Why PayPal is focused on small business

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February 1, 2011 Sign up Forward Archive RSS Feed News about digital retail commerce   Top Story    Polyvore compiles how shoppers wear their clothes Polyvore.com lets consumers create collages of their favorite looks, a feature that creates a database for merchants and designers working to create their next style hits -- and avoid the misses. Designers also can partner with the site to launch contests that encourage users to design new looks using their styles. American Public Media/Marketplace (1/31) Webinar Recording: The Future of Interactive Marketing Listen to GSI Commerce and Shar VanBoskirk, a guest speaker from Forrester Research, Inc., as they explore the state of interactive marketing, how current trends will drive opportunities, and what marketers can do to take advantage in 2011. Download the recording now.   Online Retail Trends    Online retailers plan to boost tech spending this year The percentage of online merchants that say they'll spend more on technology this year rose to 62% from 57% last year, according to a survey from Forrester Research. Integrating back-end systems ranked as the top spending priority, while improving the e-commerce site and investing in mobile initiatives tied for second. InternetRetailer.com (1/31) The risks of highly visible social marketing Many Super Bowl ads this year will feature social media components in a bid to wring as much value out of the costly spots as possible. But execution is all important, and big companies new to the social concept are advised to be on guard for the online results, as consumer response in social media cannot be controlled. MSNBC (1/31) Turning Online Shopper Uncertainty into a New Source of Sales and Profits. Eliminating consumer uncertainty is a challenge for all online merchants. The question is, how can you address shoppers' concerns and increase sales and profits in the process? Download the buySAFE white paper to learn more NOW!   New Media & Technology    Web companies develop new site versions as IP addresses run out The Internet is set to run out of available IP addresses this week, prompting large companies including Facebook and Google to create new versions of their sites under a new Internet addressing system. The change, similar to the shift to 10-digit telephone dialing, is complicated by the fact that the existing and new systems aren't compatible. The Wall Street Journal (2/1) Find Out Why Meetings Will Increase in 2011 The number of 2011 meetings being planned by companies will increase 8% over 2010, according to 459 meeting planners responding to the FutureWatch 2011 survey. In addition, 18% of respondents expect a significant budget increase this year; 39% foresee a slight increase. Is your company at a disadvantage?   Companies in the News    Why PayPal is focused on small business PayPal faces competition as the online-payment arena heats up. Executive Eddie Davis details some of the company's challenges and the advantages it offers small businesses by virtue of its size and popularity among their prospective customers. Portfolio.com (1/31) BMW: Car keys will function as wallets in the future The car key of the future will do far more than start a vehicle, according to Thomas Kratz of the BMW Group -- it will function as a wallet, too. The latest advances in near-field communications technology will enable drivers to pay for gas or make any other m-commerce transactions with their key fobs, he says, and the company is working on such a system for its next generation of automobiles. Pocket-Lint.com (U.K.) (1/31) Other News Facebook expands location-based Deals to Canada The Globe and Mail (Toronto)/The Canadian Press (1/31) Lowe's promotes VP to lead e-commerce efforts InternetRetailer.com (1/31) ShareThis hires Yahoo! exec as marketing head American City Business Journals/San Jose, Calif. (1/31) Social-app developer Seesmic raises $4 million in new funding TechCrunch (2/1) 23 pros & big brand practitioners on mastering business blogging Discover the strategies of 23 of the world's most respected blogging experts and specialists like David Germano at the Blogging Success Summit 2011. Benefit immediately when big brands like Procter & Gamble, McDonalds, Sony, and Cisco reveal the latest techniques and proven business-building tactics. Register today!   Featured Content    Poor Due Diligence Can Cost Money...and More Tom Harnish Social Media & Succession Planning: 4 Steps to Make the Transition Easier Lena West How to Break Up With a Business Partner Dawn Reiss How To Use Kickstarter to Fund Your Business Shira Levine China's Message to U.S. Businesses Mike Periu   Interactive Advertising  Celebrity marketing platform Ad.ly launches on Facebook Ad.ly has finished a test of its platform on Facebook and is now up and running for advertisers. The service, which matches brands with celebrity endorsers, launched last year on Twitter and has since signed about 150 advertisers including Best Buy and Old Navy. MediaPost Communications/Online Media Daily (1/31) Survey: Mobile to attract more marketing dollars this year A survey by the Association of National Advertisers and the Mobile Marketing Association finds that 88% of marketers will do some form of mobile marketing this year. Despite the increased interest in mobile campaigns, there is room to improve: 53% of respondents who have tried mobile in the past said their efforts were only "somewhat" successful. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (1/31)   Shop.org Spotlight  Online shoppers to spend significantly more than offline counterparts this Valentine's If your sweetie shops online, you can expect to be treated well this Valentine's Day. According to a recent NRF survey, online shoppers are spending two-thirds more than offline-only consumers -- and will also spend twice as much on jewelry alone. Shop.org's head of research, Fiona Swerdlow, shares the stats. Read more. Shop.org SmartStat: Feb. 1, 2011 Consumer spending on this year's Super Bowl is expected to reach $10.1 billion. Source: RAMA survey conducted by BIGresearch.   Shop.org retail members, claim your free pass to INNOVATE The Retail Innovation and Marketing Conference, INNOVATE 2011, brings together the best and brightest in retail marketing for a new take on what being innovative really means. Considering attending INNOVATE? Shop.org retail membership provides for one free pass to the 2011 show, to be held March 8-10 in San Francisco. Learn more. Learn more about Shop.org -> Website  |  Events  |  Research  |  Shop.org Blog  |  Join Shop.org   SmartQuote  I consider a goal as a journey rather than a destination. And each year I set a new goal." --Curtis Carlson, American businessman and technologist   This SmartBrief was created for cpgbrokers.data@blogger.com   Subscriber Tools       Update account information | Change e-mail address | Unsubscribe | Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Publish your Press Release   Advertise Sales Account Director: Dena Malouf 202.737.5500 ext. 282 Download Media Kit       Recent Shop.org SmartBrief Issues: Monday, January 31, 2011 Friday, January 28, 2011 Thursday, January 27, 2011 Wednesday, January 26, 2011 Tuesday, January 25, 2011     Lead Editor:  Megan Conniff       Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005     © 1999-2011 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information