The internet has made our lives completely different! Almost everyone has an email address or the ability to access the internet in some fashion. Children as young as 3 along with seniors as old as 100+ are utilizing the internet for a myriad of purposes. Whether it’s for fun, general knowledge, or shopping…the place to be is online! Why bother to run out to the mall when you can likely get the same gift online for a better price, without ever having to leave the comfort of your home or office?

Take Ebay for example. Ebay offers the ability to shop online for practically anything your heart desires; usually for a reduced price. Not only is there an enormous inventory, you also get to participate in the auction element that Ebay is widely known for. The auctions are enjoyable for many people and can also be educational, for kids in particular. The thrill of being the highest bidder is truly a “win win”. A win because they got to pick out what they wanted; an added win because they are learning about how the marketplace works.

With the holidays fast approaching, sites like Email Santa are getting an increase in activity and are the perfect way for kids to tell parents exactly what they want!  As a consumer, you should know that there are many online retailers who will literally stop at nothing to win your business. Take advantage of that mentality, especially given the current economy. Be a savvy online shopper! As a retailer, you should capitalize on the busiest shopping time of the year by offering as many incentives as possible!

The internet has indeed become an integral part of our daily lives. For business or pleasure, for children and adults alike, the world is at our fingertips now more than ever!

With all of the new and exciting things going on in the Search Engine world, it can be a little confusing if you are not up to date on all of the new channels. I recently spoke to a client who has been with MoreVisibility for 5 years. She keeps hearing/reading all of these “buzz words” but is not clear on what they mean and was embarrassed to ask. I told her there is no such thing as a dumb question; the only dumb question is the one that was never asked. She graciously accepted my offer to provide some insight. For those of you who were too afraid to ask:

What is Social Media? Wikipedia defines social media as primarily Internet-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings. The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and “building” of shared meaning among communities, as people share their stories and experiences.

What is Facebook? Facebook is a social networking site, which is totally free to join. Once you do you can connect and interact with other people, who will be referred to as your “friends”. The site generates revenue from advertisers. Launched in early 2004, the home page states: “Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life.” On the About page you will find this verbiage: “Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Millions of people use Facebook everyday to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet.” The website currently has more than 110 million active users worldwide and has surpassed fellow social networking site, MySpace (see below) in terms of monthly unique visitors.

What is MySpace?  MySpace is a social networking site that also offers a free membership and was founded in 2003. According to Wikipedia’s definition, “it offers an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos for teenagers and adults internationally. Like Facebook, the site generates revenue from advertisers. The media habitually compares Facebook to MySpace; however, there is a significant difference. MySpace allows users to personalize/decorate decorate their profile, while Facebook does not.

What is Twitter? Twitter is a social networking/micro blogging site that was initiated in 2006. Twitter’s home page states that it is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing? Users then answer in 140 characters or less, which is known as a “tweet”. Twitter is different than Facebook and MySpace in that it has no revenue from advertisers.

What is Yammer? Similar to Twitter, Yammer asks a question, but takes it to another level in terms of being more “office friendly”. What are you working on? The site was launched in September 2008 and is the newest site mentioned in this blog post. Yammer recently won an award at The Tech Crunch 50 Conference for start up companies. This site is also free for the basic service, however, in order to gain more access/control over how employees are utilizing the service, there is a nominal fee of $1 per month, per user.

So what if it’s only October? Before you know it, everyone will be in holiday shopping mode and in today’s economy everyone is looking for a good deal. It is wise for online retailers to start taking advantage of those early bird holiday shoppers now; don’t wait. As the holiday season draws near, the competition will increase and as a result, so will the costs to advertise. There are a variety of ways online retailers can work to increase holiday sales and here are just a few:

Utilize Holiday Keywords and Ad Copy - This will make your ads stand out. Also utilize captivating calls to action; anything that will make a shopper click on your ad rather than your competitors’.

Create Holiday Themed Landing Pages – Make it easy for your shoppers; send them directly to your holiday page.

Increase your budgets to allow for more visitors - Traffic volume will likely spike as we approach the holidays, therefore you will want to raise your budget to ensure that your ads stay active.

Bid more aggressively – You will want to be seen as close to the top of the page as possible!

Expand your keyword menu – Be sure to focus on your industry’s high ROI/high volume keywords. As an advertiser, you don’t want to miss out on a potential sale because you did not cover all of your bases.

Offer Online Coupons and Discounts - Entice your shoppers by offering “online only” specials, coupons, discounts on future purchases, repeat buyer/loyalty savings, etc.

Give a Gift with Purchase - Who doesn’t like getting something for free?

Offer Free Shipping – A Forrester Research survey showed that consumers are more likely to shop online at stores that offer free shipping.

Provide Free Gift Wrap – Shoppers love the convenience and time saved by having their gift wrapped! Last minute shoppers will especially appreciate this.

Be sure to include of the above services and features in your ad copy!