On Monday, Forrester Research released a new forecast predicting that e-commerce sales in the U.S. will grow at a 10-percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next five years. Not surprising, the online retail growth rate is not as substantial as back in the days of e-commerce adaption, but the double-digit estimated growth serves as a wake-up call to any business that has still not implemented an online marketing strategy.
Read the full article…
Archive for POV
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Forrester’s Online Retail Five-Year Forecast
Natalie Carlson
09Mar
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Google Launches People Finder to Assist in Recovery of Victims in Chile
Valerie Schlosser
It’s amazing to see how integral search is in our lives, and what it can do in crisis.
On Saturday, Google launched a “people finder,” where users can search for people by name or contribute information to a database of information regarding people missing in the earthquake in Chile. At the time of this post, 46,600 records are being indexed.
To access the Chile People Finder: http://www.google.com/relief/chileearthquake/
Google has a similar application to assist in the efforts in Haiti, which you can find here: http://haiticrisis.appspot.com/
Sincere hopes that these tools help as many people as possible, and kudos to Google for their contribution.
01Mar
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Microhoo and SEM: What Does it Mean?
Jon Legler
Microsoft and Yahoo gained approval from the US Department of Justice and the European Commission last week to move forward with integrating their two search engines into one. They have set a goal for completion late 2010 or early 2011. The two companies believe that this alliance will enable them to more effectively take on search giant Google. According to Hitwise, in January Google held 63.91% of search volume; Yahoo and Bing held 10.80% and 9.23% respectively. So they will have their work cut out for them.
26Feb
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The Social Effect
Kevin Marsh
Some time in 2005, I created my first Facebook account, albeit with some reluctance. I suppose I didn’t understand the concept, and, once I joined, the concept became even more elusive. I found myself wondering why I was spending time on Facebook, why people I don’t know were trying to “friend” me and, most frustratingly, what it meant when a girl responded with the following after asking for her phone number: “Why don’t you just find me on Facebook?” I only figured out what that meant once I was on the other end.
Today, however, I look at Facebook with wonder (and all social media, for that matter). It is, without a doubt, the most-impactful media revolution of the last decade. To put that in perspective, take a look at these numbers.
Read the full article…19Jan
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Holiday Shopping, Las Vegas and a New Year’s Business Resolution
Cory Grassell
While official reports aren’t expected until January 7, many retailers have initially declared increases this past holiday-shopping season (Black Friday through Christmas Eve). Some reports indicated an increase up to 15.5 percent for online sales and an overall increase of 3.6 percent. In support of the online increase, Cyber Monday, which is the first Monday following Black Friday when retailers offer online sales on the heels of Black Friday deals, saw a 5.5 percent increase over last year; however, Black Friday sales could have increased by a mere .5 percent. Of those consumers who purchased holiday gifts online, more people reported being influenced by user-generated ratings and reviews. Furthermore, an increasing amount of consumers followed their favorite retailers via Twitter and Facebook Connect to be advised of the latest coupons, offers and sales.
Read the full article…29Dec
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Marketing With Online Video
Kevin Marsh
Using online videos to reach consumers has its challenges, including fitting them within the framework of today’s customer-business relationship. This means videos cannot interrupt online experiences, and they must seek to engage consumers rather than talk at them (which is a far cry from what is found within traditional TV advertising).
The online commercial model, however, has been improved from its television counterpart (e.g. allowing viewers to choose the time and frequency with which commercials are viewed and also providing countdowns for when users will be returned to their intended activities). These examples are usually found on ad-supported platforms, which typically means free content and a fair trade for viewers. The important question isn’t from the viewer’s perspective, though: “Is being subjected to advertising worth accessing the content?” Rather, it’s from the marketer’s perspective: “Is this an effective way to reach the consumer?” Read the full article…
08Dec
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Yellow Pages Association and Association of Directory Marketing Close to Merger
Carrie Tobiason
Talks of a merger agreement between the Yellow Pages Association (YPA) and Association of Directory Marketing (ADM) have been in works for quite some time, and the merger is now coming closer to a reality. Two weeks ago, board members from both organizations gave unanimous approval to merge the two organizations. With the board members’ approval, the merger now moves toward a vote from each organizations’ members. Members are expected to reach a vote by the end of November, and a merger seems all but imminent. The newly formed organization would become effective in January 2010. Read the full article…
05Nov
