Solutions

According to a Forrester Consulting Study that evaluated the true total cost of ownership of e-commerce solutions, 81 percent of online retailers use either a homegrown or licensed on-premise solution from a software vendor. Over the years, these solutions have served a purpose, but many e-commerce professionals are now realizing that they come with a level of operational and opportunity risks capable of keeping them up at night.

If you're wondering why you're not converting more online visitors into customers, you have to ask yourself the following questions: Are your products easy to find on search engines? Is your content informative and concise? Are you tracking your website metrics to measure the effects of your advertising and site design? If the answer to any or all of these questions is no, then there's no doubt that you're missing out on sales that could be yours. Stop losing customers with these seven tips:

Retail stores will look very different in a few years. In the age of mobile technology, shoppers are changing more than ever, and retailers are rushing to catch up with their customers’ ever-evolving demands. King Retail Solutions (KRS) designs modern retail stores. The company shared anecdotes and images about what the store of the future will look like. "Stores will become more theatrical, more immersive and more of a life experience rather than simply a place to get something," said Christopher Studach, creative director at KRS. "As much as they're selling products they will be selling a good time, a lifestyle."

A compilation of this year's best and brightest ideas.

Google's Project Glass, a wearable computer that provides an augmented reality experience, has created a buzz about how its futuristic capabilities will transform daily experiences. Among these, Google is changing the way consumers interact with retailers, bringing a new wave of mobile devices to the commercial space. 

In 1949 the average grocery store stocked 3,700 products. Today, the average supermarket has 45,000 products, while stores like Wal-Mart stock 100,000 products. When it comes to options, consumers have every size, shape, color and price for every product imaginable. On top of that, you can go online to find millions more. Combine this new shopping environment, dubbed “consumer hyperchoice,” with busier schedules and the demise of the educated sales force and it makes for a stressful purchasing process for consumers.

Although it may be premature to say that the long-awaited day of mobile payments has arrived for all establishments, mobile payment options are definitely arriving. What's more, they're radically changing the way consumers and retailers complete transactions.

Succeeding in mobile commerce requires more effort than just pushing out your web content to a connected device. Find out how consumer behavior and expectations, geotargeting, and follow-up communication are all part of a winning m-commerce strategy.

For marketers, few questions loom as large as the connection between their online and offline efforts. That's why data exchange company eXelate and Nielsen Catalina Solutions are ramping up efforts to help CPG brands connect the dots.

M&S Solutions, an e-commerce retailer of organic products, has introduced a new online store. "We're excited to start selling organic products online," said a managing member of M&S Solutions. "Through e-commerce and the boundless reach of the internet, we're now able to share our wonderful selection of products with everyone."