Social Commerce
Using Social Commerce to Sell Products Online
While Facebook is still the go-to site for hundreds of millions of folks sharing their lives and following the likes of Justin Bieber, it's also emerging as a contender to Amazon and other online retailers. Content Ping keeps readers informed about the rise of social commerce and discusses what the changing e-commerce landscape means for content merchandising and companies that sell products online.
Content Critique: BookBook for iPhone
PC users: If you're having a good day, read on. If not, you may want to skip this post. Today's product page is from Twelve South, a company that loves Apple like Internet loves cat memes. In its own words: "We are here to please the true Mac fan because the best computers in the world deserve the best accessories in the world." Because... read more »
Content Critique: Takeya Tea Maker
Heat waves always inspire me to get more serious about iced tea (I'm pretty serious about tea in all temperatures). In an ongoing search for a good iced tea pitcher, I found this Takeya Iced Tea Maker with Avocado Lid and Silicone Handle in Olive on Wayfair.com, the product of CSN Stores combining its many niche retail sites into... read more »
Weekly Content Critique: Calling (Kate) Spade a Spade
A few clothing brands, including kate spade new york and Mr Porter, are repeatedly cited as paragons of the content and commerce model. I took a look at kate spade's site and was sorely disappointed by the so-called integration of editorial content into the retail site. The site's home page offers two destinations, shop or blog.... read more »
Weekly Content Critique: Suit Yourself
I recently read about a new campaign Men's Wearhouse launched to convince the younger generation the company is not, in fact, woefully behind the fashion times. To do this, they shot a video with young cool guys in suits (with tattoos visible around the edges). In what seems like a shortsighted move, they didn't have any of those... read more »
Weekly Content Critique: Popdust Style’s Pop-Up Fail
Continuing the content and commerce theme of last week's critique, I checked out a new e-commerce site just launched by Popdust.com. As only pop culture can do, Popdust Style got a couple of things right and some things so, so wrong. (For the benefit of all my readers: Popdust is a music news site trying to make the world take... read more »
Weekly Content Critique: Mr Porter’s Take on a Denim Jacket
Selling clothing online is no easy task. It's hard to compete with the physical experience of a fitting room, but e-tailers are finding ways to make it work, like the new trend of blending editorial content with commerce to create retail sites that rival fashion magazines. Mr Porter, which sells attire and accoutrements for discerning... read more »
Weekly Content Critique: It’s a Baby Miracle
A Baby Carrier Miracle, that is. (I'm surrounded by talk of babies and baby products lately, it's getting to me.) I read a lot about product video--how badly consumers want it and how badly some people want to give it to them, for instance--but I don't see many good product videos. Sure, Zappos and Amazon have tens of thousands... read more »
Weekly Content Critique: Wynn Las Vegas
We focus on consumer goods a lot here, because that's our business. But websites for consumer services need to meet the same, if not additional, requirements to succeed. Often, the sale depends on a business's website alone--there's no other way for the consumer to gather concrete information about said service. Accommodations at Wynn... read more »
Weekly Content Critique: Tens Unit
Recently, I found myself shopping for TENS units. Backstory: muscle pain, mildly slipped disc, chiropractor, application of TENS unit, pleasant relief from muscle pain, realization that I could buy such a machine for roughly the cost of one office visit. So I launched into the frustrating world of medical supply websites, which are... read more »
Weekly Content Critique: Against Nudity
If we accept the rule of double negative elimination, I am for nudity. Because I'm most certainly against AgainstNudity.com, a clothing retailer of the H&M variety. This type of retailer focuses on clothing design rather than brand names; the nymphet shirt is a fine example. (Note: My objection is not to the aesthetic-over-brand... read more »
