Ecommerce News Around the Web for June 11, 2010

“Ecommerce News Around the Web” is our weekly review of articles, blog posts and other news items that could interest ecommerce merchants.

Shop.org and NRF Weigh in on Boucher Privacy Bill– Shop.org

Online privacy is a hot topic these days, both among consumers and in Washington. Congressman Rick Boucher, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, is circulating draft legislation that adopts many of the concepts of the self-regulatory principles enacted by the FTC in 2009, but takes things a step further. Shop.org and NRG weigh in.

‘Saving the Sale’ is Online Retailers Biggest Opportunity to Improve Customer Loyalty– The Retail Bulletin

Having the ability to process orders on the spot in a store, regardless of whether the product is available at the time, is the foremost requirement for retailers in improving a consumers’ shopping experience says a research study carried out by Sterling Commerce in Great Britain, France and Germany.

57 Percent of Shoppers Begin Their Research via Search Engines– Internet Retailer

Having a front-page presence on Google and other search engines is vital, according to a recent survey from PowerReviews, Inc. and research firm The E-tailing Group. The survey revealed that 57% of online shoppers begin their online shopping research with a search engine.

Seven Reasons Shoppers Choose to Buy Local– Entrepreneur Daily Dose

A new study from online marketer WebVisible identified the top reasons consumers choose to shop with local merchants instead of large chains or, by extension, online retailers. The survey, commissioned by WebVisible along with market research firm Synovate, lists seven possible reasons.

Connecticut Proposal Sheds Light on Debate Over Local Versus Online Shopping-Ecommerce Junkie

Online shopping continues to become increasingly popular with shoppers. One segment that has not flourished is local brick-and-mortar retailers. Their struggles have given birth to a whole movement that advocates “local shopping” as a way to boost local communities and small businesses.

Ten Keys to Converting Offline Retail Into Online Business- Inside Retailing

Here are some insights into how to successfully take an offline retail business into the online retail environment. Included are the top 10 key decisions and factors that need to be considered.

Four Tips for Selecting an Ecommerce Shopping Cart– AuctionBytes

Customers are concerned with the quality of the user experience online merchants provide and shopping carts are a big part of that. AuctionBytes contributing editor Greg Holden shares four tips on selecting an online shopping cart.

Merchant Account Crucial to Successful Ecommerce- Tsnn.co.uk

A merchant account can provide numerous benefits to ecommerce merchants, says this blog post. These include offering online customers a number of flexible payment options and providing them with the online security they have come to expect. This results in continued customer loyalty, repeat business and greater profits.

Email Personalization Means More Than Being on First-Name Basis– eMarketer

Relevance and targeting are keys to keeping ecommerce merchants ahead of their competitors in the customer’s inbox. More than half of U.S. and U.K. consumers polled in a recent study said they would be more receptive to e-mails from marketers if they were personalized and highly targeted. According to the report, 64% of consumers want marketers to know the types of products or services they like.

About Pages: What’s the Big Deal?– UXBooth

Gaining consumer trust is a commodity few online retailers can ill-afford to live without. About pages help users discover who lives behind the storefront and can be a key factor in building trust.

Effective Retweeting Is a Matter of Simple Math- Pamela Hazelton

Are your tweets being edited, removing the most important information?
Ecommerce expert Pamela Hazelton provides some tips for effective retweeting. She says it’s a matter of paying attention to simple math.

Five Ways the iPhone 4G Will Change Ecommerce- ZippyCart

Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone 4G at the recent WWDC conference. The updated version contains hundreds of new features that will help the iPhone continue to dominate the smart phone market, says this blog post. Online merchants should consider how these advancements would change the world of ecommerce forever.

eMarketer Interview: Video Ecommerce and Video SEO for Retailers– Reel SEO

Marketing analyst Jeffrey Grau, author of the report Video E-Commerce, Innovative Models Drive Sales, shares how Video SEO plays a huge role in driving sales for online retailers. He also talks about the importance of understanding certain key variables before deciding upon on a video ecommerce strategy.

Online Video Viewing Trend Shifts to Long-Form Content– eMarketer

The number of US online video viewers is on the rise and the trend is expected to continue through 2014. By that time 77% of US Internet users will be watching online video content at least monthly, says eMarketer. Longer form content such as full-length movies and TV will top the trend.

Measuring ROI Key to Effective Social Media Marketing- Sell It! on the Web

Social media marketing provides a mechanism for companies to spread the word about their products and services quickly and creatively. Being able to measure the ROI is key to effective engagement.

Social Media Marketing Backlash Long Overdue– E-Commerce Times

The concept of social media has been viewed as a panacea for marketers, but a backlash is long overdue says this blogger. It is time to learn the nuances of what is still a very rich and effective form of customer engagement.