E-consultancy - Internet Marketing News and Blogs

Debenhams' website cracks under the strain

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:47:00 UT

It seems that Debenhams' website has been unable to cope with the extra demand placed upon it by its pre-Xmas sale, and it has been down since yesterday afternoon.��

I looked at the site yesterday morning�and noted that it was becoming pretty slow to load, and it seems that the site finally buckled under the strain of the extra traffic around 3pm.

The Web Week in Review

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:05:00 UT

As we've been reminded recently, there are few guarantees in life. Except the end of the week and The Web Week in Review. So here we go (again).

Site review: Fitnessfootwear.com

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:00:00 UT

Fitness Footwear was launched by Luke Barlow in June 2005 as a way of selling Chung Shi sports shoes, which couldn't be found anywhere else in the UK.

Four years on, the site is doing well, and Luke now has a team of ten, and the business is currently outgrowing its warehouse in Hertfordshire, and has even launched a sister site, onshoes.com.

Having started as a family business, the website has been created on a limited budget: �Luke has spent around �100k on the site since launch. So how does it shape up?�

What should 'continue shopping' mean?

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:30:00 UT

When customers have added items to their basket and want to continue shopping, where should they end up on your website?

Not the homepage; as Brendan Regan points out on GrokDotCom, the 'homepage dump' is a�user experience�mistake to avoid, so where should they be sent instead?�

I've been looking through a few�retailers' sites for examples of good and bad practice in this area...

The information overload threat and opportunity

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:30:00 UT

According to a study recently released by Yahoo, UK internet users are suffering from information overload.

As reported by the Association of Online Publishers UK, the study, which is entitled "Return on Attention," found that 70% of users "admitted to spending hours sifting through unwanted or irrelevant information."

How to get a career in the internet industry (a DIY guide)

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:33:00 UT

Following on from an earlier article on how universities are failing to educate students on the career opportunities available in the internet industry, here�s a how-to guide on how to break in through the back door.

Firstly, don�t wait for your university to catch up. Asking some questions to your lecturers might help the students of the future, but I doubt it will help you in the near term. You�re going to have to figure this out for yourself.

Thankfully there is a wealth of information available to help you do this, as well as some fantastic support networks. Employers will admire your gumption.

10 VoIP applications for your mobile phone

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:56:00 UT

Making calls on your mobile phone can get quite expensive, especially when�calling internationally.

Fortunately, there are now a number of great mobile VoIP services that make international calling from mobile phones dirt cheap.

How is M&S handling its pre-Xmas sale online?

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:19:00 UT

M&S�launched a 'one day spectacular' sale today, in an effort to attract more shoppers in the run-up to Christmas, offering 20% off just about everything.

Rival high street retailer Debenhams also has a sale on at the moment, offering 25% discounts, so how are these offers communicated to customers and�handled online?�

VCs taking in more than they're producing

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:00:00 UT

The notion that the business of venture capital is broken is one that I've discussed multiple times before.

In short, I (and many others) have observed a major problem with venture capital in recent times - too many VCs with too much money chasing too few "good" opportunities.

An SMS primer

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:45:00 UT

With the mobile internet attracting more and more attention and use, it's getting very difficult for online businesses to ignore the world of mobile.

SMS (Short Message Service) is the technology behind text messaging and even though it's far from being the most cutting-edge mobile technology, it's often the first one companies will experiment with because it's the most widely-used. Over 200 billion SMS�messages were sent in 2007.

Top 10 tips for retailers to combat the economic downturn

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:10:00 UT

Despite the current economic climate, retailers should continue to explore investments in technologies that provide an enhanced customer experience, improved customer service and optimised operational efficiencies in order to improve their competitive position.

The tips that follow contain both short-term tactical opportunities to improve performance and increase efficiencies, as well as medium to longer term strategic choices that will deliver sustainable and incremental growth.

Universities failing internet-minded students

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:40:00 UT

Kudos to Bigmouthmedia for its campaign to raise awareness of digital marketing among students and graduates, who are apparently unaware that it is a career option.

The internet industry at large is very much a career option, and it�s a shame that universities and colleges aren�t doing more to promote �digital� as a serious alternative for marketing and business-orientated students, as well as the tech-minded (who are better catered for).

Q&A: Richard Weaver of Majestic Wines

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:06:00 UT

Majestic Wines has been in the news this week,with the slowing economy hitting the company's pre tax profits.

Despite the drop in offline sales, Majestic continues to grow online, with an impressive 11.5% year on year increase in website orders compared with last year.

I have been talking to Majestic Wines' e-commerce manager Richard Weaver about the company's approach to selling wine online...

Tax needn�t be taxing! Online imports to become tax-free

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:00:00 UT

A new ruling on import tax will benefit thousands of online UK shoppers and businesses.

But, as always with tax, there are certain strict rules...

A beginner's guide to optimising video content

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:30:00 UT

It is becoming increasingly important to consider search engine optimisation (SEO) tactics when creating video or any non-text content.

As the web becomes an increasingly competitive marketplace, companies are striving to build dynamic, exciting, thrilling pages to capture their consumers' confidence.

Tips for reserve and collect services

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:00:00 UT

Plenty of shoppers are researching online and buying offline, so the 'reserve and collect' services offered by multichannel retailers are a great tool.

When done well,�they can help customers check whether items are in stock before they actually go and visit a store, as well as providing another option when products are unavailable for delivery.

Could online ad spending drop by 40%?

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:45:00 UT

Nick Denton, the owner of the blog "empire" Gawker Media, has some advice for ad-supported online businesses: prepare for the market to get much, much worse.

E-consultancy reveals Innovation Awards shortlist

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:11:00 UT

E-consultancy�s inaugural Innovation Awards attracted around 230 entries across 13 categories. We were truly delighted by the response, which included some fantastic submissions that highlight truly cutting-edge innovation.

After more than a week of heavy deliberation we can now announce the shortlist, as follows...

Adding online chat to your website

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:15:00 UT

Community features, while not right for everyone, can be a useful way for many online publishers to create more loyalty amongst users and keep them hanging around longer.

While social networks and blogs are all the rage, one shouldn't forget about message boards and chat when considering community.

Has YouTube discovered the solution to its monetization woes?

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:00:00 UT

Google's challenges in monetizing the world's most popular online video service, YouTube, are well-known.