Web Wisdom: Competing in a Shifting Web Landscape Part Two

In part one of this article we talked about the World Wide Web as an ever-changing entity, a concept that is crucial to understanding why you cannot reverse engineer any search engine. Many of us utilizing Web space today, do not grasp this basic concept and that is why you find so many attempting website optimization with yesterday’s laundry lists of DOs and DON’Ts.  This is pandemic. Keyword Metatags As an example, take a look at the page source of any dozen or so websites you find on the Web (write to info@globalb2bcommunications.com if... 

Consumers Fear Online Fraud and Seek Retailers’ Resolutions

Is consumers’ growing concern for online shopping safety a good thing for brick and mortar retailers? Could some of those customers be willing to pack in their PayPal accounts and abandon their online shopping carts, and find their way back to Main Street USA? A recent Harris Interactive survey commissioned by McAfee makes it seem likely, reporting, “84 percent of consumers say they are at least somewhat concerned about providing their personal information when shopping online. And less than 33 percent of shoppers believe most websites are safe... 

Gifting Main Street USA

Alison Grappone has become a 31 year old entrepreneur overnight by following the philosophy that you should do what you know best. After planning her wedding four years ago, Grappone became aware of the big store bias of gift registries. As The Telegraph reports, “Grappone and her husband wanted local gifts from independent book shops and the community playhouse, or a share in a community supported agriculture program.” Grappone saw the opportunity to create a gift registry dedicated to independent retailers and nonprofits. Gift Registry for... 

Web Wisdom: Top Ten Signs of Poor SEO Technique

Independent retailers are at the mercy of the web designers and search engine optimization (SEO) consultants they hire. Why do I say this? As someone who has extensively studied SEO methods and attempts to stay up-to-date on how the Internet is changing, I must report that there is a lot of hot air posing as know how. Are you falling for this hot air and is it setting you back in your SEO efforts? Below are the top 10 warning signs indicating that you have fallen victim to out-of-date or poor SEO technique: 1) Your web designer presents you with... 

m-Commerce Increases: What About In-store Sales?

Some of you may still be investigating the option of a smartphone app as a possible commerce channel (m-commerce), unsure of its ability to drive sales. On the other hand, many independent retailers have come to terms that consumers flock to the Internet for product information and purchase, resulting in the launch of B2C sites to keep up with the growing trend of e-commerce and substitute for the decline of in-store sales. But have you overlooked the fact that m-commerce is simply a narrower form of e-commerce? The rise in mobile shopping in fact... 

Independent Retailers and Mom Sharing a Little Prosperity

According to an eBillme’s Online Spending Index released early in the second quarter of 2010 (Q2), online retail spending was forecasted to be up seven percent in the Q2 of 2010, compared with first quarter spending. Fifteen percent of about 1,500 survey respondents said they planned to spend more on gifts for Mother’s Day versus 2009, compared with just ten percent planning to increase spending for Father’s Day gifts. Furthermore, 25 percent of respondents planned to shop online for gifts for Mom, but only 21 percent for gifts for Dad. With... 

Local Coupon Giant Valpak Adds Mobile App for Shoppers

Valpak, the company behind those familiar direct mail coupon books offering deals at local merchants, is trying a new channel for delivering discounts — mobile. Valpak is now offering its coupons via the junaio augmented reality app, InternetRetailer reports. Consumers who download the free app to an iPhone or Android device and select “Local Coupons by Valpak” will be able to access discounts to use at businesses near their current locations. The app launches the smartphone’s camera and uses a device’s GPS functionality to overlay on... 

Western Sales’ 3D Art

One of the latest trends sweeping the art world is three dimensional art, which makes Western Sales and Marketing uniquely positioned to supply this rapidly growing area. The company’s National Marketing Director, Gary Chandler, says he’s never seen any product sell as quickly as his. “I first saw the product in China and was intrigued by it,” he recalls. “So I purchased a quantity and brought them back with me. I was selling 50 to 70 pictures a day at the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet in 2009,” he says. Convinced that the company had a... 

Battle Between States and Etailers Over Sales Tax Collection Heating Up

Most Americans probably aren’t aware, or choose to ignore, the sales tax owed to a state where they had their online purchases shipped, but the states have noticed, and are taking action. The money being left on the table is huge, with one estimate putting the number at $23 billion in uncollected taxes owed to the states by 2012. Since the start of the year, a number of states from California to Tennessee have introduced legislation to force out-of-state Internet retailers to collect sales tax from online shoppers. Illinois is the latest, with... 

Inhale International Rolls Out Line of Custom-Made Hookahs for Smoke-Shops, Others

The hookah as a smoking device has enjoyed a surge of popularity in the U.S. recently, which puts Inhale International of California in a great position. “We started back in 1997 as a retailer of smoking articles for a few years, but then decided to get into wholesaling hookahs and tobacco products full time,” says Rani Chaoui, CEO of the company. “We started getting really busy and began concentrating more on the hookah itself, which at the time was not all that popular in the U.S.,” he notes. Inhale began manufacturing the product in China,... 

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