Each week I pick 5 key folk to follow on the web (and Twitter) based on a selected topic. The rules and trends of social media are ever changing. It makes sense to follow people who stay on top of the latest happenings. Here are five of my favorite tweeters focused on our social world: Social Media Examiner (@smexaminer) makes it fun to learn. I love these guys because they … [Read more...]
Follow Friday 5: Setting Yourself Up for Success
Each week I pick 5 key folk to follow on the web (and Twitter) based on a selected topic. Success. It's something for which we all aim. We read books, articles and listen to motivational speakers, usually only when we make the time. If you're looking for daily guidance or inspiration, follow and subscribe to RSS feeds for these key players: Chris Brogan (@chrisbrogan) … [Read more...]
5 Reasons Why You Should Follow Key Tweeters in Your Field(s)
Everyone I follow on Twitter I follow with good reason. They provide me with information I want or need. It’s that simple. By key players (tweeters) I mean those who you might otherwise hire, associate with, or work alongside. They could also be people you respect. In the world of ecommerce, the most sought-after information is usability (shopability), SEO, marketing, social … [Read more...]
Safety First: Storing Passwords
Via GoToMeeting, I work with many online store owners and designers in real time. It amazes me how lax many people are when it comes to creating and storing passwords. There have been thousands of articles published concerning the importance of using complex passwords and implementing security measures. Still, the process is often ignored. I'll start by saying this. If you … [Read more...]
Bridging the Gap Between Business and Consumer
On October 6, clothing company Gap unveiled a new corporate logo. It was ill-received by their critics and customer base (not to mention thousands of designers), leading the company to invite the public to propose alternate logo designs. A new wave of negative comments followed, harshly criticizing Gap for its intent to utilize crowdsourcing efforts to come up with their new … [Read more...]
Nielsen Tells Us Not To Ignore Mobile Devices
Earlier this month Nielsen produced a report detailing what Americans do online with their computers, laptops and mobile devices. The data collection company produced charts and graphs based on responses from a pool of 5,000– with a different group of respondents chosen each month. Disclaimer: My thoughts on statistics aren't a secret and I've written about how they can fool … [Read more...]
Most eCommerce Sites Ignore the All-Important
I've been working in the world of ecommerce for more than a decade. I've watched technology change the rules, and rules change technology. One thing, however, has remained pretty consistent. Sadly, it's the reason so many online stores continue to struggle while, even in a crippling economy, others are meeting or exceeding previous years' sales totals. I'm talking about … [Read more...]
Want Your Router Hacked?
If you missed step one of securing your network, you just may fall victim to a hack that's getting released into the wild next week. Seismic's Craig Heffner says he's got a way to hack into millions of routers and he's going to share it with the masses during the Black Hat 2010 conference July 28-29, 2010. What's that first step? Changing the default administrator password, of … [Read more...]
What is PA-DSS and Why Should I Care?
Now that it's a requirement, online store owners are finally starting to get the term PA-DSS drilled into their heads. I've spoken about this for some time, but it seems far too few merchant account providers took time to notify companies early and often. Some companies are already being charged monthly fees for not following the global security standard set forth by the … [Read more...]
Accepting PayPal is Essential for Small Business Mobile Commerce
PayPal. It is, by far, the most common method of sending and receiving money without ever having to deal with actual credit card numbers. This alone has been an appealing aspect to online shoppers. With mobile commerce, accepting PayPal will become even more important. … [Read more...]
Is the Future of eCommerce in the Palm of Our Hands?
There's great debate about the future of mobile commerce. Much of it takes place amongst store owners themselves, wondering if it's worth investing in mobile versions of online stores, or applications for smartphones. With consumers upgrading from regular cell phones to mobile devices running off webOS, Android and Apple's iPhone platform, the question shouldn't be if small … [Read more...]
PeC: Are Your Visitors Anti-Social?
It’s an online store's job to educate consumers about the products it sells. We tell visitors how products work and why they need (or should want) to buy them. We do all this with the goal of making money. When it comes to Social Media, however, most ecommerce sites make the assumption that their visitors know what to do... Then we sit back and wait - and wait - for better … [Read more...]