November 21, 2011
By the Zippycart Content Team

Spotzot is a deal targeting platform that allows retailers to target customers with offers and coupons based on location and intent.

The platform searches thousands of sources for in-store and online promotions every day and then categorizes the deals and delivers them through free publisher APIs. The promotions and coupons are displayed on shopping apps and websites such as ShopSavvy, Shopkick, CardStar, and Geodelic and are valid at more than 400,000 merchant locations. Spotzot’s targeting technology presents deals that are based on a user’s location, interests, and shopping behaviors. The ecommerce solution provides users with a personalized shopping experience that allows them access to in-store and online deals for their favorite brands and products and from nearby retailers.

During early testing of the patent-pending technology, 45 percent of people who clicked on a merchant page demonstrated clear purchase intent by clicking on the same deal two or more times from multiple locations. Matt Weathers, Head of Product fro ShopSavvy, had this to say:

“Spotzot’s APIs made it easy for us to quickly introduce deals into our mobile application, giving us broad control over how we display and target content.”

The company announced Thursday that it has acquired $2.2 million in Series A funding led by Cervin Ventures, Inventus Capital Partners, and TiE-Silicon Valley Angels. The new funding will be used to grow Spotzot’s ecommerce solution platform and fund sales, engineering, and operations growth. John Dougery, Managing Director of Inventus Capital Partners, said the following:

“Spotzot’s extraordinarily high consumer intent and engagement proves they have a more effective way for brands and merchants to target consumers and improve campaign performance. We believe they have the right technology innovations, domain expertise and savvy management team to make a major impact in the retail space.”

The Santa Clara-based company was founded in 2009 by Bobby Jadhav and Sanjay Mittal. Spotzot is one of the first deal targeting platforms to connect online and in-store shopping experiences to help retailers reach customers at exactly the right moment based on location and intent. Jadhav has said that the platform fills two key market needs, it fills a need for publishers by providing an accurate and dependable source of everyday shopping and dining offers to attract a broad customer following, and it allows advertisers to increase the relevance with which they reach millions of potential customers. The network of shopping apps and websites that display deals using Spotzot’s deal targeting technology is growing rapidly, providing shoppers with increased access to deals on favorite items for their shopping carts.

November 14, 2011
By the ZippyCart Content Team

Online holiday spending, aided by mobile and tablet commerce, is expected to grow 15 percent this year.

Forrester released a report predicting that online sales during the 2011 holiday shopping season will amount to $59.5 billion, compared to $51.7 billion last year. Although consumers are more deal-conscious than ever this year, 12 percent of the 15 percent total growth is projected to come from increased spending by shoppers.

There has been a significant rise in online retail traffic this year, in large part due to consumers accessing ecommerce solutions from their smartphones and tablets. Forrester reported that 30 percent of shoppers who own a smartphone use it to research purchases monthly and 50 percent of people who own a tablet use their device to research purchases. Retailers need to take this into account this holiday season and make sure that their websites are fully ready for mobile commerce.

Some brick-and-mortar stores are even embracing tablets to aid the shopping experience. Sears is apparently beginning to provide tablets in their stores for shoppers to look up products and order items that are out-of-stock. Shoppers may not necessarily be using their smartphones and tablets to actually make purchases but they are using them more than ever to hunt for deals and compare products.

Online deals are more influential than ever this year in determining what items consumers are putting in their shopping carts. Forrester noted that 50 percent of shoppers surveyed stated that they had found the best deals online and 30 percent of those surveyed had used a daily deal site like Groupon at one point. With holiday shopping at brick-and-mortar retailers getting crazier every year on days like Black Friday, many consumers are opting to avoid the mayhem and shop from the comfort of home. Besides finding the best prices and deals, consumers indicate that the perks of online shopping also include better inventory and selection, no lines, and avoiding spending money on gas.

Cyber Monday is the biggest day of the year for online sales, last year online spending on Cyber Monday surpassed $1 billion which was a 16 percent increase from 2009. Thanksgiving day is another huge day for online spending. Online sales on Thanksgiving last year amounted to $407 million, a 28 percent increase from the previous year.

Retailers should be expecting a lot more online traffic this year and keep in mind that a significant portion of visitors will be using a smartphone or tablet browser. If merchants have been paying attention to the trends this holiday season and prepared their ecommerce solutions accordingly it could be the most profitable year ever for online sales.

November 10, 2011
By the ZippyCart Content Team

Mobile discovery company Shazam announced Tuesday (11/8) that USA Network’s hit show Covert Affairs will now feature Shazam for TV. Covert Affairs joins several other “Shazamable” shows, which means it will include call-outs during the show for viewers to use the Shazam app to tag music in the show and gain access to special photos and video. This feature will be available beginning with the second season of the popular TV-drama. Shazam for TV is an innovative app that allows users to interact with TV shows and access exclusive content using their mobile devices.

When a user tags the episode, they will be taken to a unique Shazam mobile commerce store powered by Delivery Agent. Delivery Agent manages all commerce for NBC Universal and dozens of other entertainment corporations as well.

Viewers will also be able to use Shazam for TV to download wallpaper on their phone, share content on social media websites, “like” the Covert Affairs Facebook page, in addition to purchasing show merchandise.

One of the most unique features of this application is that users will be able to access and purchase fashion brands seen on the show. For example, if a Shazam user is watching Covert Affairs and they notice the main character is wearing an article of clothing that they want to purchase, they can simply tag the episode on Shazam and choose the option to “Shop Covert Affairs”. Users will then be able to purchase the fashion brands seen in the show directly from the mobile commerce store. As a new feature to the Shazam app, all merchandise will be available to purchase through a single-button buying process.

The Shazam mobile application is accessible using any compatible mobile device and can be found at iTunes App Store, Android Market, BlackBerry App World, Verizon VCast app store, the Ovi Store by Nokia, AT&T’s AppCenter, Windows Phone Marketplace, and GetJar.

Vice President of Digital for USA Network, Jesse Redniss had this to say about incorporating Shazam for TV into Covert Affairs:

“Adding this new feature to our hit show enables fans to immerse themselves in the content and engage with the program, giving them access to exclusive clips, images and fun information such as in depth looks at the international locations where we film and the actors who play their favorite characters.”

Shazam originated as a mobile music recognition application and in June of this year raised $32 billion in funding for its expansion into TV. Shazam’s services are used by 150 million people across 200 countries. Along with the expansion of Shazam for TV the company also recently enabled all users to enjoy unlimited tagging at no extra cost.

November 9, 2011
By the ZippyCart Content Team

We recently got a chance to sit down with Jim Wehmann, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing for Digital River, to chat about some strategies that businesses are using to market their ecommerce solutions this holiday season.

Multi-Channel Marketing

Businesses are increasingly turning to multi-channel marketing techniques to establish and reinforce online offers. We are seeing much higher levels of coordination this holiday season across a variety of online marketing channels such as email campaigns, flash deal sites, social media, and search campaigns. Companies are using combinations of these channels to keep customers checking back for new offers.

Social Commerce

The days of social media sites being a strictly “social” experience are over, embedded commerce is now a large part of the experience on sites like Facebook. Marketers are using these channels to engage target audiences and promote offers more than ever. The main challenge that marketers face with social media sites is how to most effectively leverage the millions of fans or users in a way that makes it a better user experience for them as well.

A real-life example of how a business might leverage Facebook users to promote an offer would be to have a “hidden” offer on the business’s Facebook page. Let’s say the offer is 50 percent off on a downloadable PC game but users can’t see the offer until they “like” the page. Once a customer has signed up for the offer they have to wait until 1000 people have also “liked” the page and signed up for the offer before the download is released. This type of promotion keeps people coming back to check on the offer and also encourages them to spread the word to their friends.

Mobile and Tablet Commerce

The rapid expansion of mobile commerce is in effect multiplying the workload that marketers have to tackle. Merchants have to reformat and adapt their ecommerce solutions to function on a variety of devices in order to provide a convenient and easy shopping experience for customers. Most aspects of a promotional strategy need to be restructured for mobile because there is not as much “real estate” on small devices. For example banner ads that would be large and prominent on a computer screen don’t fit well into a tiny mobile display.

U.S. Market vs. Global Market

When it comes to marketing ecommerce solutions globally, companies have to take into account a lot of local factors for the country or region that they are promoting in. It is important to understand what a culturally appropriate user experience looks like and how different groups of people want to browse, shop, and buy. There are some universal commonalities in how people shop online but there are also lots of differences.

In the U.S., marketing strategies tend to be more promotional and harder hitting direct marketing strategies are used frequently. Customers respond well to things like discounts and free shipping when deciding what they want in their shopping carts. Comparatively, customers in Europe tend to be less spontaneous and want to see more research about a product so marketers might be more personal and use more of a letter format to promote offers.

About Digital River, Inc.

Digital River, Inc., a leading provider of global ecommerce solutions, builds and manages online businesses for software and game publishers, consumer electronics manufacturers, distributors, online retailers and affiliates. Its multi-channel ecommerce solution, which supports both direct and indirect sales, is designed to help companies of all sizes maximize online revenues as well as reduce the costs and risks of running an ecommerce operation. The company’s comprehensive platform offers site development and hosting, order management, fraud management, export controls, tax management, physical and digital product fulfillment, multi-lingual customer service, advanced reporting and strategic marketing services. Founded in 1994, Digital River is headquartered in Minneapolis with offices across the U.S., Asia, Europe and South America. For more details about Digital River, visit the corporate website, call +1 952-253-1234, or follow the company on Twitter.

About Jim Wehmann

In addition to leading Digital River’s corporate marketing activities as the Senior Vice President of Global Marketing, Jim Wehmann manages a group of skilled direct marketing experts who impact the success of some of the biggest and most recognizable brands on the Internet. Jim’s team specializes in marketing online programs, merchandising stores and implementing proven best practices that drive website traffic, increase close rates, multiply average order values and raise overall sales for many of Digital River’s largest clients.

November 4, 2011
By the ZippyCart Content Team

ShopSavvy, the mobile app that allows users to compare prices on anything, anywhere, will be adding Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin to its board of directors.

The company announced Thursday that it has secured a $7 million round of Series A funding led by Saverin. Additional funding came from Brad Martin, former Chairman and CEO of Saks Incorporated, who will also be joining ShopSavvy’s board of directors.

The ShopSavvy app scans the barcode of any item and shows users the best deals for that item both online and in nearby stores. The location-based technology makes it easy for shoppers to quickly find all local retailers that carry an item in order to get the best price without having to actually visit every store. ShopSavvy also uses mobile wallet ecommerce software QuickPay to allow shoppers to make a purchase with their smartphone.

ShopSavvy launched in 2008 and has had 20 million downloads with a current user base of 10 million. The company has more than 40,000 partnerships with retailers including giants such as Walmart, Target, BestBuy, Sears, Nordstrom and Barnes & Noble. Saverin had this to say about his new investment:

“Much like the nascent days of social media, I believe the mobile shopping services market is in the very early stages of change. In my opinion, ShopSavvy has the right connections, the right partners and the right technology to be a game-changer.”

Prior to the recent round of funding ShopSavvy generated revenue from AdOns. AdOns target shoppers based on their location and the items that they are scanning to compare. Businesses can choose to offer things like coupons or rebates to entice customers to add items to their shopping carts.

ShopSavvy will use the new funding to open an office in San Francisco and hire more engineers. The company currently has an office in Dallas and 15 employees. Alexander Muse, CEO of ShopSavvy, had this to say:

“Our focus has always been providing the best experience and service to the consumer. This round of funding gives ShopSavvy the resources to build new services that will help provide consumers better real-time visibility for the best buying decisions possible.”

Apps like ShopSavvy are changing the way people shop, more than half of the people who own smartphones use their mobile device at some stage of the shopping process, whether it be to get directions to a store or compare prices. Mobile payment ecommerce solutions such as Google Wallet and Card.io are also changing the way that people pay when they shop.

October 28, 2011
By the ZippyCart Content Team

MoPub Marketplace is a real-time bidding platform for mobile ads that directly connects publishers with ad buyers.

The marketplace acts as a virtual trading floor that allows mobile ad buyers to bid on ad space from app publishers without going through an ad network. Advertisers are able to better reach target markets and publishers have more control over the types of ads that appear on their apps. The competitive bidding in the marketplace also means that publishers benefit from increased revenue. Jim Payne, CEO and co-founder of MoPub, had this to say:

“Until today, publishers have had to operate their mobile ads through a black box: blindly trusting ad networks, without knowing which ads are effective and with no control over the type of ads consumers receive. This matters considerably to the top tier publishers we are working with who are concerned with brand protection as well as ad performance.”

The ecommerce solution provides app publishers with analytics and management tools that allow them to see exact ad performance statistics, block ads from specific brands or competitors, and choose whether to share the name of their app with bidders on the MoPub Marketplace. There are currently more than 650 publishers using the real-time bidding platform to sell ads. Victor Rubba, CEO and founder of iTunes app store games publisher Fluik Games, had this to say about MoPub:

“We investigated all the players in the mobile ad ecosystem and selected MoPub because it brought together everything we needed into one product. Marketplace gives us 100 percent transparency and control over our revenue and the types of ads we display to our community.”

San Francisco-based MoPub was founded by Payne, a former AdMob product manager, and former AdMob and Google managers Bryan Atwood and Nafis Jamal. Back in July the company recieved $6.5 million in series A funding from Accel Partners and Harrison Metal. The ecommerce solution is already serving billions of monthly ad impressions. Main competitors include Nexage, another popular real-time bidding platform, and InMobi, an ad network that recently raised $200 million in funding and is maneuvering to overtake Google as the global leader in mobile advertising.

The mobile ad market is currently smaller than the online ad market, but advertisers are reaching out to target groups with mobile ads in greater numbers. The mobile ad market is projected to double to $3.3 billion this year and to hit $20.6 billion by 2015.

MoPub’s real-time bidding platform may be the next big thing in the mobile ad market. Things like location-based advertising, which allows marketers to target people on their smartphones wherever they are, make mobile ad space an increasingly competitive arena. The control that MoPub gives over the types of ads that publishers allow on their apps makes it a much more effective ecommerce solution than a standard ad network. The marketplace is open to all types of publishers across both Android and iOS devices.

October 24, 2011
By the ZippyCart Content Team

Looking for that perfect holiday gift but can’t afford the full retail price? Want to know what top designers, tech giants and celebrities are dreaming of this year? Or maybe you need to reward yourself–since about 60 percent of shoppers admit they will buy themselves a gift this holiday season. If you’re in the NYC area, head over to 404 Park Avenue South between now and November 10 to check out eBay’s and designer Jonathan Adler’s new “Inspiration Shop.”

The storefront was unveiled on Friday, and it allows passersby to act on their impulses. Think of it as modified window shopping–except this time you actually make a purchase, even though you never enter the store. Potential shoppers walk by, and a name, product or pattern catches their eye. They read a little bit about it and raise their smartphones to the display. There, if they’ve downloaded the eBay app, they can scan any of the available QR codes to find similar items on eBay, allowing for price comparison. There are about 200 million eBay listings available on the app.

The window displays feature exclusive products selected by fashion favorites like Betsey Johnson, Charlotte Ronson, Molly Sims and more. It isn’t only designers, though: actors, editors, photographers and musicians were among those asked for their wishlist items. Jonathan Adler contributed his bold patterned designs to provide a visually exciting background for the showcase.

eBay’s Chief Marketing Officer, Richelle Parham, commented on the new concept:

“Consumers today expect to shop how they want, when they want – and mobile technology is blurring the lines between online and offline retail to meet this demand. The Inspiration Shop brings to life how eBay enables people to immediately act on their passion for shopping in this new commerce environment.”

46.7 percent of surveyed shoppers plan to buy gifts online this year, completing about 36 percent of their total shopping via ecommerce solutions. Since about 48 percent of shoppers say they want to be able to purchase desired items immediately, and 46 percent like to browse window displays to get ideas, the eBay Inspiration Shop seems right on target. Consumers’ biggest issues with brick-and-mortar shopping, especially around the holidays, helped inspire (yes, inspire) the concept for the Inspiration Shop. A survey found that 57 percent of consumers hate long lines, 54 percent despise stores with too many shoppers, 52 percent are deterred by commission-driven or otherwise invasive sales people, and 65 percent feel there isn’t enough selection or availability in physical stores.

Although a majority of shoppers–62 percent–hope to spend less on their holiday gift buying this year, consumers are turning to digital shopping carts more frequently. E-tailers should focus on offering incentives like free shipping and discounts, and make sure their brand is top-of-mind so that people will spread the word about their store via social media. That way, the difficulties of the economy don’t have to be quite so difficult for all ecommerce solutions.

With a combination of impulse buys and comparison shopping, such as can be found at eBay’s Inspiration Shop, consumers and online retailers alike can get what they want out of this holiday season. What do you think about the Inspiration Shop and its limited engagement? Would you like to see something like this in your area, and in a more permanent capacity?

October 21, 2011
By the ZippyCart Content Team

Google has partnered with New Jersey transit to offer their contactless payment platform Google Wallet for customers purchasing transit tickets at a couple popular train stations. Both New York City’s Penn Station and Newark’s Liberty International Airport Rail Station have implemented the necessary technology to support a tap-and-pay system for customers with Google Wallet. New Jersey transit is the first public transit system to accept payments using Google Wallet. The application, which utilizes near field technology, or NFC, to wirelessly collect payments, will allow customers to purchase transit tickets by simply tapping their phone on a point-of-sale sensor.

Google hopes to reach a large consumer market by offering their innovative payment service in the transit system. Their decision to partner with NJ Transit gives them access to the third largest public transit system in the country, with more than 895,000 bus and rail trips weekly to New Jersey, New York City, and Philadelphia.

In the words of Google vice president of commerce, Stephanie Tilenius:

“Transit is the fastest way to accelerate adoption and reach usage density in major urban centers by habituating the behavior of tapping and paying with phones.”

The announcement of Google’s partnership with NJ Transit comes just days after Google Wallet’s expansion of the SingleTap platform, which gives customers the ability to redeem coupons and/or earn rewards points with one tap of their phone. In addition to several Walgreens and Subway locations who have already implemented the technology, American Eagle Outfitters, The Container Store, Foot Locker, Guess, Jamba Juice, Toys “R” Us, Macy’s, and OfficeMax are also now accepting Google Wallet payments. Chevron, D’Agostino, and Pinkberry have also signed on to begin accepting it.

Using Google Wallet, customers can access and save coupons and loyalty cards to redeem deals and collect rewards points. It aims to enhance convenience for shoppers by eliminating the amount of papers and cards they need to carry around. Google will also be offering exclusive deals for users such as $2 off at Jamba Juice, 15% off at American Eagle, and 10% off at the Container Store. Users can save these offers to their account and then, when a purchase is made, saved deals will automatically be applied.

Though mobile commerce solutions are quickly gaining popularity, Google Wallet has a couple roadblocks to address. One being that the application is only available on Sprint’s Nexus S 4G phone. Also, it only supports Citi MasterCards or Google prepaid cards and is only available at stores using NFC technology.

Before Google can spark universal adoption of electronic wallets, they must increase the availability of their application to several mobile devices. However, the potential success of this technology is unmatched.

October 13, 2011
By the ZippyCart Content Team

Mega Jump Record Holder Philipp Schneckenburger

The world of mobile gaming is expanding all the time, along with mobile commerce and, well, everything mobile. There are tips and tricks all over for improving your mobile-optimized website and ensuring customer satisfaction and ease of use with your m-commerce platform. Everyone is getting involved, and with good reason–10% of visits to ecommerce websites now take place on mobile devices. New tablets and smartphones are high on everyone’s list for the holidays. And gaming isn’t just for PCs or consoles anymore. The rate of mobile gaming has increased from 8% to 38% of gamers since 2009.

For the first time, mobile gaming is making Guinness World Records history. The first mobile gamer to be entered into the Guinness Book of World Records has been announced. Twenty-one year old Philipp Shneckenburger, an accountant in Switzerland, earned a high score of 6,133,889 playing Mega Jump. In an e-mail exchange with the company, we found he is reportedly not your typical gamer: “It’s funny because I normally don’t play video or mobile games,” he said of the achievement. But that may just go to show that mobile gaming is accessible to everyone.

While visiting the United States about a month ago, Schneckenburger’s American cousin showed him Mega Jump. He took to the game quickly and downloaded it for himself when he returned to Switzerland. Then, between September 28 and October 3, he participated in the Mega Jump high-score competition set up by Kiip (a mobile gaming platform with real-world incentives to win) and Guinness World Records, beating out about 200,000 other players to take the winning title.

Kiip and Guinness plan to team up for similar events in the future, giving all gamers the opportunity to break records and earn a place in history. (Schneckenburger’s achievement will be recognized in the 2012 Gamer’s Edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, which will be coming out in January.) Kiip gamers earn nearly 2 million achievements daily, and players have the opportunity to automatically submit high scores to be pitted against others for a world record.

Kiip CEO Brian Wong is excited about the record and the partnership:

“We’ve truly upped the ante on what players around the world can now strive for; but it’s closer in reach than ever before in history. This truly changes how we perceive the significance of mobile gaming today.”

In other mobile gaming news, Zynga has just announced its next move: a step away from Facebook and toward its own independent platform. Project Z would allow Zynga to get away from Facebook’s rules and form its own, but it also potentially compromises the number of users and the amount of exposure. Many of the new games Zynga has released have been HTML5, which seems to be the wave of the future for mobile gaming. This all comes as Zynga prepares for its IPO.

The release of the iPhone 4S, with graphics comparable to that of the iPad 2, is also good news for mobile gaming. The Gaming Center app now lets users connect with friends and get suggestions on games, as well as offers more achievements. The screen size has remained the same at 3.5 inches, but facial recognition technology may offer some interesting developments in the coming months and years.

Where would we be without the ability to play Zuma on the subway? Scrabble as we cross the street? Mafia Wars in a lunch meeting? (Just kidding about that last one. Sort of.) We’d be bored; that’s where we’d be. As we gear up for the holiday season, keep these mobile developments in mind and consider the gift of game.

October 13, 2011
By the ZippyCart Content Team

L2 recently released its third annual Digital IQ Index for fashion, which ranks the digital competence of 49 prestigious fashion brands.

The index ranks the brands based on the effectiveness of their digital strategies across four categories: site, digital marketing, social media, and mobile. Brands were given digital IQ scores that fall into one of five rankings: genius, gifted, average, challenged, or feeble.

According to the index’s methodology, a brand’s website accounts for 35 percent of its overall digital IQ score. Nine sites of the 49 brands studied did not have an ecommerce solution, which significantly lowered their score. Brands that did have ecommerce-enabled websites averaged 19 percent more visits per user. The U.S. has the most brands selling online, at 79 percent, with the U.K. coming in second at 61 percent, while other European countries came in third at 41 percent.

The top two brands studied, falling into the genius ranking category, were Burberry and Kate Spade. Factors that led to Burberry’s number one spot are its high quality ecommerce-enabled site, Facebook page with more than 8.6 million fans, Twitter handle with 565,790 followers, and Instagram account with more than 86,000 followers. Kate Spade is doing some innovative things with social media and on the brand’s ecommerce solution. For example, an automatic email is sent to customers who abandon their shopping carts, offering them free shipping as an incentive to complete their order.

Social media presence, and the ability for customers to share information about fashion items via social media, are other big contributors to brands’ overall digital IQ scores. Fifty-seven percent of consumers surveyed reported that information they get through social media influences their luxury purchases. Only 57 percent of the brands studied allow users to Tweet products from their product pages, and only 53 percent allow users to share products on Facebook. According to the study, social media accounts for more than 14 percent of traffic going to a fashion brand’s website, and the majority of this traffic is from Facebook.

The mobile category was the least influential of L2’s four digital competence categories, but still accounted for 15 percent of a brand’s overall digital IQ score. Forty percent of consumers likely to buy luxury fashion products access the Internet from a smartphone daily, but only 18 percent of the brands studied provide mobile sites with ecommerce solutions. The majority of the 49 brands’ mobile sites have limited functionality, although some of the brands do offer mobile commerce apps.

Other interesting key findings from the study include that 10 of the top 15 brands are based in the U.S., compared to 6 in 2010. U.S.-based brands have the highest overall digital IQ rankings, followed closely by the U.K., Italy, and France. According to the study, a higher digital IQ translates to a higher shareholder value, so brands should take a close look at what they are doing across the four digital competence categories to see what they can improve on.

October 12, 2011
By the ZippyCart Content Team

There’s no question that if you are in the business of ecommerce you should be concerned about the business of mobile ecommerce, or m-commerce. Whether you choose to embrace the mobile ecommerce world or not, we’re here to offer a simple fact: your website can and will be accessed via mobile devices.

According to a recent study by Screen Pages, 10% of all ecommerce website visits are via mobile devices. For premium brands attracting more affluent consumers, this figure is closer to 15%. Even the smallest ecommerce retailers can be losing out on huge profits by missing m-commerce opportunities.

However, the study also pointed out conversion rates are 40% lower for shoppers on mobile devices than on PCs. The low conversion rates could be attributed to merchants’ poor mobile website design.  For example, a person shopping on a mobile device has a smaller screen, more difficulty typing, and less precise “clicking” than a person shopping on a laptop or desktop computer.  These constraints on users need to be taken into account for the optimization of mobile ecommerce solutions.

Lauren Freedman, president of retail consultancy The E-tailing Group Inc., recently said:

“Mobile poses new challenges for merchants, so it is essential that they think about the shopper’s journey through the mobile shopping experience, and what they need to deliver. [...] Smartphone usability is still awkward, and there is room for improvement in the mobile shopping experience. Consumers want to be comfortable shopping your m-commerce site.”

Here are several suggestions to increase m-commerce conversion rates:

1. Take advantage of QR codes to attract shoppers.

Adding QR codes to print advertisements will allow shoppers to scan them and be taken directly to your mobile ecommerce website. The first step in increasing product sales via m-commerce solutions is getting customers to your website in the first place.

2. Avoid drop-down menus.

Picture from: http://www.getelastic.com/mobile-app-dos-donts/

Though drop-down menus are popular and easy to use on a laptop or desktop computer, the same is not the case for mobile devices. Mobile users do not have the option of hovering over a link; thus drop-down menus will make an extra step for shoppers, and the inconvenience of that extra step may be where you lose a potential buyer.

3. Allow users to stay logged in.

Picture from: http://www.getelastic.com/mobile-app-dos-donts/

Since a mobile phone is a private device, users should feel comfortable remaining logged on to websites.  Allowing users to stay logged in also eliminates the extra step and hassle of typing in a user name and password.  It also goes hand-in-hand with our next suggestion:

4. Store customer credit card information.

Picture from: http://www.getelastic.com/mobile-app-dos-donts/

As with the first two suggestions: convenience is key! If a customer’s billing information is already saved, they don’t need to worry about typing or wasting time. Make it simple for shoppers to click to buy and increase repeat customers at the same time.

5. Use product photos effectively.

Picture from: http://econsultancy.com/us/blog/7285-mobile-commerce-25-essential-tips

Cater to the fact that a mobile screen is significantly smaller than a laptop or desktop computer screen. Shoppers won’t put an item into their shopping cart if they can’t get a good look at it.  Offer photos showing different angled views of the product.

With more and more people using mobile devices for their ecommerce needs, the necessity to get the most out of your m-commerce solution is vital to your business. Make sure you clean up your mobile website before the holiday shopping season gets into full-swing!

October 7, 2011
By The ZippyCart Content Team

If there’s one thing we know about online shoppers, it’s that they can’t pass up a great deal. This truth is validated by the ever-increasing number of people flocking to group-buy and flash sale sites. The booming industry, most often promoting daily deals to create a sense of urgency among shoppers, is experiencing huge gains in traffic and is only expected to grow for the next couple of years.

According to a study by Experian Cheetahmail, in August 2011 visits to flash sale sites in the U.S. increased 59% from those in 2010. Flash Sale sites are characterized as those featuring sales lasting 24 hours or less and include companies like Hautelook, Rue La La, Ideeli, and Guilt Groupe. These four sites all operate on a limited-time business model, featuring sales usually lasting several hours to a couple days. Flash sale sites are a niche market, with less product variety than group-buy sites like LivingSocial and Groupon, but implement the same time-frame concept to spark a sense of urgency in browsers.

A new player in this flash sale game is sneakpeeq. Launched only a few months ago in May, sneakpeeq offers a unique twist to the preexisting flash sale platform. sneakpeeq ties together elements of flash sales, gaming, and social media, creating a beautifully addictive ecommerce solution.

The company, based in San Francisco, has a partnership with Facebook’s “Lifestyle Apps” and shoppers can only access deals by signing up via Facebook Connect. Their partnership with Facebook brings social aspects into the online shopping experience.  While browsing sneakpeeq’s online store, a live feed streams showing you what others have been peeqing at or purchasing. An offline shopping experience is created with this stream as users are able to see what friends and other members are shopping for in real time.

Another unique feature is that prices are not displayed next to an item. Instead, shoppers must choose to peeq at the price, which will then reveal the discounted deal. But there’s a catch- even if you like the deal price, you may want to peeq again in a few minutes because with every peeq an item receives, the more it is discounted. Shoppers are initially allowed 10 peeqs per day, so you must use them wisely.

Peeqing adds a gaming aspect as shoppers may chance missing out on an item if they opt to wait for the price to discount further. Also, adding to the gaming feel of sneakpeeq, the more you peeq, the more points you accrue and you can advance to different levels of membership. For example, 1 peeq gets 1 point and just 20 points advances users to the next level which then allows them 15 peeqs per day.

Staying true to the flash sale model, all items are only available for a limited time, so if you’re going to buy, you gotta do it quick.

As for product selection, sneakpeeq has partnerships with over 300 brands and their website offers this note:

We work with great brands, both national and boutique, and our mission is to bring you the best of lifestyle products in fashion, dining, travel, and more. Our products change every day. We all aspire to have the best and we want you to have access to these great products and experiences at great prices.

The future of sneakpeeq includes plans to release mobile apps for both Android and iOS platforms.

October 5, 2011
By The ZippyCart Content Team

It appears PayPal is advancing into the realm of brick-and-mortar stores with the revelation of its new point-of-sale technology and payment options. The ecommerce solution, owned by eBay, is set to open a pop-up store in New York City this November to showcase their new digital payment technology and give merchants a realistic idea of what it will look like in retail stores upon its release.

Although the folks at PayPal had been hinting at new technologies in the works early this summer, the point-of-sale technology and new payment options were formally announced only a few weeks ago. The pop-up store, located at 174 Hudson, will be a place merchants are invited to visit and experience real-time demonstrations of the company’s payment processing technology and get an idea of its intended use in retail stores. Outside the store, passersby will have access to QR codes, which they can scan to learn more about the new technology and get information straight from PayPal.

In addition to QR codes and payment options, the new technology will allow users to check inventory real-time, immediately add items to their shopping cart, and provide location based services and in-store offers from local retailers. It will also be a virtual wallet, which will compete with big names like Google. PayPal President, Scott Thompson explained on their blog:

“[PayPal’s new payment technologies] will help give their customers a much better shopping and buying experience through PayPal. And let’s be clear about something – we’re not just shoving a credit card on a phone. PayPal is re-imagining money and making it work better for merchants and consumers – whatever device you’re on, wherever you are in the world, and however you prefer to pay (whether that’s cash, credit, or installments).”

Preceding this announcement, PayPal has been boasting record high profits. In Q2, PayPal announced earnings of $1 billion for the first time in the history of the company. Mobile payments already account for a great portion of PayPal’s business- about $10 million in mobile total payments daily. When PayPal’s new technology is officially released, consumers mobile payments will most likely skyrocket.

Seeing as ecommerce on mobile phones has been increasing exponentially as of late, PayPal could not have picked a better time to shake up the game with their innovative technology. If their vision fully comes to life, the entire shopping experience could be changed- but for now we will have to wait and see.

September 29, 2011
By the ZippyCart Content Team

“What does ‘high score’ mean? New high score, is that bad? What does that mean? Did I break it?” – Grandma’s Boy

One of the great pinnacles for every gamer out there is to rank the highest score in a video-game, to be the top player in every war-of-angry-worldcraft-super-mario-birds game out there. The notoriety of “still_liveswithmom87” splashed on the virtual walls of every high score page and gaming forum is what geeky dreams are made of. However, dream no more because one mobile game challenge is letting it now become a very happy reality.

San Francisco-based mobile ad start-up Kiip (pronounced keep), which brings real-world rewards for in-game achievements, has partnered up with Guinness World Records to bring the ultimate recognition to the top scoring player in mobile game, Mega Jump.

Starting Wednesday, September 28th and running through Monday, October 3rd, hopeful Mega Jump players will have the chance to earn themselves a place in the annals of gaming history by achieving the highest score. The player with the highest score will become the Highest Score Achieved on Mega Jump title holder, in addition to getting their name published in the next Guinness World Records: Gamers Edition 2012, and an official certificate recognizing his or her achievement.

The partnership with Guinness is a rather smart way for Kiip to introduce its services to developers, brands and gamers. The company stealthily launched this year and is out to change the way brands can connect with consumers by creating ad-incentives on a growing and immensely popular channel, mobile games. According to a study by eMarketer, 65% of smartphone users recall seeing an advertisement while online, and 35% reported actually clicking on an ad. Smartphone ads are becoming the new frontier to reach today’s consumer.

The company essentially takes that moment where a gamer is the most excited (e.g. high score, new level, extra points, etc.) and Kiip-enabled games will then flash an ad/reward to follow/associate with their achievement. Rewards have spanned across the board from Sephora, PopChips, Carl’s Jr., and Dr. Pepper. It’s a very strategic form of positive brand association that the company is using to their advantage to attract potential users. Currently, Kiip is enabled in over 20 mobile games and has an active network of over 15 million gamers.

“We’re making achievements more rewarding while building a new ad model. That’s always what Kiip’s been about,” explained Kiip CEO Brian Wong to the press. “We thought to ourselves — how do we differentiate amongst networks and to build our brand beyond any network has ever seen? And so we found the ultimate way, through world records, to recognize our true inventory: the achievement moment. This is also an ongoing network integration that will see all Kiip-enabled games from today onward having the opportunity to contribute to the record books. It is a network enhancer that is super fitting to our moments-based model.”

Looking forward, Kiip will roll out more opportunities to become a Guinness World Record holder for other Kiip-enabled games. The current mobile game challenge is only open to iOS Mega Jump users. To see how you size up to the competition, check out the current leaderboard: https://kiip.me/gwr.