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Business > Merchant Voice
Address potential business conflicts during good times

November 16, 2018 • Richard Stubbings

Very often people launch businesses with friends and family. The reason, typically, is that friends and family are trustworthy. But what happens when things go wrong, or when people disagree?
Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: November 16, 2018

November 16, 2018 • Sig Ueland

Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-November from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on shipping rates, search analytics, payment options, augmented reality, artificial-intelligence for social media, and holiday sales.
Staffing
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 6: Hiring Employees

November 15, 2018 • Eric Bandholz

Ayman Al-Abdullah, president of AppSumo, says a new ecommerce business would almost certainly fail without the right people.
SEO Tools
3 Tools to Analyze Content for Marketing, SEO

November 14, 2018 • Armando Roggio

A successful content marketing program often begins with creating and maintaining an inventory of every page on your site. There are several ways to conduct a content inventory. In each case, you begin by getting a list of all of the pages. Here are three of the best tools to generate that list.
Cross-border Selling
Alibaba’s 2018 Singles Day: Record Sales, Slower Growth

November 14, 2018 • Marcia Kaplan

Alibaba's tenth Singles Day event this past Sunday again set a 24-hour sales record. Those results represent an increase of about 27 percent over last year, smaller than the 39 percent year-over-year increase achieved in 2017.
Analytics & Data
Using Regression Analysis to Drive Ecommerce Sales

November 13, 2018 • Anna Kayfitz

Have you ever wondered what drives your sales? Ecommerce businesses typically know the source of their revenue and whether campaigns are working. Using regression analysis, a business can determine subtle causes.
Social Media
An Email List Isn’t Just for Emailing

November 13, 2018 • Michael Stancil

An email list is one of the central components of many marketing campaigns, beyond email marketing. Having email addresses is the difference between a targeted message versus scatter. The best email lists contain more info than just the address.
Schools & Resources
10 UX and UI Podcasts for Merchants

November 12, 2018 • Sig Ueland

One of the best ways to keep updated on user experience and user interface strategies is by listening to relevant podcasts. Here is a list of podcasts on designing for users. There are shows on UX and UI, and related design topics. All of these feature leading practitioners.
Content Marketing
16 Quick and Free Grammar and Usage Resources

November 11, 2018 • Marcia Yudkin

At 3 a.m., while polishing an email blast for your customers, you get a brain freeze about a grammar question. Use these free online resources to answer questions on grammar, punctuation, spelling, writing errors, and more.
Analytics & Data
Using Google Analytics to Compete with Amazon

November 9, 2018 • Hamlet Batista

It is almost impossible to sell something online and not compete with Amazon. But how can you attract more direct buyers to your site? Through superior service and expertise. Observe the behavior of actual users in Google Analytics. Try to find areas of friction where the path-to-purchase can be improved.
SEO
SEO in 15 Minutes a Day

November 9, 2018 • Jill Kocher Brown

If search engine optimization is only a fraction of your responsibilities, this article is for you. What would happen to your business if natural search bottomed out tomorrow? Instead, spend 15 minutes a day on improving your site’s SEO.
Marketing & Advertising
5 Ecommerce Marketing Trends to Watch in 2019

November 8, 2018 • Armando Roggio

The way you market your ecommerce business today may not work tomorrow. Here are five ecommerce marketing trends your business should consider in the coming year. None of these are new, but they should be effective.
Amazon & Marketplaces
Resellers on Amazon Can Damage a Brand

November 8, 2018 • Phil Masiello

Selling on Amazon can generate revenue, reinforce your brand’s reputation, and expose your product to 8 million U.S. visitors per day. Using the Amazon marketplace, the opportunity for success is ...
Product Pages
5 Simple Ways to Boost Conversions

November 7, 2018 • Pamela Hazelton

When it comes to increasing conversions of an online store, smaller ecommerce sites have to focus on more down-to-earth tactics. Here are five ways to improve on-site conversions without breaking the bank.
Analytics & Data
20 KPIs to Drive Customer Journey Campaigns

November 6, 2018 • Craig Smith

If you are developing a digital marketing campaign for your ecommerce business, then data should play a central role in your decision-making process. In this post, I'll look at key performance indicators to track in the entire campaign, to drive performance.
Analytics & Data
How to Audit Google Analytics Data, for Ecommerce

November 6, 2018 • Morgan Jones

Data from Google Analytics helps ecommerce merchants make key decisions. But that assumes the data is accurate. In this post, I'll provide instructions for conducting a Google Analytics audit to confirm the accuracy of the data or identify potential errors.
Schools & Resources
20 Modern, Clean Ecommerce Sites, for Inspiration

November 5, 2018 • Sig Ueland

A clean, modern ecommerce design prevents shoppers from being overwhelmed with excessive content. Here is a collection of clean, modern ecommerce sites. There are fashion sites, specialty boutiques, and design-focused brands.
Content Marketing
5 Content Marketing Ideas for December 2018

November 5, 2018 • Armando Roggio

Connect with potential customers in December 2018 with humor, a history of eggnog, and holiday happenings. What follows are five content marketing ideas your business can use for December 2018.
Content Marketing
8 Content Tips to Drive Organic Search Traffic

November 4, 2018 • Jill Kocher Brown

Content marketing can drive natural search performance. Shoppers engage with the content and share it. Or so we hope. The more links from high-quality sites, the more likely your site will rank. These eight tips will help you generate more links to the content you create.
Marketing & Advertising
Holiday Social Media Tips for Fashion, Lifestyle Merchants

November 2, 2018 • Viktoria Kanevsky

To entice holiday shoppers to come to a smaller store instead of, say, a leading brand, go the extra mile — from product selection to customer service to unique marketing, including social media campaigns. Organize social media holiday campaigns by channels, such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest.
Shipping & Fulfillment
7 Tried-and-true Free Shipping Promotions to Drive Holiday Sales

November 1, 2018 • Armando Roggio

A free shipping offer is a powerful ecommerce promotion. It can boost conversion rates and increase average order values. Like other forms of advertising and promotion, free shipping is an expense.
Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: November 1, 2018

November 1, 2018 • Sig Ueland

Here is a list of product releases and updates for late-October from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on shipping, social commerce, social video production, instant ...
Business
October 2018 Top 10: Our Most Popular Posts

October 31, 2018 • PEC Staff

What follows are the most popular articles that we published in October 2018, recognizing that articles published earlier in the month are more likely to make the list than later ...
Business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 5: Paid Acquisition

October 30, 2018 • Eric Bandholz

Knowing where to advertise can be daunting to new and experienced ecommerce entrepreneurs alike. There are many options. Digital marketing agencies can provide some answers. For this interview, I visited with Alex Hart, founder of Good Joo Joo, an Austin, Texas-based digital marketing agency. I asked her about paid acquisition, the process of using advertising to acquire customers.
Business > Merchant Voice
My personal productivity stack

October 29, 2018 • Peter Keller

When I first heard of "Getting Things Done," the time-management methodology and book, I was mystified. Surely it’s not that hard to accomplish tasks. Just do them! Now that I’m a little older and a little wiser, I’ve evolved my productivity stack over the years. Here’s how I now get things done.
Marketing & Advertising
Success with Google Shopping, Part 3: Merchant Center Setup

October 28, 2018 • David Rothwell

Google Shopping ads can deliver many prospects to an ecommerce site. The ads can appear for precise keyword searches — such as a product make and model — making them effective in matching products to buyers. This is the third article in my "Success with Google Shopping" serious.
Link Building
SEO: 6 Ways to Increase Backlinks

October 26, 2018 • Jill Kocher Brown

The number of high-quality sites linking to yours is one of the most important organic ranking signals. But obtaining those links is among the most difficult and the most necessary aspects of search engine optimization. Here are six ideas to help.
B2B
Skeptical about B2B Ecommerce? Try a Proof of Concept

October 25, 2018 • Lori McDonald

Your B2B company leadership is skeptical about changing business and sales methods. How can you make a case for ecommerce? A proof of concept is a good way to test the digital commerce waters, to learn. Ideally, the project can be completed quickly and has a quick return on investment.
Local Business
Ecommerce Merchants Embrace Clicks-to-bricks

October 25, 2018 • Marcia Kaplan

Digitally native businesses are opening physical stores at a brisk pace, embracing the "clicks to bricks" movement. This trend shows that physical stores are not dead, though the big-box mall model may not be the blueprint for the future.
Shipping & Fulfillment
6 Holiday Ecommerce Shipping Mistakes to Avoid

October 24, 2018 • Armando Roggio

Customers expect delivery. For online stores that sell tangible products, order fulfillment is arguably the single most essential task. It is the culmination of marketing, web development, and customer service.