Facebook touts word-of-mouth in e-commerce sales

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April 7, 2011 Sign up Forward Archive RSS Feed News about digital retail commerce   Top Story    E-commerce jumps 16.1% in March, fueled by higher gas prices Online retail sales rose 16.1% in March over the same month last year, marking the fifth consecutive month of double-digit increases, according to a report from MasterCard Advisors. E-commerce merchants are seeing benefits from higher gas prices that have consumers eschewing trips to brick-and-mortar stores in favor of online shopping, said MasterCard Advisors' Michael McNamara. InternetRetailer.com (4/6) Personalization Metrics: The Definitive Guide to Measuring Success The industry's first report on which key performance indicators are most important for effective personalization and measurable value. Avoid the pitfalls of misinterpreting data while properly segmenting customers responding to product recommendations. DOWNLOAD NOW   Online Retail Trends    Global brands aim to reach China's consumers with Taobao A growing number of international brands have launched online stores on Taobao, China's largest online retailer. Gap and Nike are among the latest to launch on the 30,000-brand site, as part of a push to reach consumers outside China's major cities. Network World/IDG News Service (4/6) Facebook touts word-of-mouth in e-commerce sales Facebook users are more likely to purchase an item from an e-commerce site when they see it on a friend's page, the company boasts. A growing number of merchants are linking their sites to Facebook to let users promote, tag and comment on purchases. Giantnerd.com and American Eagle are among the retailers that have seen their sales jump since adding a Facebook "Like" button to their sites. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/Bits blog (4/6) Akamai - The Right Partner with the Right Solution Are you failing to to satisfy user expectations for an outstanding online shopping experience? Do you need to accelerate your dynamic content? Do you strive to be a retailer that pushes the envelope with site technology and offerings? Learn why the Akamai Dynamic Site Accelerator is the right solution for those issues and more.   New Media & Technology  Social Q-and-A sites aim to spark connections among shoppers A new generation of Q-and-A sites have consumers turning to each other via social media to find the answers to questions they're pondering or just spark discussions about issues from serious to silly. A couple of the sites focus solely on shopping discussions, including Ask Owners from TurnTo Networks, which lets shoppers ask questions of others who have already bought the product they're considering, and ShopSocially, where users share information on purchases. Practical eCommerce (4/5) Analyst casts doubt on much of the "mobile wallet" buzz Some analysts are looking beyond all the buzz created when companies make announcements or apparently leak stories about their efforts to create mobile-payment systems using near-field communication technology. In reality, the U.S. is behind South Korea, Japan and some European countries when it comes to NFC adoption and, to change that, retailers will have to replace outdated reader terminals, and banks and credit card companies will have to agree to fee terms, said Yankee Group analyst Nick Holland. Network World/Computerworld (4/6) Other News 3 tools to help gauge returns on Twitter investments eCommerce-Guide.com (4/6) Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN® • Receive up to $200 airline fee credit to the airline of your choice • International Airport Club Access, Premium car rentals, and special upgrades at fine hotels and resorts worldwide • Premium coverage from theft, loss, and damage when you use your Card • No Pre-set Spending limit Apply Now.   Companies in the News  Peapod's success encourages others to enter the online grocery arena Peapod has delivered more than 18 million grocery orders since launching in 1989, gaining consumers' trust along the way and spurring shoppers to expand their orders beyond grocery basics. The online grocery seller's success has also sparked similar efforts among traditional supermarkets eager to keep their customers and pure-play online merchants such as Amazon eager to capitalize on the growing acceptance of online grocery shopping. Internet Retailer magazine (4/2011) Google is set to overhaul YouTube for bigger screens Google plans to overhaul YouTube, introducing topical channels that will include about 20 with professionally produced content, according to sources. In that area, Google is prepared to invest about $100 million. The moves come in preparation for TV sets that allow users to watch online videos. The Wall Street Journal (4/7) Xiu.com raises $20 million in venture capital funding Chinese luxury and fashion retail site Xiu.com confirmed that it received an investment from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in the merchant's first round of venture capital funding. "We were inspired by many successful B2C fashion websites in [the U.S.] and Europe, and compared with them, we still have at least 1,000% growth potential in China," said Xiu.com founder George (Wenhong) Ji. TechCrunch (4/6) Other News Deal aggregator Dealmap's apps top 1 million downloads InternetRetailer.com (4/6) The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) Drive sales by adding mobile to your retail communications and marketing campaigns using SMS. Common Short Code (CSC) based text messaging campaigns deliver great results. Download this whitepaper to see how SMS is helping retailers disseminate calls-to-action quickly and to a wider base of population, driving traffic and increasing revenue. Interested in learning more about advertising in Shop.org SmartBrief? Contact Dena Malouf at (202) 737-5500 x282 or dmalouf@smartbrief.com.     Featured Content    Top 6 Rules Of Employee Engagement Katie Morell 6 Reasons You Don't Need a Full-Time Marketing Person Ivana Taylor 3 Ways To Get Tax-Free Income From Your Corporation Barbara Weltman The Entrepreneur's Journey Braden Kelley How To Drive Conversion By Tweaking Your Page Descriptions Susan Kuchinkskas   Interactive Advertising  Twitter ad upgrades include location and metrics Twitter unveiled two tools Wednesday to give advertisers new ways to target consumers via the social-messaging site. The Follower Dashboard will provide marketers with metrics about their tweets, including data about who reads them. The site will now also let advertisers tailor their ads based on location. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (4/6)   Shop.org Spotlight  Online Easter shoppers to spend 72% more than offline counterparts It may be the warmer weather, or even a brighter economic outlook, but Easter shoppers -- particularly multichannel shoppers -- are eager to spend this year. In a recent blog post, Shop.org's Head of Research Fiona Swerdlow shares a few data points that are sure to make online retailers excited about the next few weeks of Spring. Read more. Shop.org SmartStat: April 7, 2011 Three-quarters of retailers plan to increase their consumer insight and data gathering initiatives in 2011, up from 65% in 2010. Source: Retail Horizons 2011   Wanted: Quick and easy online marketing tips Got a great tip to optimize online retail marketing? Share it with us! As a part of Online Marketing Month, Shop.org will be featuring 15 short and specific marketing video tips on our website for online retailer marketers. Video submissions should be no longer than 60 seconds and are due by April 18. Learn more. Learn more about Shop.org -> Website  |  Events  |  Research  |  Shop.org Blog  |  Join Shop.org   SmartQuote  Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work." --Booker T. 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