March 2008, No. 22
Welcome to the Latest Issue of eNews:
We hope you find the following information helpful and informative. As always, please do not hesitate to let us know of other news and resources that might be relevant for inclusion in eNews.
Bo Beaulieu, Director
Alicia Barnes, Editorial Assistant
News and Research:
Definition: Web 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0
By Brian Getting, Practical eCommerce
"What do people mean when they talk about the Web 2.0?" is a query we receive repeatedly, and probably has as many answers as the number of people out there using the term. However, since talk about the Web 3.0 has surfaced in the last year or so, a whole new level of confusion seems to have set in. In an effort to help people understand the ideas behind buzzwords like Web 2.0 and Web 3.0, let's go through what exactly these terms mean (if anything), and how they apply to your ecommerce business. See more at http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/464/Basic-Definitions-Web-10-Web-20-Web-30/
Zlio: Everyone’s a Retailer
By Keith Regan, E-Commerce Times
Zlio.com, a France-based startup that launched in the U.S. recently, hopes to make e-commerce even more open and grassroots, by enabling anyone – even would-be e-tailers who don't have a product to sell – to set up an online store in a matter of minutes. Read more at http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/62210.html
Can CRM Handle Web 2.0?
By Erika Morphy, CRM Buyer
Having your customers comment on your policies, products or employment practices is one thing. Having them suggest ideas for improving said policies and products – in a public forum where participants can vote on these ideas, no less – is an entirely different matter. Read the article at http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/62278.html
Secrets to E-Commerce Excellence
By Paul Korzeniowski, E-Commerce Times
These days, just about every business – from from the corner store to Wal-Mart – has a Web presence. While the Internet's vast expanse provides companies with the ability to reach more potential customers, it also pits them against more competitors than ever before. As a result, it has become increasingly difficult for companies to convert site visitors into buying customers. See the entire story at
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/60978.html
StoreXperience: A Mobile Bridge Between Bricks, Clicks
By Andrew K. Burger, CRM Buyer
Retailers in Japan and South Korea have been using image capture technology for several years now, and with the growing base of smartphones, companies in the United States are rolling out a wide range of new mobile applications, including some that use interactive digital symbols captured in photos to provide customers with product information, prices and incentives on the spot. See the article at http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/62207.html
JS-Kit: Building Web 2.0 One Brick at at Time
By Jack M. Germain, E-Commerce Times
Web 2.0 technology is revolutionizing the way businesses display their wares on e-commerce sites. The service delivery model of Web 2.0 presents a pressing challenge to Web designers in small businesses and home-based businesses. Anyone with a community-based information and public comment Web site is often hard-pressed to offer the look and feel of a modern, interactive portal. That's where JS-Kit enters the picture. It offers a library of cut-and-paste code that Web site owners can add to their pages to instantly provide ultra-lightweight, feature-specific content and community services in several languages for any site via a hosted platform. Read the entire article at http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/62165.html
Social Networking: Build Your Own Community
By Paul Chaney, Practical eCommerce
A basic rule of thumb in social media marketing is that, in order to gain influence, you must actively participate in the communities of which you are a member. That means commenting on blogs, participating in forums and message boards, joining fan groups at major social networks like MySpace or Facebook, and dialoging via online chat on sites like Twitter. Read more at http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/696/Social-Networking-Create-a-Table-of-Your-Own/
SEO Tricks of the Trade
By Matt Foster, E-Commerce Times
Search engine optimization experts pretty much agree that there are a few important steps to improving your search engine rankings and, surprisingly, no technical knowledge is required for any of them. Get all the tricks at http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/62100.html
Promotional Offers Can Create Prospects
By Mat Greenfield, Practical eCommerce
For e-commerce Web sites, a sale is a desired outcome. However, in some cases, building a mailing list of interested prospects can also be very valuable. In this article, we'll discuss some of the principles for developing a compelling offer to get visitors to convert in a non-financial transaction. See the full article at http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/695//
E-Commerce Successes:
DAAN
DAAN has been in business for over 30 years in both Taiwan and the USA. The Yen family specializes in full-service traditional Chinese medicine, providing their clients with an accredited acupuncture clinic and the highest quality Chinese herbs. This WebCom.com interview features Mr. Yen sharing his experiences as a successful online merchant.
http://www.webcom.com/ecommerce/success/daan/daan.shtml
E-Library Focus:
E-Library.net
http://e-library.net/search.php?key=e-commerce
Helpful Tools and Resources:
Free Webinar: How You Can Afford to Work with Comparison Shopping Engines
April 10, 2008
1-1:30 p.m. CST
This 30-minute Webinar offered by Merchant Advantage will arm you with the information you need to make smart marketing decisions in the online retail and mobile commerce world. To register, visit http://www.merchantadvantage.com/webinar08/
Free E-Commerce Podcast Library
GoEcCart.com now offers a podcast version of its e-newsletter articles. Each podcast covers various e-commerce topics that are relevant to online retailers. Download the podcasts or read the articles at http://www.goecart.com/Free-Ecommerce-Podcasts-Downloads.asp
Survival Guides for Multiple Online Marketing Disciplines
Oneupweb offers a series of free Survival Guides that will help you learn the language, get the facts and become more familiar with the latest in integrated online marketing. The five guides cover Social Media Marketing, Eye Tracking, Corporate Blogging, Paid Search and Search Engine Optimization. To download these free guides, visit http://www.oneupweb.com/landing/08_survival_guides/index.php
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