We’ve watched the retail landscape change in recent years as eCommerce growth has outpaced that of the traditional brick and mortar stores. And 2014 proved to be another successful leap forward for eCommerce companies. To get a better idea of what is driving change, RJMetrics took a closer look at the numbers in its “2015 Benchmark Report Series: eCommerce Growth.” The growth pattern has been nothing short of a windfall for some companies, like Alex and Ani, a jewelry company that...

In a recent ComScore report titled, “U.S. Digital Future in Focus 2014,” the editors there discussed the rapid evolution of the online marketplace. From mobile to social media to eCommerce, digital consumer behavior in 2013 was put under the microscope. In doing so, the researchers at ComScore were able to categorize the changes taking place into four categories. These categories, which ComScore dubbed as transformative shifts, are as follows: Platform Shifts: Consumers are engaging with digital media across an increasing number...

Open-source software or OSS represents a community approach to developing software where anyone can copy, modify and redistribute the source code without paying royalties or fees. This is opposed to commercial software vendors whose source code is not distributed, is treated as intellectual property and whose customers pay licensing and maintenance fees for the use of that software.   To get a better understanding of how freedom and flexibility can be achieved through OSS, the team here at NetSphere Strategies put...

Social media can be very different things to different people. According to a recent study published by International Data Corp., a global marketing intelligence firm, technology buyers consider social media networks as a method to stay on top of current trends and interact with their peers. They don’t, however, consider social media as a means to influence their technology purchases. In terms of influence, the report, titled the “2012 Buyer Experience Study,” revealed that trade shows and conferences were the heavy...

Staying abreast of new trends in the digital world is practically a full-time job, especially so considering the pace at which technology evolves. Mary Meeker, venture capitalist and former Wall Street securities analyst covering the Internet, knows the lengths it takes to stay on top of the game. Nicknamed the Queen of the Net, she’s dedicated her life to not only staying in the know in terms of what’s trending, but steering the ship toward the horizon. To reiterate the difficulties of staying on...