Dotbizblog: E-commerce Sites Should Dig Deeper Into Content

One of the big trends in e-commerce is the burgeoning of content on retail sites. This goes to underscore the fact that customers, including online retail customers like to get a few tips and feel a little personality from the people they do business with. Some sites cover this base by including an onsite blog or at least a link from their site to their blog site. Others look to more descriptive copy and fun sidebars not only to woe customers to make a specific purchase, but also to keep them onsite a little longer and draw them a little closer to their brand.
Even if the site only offers an email newsletter by offering a sample copy or two, customers can actually decide to subscribe, particularly if from time to time a special discount code is included in the e-newsletter. Bonus? The e-tailer's name is in front of its customers more often and if the content is good, loyalty can blossom. Bottom line: content is king even if content is not the main reason for your site.

Dotbizblog: Good News For U.S. Ecommerce Through The Next Four Years

Good news continues for ecommerce. Recent forecasts from eMarketer project that through 2018 U.S. ecommerce will grow by 11%. Even then, the U.S. will trail worldwide ecommerce projections which top out at 15% growth. In terms of traditional retail, the U.S. ecommerce figure is three times the projected total U.S. retail growth of 3.3% for the same time period.

Dot Biz Blog: What is Jake At State Farm Saying?

Okay, I haven't posted for awhile. [Okay a long while.] I
am a little conflicted. Should this blog be actual tips
for online businesses or should I just continue to point
out weird advertising observances from time to time? Who knows?

However, for now, I have another observation. Does State Farm
Insurance want to lose female customers or fail to attract them?

Every time, I see their "Jake at State Farm" TV commercial, I for one,
am glad I am not a customer. What does anything about that commercial
have to do with getting a good deal on insurance?

For instance,
(1) Why do I as a viewer, along with any other viewers
who may actually be in the market for insurance, want to know
that the husband in this commercial is calling State Farm in
the middle of the night and that his wife, obviously a light sleeper,
is jealous?

(2) Why does the wife [who has this man for a husband] care who
the heck he is calling in the middle of the night?

(3) Why does anyone need to know that the night shift
State Farm customer service rep is wearing kakhi pants?
Does this fact instantly identify him as a man and not a woman?

(4 What does this couple's angst have do with good service or
good rates from State Farm Insurance? Since the husband is not
stranded on the roadside and his house is obviously not on fire,
this commercial simply begs the question of why the husband has
an urgent need to talk with State Farm in the middle of the night.
[Surely, State Farm has not actually embarked on an outbound calling
plan to wake up customers and potential customers in the middle of
the night.]

Aside from the several customer targets who may actually be
offended by the commercial, this :30 sec spot fails to deliver
any benefit as to why I, or anyone else should be doing business
with State Farm. I did get the fact that they have 24-hr service,
just sayin', but isn't there a better way to point this out?

Dotbizblog: Should Companies Spend Money to Show Small Children Emulating the Bad Behavior of Adults? really?

Okay, I no longer have small children, but I couldn't help but note one evening this week that two back to back TV commercials showed small tots setting very bad behavior examples. One showed a toddler repeatedly flushing a toilet including craming a stuffed toy into it. Another, I believe a Nationwide Insurance commercial, showed children acting in adult roles of impatience and rage. Really? isn't it bad enough that children often have to see their own parents acting out without having television reinforce this type of behavior?

Dot Biz Blog: Fifty Shades of Grey, Fan Fiction and Blogging

Who knew? I'll admit to not having read the book or seen the movie, but I have read reviews of both in my local newspaper as well as interviews with the author. I was aware that the author E. L. James was a fan fiction author and that the book was originally available as an e-book and as a POD title.

I was unaware until reading PRNewswire and the Fort Worth Star Telegram that this runaway bestseller had any local ties. As it turns out Fifty Shades of Grey was originally made available by a blog called The Writer's Coffee Shop. Today's news indicated that an Arlington,TX resident who was a partner in the blog could possibly be cashing in on the success of Fifty Shades of Grey to the tune of seven figures after suing the blog's Australian partner. Seems as though the Texas resident only received a one-time $100,000 payment after the Random House deal was originally put together by the blog's Australian partner and James.

First take away? Fan fiction, especially if it becomes as successful as Fifty Shades of Grey, can lead to considerable profits for authors, and can also put some coin in the pockets of bloggers, especially those who are also involved in publishing. Second take away? As bloggers, know your business partners and have a firm contract in place. Just as good fences make good neighbors, good contracts make good partnerships.

Hey, it is obvious. I never spend enough time on my on blogs!
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Dotbizblog: Just Saying...

Overall the quality of this year's Super Bowl commercials were, in my opinion, better.
Most seemed to do a better job of connecting emotionally with audiences, not just by
being attention getting but rather by delivering messages that mattered.