Online Marketing

Zappos.com, a leading destination in online apparel and footwear sales, has announced the launch of Zappos’ first Mobile shopping application for the iPad. Within the first week of the launch, the Zappos Mobile app garnered nearly 10,000 downloads, putting the app in the Top Ten iPad apps at the Apple iTunes Store.

To help retailers compete with ever-shrinking marketing budgets, I've compiled a list of three crucial elements for online retail marketing campaigns to run successfully, with accurate tracking of the effectiveness of marketing dollars.

When integrated, search engine marketing (SEM) and online display advertising can deliver far greater results than the same campaigns planned in isolation.

Recognizing the need to stay current in the e-commerce market and better serve web-savvy shoppers, BedBathStore.com, an online retailer of bed and bath décor products (e.g., bedspreads, curtains, draperies, bed linens, pillows, bath accessories, etc.) decided to create online videos for its entire catalog of children’s products in September 2009.

Last month's Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition (IRCE) in Chicago had all the elements of a healthy trade show -- attendance was at record levels with over 10,000 paid attendees; the exhibit floor was packed with booths and customers; and the sessions were well attended. It seemed like everyone in the industry was at the show.

Kim Siefke, e-commerce manager, web design and development at Bealls, spoke at last month's retail Marketing Conference in Orlando, Fla. on how her company has used rich media to grow its online and cross-channel sales. Joining Siefke in presenting a session titled “How Rich Media Can Help Drive Cross-Channel Success” was Wayne Sadlowski, vice president of business development at Adobe Scene7, a provider of image server software.

Marketers that use interactive data effectively — tracking each person’s clicks, opens, purchases, views, com­ments, etc. — can engage individuals with communications tailored exactly to them, at convenient times and in manners they prefer, to boost conversions, revenues and profitability.

That comes from Paul Madden, a presenter on the "Automating Twitter" panel at Search Engine Strategies New York, held last month, and owner of Crea8 New Media. Madden "specializes in the darker arts of black hat SEO," and "actively explores as many methods for automating and benefiting from social media as possible," according to his speaker bio.

PROBLEM: Chinaberry, a cross-channel retailer of children's books, craft kits, toys and games, wanted to increase its online conversion rates. SOLUTION: Partnered with a provider of personalized product recommendations (PPRs) for online retailers. RESULTS: Overall site conversion for the Isabella brand website jumped from 4.7 percent in November 2008 without PPRs to 6.8 percent in November 2009 with PPRs.

B-to-B companies are notoriously cheap, so here are some free tools and services that can improve your online marketing know-how and creative efforts.