When the Chicago Auto Show is in full swing, serious buyers walk away with a better idea as to what their next car purchase will entail. For those who aren’t there to buy but are there just to take in the sights and the sounds of North America’s biggest automotive event, they might instead be inspired to give their cars a little extra TLC. For those folks who head home to research what they could do for their cars from a...

It’s been a few months since Alibaba announced its upcoming IPO, slated to be the biggest listing since Facebook’s in 2012. With its current value sitting at $128 billion, investor anticipation is palpable. But the announcement of its IPO came mid-year 2013 and the date for the public offering still hasn’t been set. So what has China’s eCommerce giant been doing in the interim? Well, according to today’s headlines, Alibaba has been hatching a new scheme to take over Amazon. And...

Merchants today are expanding their capabilities at an astounding rate by taking advantage of the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) delivery model. For many, it’s a cost-effective alternative to traditional on-premise commercial or open-source software packages that often require charges to upgrade software and purchase additional licensing, which are in addition to the initial and sometimes hefty price tag. Although cost efficiencies are justification enough to take the SaaS route, in a recent study, IBM touted the competitive advantages inherent to SaaS as an equally...

According to a recent survey conducted by Forrester, 66 percent of eBusinesses are planning to up their technology investments in 2014. Unsurprisingly, more than half of Forrester’s respondents identified the eCommerce platform as one of their top technology investment priorities. In fact, replatforming was specifically highlighted in the survey’s findings. “eCommerce platforms are the backbone of any digital channel, and replacing legacy home-grown systems or outdated (and often unsupported) platforms remains a top priority,” explained a Forrester editor. “With these platforms...

The Starbucks loyalty and payment app for iOS and Android has been downloaded and installed by more than 10 million java junkies. And according to MobileCommerceDaily.com, those 10 million users are incredibly active, pushing Starbucks toward the milestone of nearly 5 million transactions per week. In addition to finding the nearest Starbucks coffee shop, the mobile app lets users sync their rewards card with a credit card, learn about different Starbucks blends and drinks, and send gift cards electronically. And if...

The early months of every new year offer up opportunities to reflect on the past to improve in the future. For eCommerce companies, the future looks particularly bright. No matter the retail sector, forecast after forecast calls for double-digit growth in the online sales arena. According to a forecast from eMarketer, a research firm focused on digital marketing, media and commerce, worldwide B2C eCommerce sales will hit $1.5 trillion in 2014, a rise of more than 20 percent. But the big...

By checking the “remember me” box when logging into a website, so much more is retained than just a username and a password. At this point in time, frequent online shoppers understand that. They understand that the ease of eCommerce doesn’t come to full fruition until they’ve created an account and logged in. Without registration, return visitors will need to re-enter their credit card, billing and shipping information every single time they go to make a purchase. The formal term for...

Crowdsourcing comes in all shapes and sizes. Individuals and businesses alike solicit support for everything from developing the world’s best hoodie to restoring an historic movie theater. But when crowdsourcing is big, it can be really big. Take the Pebble e-Paper smartwatch, for example. On Kickstarter, one of the world’s biggest funding platforms, the goal was to raise $100,000. When all was said and done, it raked in more than $10 million. Clearly, the benefits of crowdsourcing are limitless. Crowdsourcing, however,...

A common side effect of a fast-growing business is an increase in online properties, sometimes referred to as web sprawl, which is essentially the over-creation of tangential brand websites. What starts out as one website developed for a product launch, a sub-brand or a marketing campaign, can quickly spiral out of control into multiple, difficult-to-manage web entities like country-specific sites, partner portals, customer support sites and blogs. Although these sites can be considered necessary additions for a growing business, problems arise...

Online retail has been on a tear. According to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau, retail eCommerce sales for the third quarter of 2013 hit a staggering $67 billion, an increase of 17.5 percent from Q3 2012. During the same period, total retail sales increased at a modest 4.7 percent. So as online sales channels continue to push profits, eCommerce executives are scrambling to keep up with the unprecedented growth. Many are looking to replatform their current software to accommodate both...