For most folks, it’s far more preferable to buy from a mom-and-pop shop as opposed to a big-box corporation. It offers up a sense of community and a feeling that you’re purchasing a real quality product, not some mass-produced item made overseas.   Mom-and-pop shops, as we all know, however, don’t have it easy. Oftentimes, their quality goods cost a little bit more than the mass-produced stuff flooding the market. Consumers then flock to Target or Wal-Mart instead for their low,...

We’ll do what Google tells us to do, and we’ll like it. Because after all, Google, the search engine giant, is the king of the Internet – our go-to guy for everything under the sun.   Google’s new directive involves its new platform Google+ Local, which is replacing Google Local. Much like the old version, it will serve as Web surfers’ first stop for mapped-out inquiries. According to Court Cunningham, CEO of Yodle, a provider of online marketing services, in the article...

When you get into a good cadence for creating social media content, sometimes it’s difficult to stop and switch up the routine. But, what if the directive came from Google?   According to Google, there are plenty of ways to garner increased attention for your website. And one of those ways is by adding a meta tag, which will only take a few extra minutes for each blog post or Web page that you create. Including a meta tag can be...

There are so many things that get swept under the rug when our precious time doesn’t allow for their attention. When dirty laundry starts piling up, the classic excuse is that we’re just too busy. If we realize that we haven’t called an out-of-town friend or family member, it’s usually because time just didn’t allow for that overdue chat. Even something as trivial as creating an account to make an online purchase falls under the there-aren’t-enough-hours-in-the-day syndrome.   But for an...

Paul Boisvert, the director of product management for Yahoo’s small business division, sat down with Abby Johnson of WebProNews.com at PubCon in Las Vegas last year to discuss e-commerce for small businesses. Right out of the gate, Boisvert addressed the issue of time when it comes to small businesses and their ability to stay on top of e-commerce and social media trends. With limited time and resources, Boisvert stressed the importance of focusing on a business’s core product as opposed...

Life is a juggling act; it seems as though we always have a few balls up in the air. And considering what's on the line, we want to ensure that the right balls are in motion. If even just one of those balls starts to lose momentum, it can cause all of the others to crash to the floor. So how can you tell if your e-commerce company is going to stay in the air or fall flat? Inc.com gives us...

From Florida oranges to Japanese beetle traps, Amazon nearly has it all. With at least 160,000,000 products, the online retailer literally has everything plus the kitchen sink. Beyond the vast array of stuff to buy, Amazon also offers free shipping, product reviews, shopper forums, daily deals, web services, sponsored links and job boards. The list goes on. What this all adds up to is the biggest and fastest-growing online retailer out there. Put it head to head with the world’s biggest brick-and-mortar...

In one iteration or another, the stories of life have always included a standoff between the little guy and the big guy. And despite a few fairy-tale-like happy endings, it’s usually the big guy that prevails. So has been true in the realm of online retailing. “One of the major reasons people turn to sites like Amazon when they start browsing for products and services is the fact that customer feedback and reviews are prominently incorporated into individual listings,” according to...

Mobile payment services, like Chase Bank’s QuickPay, have really taken off. Also referred to as mobile money, mobile banking, mobile money transfer and mobile wallet, the term generally refers to the ability to send money with a mobile device. So what does that mean for ecommerce companies? Are the days of paying with cash, check and credit card really on their way out? According to current sentiment, not just yet. Although it sounds like the answer to an on-the-go lifestyle, there’s...

At this point in time, most people have heard of Groupon. And most people have taken advantage of one of their daily deals, purchasing everything from cases of wine to dental cleanings. In fact, some might even say that they’ve placed orders simply because the deal seemed too good to pass up – as opposed to actually needing the item or service. Online coupon houses and deal-of-the-day sites have become the new what’s-hot trend – thrift is suddenly en vogue. And...