Google

A recent Google research project found that 80 percent of searches on smartphones are spontaneous, and nearly half of those are goal-oriented. Often those goals are purchases and, to Jonathan Alferness, this is evidence of mobile's role as a bridge — and an extremely valuable one — from the digital world to the physical one. "We're starting to drive meaningful value that wasn't possible on desktop," said Mr. Alferness, director of product management, mobile ads lead at Google, in a recent interview. "We're driving users to actual, physical retail stores to buy something."

Whether you are looking to buy a power tool or neon jeans online, chances are you start your search on Google or Amazon.com. But which one? Behind the scenes, the two companies are waging a war to become the pre-eminent online mall. And e-commerce sites large and small are caught in the cross-fire. As for consumers, the question is whether they will see a full range of products available online. Google is a search engine, not a store, but it is increasingly inching into e-commerce with products like its comparison-shopping service, Google Shopping.

It's tough being a rich and famous fashion mogul. You've seen the best of the world. You have exclusive access to private events. You have expensive tastes — as you should. And then all of a sudden, Google hands you a fancy new toy. That has been the case for famed designer Diane Von Furstenburg, who has been playing with Google Glass, the tech company's wearable augmented reality glasses hardware.

As Google shifts its Shopping search to a pay-for-play model, one key commerce company appears to be sitting on the sidelines: Amazon.com. As noted in a New York Times feature that ran last weekend, consumers who search on Google Shopping can find Kindles from a variety of stores via the listings, but Amazon isn't one of them. Google Shopping's omission of the most powerful e-commerce brand on the web raises the question of how successful the company's new model will be.

There's every indication that during the 2012 holiday season tablets will be as important a shopping accessory as low-interest credit cards. According to the 2012 Shop.org/Forrester Research State of Retailing Online survey, 49 percent of retailers say their average order value from tablet shoppers is now higher than traditional web sales. And nearly three in 10 retailers say they're seeing about the same average order value from tablets as their website.

Brands have made significant investments in building social marketing presences and amassing social followers, but the question still remains: What's the real value of these social marketing initiatives? As we move into the next phase of social media marketing, what's top of mind for every marketer is how to drive measurable results from their social marketing investments. Tapping into the power of consumer-to-consumer (C-to-C) dialogs across channels enables brands to drive quantifiable results via social referral programs.

Last week came news that a bevy of big-name retailers, including Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Target, are teaming up to create a company that will give consumers another way to make purchases: with their cellphones. The businesses said that the new company, Merchant Customer Exchange, is developing a mobile application for any smartphone that will integrate a variety of coupons, rebates and loyalty programs.

Online merchandising teams spend considerable time grouping items together and deciding which products to display when consumers enter specific search terms. Likewise, SEM teams dedicate resources to identify the keywords and phrases that lead to the most relevant landing pages. What these teams rarely do is share how their efforts can be integrated to produce results. 

With nearly 110 million smartphone users in the U.S., mobile marketing and commerce offers a real way for retailers to grow sales and customer loyalty. By investing the time to put best practices in place, retailers can ensure they get the most out of their mobile initiatives. Consider the following best practices:

Fifty percent of Google Product Search traffic will be switching to paid Google Shopping by July 28. Online merchants who aren’t ready for the switch will face some serious repercussions.