Ecommerce White Papers

Read the latest research, findings, and discovery tools covering online retailing, ecommerce, project planning, etc.

Solving the ecommerce dilemma: Build, Buy, or Leverage

When it comes to choosing enterprise ecommerce technology, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Today's enterprise has a variety of delivery models to choose from (such as buy, build, "lease" or a combination of these). The decision between buy and build depends on your project's requirements for complexity, uniqueness, integration, urgency, and its overall strategic importance. It also depends on your resources - IT budget, skills, and ecommerce expertise. This white paper will help you determine the delivery model that is right for your ecommerce project.
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How to Write an Ecommerce RFP: Make Your Best Platform Decision Efficiently

The RFP is your best opportunity to get all the information you need from all prospective vendors to make your best purchase decision as efficiently as possible. This white paper outlines a clear process to evaluate your business, determine your requirements and write an RFP that will help you make the best decision efficiently.
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The Ecommerce Checkout Report: Tactics of the Top 100 Online Retailers

Do you want to see which checkout tactics are most used by successful online retailers? How does your conversion rate stack up to those who employ similar tactics? Does a shorter checkout process really decrease shopping cart abandonment? Should I use an order confirmation screen? Does live chat improve conversions? These are a few of the 23 tactics we evaluated as we studied the checkout process of the Internet's Top 100 Online Retailers.
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Blogging for Retailers: Why blogging matters and how to get started

With all the noise surrounding blogs and social media, this white paper will guide marketers and executives into the blog o'sphere, with a focus on online retailers. It demonstrates “Web 2.0” fundamentals and breaks down the tangible benefits, provides an overview of blog platform options, a glossary of terms and a mini-course to have your online retail operations thrive by leveraging the power of blogging.
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Clicks to Customers: The Real ROI in B2C Ecommerce

The online Business to Consumer (B2C) marketplace is increasingly impatient, which is a reflection on the pressures merchants feel from their customers. Online retailers expect their technology solutions to flex, bend and meet their complex needs and become profitable in short order. Rather than expecting to realize a return on investment over the course of time, retailers want instant gratification and Return on Investment (ROI) in typically less than six months. Twenty-one percent of retailers expect to see revenue results from their online tools (e.g., site search, interactive product imaging and Web 2.0 technologies) within weeks. Only 22% are willing to wait more than six months to realize a return on their online tools.
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