Online Marketing

Consumers are increasingly looking to video to fulfill their information needs and Google is taking notice by allocating more of its search engine territory to video content and less to traditional web results. Although Google's integration of video has created more competition for plain-text results, it has opened the door for video assets to acquire coveted search engine rankings.

Zone pricing, the practice of selectively raising or lowering prices on products based on a variety of factors, is common in retail. Consumers, for the most part, understand there are differences based on factors such as real estate costs. People in the New York metropolitan area, for example, expect to pay more for a Big Mac in Manhattan than they would in the suburbs. But they are not likely to be as understanding if retailers are charging higher prices for goods or services based on criteria that is less clear. 

Do you consider yourself a connected consumer? Is your laptop next to your tablet and smartphone on your couch or nightstand? Maybe you have a go-to device for browsing and shopping? Zmags published a new report that reveals consumers don't turn to mobile apps for shopping, but do have device preferences when shopping different retail categories. The report also sheds light on the popularity and potential of tablet and Facebook shopping.

Furniture retailer IKEA is coming out with a new TV set that allows viewers to purchase advertised products with just a few clicks of the remote control, according to GigaOM.

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Conventional wisdom suggests that putting a mobile ad as close to the point of sale as possible is, for all the obvious reasons, the smartest local mobile targeting method. Geo-fencing and location profiling are, after all, two of the hottest areas of mobile ad tech right now. We presume that proximity aligns best with either intent or opportunity. Suprisingly, the highly geotargeted campaign of banner ads and mobile circulars actually enjoyed higher clickthrough rates when the user was furthest from a RadioShack.

The popularity of daily deals—emails or mobile notifications that offer a discounted local service or product—shows no signs of abating.

I've always thought of ladies with bags covered in designer logos as walking advertisements. However, I understand and appreciate the high-quality materials and level of craftsmanship that comes with the premium price tag. Being one who is drawn to deals and always wanting a bargain, I turn to flash-sale sites to look for designer goods. Recently, I visited Gilt.com, a flash-sale site that offers lower prices on luxury brands, and found the perfect bag for spring. I definitely felt guilty for coveting a tote that was equal to two round-trip tickets to the Caribbean. 

The No. 1 goal for online retailers is to consistently deliver engaging website experiences. In order to accomplish this, marketers must execute multiple test campaigns simultaneously to discover which offers, messages and presentations create a winning formula. 

Brands including Amazon.com, Zappos.com and Victoria's Secret were among those mentioned as most admired by a panel of leading retail marketing and e-commerce executives during the FOCUS 2012: Trends in Digital Media — E-tail & Retail half-day conference presented by the Retail Marketing Society on May 9 in New York City.