June 2014 Top 10: Our Most Popular Posts

Each month we compile a list of the ten most popular articles we published that month, based on the number of page views. Here are our ten most popular articles for June 2014, recognizing that articles we published earlier in the month are more likely to make the list than later ones.

11 Free Ways to Track your Competitors

Spying on the competition may not be the most highbrow thing to do, but it’s extremely effective. Think of it this way: There are several companies that do what you do. If you want to know what works, you could review your records and see which products or pieces of content have done best. Or you could multiply all that by how many competitors you have, and use their work to find out what gets the best results. Read Article…

–

Distributors Beware of AmazonSupply.com?

As B-to-B online revenues approach $1 trillion per year, there are still many wholesale distributors who are hesitant to aggressively sell their products online. I frequently ask executives in the distribution industry if Amazon is impacting their businesses. This is typically a good question to spark the conversation. In many cases, their answers are not appropriate for this venue, as they view Amazon as the enemy that bleeds money and therefore is a poorly run business. Read Article…

–

4 Catchy Emails from Ecommerce Companies

Not every email message you send to your subscribers generates immediate sales. In fact, most do not. Running a successful email program requires fresh content and ideas, to keep your subscribers interested and, importantly, to avoid opt-outs. In this post, I’ll review innovative email examples from ecommerce companies. Read Article…

–

How to Use Hashtags on Social Media Posts

Hashtag use on social networks is common. Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Tumblr, and others all permit hashtags. Hashtags categorize content of social media posts, and thus facilitate conversations and engagement. For brands, hashtags are about motivating action on the part of the consumer. Merchants can create hashtags of their own or use existing tags to tap into current conversations to promote their products and services. Read Article…

–

5 Ecommerce Content Marketing Ideas for June 2014

Soccer’s World Cup, national holidays, celebrity birthdays, and even how-to content can help online sellers attract, retain, and engage shoppers in June 2014 and beyond. Content marketing is the practice of creating and distributing valuable, interesting, and entertaining content with the aim of acquiring customers and making sales. Content marketers must understand their customers and seek to serve them. Read Article…

–

Recipe for Responsive Ecommerce Product Pages in 2014

Responsive site designs adapt to the user’s device, resizing navigation and images to provide a better mobile user experience. A well done responsive design, particularly for product pages, may lead to more mobile commerce success. Since a good responsive ecommerce site design is a matter of taste, it makes sense to think about responsive product page design as a recipe with a handful of key ingredients. Read Article…

–

Use Google Analytics Site Speed to Identify Performance Problems

Google Analytics offers several powerful reports that can help businesses monitor how quickly web pages are loading and identify what factors may be causing poor performance. How quickly a website loads can have a direct impact on user experience and, in the case of ecommerce sites, user experience can have a direct impact on conversions, sales, and profit. Read Article…

–

13 Deal Sites for Ecommerce Merchants

Offering discounted products through daily deal and flash sale websites has its drawbacks — i.e., low margins and disruptive to operations. However deal and flash sale sites may help you quickly grow your database, get rid of old stock, and gain some extra search engine optimization benefits. A strategic participation with deal websites could be beneficial, particularly if you’re able to get new customers to return. Read Article…

–

SEO 101, Part 1: What Is SEO?

You’ve heard how important search engine optimization is as a source of traffic that can be converted to sales. But what is SEO, really? This is the first post in an “SEO 101″ series, in which I’ll explore each area of SEO, explaining what it is and how to do it. SEO is often called organic search or natural search. Read Article…

–

Google’s Mobile Search Warning Could Decrease Site Traffic

In its ongoing crusade to deliver the most beneficial search results, Google announced this week that it will warn searchers when a mobile URL redirects to the home page. Will the change impact your organic search traffic and sales? Read Article…