Page 62 – Practical Ecommerce

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Social Media
Charts: Social Media’s Impact on Ecommerce Revenue

January 13, 2021 • Anna Kayfitz

Social media's impact on global ecommerce revenue varies depending on the platform. Almost half of Pinterest users shop on the site. Pinterest users also generate the highest average order value, at $154, versus other social media channels. Less than 10 percent of Snapchat and Twitter users shop for goods or services on those sites.
Business > Merchant Voice
Local consumers are your next online customers

January 12, 2021 • Richard Stubbings

In normal years, January and February is the time to review the just-completed holiday sales and look for ways to improve. But not much is normal about the last three months. Instead, look ahead. What if you had mainly local customers?
Conversion
Retail Returns Can Be Hazardous and Subject to Fines

January 11, 2021 • Armando Roggio

Booming retail sales in November and December can lead to tons of returns and exchanges in January. Some of those returned items can be hazardous and require special handling and disposal. The return of hazardous materials poses several problems for retailers, including identification, reverse logistics, and disposal.
Payments
What Merchants Should Know about ISOs

January 10, 2021 • Mike Eckler

The pandemic-induced shift to online and contactless payments has been a boon for credit card providers and their sales agents. The industry depends on those agents, called "independent sales organizations." In this post, I will examine the role of ISOs.
Business
Entrepreneur’s Hair Products Empower Black Women

January 8, 2021 • Eric Bandholz

In 2012 Vivian Kaye was a successful wedding decorator. But she had a problem. The climate in Toronto, Canada, was brutal on her hair. Kaye's solution was hair extensions, which were easy and attractive. Fast forward to 2021, and KinkyCurlyYaki, Kaye's company, sells hair extensions, wigs, and more.
Checkout Tactics
Resolve in 2021 to Drive More Conversions

January 7, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton

Consumer shopping habits changed drastically in 2020. Ecommerce sites experienced dramatic growth. Resolve in 2021 to capitalize on that momentum and convert more visitors. Here are three tips to help.
Customer Retention
7 Customer Retention Strategies for 2021

January 6, 2021 • Armando Roggio

Retaining ecommerce customers lowers costs and boosts profits. In 2021, customer retention could be critical. “In 2020 we saw multiple years of ecommerce growth….And when we look at [2021], the big question is 'Will this shift to ecommerce last?'"
Google Ads
A Data Studio Template to Automate Ecommerce KPIs

January 5, 2021 • Morgan Jones

Automating key performance indicators streamlines data collection and enables real-time reporting. Collecting and reporting from multiple data sources is possible in Google Data Studio, an excellent platform. To help, I've created a free Data Studio template that you can use for your business. I'll explain the template in this post.
Typography & Fonts
19 New Free Commercial Fonts for 2021

January 5, 2021 • Sig Ueland

Adding a new font to your ecommerce site can create a fresh and unique look. Here is a list of fonts released in the last year. All are free for commercial use, though several are from larger premium font families. Before using a font, be sure to verify its terms.
Google Ads
4 Uses for Google Ads’ New Insights Tab

January 4, 2021 • Matthew Umbro

Google Ads introduced Insights in late 2020. The new beta feature will roll out to advertisers in the coming months. Similar to the Keyword Planner, Insights provides advertisers a sense of trending keywords.
Content Marketing
5 Content Marketing Ideas for February 2021

January 4, 2021 • Armando Roggio

Your company's February 2021 content marketing could cover the obvious, such as Valentine's Day, and the obscure, such as Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. Content marketing is the act of creating content, publishing it, and promoting it with the goal of attracting, engaging, and retaining customers.
Cross-border Selling
China Is Dominating Ecommerce

January 3, 2021 • Marcia Kaplan

In China, a drab gray Mao suit was once the required attire for men and women. No longer. The country is poised to become the largest luxury apparel market worldwide by 2025. With a 2020 population of 1.4 billion and a flourishing middle class with an appetite for foreign luxury goods, China is dominating ecommerce.
Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: January 3, 2021

January 3, 2021 • Sig Ueland

Here is a list of product releases and updates for late-December from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on augmented reality, fraud prevention, customizable product services,
Business
2020 Top 25: Our Most Popular Posts of the Year

December 31, 2020 • Kerry Murdock

Contributor Marcia Kaplan emailed me in early February 2020. She described a sickness in China that appeared to be impacting global trade. She called it a virus and suggested that we address it. "Coronavirus Disrupting the Global Economy, Including Ecommerce," Marcia's piece, made our annual top 25 list — articles published during the year with the most page views. It was the first of dozens of Covid-related stories.
Business
5 Retail Insights from a Covid Christmas

December 30, 2020 • Armando Roggio

Holiday consumer spending offers insights into the retail industry, including ecommerce's continued growth, consumer spending, and customer relationships. 2020 has been extraordinary — the pandemic, natural disasters, and a divisive U.S. election. What follows are five insights from the 2020 Christmas season.
Schools & Resources
14 New Business Books for 2021

December 29, 2020 • Sig Ueland

Here is a list of new and upcoming business books for entrepreneurs, managers, and creative professionals. Learn how to sell your business, harness the power of your developers, adopt the principles of success at Amazon, alter your thinking to achieve quick mastery, and more.
Conversion
The Keys to More Ecommerce Conversions

December 28, 2020 • Armando Roggio

Ecommerce conversion rate optimization and user experience are complementary, but the former works best when businesses focus on shopper expectations, competitive innovation, and the industry segment.
Email & Text Marketing
Attributing Sales to Email Marketing Is Not Always Easy

December 27, 2020 • Carolyn Nye

Attributing sales to email marketing can be difficult. A typical customer journey involves multiple touchpoints, such as email, organic search, and social media. The better we understand the impact of each channel on conversions, the better we can optimize that channel for growth.
Business > Merchant Voice
Serious changes are coming to the E.U. VAT

December 24, 2020 • Richard Stubbings

As I write this in mid-December, there is no Brexit trade agreement between the U.K. and the E.U. Businesses in the U.K. have no idea what will happen on January 1, when the U.K. formally exits from the E.U. However, the real problem for U.K. and other merchants will be adjusting to changes in the E.U.'s value-added tax.
Google Ads
Big Changes from Google Ads in 2020

December 23, 2020 • Robert Brady

The year 2020 witnessed raging Australian wildfires, a presidential impeachment, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Google Ads had some big changes this year, too.
Conversion
5 Essentials for Ecommerce Site Search in 2021

December 22, 2020 • Armando Roggio

Ecommerce site search is vital for navigation and conversions. Picking the right provider should be based on features, data, and measurability. Here are a few tips to help you decide.
Social Media
12 Outstanding Digital Media Campaigns from 2020

December 21, 2020 • Sig Ueland

Reviewing the year’s best digital marketing campaigns from established brands can generate ideas for your own efforts. Here is a list of outstanding digital marketing campaigns from 2020. The campaigns are mostly tied to Covid-19, working remotely, the presidential election, and social injustice.
Amazon & Marketplaces
Amazon Marketplace Sellers Are Attractive Acquisition Targets

December 20, 2020 • Marcia Kaplan

Buyouts of Amazon marketplace sellers are booming. Aggregators are scooping up successful small sellers and creating large and lucrative portfolio companies. The acquisitions are mostly fueled by angel, venture capital, and private equity funding.
Business
Entrepreneur’s Page-builder Tools Attract Outside Equity, 100 Employees

December 18, 2020 • Eric Bandholz

Finbarr Taylor moved to the U.S. nine years ago with a goal. "I moved from Scotland to Silicon Valley with the express intent of starting a tech company," he told me. Taylor's tech company is Shogun, which provides innovative page-builder tools that enhance ecommerce sites. He is co-founder and CEO.
Amazon & Marketplaces
Understanding Amazon’s ‘Brand Health’ Initiative

December 17, 2020 • Phil Masiello

Amazon's new A10 search algorithm ranks organic results, in part, on the "health" of a brand. In this post, I'll address the Amazon Brand Health initiative, its key metrics, and its effects on marketplace sellers.
Marketing & Advertising
5 Ways to Boost January 2021 Retail Sales

December 16, 2020 • Armando Roggio

For many retailers, January sales feel like a slump after the high-flying holiday season. But stores can still take steps to earn relatively more. Here are five tactics to try.
Platforms & Apps
Charts: Shopify’s Share of Global Websites, Ecommerce Sales

December 15, 2020 • Anna Kayfitz

Shopify launched in 2004 in Ottawa, Canada, when its founders were dissatisfied with existing platforms to sell their snowboarding gear. Fast forward to 2020, and Shopify is a global brand. Total 2020 revenue will exceed $2 billion. Its common shares trade at roughly $1,000 each.
Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: December 15, 2020

December 15, 2020 • Sig Ueland

Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-December from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on the return and dispute processes, fulfillment, personalization, contact center services, and merchant banking.
Payments
Does Buy Now, Pay Later Threaten Credit Card Issuers?

December 14, 2020 • Mike Eckler

Capital One recently announced that it will ban the use of its credit cards to fund buy-now-pay-later transactions. According to a Capital One spokesperson, BNPL transactions “can be risky for customers and the banks that serve them.” In this article, I will examine Capital One’s claim.
Influencers & Affiliates
How Influencer Marketing Drives Holiday Sales

December 13, 2020 • Armando Roggio

Influencers have the power to help drive ecommerce sales the way old school media did in years past. Advertising on 1950s television and other mass media was successful because of the audiences. Today, the same thing may be true for influencer marketing.