As we exit April, we once more collect our favorite news articles, blog posts and other e-commerce related facts and opinions to deliver the kind of information you need to know to provide the best e-commerce environment to your patrons. In this month’s E-commerce Digest we look at business models and DRM issues from Nintendo and Pottermore, investigate the social sales funnel, and review some key tips in PPC advertising and web design.
Be sure to let us know what kind of topics you would like to see addressed in our monthly wrap up of all things e-commerce.
Practical eCommerce | 3 Basic Ways to Improve PPC Advertising – Anyone selling software online wants to guide traffic to their shopping carts, and PPC advertising is an important method for accomplishing this goal. This post teaches advertisers how to create better ROI on PPC advertising by using Google’s new contextual targeting tool, managing customer expectations and developing a willingness to adjust in the face of external changes.
Ars Technica | Nintendo plays catch-up, will offer downloadable versions of 3DS, Wii U retail games – Nintendo finally decided to enter the digital download arena, far behind Microsoft’s Xbox or Sony’s Playstation stores. And one point of interest for software vendors in general is the DRM restriction Nintendo imposes on these purchases by limiting play to the first device on which the game is downloaded.
What do you think of Nintendo’s DRM decision? Does it encourage customers to buy more games, or lead to customer frustration?
Social Media Examiner | 5 Tips for Moving Social Media Leads Into the Sales Funnel - Social commerce continues to be a concern of anyone selling online, but the question this post seeks to answer is, “Can we monetize our social media following?” In doing so, we learn the need to test our understanding of our sales funnel, encourage soft conversions, and nurture leads differently than traditional channels.
How do you nurture social media leads? We’d like to hear your thoughts. Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under DRM, Forbes, Nintendo, Pottermore, PPC, web design
This March, Building Keystones researched and published blog posts on our favorite e-commerce Twitter accounts, reducing churn with proper dunning techniques and the state of downloaded software vis-a-vis SaaS and apps.
We also kept an eye on the latest developments and insights in how software is sold and delivered online. The links below highlight some of the best articles that we’ve read this month. Use the Comments section below to share your favorite e-commerce articles and videos.
Alex Payne — How Not To Sell Software in 2012: Alex Payne, one of the original employees at Twitter, writes that in our day and age, software vendors need to simplify overly complicated sales processes so that purchasing software is as easy downloading an app.
This quote sums up his position, “Basically, if a given software package or service isn’t free/open, it should be as easy as humanly possible to try it, pay for it, and start using it in production. If it isn’t easy to get started with your product, I’m going to find another vendor.”
The post continues with a list of eight “Don’ts,” those companies that are getting it right, and those companies that are doing it wrong.
Internet Retailer – Amazon steps up competition in cloud services: Amazon is the acknowledged gold standard of online retailing. According to Internet Retailer, this e-commerce behemoth wants to occupy that same position in cloud based service offerings. Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under Alex Payne, Amazon, Brian Walker, cloud services, conversion optimization, e-commerce advice, E-Commerce Times, Forrester Blogs, Internet Retailer, migration project, software vendors
We live in a world where mountains of information, relevant to improving our lives and businesses, are at our fingertips. But time is fleeting, resources are limited and we tend to overlook this information in the whirlwind of urgent, everyday activities. Thankfully, you have us, the Building Keystones team, to navigate the whirlwind for you, to highlight the important information you need to make the right decisions for your e-commerce needs.
This past month Building Keystones published blog posts on several important e-commerce topics. We analyzed new Canadian anti-spam legislation with an eye toward explaining how this legislation impacts our email marketing initiatives. Additionally, we suggested eight vital elements that make for an effective affiliate approval email. Finally, we presented the seven key metrics that will help monitor the success or failure of an e-commerce re-platforming project. Enjoy!
Now with February winding down, it’s time for another edition of our Blogger’s Digest series. This month the digest explores tips for competing in the Chinese e-commerce market, the differences between American and British affiliate marketing, cloud security, the growth of revenue from mobile applications, and the future of Google search. Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under a4u, Blogger's Digest, Chinese e-commerce market, ClickZ.asia, cloud security, differences between American and British affiliate marketing, E-Commerce News, eMarketer, future of Google search, important e-commerce topics, revenue from mobile applications, Search Engine Roundtable
