All Online Feedback Needs to be Acknowledged

Many online companies tend to be a little alarmed when they receive negative feedback.  However, it’s not necessary as online businesses have a range of ways to handle such feedback and lessen the damage.

In an article by Search Engine Watch, it suggests that companies need to acknowledge any feedback they receive whether they are good or bad.  They believe it is worthwhile replying in a polite and truthful manner.

In order for the business to reflect well it is important that the person writing the response is not irritated by the comments received.  The reply needs to be composed carefully and it’s advised that another person reads the reply to ensure it comes across correctly.

It’s also worth trying to create a selection of positive feedback so the item of negative feedback has less prominence on the web.

Businesses should also ensure the reply is not used to spam people and provides a realistic and accurate view.

Record Online Spending in the US

Now is definitely the time for retailers in America to consider their online marketing strategies after came to light that ecommerce in the US has hit a record high.

The details became apparent in the Q4 findings of the comScore report.  The report showed that online retail transactions reached £26.96 billion, up 11% on the same period in 2009.

This isn’t just something for American retailers to take note of as the trends will mirror in the UK.

The last 5 quarters have seen a year on year increase in growth rate.

Gian Fulgoni, comScore chairman advised: “The 2010 holiday season saw the first billion-dollar day on record and several more surpassing $900 million to help propel Q4 to record spending levels.”

The market research company also revealed that Google top the US search engine rankings with an impressive 66.6% of searched being done on their site.

Shoppers search for preferred online checkouts now more than ever

Since the New Year the number of online checkouts registered users has climbed massively as the shopping trends slide towards purchasing online and not from the high street.

For Amazon, last year’s busiest day was the 8^th of December when in a 24-hour window, it received 1.4 million orders. This is approximately 16 orders a second.  John Lewis also had a record breaking year online. On the 22^nd of November it sold 48% more than the same day in the previous year. Home Retail Group (the owners of Argos) has already seen a huge growth online, with 25% more visits to the site fuelling its boost in revenue.

The e-market has increased mostly because of the very easy way that deals can be verified and compared to get the best offer.

These types of trends have been lead by the App market, where an online retailer offers an app for download that is an instant link to their store from your smartphone or handheld device. There is also the facility on some of these Apps that the barcode of an item that you might be looking at in store  can be scanned, recognised and compared including the price within seconds against other retailers, ensuring that you have the most competitive price.

Once the item at the correct price is found, the next stage is the online checkout. From a consumer’s point of view, a secure site that will complete your order effectively by debiting your bank account for the goods chosen is ideal.  Google checkout is one of the many payment processing services provided by Google itself. Once an account is established with Google you can store your credit or debit card details with them and preferred shipping details to make the purchase very tidy when purchasing goods from participating stores. It’s an assumptive idea, but ideally for Google they would try and channel you to search for an item from their Google Search engine, click through to the site that offers that item and complete the order with Google Checkout.  But, that then promotes a problem.

Let’s say that you have a Google Checkout account, and you are looking to make a purchase from eBay. You have seen the item and you wish to have it, and you have the account with Google to order it – here is the problem. In 2006, eBay added Google Checkout to the list of online checkouts that is not accepted as a payment method, preventing Google Checkout Account holders from using eBay to complete the order. The reason for this is that eBay had its own checkout system called PayPal.

So, from a shopper’s point of view you have to have an account to complete the order that you want. There will be a stage when new users of the online retail market will have to consider which payment service they register with, such as PayPal, Google Checkout or Worldpay. This could very much depend on where you prefer to shop. Registering with all services may not be your cup of tea, so the decision will be based on where you shop, to confirm which service you use.

Google move into Social Commerce arena

Towards the end of 2010 Google failed with a $6bn bid to buy Groupon.  In a sudden change of dirction, Google has now decided to compete with Groupon by launching its own Google Offers site to take advantage of the rising trend for social commerce.

Google Offers will function the same as other sites by offering discounts on products and services from local companies.  Google Offers will go head to head with existing competitors such as Groupon, Groupola and Living Social.

Google Offers will also incorporate Facebook and Twitter social networking tools.

The Search Engine monster advised that Google Offers will aid small firms in growing by getting new customers and increasing coverage on Google’s ad networks.

Google commented: “Google is communicating with small businesses to enlist their support and participation in a test of a pre-paid offers/vouchers program. This initiative is part of an ongoing effort at Google to make new products, such as the recent Offer Ads beta, that connect businesses with customers in new ways.”

Traditional Businesses need to look at SEO

For businesses that use traditional marketing methods, digital marketing and Search Engine Optimisation can be both daunting and confusing.

In a recent article by Las Vegas Sun, it was suggested that people’s lack of understanding could well lead to many companies ignoring internet marketing opportunities to avoid the challenge of utilising SEO and pay per click (PPC) services.

The article advised: “These hurdles also provide an easy excuse for sitting on the sidelines or posting a web page that is little more than a glorified brochure.”

Businesses cannot afford to avoid internet marketing and employing SEO services is a fantastic way to conquer these concerns and ensure you are doing everything possible to market your products or services.

Unless businesses hurry up and recognise the importance of digital marketing, they could well see the demise of the business and the rise of the competition.

Ignore digital marketing at your peril!

Now is the time to start an online business

In a recent article published by the Fontana Herald News, financial analysts claimed that we are coming out of the recession and heading into a new economy that is geared towards online transactions.

Retailers are seeing more online business than ever before, meaning they would be fools not to invest time and money into their digital marketing efforts.

The web and buying online are no longer alien to people as customers of all ages have learnt how to use the internet.  Whilst there are still many that prefer to do physical shopping, there is no denying that online purchasing has gone through the roof and changed peoples shopping habits.

Another attraction for entering into the digital marketing arena is the low financial risks.  Starting an online business requires a smaller amount of money to get up and running.  In fact, many businesses run multiple websites at the same time to generate multiple sources of income.  Just because it costs less, it does not mean e-commerce is less effective than traditional means.

The Herald News printed 11 tips to get an online business up and running:

1.  Create a business plan
2.  Use a flow chart
3.  Hire a good webmaster
4.  Keep it simple
5.  Collect names and email
6.  Optimise for the search engines
7.  Use domain names with keywords
8.  Use videos more than text
9.  Blogs and social network
10.Use banner ads on popular websites
11.Regular networking

Amazon Take Full Control of LoveFilm

Amazon has taken full control of the film giant LoveFilm.

The e-commerce giant had already acquired a 42% stake in LoveFilm in 2008 and proceeded to merge its UK and German DVD rental business with the film subscription company.

Amazon already operates a video-on-demand service for HD movies in the United States.  The acquisition of the remaining LoveFilm shares will boost Amazon’s stance in the European market.

VP of Amazon European retail, reg Greeley, said, “LoveFilm has been innovating on behalf of movie rental customers across Europe for many years and with the advent of the LoveFilm Player it’s further delighting customers by streaming digital movies for their immediate enjoyment.”

CEO of LoveFilm International, Simon Calver believes LoveFilm members will reap benefits and said, “With Amazon’s unequivocal support we can significantly enhance our members’ experience across Europe.”

Earlier this week, LoveFilm also tied up a deal with supermarket Ocado in a 12 month marketing campaign.  The contract will see LoveFilm supply branded inserts to clients through physical rentals.

Digital Marketing Shouldn’t Relax During The ‘Slow Season’

After the peak shopping season, online advertisers should look to review their digital campaigns if they want to optimise their results.

In a recent article, Search Engine Land said that many digital marketers see this as ‘the slow season.’

Search Engine Land think that this is the ideal time for companies using pay per click (PPC) services to take advantage of consumers who are shopping online.

Within the article, Search Engine Land state: “While it may sound basic to some, many marketers need to be convinced that it is important to continue to advertise and keep their paid search campaigns running during slower times.”

This is a perfect opportunity for competition to take advantage of big brands who are sitting complacently thinking it’s time to relax.

As with our earlier blogs, now is definitely the time for online companies to review their digital campaigns.

Online Shoppers Spent More Than Planned Over Christmas

Whilst we expected a lot of people to use the web to do their Christmas shopping in 2010, it seems that many online shoppers spent more than they intended to on web purchases.

In recent research undertaken by consumer research specialists, Intersperience, it came to light that 35% of online shoppers actually spent more than they had planned to.

According to Intersperience chief executive, Paul Hudson, the bad weather played a heavy factor in the figures as people could either not get out to shop or opted not to go out to the high street and stay in the warm.

Given that the UK has seen snow for the last 2 winter periods, it would be a brave person that bets against it happening again.  That said, surely it’s time for businesses to invest in SEO services for the future to ensure they have a good digital strategy and online presence to capture the custom of consumers who choose to shop online.

Mr Hudson said: “Over the years our surveys show that people always spend more than they intend to.”

This follows research undertaken by eDigital that saw 86% of shoppers surfing the net on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Mobile shopping is on the increase

According to market research company, ForeSee, more and more shoppers are using their mobiles to look at retailers’ websites.  The recent research undertaken by ForeSee found that over 30% of consumers use mobiles to make purchases.

This is an area that businesses using SEO services need to pay attention to when it comes to their marketing strategy.

Amazingly, of those who visited a retailer’s website, 67% actually did whilst they were in the shop, while 26% used their mobile to compare prices of competitors.

The author of the ForeSee report, Kevin Ertell, said: “Any retailer not actively working to develop, measure and refine its mobile experience is leaving money on the table for competitors.”

The research saw 10,000 online shoppers surveyed and also reported that 8% of those on a retail website actually made a purchase.

The way trends are heading, mobile internet use and online purchases via mobiles is set to increase significantly during 2011.