Newsletter for Ecommerce and Catalog Retailers – Feb 25 2011
February 25, 2011
Industry News
FIFTH GEAR Choice of the Week
Retailers face lawsuits over zip codes
Who knew that 5 little numbers could create such a big problem? A Feb. 10 ruling by California’s highest court found retailers violated the state’s credit-card law by asking customers for their zip codes when making in-store purchases in 2008…
(Source: Wall Street Journal)
Retailers face lawsuits over zip codes
Coupons and codes thanks to social media
The number of brands turning towards digital coupon offerings will continue to grow in 2011, with more offering deals on Facebook and Twitter . “Anywhere there is a digital connection, we believe there is going to be a conversation with digital coupons from brand marketers to consumers,” said Patrick Crisp, senior director of communications for digital coupon distributor Coupons.com…
(Source: Direct Marketing News)
Online videos and ecommerce sites – a perfect match
Usage of online video on product pages among 100 leading retailers increased by 18% between Q4 2009 and Q4 2010. Why? It could be because online video content helps boost SEO efforts, decrease product returns, and even increase conversion rates….
(Source: eMarketer)
Ecommerce surge hits state, local tax
As State and Local governments lose tax revenue, online retail sales touched $165 billion last year forming 4.3% of total retail sales, up from 1% a decade ago. The debate is in full swing – is it finally time that ecommerce shoppers and businesses get hit with state and local taxes?
(Source: Wall Street Journal)
Multichannel brand alignment: crucial to growth
The most pressing challenge facing today’s marketers is to create brand harmony across all channels. If different interpretations exist inside your company about the brand and its positioning, it will certainly permeate across channels. So what can you do? Start by creating a clear statement of your brand’s promise…
(Source: Multichannel Merchant)
Site search is becoming imperative to stay competitive in e-tail
From auto-complete search boxes to faster loading web pages, ecommerce websites are increasing customer’s ability to search their website. “ In this interview with Shaun Ryan, CEO of Fifth Gear partner SLI Systems, he discusses why it’s more important than ever for ecommerce retailers to embrace this technology…
(Source: Direct Marketing News)
Accelerating Commerce
Featured Content from the FIFTH GEAR Blog
• Research Confirms: Video for Retail Increases Conversion and Decreases Returns
•U.S. Commerce Dept. Releases Final 2010 Ecommerce Data
• Do You Have the Must-Have Features on Your Ecommerce Site?
• Turning Curious Browsers into Confident Buyers with Live Chat
