E-Commerce

Etsy is holding a one-day workshop at its headquarters in New York to help sellers increase the visibility of their items, reporting that 80 percent of sellers surveyed wanted more resources to help them in this area.

What impact will Blue Nile, the leading online diamond retailer, feel from having to collect internet sales tax? The company sells a high-value product, so charging sales tax would mean several hundred dollars added to its prices. This could make a big difference for the retailer as price is "incredibly important" to its buyers, according to its chairman.

It's widely agreed that increasing the lifetime value of customers increases profits. It's less expensive and more effective to increase current customer loyalty than attract new customers. Behavioral targeting can promote loyalty by giving your best customers a personalized shopping experience, exhibiting you know their likes, dislikes, wants and needs. Retailers who aren't currently offering this personalized experience are missing a significant opportunity to grow online sales. The prime place to exhibit this knowledge and draw customers back to your site is the homepage.

Overstock.com has announced the launch of a new consumer information portal: www.O.info. The website features blogs, reviews and buying guides, all to help consumers make informed decisions about products before purchasing.

Leap Year comes around once every four years and in honor of the occasion Zappos.com announced it will extend its 365-day return policy to a whopping 1,461 days. The extended policy goes into effect on Feb. 29 for 24 hours to celebrate those customers who make purchases on Leap Year, giving indecisive shoppers the luxury of waiting four years to decide if they want to keep or return an item.

Americans spent more than $200 billion on online shopping in 2011 and are expected to shell out $327 billion on internet stores by 2016. That's the estimate from a report released by Forrester Research Analyst Sucharita Mulpuru, who also predicts that online sales will make up almost 9 percent of overall retail sales by 2016, up from 7 percent.

American Apparel's website has experienced a Photoshop mishap, giving one of its models a black stomach with a white hand in the pocket. 

This week's eBay auction promotion is by invitation only and is targeted at sellers with mobile devices. Between Feb. 28 and March 5, invited sellers will be able to list one auction-style listing from their mobile device and incur no insertion fee, no final value fee and free pictures.

Visitors to Target's Facebook page will notice a "Seussified" version of the brand's iconic bull's-eye logo tied to a cross-promotional marketing campaign for Dr. Seuss' The Lorax. There's also a tab that promotes group gift-giving. 

Gap sees its strongest growth prospects in two key geographies: cyberspace and international retailing. In fiscal 2011, the retailer's e-commerce and international divisions together represented 26 percent of Gap's total net sales, fueled by a 20 percent increase in its direct division's net sales.