Business

July 2014 Top Ten: 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 July 2014, recognizing that articles we published earlier in the month are more likely to make the list than later ones.

SEO 101, Part 5: Google Keyword Planner

This is the fifth installment of my “SEO 101″ series, following “Part 1: What Is SEO?,” “Part 2: Benefits of SEO,” “Part 3: Keyword Research Planning,” and “Part 4: Keyword Research Tool Tips.” With a well-planned keyword research strategy, using the Google Keyword Planner is an easy, free way to mine a deep set of keyword data that can be analyzed in a variety of ways. The resulting data is pure gold in terms of creating and executing your organic search strategy. Read More…

5 Ways to Grow your Ecommerce Business this Year

Even though 2014 is more than half over, there is still time to grow your ecommerce business this year. There are at least five strategies you can utilize. Business growth can impact every area of an ecommerce operation. Cash flow typically rises, buying power increases, overhead expenses become a relatively smaller percentage of revenue, and, in most case, the company thrives. The question then is not whether or not to grow but how to grow. Read More…

10 Instagram Tools and Apps for Ecommerce

Hundreds of third-party tools and apps enable Instagram engagement. They include the ability to track analytics, promote products, and even transact sales directly through the platform. Here’s a list of ten that are well suited to ecommerce. All are free to use unless specified otherwise. 10sec. 10sec is an online marketplace service that turns your Instagram account into an online store. According to the website, the process takes just under a minute to complete. Read More…

When to Avoid WordPress Ecommerce

With more than 600 ecommerce platforms, it can be difficult to choose the best one for your business. WordPress is a leading content management system, with popular ecommerce plugins. But a merchant should answer important questions before she can decide if WordPress is right for her ecommerce site. When WordPress Can Be a Good Choice. Your website is primarily a blog. WordPress has a huge market share — around 60 percent of the CMS market — which means… Read More…

6 Reasons to Use Instagram for Ecommerce

Online retailers use many photos and videos on their websites. With its focus on imagery, Instagram is a place where merchants can showcase their products, build their brands, and increase sales. However, not unlike its social network cousin Pinterest, which also emphasizes visuals, Instagram is designed to tell the story of your brand, so sharing goes beyond just product photos. What Is Instagram? Instagram, to quote Wikipedia, is an “online mobile photo-sharing… Read More…

How B2B Distributors Compete with AmazonSupply

In “Distributors Beware of AmazonSupply.com?,” my previous article, I suggested that wholesale distributors recognize the threat presented by Amazon in the B2B marketplace and find ways to compete. This article recommends strategies and tactics to remain competitive and mitigate AmazonSupply’s impact on a wholesale distribution business. Most distribution companies in the U.S. have historically sold to other businesses through a combination of direct sales… Read More…

9 Ecommerce Businesses Using Instagram for Sales

Instagram has become a popular destination for retailers to post product photos in hopes of selling their wares. Perhaps the bazaar-like feel or focus on discovery explains its appeal, but regardless of why retailers use it, many have found a home there. While large brands such as handbags retailer Coach testify to marginal lifts in conversions and average order value, smaller online businesses are experiencing success, as well. Here are nine smaller businesses… Read More…

Google Analytics: Using Views and Filters, to Understand Visitors

Google Analytics reporting views offer different ways to look at the website or application traffic data, which may help online business owners and marketers better understand how to attract, retain, and convert more site visitors. When a user creates in Google Analytics a new “property” (i.e., website), Google Analytics automatically shows a single, unfiltered default view that displays all of the data collected. Unfortunately, this is where… Read More…

SEO 101, Part 4: Keyword Research Tool Tips

The keyword research tool is perhaps the most important component in a search marketer’s arsenal. Keyword research tools help us understand how our customers search, what content they want to engage with, and what products they want to buy. This is the fourth installment of my “SEO 101″ series, following “Part 1: What Is SEO?,” “Part 2: Benefits of SEO,” and “Part 3: Keyword Research Planning.” Read More…

Pinterest: 5 Big-brand Tactics for Smaller Ecommerce Merchants

With 26,877 Pinterest followers, Brisbane-based fashion brand Black Milk is clearly doing something right. This article reviews five elements of Black Milk’s Pinterest strategy that could be applicable to smaller ecommerce stores, even if they are not in the fashion industry. 1. Highlight Product Boards First. Black Milk’s Pinterest profile is about presenting, promoting and selling its products. It does this by structuring the profile… Read More…

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