these training courses from Econsultancy: Ecommerce and Online Retailing Training Conversion Optimisation – How to Deliver Digital Growth Training Focus on the ‘customer experience’ Paul Rouke, founder & CEO, PRWD: This is extremely healthy, although “being customer-centric” is easier said than done. In 2016, there were only a small number of brands who recognised how crucial... [...]

Jeff Rajeck says, “By all measures, ecommerce is on the rise globally. In the US, Adobe Digital Insights reported that Black Friday generated $3.3bn in online sales, a 17% year-on-year increase. US consumers spent an additional $3.45bn on Cyber Monday, an annual increase of more than 12%. While impressive, these figures look small compared to Singles Day (November 11th) 2016 in China. According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese consumers spent $17.8bn in one day on Alibaba sites alone, up 32% from 2015″. Seven tips for boosting ecommerce performance Econsultancy  [...]

Stefany Zaroban says, “Nonstore sales increased 11.9% year over year, a deceleration from October, and an indication that election fatigue’s effect on retail was short-lived. All in all, November was a good month for online retail, as new data released this morning suggests U.S. consumers spent a lot more on the web in November than they did last year. That bodes well for many in e-commerce and could dispel any fears that softness in online retail spending measured in days leading up to and following the Nov. 8 presidential election would put a damper on sales all season. November is traditionally... [...]

Thomas Smale says, “If you’re subscribed to any number of newsletters, there’s a good chance you saw Black Friday promotions coming from your favorite brands — and those promotions are increasing each year, coming from unlikely or at least less likely places. So, if we now look back a month to take stock of this year, 2016’s, results: How does Black Friday affect businesses, and how has it changed, with the rise of online stores and mobile shopping? Is it helping or hurting businesses? What were some of the most successful Black Friday deals? Black Friday results and how... [...]

Amy Gesenhues says, “According to eDataSource, an email marketing and e-commerce analytics platform, Amazon’s email marketing efforts have outperformed seven other retailers so far this month. Tracking campaigns sent between November 29 (the day after Cyber Monday) through December 10, the e-commerce giant sent 1,691 email campaigns – earning 96.6 percent inbox placement and a 19.8 percent read rate. Looking at email marketing efforts for Amazon, Toys R Us, Macy’s, Dicks Sporting Goods, Best Buy, Walmart, Kohl’s and Target, eDataSource tracked the total campaigns sent, read rates... [...]