Google’s Personalized Custom Search Engine.

Google has launched the “Google Custom Search Engine”! It’s search module that you can put on your website and customize it to your or content related interests and websites. You also able to customize the look and feel of your search and results and link it into your AdSence account to generate some cash. On top of that you can create your own community and do many more exciting things.

My dear friend Shmuly.

Those of us who ever had to experience affiliate marketing know about Shmuly (Shmugly) probably the cream of the cream, the best of the best of Affiliate Marketing relations. Yes, yes, if you want to get your program going you need Shmuly. There are few things that you need to provide before bringing Shmuly in to your office:

• Eye drops (this guy doesn’t get up from in front of the screen)
• Private office (you will not be able to keep a serious working environment when Shmuly does his thing)
• Gefilte fish (Yum, yum)
• Jewish girl (About time)
• And be very, very careful… Let me show you why.

Annual e-commerce sales grow 62% at Costco.com

Internet Retailer reports that E-commerce sales at Costco.com grew 62% in fiscal 2006 and the company expects web sales to easily exceed $1 billion in 2007.

For FY 2006 Costco, No. 27 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide to Retail Web Sites, had e-commerce sales of $880 million compared with $542 million in FY 2005. The e-commerce numbers include web sales from the U.S. site and a Canadian site Costco opened last year.

Overall the web accounted for about 2% of total sales of $58.9 billion in FY 2006. “Costco online continues to do quite well,” Costco CFO Richard Galanti told research analysts on the company’s recent year-end earnings call. “E-commerce is profitable and needless to say we have lofty goals for this year. We will do well over $1 billion.”

The growth in e-commerce was helped by several technology initiatives and site upgrades that Costco.com has been implementing. Costco.com now features a redesigned home page with a new category and sub-category design, improved site search, bigger images, and zoom technology. Another upgrade is the site’s new “build-to-order” diamond ring program.

“In addition to these site improvements we also expanded our sporting goods, housewares, baby and gourmet food categories as well as a new business products program with thousands of business items for delivery to homes and businesses nationwide,” says Costco senior vice president of e-commerce and publishing Ginnie Roeglin. “This new program is supported by a catalog available in our warehouses and can be requested on Costco.com.”

Reitmans will be going e-commerce.

Unconfirmed sources tell me that one of top North American fashion retailers is going to integrate their business with online operations by creating and Online Store

Reitmans Canada Limited is a Canadian retailing company, specializing in women's apparel and was founded in 1926 by Herman and Sarah Reitman, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The immediate success of the first store on Saint Lawrence Boulevard (boulevard Saint-Laurent) prompted the Reitmans to open a second store which sold exclusively women's clothing.

As at January 28, 2006 there were 355 Reitmans stores across Canada, part of 887 stores divided into six operating chains.A seventh chain named Cassis, and catering to the mature woman is scheduled to open during the second half of 2006. For the fiscal year ended January 2006, net profits were $84,889,000.00 on sales of $969,258,000.00. Reitmans is a public corporation, trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (Symbols RET.T and RET.NV.A.T). Jeremy Reitman currently serves as President.

Reitmans motto is Designed for real life

Reitmans divisions

• Reitmans
• Smart-Set
• RW & CO.
• Penningtons Superstore
• Thyme Maternity
• Addition-Elle
• Cassis

[Source: Wikipedia]

Google Website Optimizer (Beta)

Google has recently announced Website Optimizer a new webmaster feature which is currently in beta testing.

Website Optimizer makes it easier to determine which version of your landing page users like best. Basically the Google Website Optimizer helps you optimize the landing pages that you use to send traffic from Google Adwords campaign. The Optimizer uses graphical reports to facilitate the analysis.

Currently Google Website Optimizer only accepts a limited amount of user to run beta tests.

You can try and apply here

Borat has done it again!

That's Nice. Google Analytics and Google Checkout

As always Google is on it's mission to monopolize the e-commerce world by integrating two great tools together :). i have nothing against it, do you?

Here is a post from google analytics blog.

"Big news today for e-commerce site owners: you can now use Google Analytics with Google Checkout. Simply add a JavaScript call and a hidden field to each page that displays the Google Checkout button and you'll be able to see conversions and revenue metrics for your Checkout transactions.

This feature makes life even easier if you are an AdWords customer, because you'll also see ROI and Revenue per Click for every transaction that resulted from one of your keywords. (Keep in mind also that for every $1 you spend on AdWords, you can process $10 in sales for free on Google Checkout.) "

A qoute

Yesterday someone asked why should marketers share information, check out my answer :)
You can quote me :)

I think that as professional marketers we have a responsibility to share some of our knowledge to facilitate the establishment of the "obvious" for this still young and growing industry and help guide the new generation of marketers in the right direction.

Vladimir Vervelsky.

Holiday Season Preparation

Let's get down to business!
First of all I have to say that I am not a great write ;) I am a result oriented marketer so if there are things that you might not understand, send me an n email and I will be more then happy to explain or fix.

The holiday season is upon us, and as all good retailer we are in the swirl of promotional hurricane. The schedules and plans are ready or begin prepared :), the budgeting for the next year is done so it's time to get your hands dirty.
We all know that the holidays are the most important time of a year for online and traditional retailers, and we know that there are few obvious promotional elements must be implemented to increase you sales and customer loyalty during this season.

Let's look into these elements:

1. "Free Shipping" HA! If you ship, ship it FREE. Online customer is a price conscious customer and will calculate all of the costs including taxes and shipping. Give away free shipping if you can, you will make up for it in volume and it will increase customer loyalty. Free shipping is a great incentive, that $10 difference could be a decision breaker "Weather I buy online or save me some time and buy in the store!"
2. "No Hassle Returns" or "Money-Back Guarantee" Great Incentive... People like to be reassured that if they are not satisfied with a product they can return without any hassles within a specified time frame. Builds trust and loyalty
3. "Coupons" Everybody likes coupons :)... Especially when you run an Affiliate Program. Custom coupon codes have shown to convert at a very good percentage. Make your coupons available for both web and in-store use.
4. "Gift with Purchase" Who doesn't like free stuff :) I don't think that I have to go into details here but no matter what you give as long as it's free with purchase it's good.
5. Post Sale Email Return Discount I tend to come up with these complicated names :) Basically in a properly set and optimized business 20%-30% of your revenue driven by return customers. To reinforce customers loyalty would be nice to send an email after a purchase with a %OFF coupon on the next purchase.

Those are the main elements that I use in my strategies to get the holidays rolling. You really need to take care of your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) during the holiday season and remember that the customer is god :)

Introduction

As it is my first post i will start off by introducing my self. My name is Vladimir Vervelsky and I am an Integrated Marketing Consultant with about 12 years of Interactive and Traditional Marketing experience. At this point I am with One of the largest shoe retailers in the world with over 700 stores world wide and at this point with two online properties. My previous experiences include such brands as ICE.com, General Motors, Intrawest, Chapters Internet and other reputable brands.

Right now focus of my activities is Integrated Marketing, Direct Email Marketing, Cross-Store-Online Promotions, Contests and Sweepstakes, and Search Engine Marketing.

If you have any comments or questions about this blog or anything else, please do no hesitate to send me and email.