My So-Called Digital Life

Online E-Commerce Helped Along by Social Media

It's true that social networking sites are definately directing an increasing number of online users towards shopping web sites.

You can find comments and shopping info on sites like Flickr, MySpace, etc. According to research, sites like these increase their shares in September due to shopping and ecommerce becoming a big part of the social networking activities.

Research from Hitwise revealed that shopping and classified sites received 2.4 per cent of their visits from MySpace during September, and furthermore that this represented an 83 per cent increase on figures released six months earlier.

I have found that google alerts that have come up for snazzygirl.com, that were original on blogs and social network sites, talking about opinion about products on the site, really do direct people in a postive way towards the web site. Much more than doing any kind of online advertising.

The Launch of Visual Search

I don't know how many of you have checked out www.like.com, but honestly, you should head right over there. For years, people have been discussing and testing the idea of visual search technology. A search technology that would be more than just text links and descriptions. Like.com has done it one better by matching pics with "like" products that can be found and bought online. And how do you cleverly launch that...well hook people up with the products similar to what the celebrities are wearing!

And you can submit to their database, you products, which in turn, finesse their technology when more people use it. I submitted www.snazzygirl.com to see what would happen. And considering some of the products that the celebrities are wearing are actually available on snazzygirl.com, it should be a no-brainer.

There are other visual search engines...sort of, like pricecanada.com, shoptoit.ca, shop.com, shopping.com and others, but this one takes it up a notch by letting people see ahead what they would like to shop for and then using search in a very creative way, to solve the problem. All visually.

Teaching at the University of British Columbia

I'm happy to say that I'll be teaching starting in January at the University of British Columbia continuing studies. I'll be teaching three courses. An introductory and an advanced course on etailing and a course on the business of new media. Check out more info when it's posted soon at UBC's web site.

Overstock.com’s oversight

This is something that is my personal worry everytime I update a client's site or Snazzygirl.com. I worry of a spelling mistake that I didn't catch, a broken graphic, etc. And if something happens, I feel I'm generally fast enough to fix it before anyone notices. Or at least I hope so.

Problem is, as of 11:20am PST on Monday, October 30th, the problem is still there on Overstock.com. No joke, check it out. But I wasn't the smartie to find this. It was the clever people at Varian who did...and I guess thousands...and millions of others who are shopping on Overstock.com right now.

What happened? They doubled their ‘coming soon’ tab that link nowhere. (see graphic). Additionally, why would anyone, especially a company like overstock.com put a "coming" soon tab in their tab area or even at the top of their site. Remember way back when, when people would have a "under construction" graphic on their site or a link to an underconstruction page. Who cares!!! Never, ever, ever, ever, link to nowhere or link to a page where people can't do, see, shop, read, scratch, sniff...whatever. Bad idea and bad for the brand! An ecommerce site is for commerce...i.e. buying stuff. Linking to something that is coming in the future is both annoying and unnecessary.

Ecommerce in United States will Top 120 Billion in 2006

October 29, 2006 – (HOSTSEARCH.COM) – Ecommerce in the United States will top 120 billion dollars in 2006, website Leadpile.com (http://www.LeadPile.com) forecasted this week. The figure validates the company’s July 2005 prediction that ecommerce in the US would be around the 100 billion mark.

"We are delighted that our prediction looks to be right on the money. For the remainder of 2006, we continue to hold steady on our forecast that 100 Billion in US E-Commerce sales will easily be reached,” suggested CEO of Leadpile.com Mr. Andy Jacob. “The US Department of Commerce has already reported 1st and 2nd quarters 06 at a combined 51.5 Billion in retail sales. Not only do we believe that 100 Billion is a done deal, but it is highly likely that 2006 US E-Commerce Sales will top 120 Billion."

"Everyone seems to be talking about ‘baby boomers’”, added Mr. Jacob. “Leadpile believes that the recent focus on America's aging population has blinded many experts from seeing the explosive growth that will come on the web from the "next generation" of younger, super-internet consumers. These Super Kids in Digital Space, or "SKIDS", as coined by Leadpile in 2005, will lead to explosive growth on the Internet. Leadpile believes that the biggest impact on our world and our culture will come from the "SKIDS", who will help change the entire way we currently think about the internet, wireless devices, and our future. With regard to US E-Commerce, you haven't seen anything yet".

Where's Your Digital Answer?

I told my mother the other day, of a recent stat that I came across that said that in all of 2005, online purchases totaled approximately $175 billion, which was up a massive 22% over 2004. She didn't believe me. She isn't one of "those" people. She liked getting into her car and going to the mall to shop. She's hesitant...actually scared to shop online, but she's getting to be part of the minority.

Well even if you're not shopping, or the people around you aren't...there are millions who are and they are looking for product to spend on!

How do you target these fine spenders? I ask myself that question all the time. With a limited budget, I try to get the word out about snazzygirl.com on a regular basis, with a marketing cocktail of search marketing, web advertising (blog and site) and affiliate marketing. I do the same for my larger clients who have real advertising budgets. The mix is the same, the money is different.

The pace, in which both ecommerce and online marketing is going to grow, is fast and furious and not likely to stop over the next decade. But to convince traditional companies, that market on television, buses, billboards and in newspapers and magazines that they need to try this new Internet thing out, is sometimes a very difficult sell. Which is curious because I can track (in most cases) online advertising right down to the sale. But what can one say about a billboard...or an overpriced ad on the side of a bus? One might be able to do some expensive focus group research on identity, but that wouldn't track a real sale.

I'm not saying that traditional marketing and advertising is dead, all I'm saying is, add digital to the mix for increased and trackable success.

Additionally, consumers use the Internet as a research tool when investigating a new product, even if they don't or can't buy it online. And according to statistics, it influences more than 25% of retail sales.

It's not just email marketing, it's not just online ads, its one media with several channels. An effective two-punch to add to any campaign and its part of "marketing and advertising" in general for any company. It's not something separate and these divisions need to work together on a multichannel platformed approach that is consistant with the brand.

Call it convergence, call it integration. I call it, needed.

eTail World Australasia 2007

Next's year's eTail World Australasia 2007 being held in Sydney, Australia should prove to be an interesting conference. With the advancement of 3G and the fact that, for the first time ever, mobile ecommerce or mcommerce has surpassed online and traditional retail commerce, should make the stories told at this event, worth hearing!

Digital Entertainment World - Hong Kong

I'm excited to be asked to be a guest speaker at Digital Entertainment World 2006 Conference in Hong Kong. It will be held August 19-21, 2006 at the Disneyland Resort.