E-COMMERCE DEVELOPMENT

In developing a website, one of the most challenging processes is testing the site in the wide array of different browsers, operating systems, and devices. Gone are the days where all you needed to test in was IE and Netscape, for display resolutions of 600 x 800 via Windows 98. Now we are talking dozens of browsers, a handful of operating systems, and a mix of monitor resolutions. So...which configurations should you test your website for? There are two trains of thought here, and you should use a combination of both. 1. Research the general market share Browse through the various websites that analyze the different user trends to determine what's most import for you to track. For example, I only verify/test in browsers that have at least 2% market share. This scenario will cover approximately 95-99% of your website visitors. L

Affiliate Marketing ranks 4th in the top sources of new website visitors in the 2009 Ecommerce Benchmark Report published by MarketingSherpa. It is a vital marketing channel for many online retailers; according to Internet Retailer, two-thirds of the top 400 online retailers manage at least one affiliate program. Ranking 4th behind Direct to site (35%), Paid search (20%), and SEO (18%), affiliate marketing is one of the more complex marketing initiatives to get involved with. Due to the complexities in sourcing your own program, or working with an affiliate management company, many smaller web businesses are having a hard time getting started with affiliate marketing. The great allure to affiliate marketing is that you only pay for those sales that are made on your site. Unlike PPC, SEO and email marketing, your overall expense in

Do you have geographically diversified web development teams that operate on different time schedules? Take control over their contributions to your project by utilizing version control and task management software. Increase efficiency and redundancy while creating documentation and organization of changes to the project. Whether your working on a single website, or a cluster of complex software applications, take the upfront time to standardize the method to control the source code, and task schedule. You will be grateful for this when your lead developer quits, or you hire some new team members. A version control system (VCS) is basically a running log of all the source code changes within your website. It allows a developer or designer to quickly analyze source code changes and enables them to revert, modify, or delete change

Google Products optimization or as it was: Google Shopping search optimization, is a process to help your Google listed products gain higher ranking in the SERP and Google Products/Shopping site.   Google’s shift toward using its Shopping feed in search results is setting a new precedent for SEO and Internet marketing initiatives. For example, if you search for samsonite luggage, you will see product images in the Adwords/sponsored link area, pushing down the text ads. They also add the Product Shopping results above the organic listings-see the image below for illustration.   There are three different areas for product image visibility: the "+" sign next to your Adwords ad (+ Show Products from...)-this is generated from your Adwords and Google Product Search integration above the right column Sponsored Links sectio

In a industry where talent is difficult to find (and even harder to keep), a growing ecommerce business needs constant attention and re-invention to remain successful. If you are finding it difficult to hire staff to develop new features, design cool graphics, or update your marketing initiatives, step outside your company and compare the variety of outsourced providers available. Use  my tried and true process below to cherry pick the most expirenced provider at the lowest cost. Learn how to filter out the amateurs so you can negotiate with experienced professionals. From owners to webmasters, this outline will prepare you with the information you need to start outsourcing your next project! While there are many resources to locate and communicate with providers, I am focusing on a specific website where I have had an extremely