If you offer products and services that generate recurring revenue through subscriptions (including software, music, games, media or wireless plans), remarketing to your existing customers is the most important part of your business – as they say, it costs 5 times more to acquire a new customer than to satisfy an existing one. An upgrade or renewal email is an effective way to keep the customer “in the fold.” Some businesses bank on existing... 

[Dave Birch] A correspondent writes We had an earthquake. Yes, we have them every day and this one was not very bad as quakes go, but it starts the news folks doing the “are YOU ready for the Big One” stories, complete with lists of things you should have on hand should local services be unavailable after a quake. One thing to have, say the experts, is some cash because, the wisdom goes, electricity will likely be out for an extended... 

If you are anything like me and keep a weathered eye on the technological horizon, you will be very excited about the launch of Apple’s latest gadget, the iPad (you may even have one already). This incredible item has really pushed the boundaries in touch screen technology and is just downright cool to play with.  Read More →

Have you ever received an email or SMS from your trusted bank that prompts you to verify your personal details? The email or SMS then directs you to click on a link which leads you to your bank’s website, right? WRONG! You’ve just been phished. As our digital world and knowledge base is evolving at an exponential rate, it makes sense that fraudulent fiends would step up their game to correspond to individual’s ever-growing engagement... 

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year…” OK, so perhaps I’m getting a little ahead of myself here, but having spent the last several months thinking about the holiday season ahead (much like you, I imagine), it’s good to officially launch the 2010 eHoliday Study with our partner, BIGresearch . I’m calling all retailers to participate in our annual pre-holiday survey, this year featuring 14questions across marketing, promotions,... 

In the last couple of weeks, there have been a couple of economic news items from China which may be of interest to readers. China Now 2nd Largest Economy The first was the big news that after three decades of continuous double-digit growth, China has recently passed Japan to become the world’s second largest economy behind the United States.  Read More →

The 2010 SA Blog Awards snuck up on everyone this year. Whilst we didn’t really plug this, save for a random blog post on the 26th , we’re pretty chuffed that we made it to the final voting stage. Thanks to all of you for nominating us (high fives all around). Unfortunately, as is the case with these types of initiatives, there will be winners and there will, of course, be losers. Some bloggers who didn’t manage to crack the nod… Read... 

My kids were flipping through one of our favorite family magazines when all of sudden I heard giggles. You know the giggles that mean they are doing something they shouldn’t be. I come around the corner to see what they are doing and I see an advertisement that is clearly not appropriate for children. It wasn’t horrible, it certainly could have been worse, but let’s just say I didn’t enjoy my 8 year-olds running around the house saying... 

My kids were flipping through one of our favorite family magazines when all of sudden I heard giggles. You know the giggles that mean they are doing something they shouldn’t be. I come around the corner to see what they are doing and I see an advertisement that is clearly not appropriate for children. It wasn’t horrible, it certainly could have been worse, but let’s just say I didn’t enjoy my 8 year-olds running around the house saying... 

When you work with a full-service eCommerce development company to manage the production of your new website project, make sure you understand the overall timeline and phases before breaking ground. Your chosen eCommerce provider should present a timeline unique to your project. The phases/length may differ, but the concepts should be similar. Please note that this timeline and phase outline is geared more towards a full-service eCommerce development... 

Being a bit of a scatterbrain, I have folders to keep all my stuff together and sorted. The other day I decided to clean up a bit and came across this little gem: It was back in the days when GottaQuirk was a mere thought in need of action. Andrew Bayley , our ex-Head of Create, captured the essence of this little idea just perfectly. If you know either Rob or Sarah , then you will know why this is so funny. Also check out: Quirk’s Carbon... 

It’s Fall here in Utah.. ok, not really Fall, but the kids start school in August, so from a mom’s standpoint.. it’s a little bit of Fall.. not to mention a little bit of heaven. There’s a clear sense of a fresh start in the Fall, right? I love it, it’s my favorite season, and yesterday.. it snowed in the mountains. Just a little bit, but ski season is coming : ) So I’m feeling refreshed and hopeful. I’m... 

As a business owner, there are many times when you have to do it all: hire, fire, answer phones, solve UPS problems, pick & pack orders…you name it! Some of the most challenging parts of my job is not the business aspect of running the company but instead the people aspect of it. At eHobbies we have distinct roles and responsibilities for all of our staff. However, in order to be successful, you have to be well versed on how to perform... 

If you run an eCommerce business, you interact with Google’s applications and services every single day. Their dominance in organic search and on-line advertising borders on monopolistic. I’m sure there are times when you wish your business was not quite so dependent on their algorithms and advertising platform. But, when your search rankings and conversion rates are good, they are your friend and hero. Google offers a wide variety of free... 

As soon as the August 13 application deadline for the Shop.org Think Tank expired, the Judging Committee (comprised of 5 volunteers from the Shop.org Board of Directors) set straight to work, poring over the many applications to identify the 12 candidates – 6 from retail and 6 from associate member companies – who would become the Charter Members of the Shop.org Think Tank. Congratulations are due to the 12 winning candidates, but not...