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Category: Retail & eCommerce

eCommerce, Online Retail & Retail News

  • Shopify Unveils ‘Chaos Monkey 2023,’ Limiting Meetings and Slack

    Shopify Unveils ‘Chaos Monkey 2023,’ Limiting Meetings and Slack

    Shopify is aiming to disrupt the workplace with a new initiative called “Chaos Monkey 2023,” one that limits meetings and Slack usage.

    Like many companies, Shopify is working to adjust to a post-pandemic economy, one that may be on the verge of a recession. The company is hoping “chaos engineering” will help it be more nimble and better able to move forward.

    “Chaos engineering is the practice of experimenting with a system to build confidence in that system’s ability to withstand turbulent conditions in production,” the company said in internal documents viewed by Business Insider. “It’s also known as chaos monkey, and at Shopify, we apply this practice not just in building great products for our merchants – but in everything we do.”

    As part of its new strategy, the company has ended meetings involving more than two people, and all meetings on Wednesday. Large meetings, of 50 or more staff, will be restricted to a specific time-frame on Thursdays.

    In addition, the company de-populated all of its public Slack channels, removing all employees from them, deleting chat history, and lowering their limits to 150 people per channel. The company is evidently moving the bulk of its communication to Workspace by Meta, with Slack only serving as a direct message platform.

    “We’ve forced our async work into Slack – it’s bloated, noisy, and distracting,” said COO and Vice President of Product Kaz Nejatian. “We have endless channel updates mixed with broad announcements and pineapple on pizza debates.” 

    The company acknowledges the plan is disruptive, which is exactly what executives are hoping for.

    “All of this feels chaotic, which is kind of the point,” Nejatian said.

    After laying off 1,000 employees in July, only time will tell if Chaos Monkey 2023 helps the company achieve its goals.

  • COVID Accelerated Digital Transformation, Says DocuSign CEO

    COVID Accelerated Digital Transformation, Says DocuSign CEO

    “We have seen significant acceleration since the COVID-19 pandemic,” says DocuSign CEO Dan Springer. “A significant portion of that (increase) was due to increased use cases from customers driving that digital transformation faster with services like DocuSign. We don’t see customers going back. Once they’ve got the benefits from that efficiency in their business, the better customer experience, and the better employee experience, they’re going to stay in a digitally transformed world.”

    Dan Springer, CEO of DocuSign, discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation and he says that businesses are not going back to a manual world:

    COVID Pandemic Accelerated Digital Transformation

    We’ve been really pleased with the growth we’ve had since going public a few years. We have also seen significant acceleration since the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s obviously a horrible pandemic and our number one priority has been the health and wellbeing of our employees so we can take good care of our customers. As you can see in our Q1 earnings we did see an acceleration of our bookings to 59 percent.

    Traditionally, if you look at the billings-type metric they have been in the mid-30s’. A significant portion of that (increase) was due to increased use cases from customers driving that digital transformation faster with services like DocuSign.

    Companies To Stay In This Digitally Transformed World

    One of the things we’ve seen with the pandemic impact is that it has really accelerated the path that companies were already on to drive that digital transformation. We don’t see companies after the pandemic settles down going back and saying they want more paper and more manual processes.

    Once they’ve got the benefits from that efficiency in their business, the better customer experience, and the better employee experience, they’re going to stay in a digitally transformed world. They are going to use DocuSign and other fantastic services to do that.

    The Future Is Going To Have eSignature At The Center

    We really think that the future is going to have eSignature at the center of what we call the overall Agreement Cloud. Companies want to be more agreeable. They want to be easier to do business with and be easier to do business for. They’re going to not just use DocuSign for signature but all of the other components of preparing agreements and managing those agreements digitally once they’ve been created. That’s why we’re excited about our very robust future.

    We just past a billion dollars in revenue (for DocuSign eSignature). We are only four percent penetrated today and we’re six times larger than the next biggest player in the space. There’s not a lot of penetration yet in that core business. Notary is still predominantly done manually. We are making investments there. We believe we can bring the same ease of use that we brought to eSignature we can bring to notary.

    AI To Power The DocuSign Agreement Cloud

    Much bigger than that, even expanding upon the opportunity of eSignature is that broader Agreement Cloud opportunity. We think this is the next big cloud opportunity. You are going to see companies increasingly say I don’t just want to do the workflow and signature. I also want to drive the creations of those agreements. I want to think about artificial intelligence and search capability to manage my agreements. This would enable me to actually manage my business and make my company more agreeable.

    Those are some of the investments we’re making. That’s why we just finished the acquisition of Seal Software last month so we can bring additional artificial intelligence and analytic capability to help people run their businesses better.

    COVID Accelerated Digital Transformation, Says DocuSign CEO Dan Springer
  • The Chip Shortage Is Now a Chip Glut

    The Chip Shortage Is Now a Chip Glut

    The semiconductor industry has swung from one extreme to another, going from a shortage to a glut as consumer demand changes.

    During the height of the pandemic, semiconductors were in short supply. A combination of production issues as a result of lockdowns, combined with increased demand for computers and other electronic as people worked from home, led to a massive shortage of chips. The shortage was also spurred by stimulus money being poured into the economy, giving individuals more disposable income to spend on tablets, gaming consoles, and more.

    According to The Wall Street Journal, that situation has changed dramatically as consumer spending has decreased. The overall economy is in the midst of a downturn, with stimulus money having long-since dried up, layoffs impacting multiple industries, and growing uncertainty about the future of the economy.

    The result has been increased availability of computers and other electronics, not to mention falling prices.

    “Today we have a large inventory, especially on the consumer side, which is driving very aggressive pricing because all of us are trying to reduce those inventories,” said HP Chief Executive Enrique Lores.

    Chipmakers and PC manufacturers are already taking steps to stabilize supply and demand such as reducing the number of chips they manufacture, or computers they ship, to help drive up demand.

    “Even as they were selling through their inventory, they were not replenishing stock to the same levels,” said AMD chief Lisa Su. “I think the market will continue to be volatile.”

  • Amazon Agrees to Major Business Changes in the EU to Head Off Probe

    Amazon Agrees to Major Business Changes in the EU to Head Off Probe

    Amazon has reached an agreement with the EU to make major changes to its business in exchange for heading off antitrust probes.

    Amazon was under fire for dealing unfairly with third-party sellers, preferring its own retail business over those of competitors, as well as for using its sellers’ non-public data to fine-tune its own services and gain an advantage.

    The EU Commission outlined its concerns in a statement:

    In July 2019, the Commission opened a formal investigation into Amazon’s use of non-public data of its marketplace sellers. On 10 November 2020, the Commission adopted a Statement of Objections in which it preliminarily found Amazon dominant on the French and German markets, for the provision of online marketplace services to third-party sellers. It also found that that Amazon’s reliance on marketplace sellers’ non-public business data to calibrate its retail decisions, distorted fair competition on its platform and prevented effective competition.

    In parallel, on 10 November 2020, the Commission opened a second investigation to assess whether the criteria that Amazon sets to select the winner of the Buy Box and to enable sellers to offer products under its Prime Programme, lead to preferential treatment of Amazon’s retail business or of the sellers that use Amazon’s logistics and delivery services.

    As part of the agreement, Amazon will no longer use non-public data from its sellers to improve its own products. The company will also make offers and products from competing sellers equally visible in its “Buy Box.” The terms of the deal will be enforced for seven years, but will only be in effect within the EU.

    “Today’s decision sets new rules for how Amazon operates its business in Europe,” said Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President in charge of competition policy. “Amazon can no longer abuse its dual role and will have to change several business practices. They cover the use of data, the selection of sellers in the Buy Box and the conditions of access to the Amazon Prime Programme. Competing independent retailers and carriers as well as consumers will benefit from these changes opening up new opportunities and choice.

  • How to Start an Online Business Selling Digital Products

    How to Start an Online Business Selling Digital Products

    A digital product is a type of product that you can create, market, distribute, and sell digitally. This product only exists digitally, and you cannot touch it.

    Our lives are affected today by digital platforms and content taking over today. The demand for digital content keeps rising. For instance, the global digital content creation market size is expected to touch over $16 billion by 2025. This means a business that invests in digital products has a chance to thrive.

    There is a lot involved in making a hustle out of a digital product like eBooks, tickets, podcasts, manuals, or tutorials. It all begins by having the basic knowledge to run a successful online business. Here is a guide on starting an online business selling digital products.

    Register your Business

    The first step to starting an online business is registering it with the relevant authorities. You want to ensure your business is legitimate and recognized. You can register your business as an LLC and get the proper certification and copyright for your digital products.

    The cost of registering an LLC may vary depending on your state. For instance, in Delaware, it costs about $415. This cost includes a state filing fee, name reservation, and adding a registered agent. When you register your business as an LLC, you can reap the benefits of a partnership and a sole proprietorship.

    An LLC allows you to reduce personal liability to your business while gaining flexibility in operation and taxation. The process of registering an LLC is not that long compared to other types of business. You should also learn more about the benefits of an LLC for different types of business before deciding the best type of business to register.

    Define Your Image and Brand

    If you are selling digital products online, you will need a brand image that can sell your products and battle the stiff competition in the online market. Your brand is like an overall vibe of the business. It will need to be iconic enough in case you do expand enough to have more products or even a business delivery fleet.

    You want to ensure everything in your business, right from the business name to the design, conveys a consistent idea and visual image of your business.

    When working on your brand, you should focus on the logo, color scheme, page layout, typography, photos and graphics. These elements should work together in portraying your brand image out there.

    Build a Responsive Website

    A website is a must-have if you want to sell digital products. As soon as you’ve validated your business idea, you should proceed to build your website. A website is like your storefront for selling digital products.

    It is not that difficult to build a website nowadays. You can create your website in just hours without coding skills using any of the best website builders. You can also hire a website designer to design your website who will also help you choose the best host server that will keep you online round the clock.

    When designing a website to sell digital products like courses, written content, and podcasts, you should ensure it has all the required functionalities. Here is what you should do:

    • Incorporate forms so visitors can subscribe and join your list.
    • Build customized landing pages that can educate your audience to learn more about your products and services.
    • Design your website to accept payments so it is easy to sell online.
    • Optimize your website for mobile and make it responsive to most visitors who access your services using their smartphones and tablets.

    Build an Audience to Sell to

    For a physical store, this will sound like building a customer base. If you are selling digital products like a coding course, you want to first build an audience that needs your product. At this point, you want to make use of your greatest asset, the email list.

    Everyone on your email list is interested in your brand, which means they trust you. There is a high probability that they will buy from you if only you market your products and services. Add people to your email list and begin marketing your brand to them. Send emails with information on your products and services. This is called list building.

    You can give people freebies in exchange for their contact information. For instance, if you are selling a course, you can give a short coaching session to everyone that subscribes to your email list. Freebies can act as your lead magnet. It can attract leads to your business and help you grow your business.

    Optimize Your Website for Conversions

    You are already selling your digital products to your customers at this stage of the business. What remains is finding ways to increase your sales. If you want to increase your sales, you should optimize your site leveraging SEO to convert most visitors to customers.

    To optimize your website, you should look at the data on your site. What do the numbers say about your most trafficked pages? You should also identify the pages on your website that most people rarely visit, and once they do, they leave the page fast.

    You want to ensure you can hold your visitors for long so you can get the chance to convince them into buying your products and services. Focus on removing the things that don’t work on your site and improve those that work to optimize your website sales funnel.

    You should focus more on how you can sell your digital products on the website. Therefore, make it clear that your website aims to attract people willing and able to buy your products and services.

    Make sure you can send every visitor to your landing page, and you persuade them to buy. To achieve this, ensure you have a call to action on one very single page of your website. Go straight to the point and tell your visitors what you want them to do.

    You can then reward them accordingly for taking action you asked for.

    Final Thoughts                                     

    Suppose you are out to start a business selling digital products, now is the right time to start. Register your business and get a copyright for your products. Build a website, brand, and audience for your products and services.

    Start your business today by following the five steps listed here and turning your fantastic idea into an income-generating business.

  • Foxconn Issues Accelerate Apple’s Plans to Diversify iPhone Production

    Foxconn Issues Accelerate Apple’s Plans to Diversify iPhone Production

    Apple is stepping up its plans to diversify its iPhone production, moving more manufacturing out of China.

    Apple has long been dependent on China for the production of its products, with Foxconn building the iPhone. Unfortunately, Foxconn has experienced a wave of protests at iPhone City, its facility in Zhengzhou.

    According to The Wall Street Journal, Foxconn’s issues have resulted in Apple looking to accelerate its attempts to move some production outside of China. The company was already looking to move at least a quarter of its production to India, but this latest development has underscored the need to have diversified manufacturing.

    “In the past, people didn’t pay attention to concentration risks,” Alan Yeung, a former US executive for Foxconn, told WSJ. “Free trade was the norm and things were very predictable. Now we’ve entered a new world.”

  • Intel CEO Calls China Sanctions ‘Inevitable,’ Says Supply Chain Must Rebalance

    Intel CEO Calls China Sanctions ‘Inevitable,’ Says Supply Chain Must Rebalance

    Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has weighed in on US restrictions on China’s semiconductor industry, calling the measures “inevitable.”

    The US has been aggressively restricting semiconductor exports to China, limiting any such exports to older technology that is several generations old. The US has even used its export rules to prevent overseas companies from exporting to China if they use US tech in their manufacturing process.

    According to The Wall Street Journal, Gelsinger says such measures are to be expected.

    “I viewed this geopolitically as inevitable,” Mr. Gelsinger said. “And that’s why the rebalancing of supply chains is so critical.”

    Gelsinger likened the importance of semiconductors to the role oil has played for half a century.

    “Where the oil reserves are defined geopolitics for the last five decades. Where the fabs are for the next five decades is more important,” Mr. Gelsinger added.

    Intel, like many companies, is working to rebalance the semiconductor supply chain, buoyed by US legislation making more than $52 billion available to companies that increase chip production in the US. Intel has announced plans for a $20 billion semiconductor “mega-site” facility in Ohio, as well as $80 billion in EU-based production.

  • SolarWinds Is in Trouble With the SEC Over Supply Chain Attack

    SolarWinds Is in Trouble With the SEC Over Supply Chain Attack

    SolarWinds is facing monetary and enforcement consequences as a result of its supply chain attack in 2020.

    SolarWinds was the victim of a supply chain attack in which attackers compromised one of SolarWinds IT tools that was used by companies and government agencies around the world. As a result, at least 18,000 of SolarWinds customers downloaded the compromised software, with many being directly hacked.

    It appears the company is now facing the consequences, both with shareholders and the SEC. In a filing with the SEC, the company says it has agreed to pay shareholders $26 million.

    SolarWinds entered into a binding settlement term sheet with respect to the previously disclosed consolidated putative class action lawsuit….The settlement, if approved, would require the Company to pay $26 million to fund claims submitted by class members, the legal fees of plaintiffs’ counsel and the costs of administering the settlement.

    In addition, the company also revealed that it had been notified of an SEC Wells notice, which could lead to enforcement action.

    Also on October 28, 2022, the enforcement staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) provided the Company with a “Wells Notice” relating to its investigation into the previously disclosed cyberattack on the Company’s Orion Software Platform and internal systems. The Wells Notice states that the SEC staff has made a preliminary determination to recommend that the SEC file an enforcement action against the Company alleging violations of certain provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws with respect to its cybersecurity disclosures and public statements, as well as its internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures.

    It is not surprising the SEC is taking such action. The SolarWinds attack was one of the most devastating cyberattacks in history and had a profound impact on companies and agencies. The US Judiciary even went so far as to return to paper records in the wake of the attack.

  • Workers at Amazon’s Largest Air Hub, in Northern KY, Push for Unionization

    Workers at Amazon’s Largest Air Hub, in Northern KY, Push for Unionization

    Amazon’s unionization woes are increasing, with workers at the company’s largest air hub pushing to organize.

    Amazon has aggressively battled union organization efforts for years, even going so far as to deploy Pinkerton detectives to deter attempts. Despite its stance, support for unionization has been growing, and the company’s largest air hub outside of Cincinnati Northern Kentucky international airport is the latest site to experience significant union pressure.

    According to The Guardian, workers are displeased with annual pay raises, with at least 400 of them signing a petition to have a peak season premium hourly rate enacted. Amazon normally pays its warehouse workers more during the holiday season, when sales reach their yearly peak but has yet to implement it at the NKY site.

    Read more: Amazon Once Again Going Full-Press Against Unionization Efforts

    “We have to operate a lot of heavy machinery, freight loaders, cargo tractors and things like that, and people aren’t paid any extra to do that work,” said Griffin Ritze, an air associate and ramp agent, and one of the organizing members onsite. “They just cross-train you in as many roles as possible and you’re constantly shuffled around.”

    Workers have also complained that Amazon is not clearly communicating with them, including over things as serious as being written up.

    “We do not have any clue that we are written up and never notified about it until we go to apply for a better position, that’s when we’ll find out,” said Steven Kelley, a learning ambassador at the KY site.

    The employees ultimately make the point that Amazon depends on its warehouse and shipping workers as the lifeblood of the company and should therefore take better care of them.

    “We’re the lifeblood of the company, not corporate, not upper management. We’re actually the ones who are sorting the freight, and loading the freight,” said Jordan Martin, a ramp associate at the air hub. “It’s the lifeblood of the company, the workers, who are actually organizing this effort and why we’re pushing for the better benefits that we’re trying to fight for.”

  • Amazon Prime Is the Top US Streaming Service

    Amazon Prime Is the Top US Streaming Service

    Amazon Prime has pulled off a major win against Netflix, supplanting it as the top streaming service in the US.

    The latest research comes from Parks Associates, and shows Amazon Prime taking the top spot in the US for the first time in 2022. In previous years, Prime consistently took second place.

    Nonetheless, despite Prime’s move up, Parks Associates believes Netflix is well-positioned to regain the top stop.

    “Streaming services are introducing new content, services, and partnerships that are changing how consumers interact with video,” said Jennifer Kent, VP, Research, Parks Associates. “Netflix’s ad-supported plan gives the company a way to win back subscribers who left over high subscription prices. It also gives Netflix a path to creating unique accounts for those who have been content to share passwords with friends and family in the past. It’s an exciting time to track these services, with lots of disruption and change.”

    Credit: Parks Associates
  • Black Friday Online Sales Break Records Despite Inflation

    Black Friday Online Sales Break Records Despite Inflation

    The economy received a boost during Black Friday, with this year’s online spending breaking records despite inflation.

    Inflation has been rising at near record rates, prompting concerns of an impending recession. Despite the economic uncertainty, online sales reached a new record during this Black Friday, coming in at $9.12 billion, according to data from Adobe Analytics, via GeekWire. This was a 2.3% increase over the previous year.

    Electronic sales were especially robust, growing a whopping 221%. Similarly exercise equipment sales grew 218%, audio equipment sales were up 230%, smart home item sales grew 271%, and toys 285%. Meanwhile, mobile transactions reached a record 48% of online sales, up from 44% last year.

    Interestingly, Buy Now Pay Later orders increased 78% over the previous week. This is likely a result of the economic uncertainty, not to mention the layoffs many have experienced.

    Black Friday is likely not the end of the good news, with Adobe predicting Cyber Monday online sales will grow 5.1% over the previous year, to come in at $11.2 billion.

  • Want Faster Acceleration in Your Mercedes? That Will Cost $1,200 Annually.

    Want Faster Acceleration in Your Mercedes? That Will Cost $1,200 Annually.

    Mercedes is the latest automaker to jump on the most deplorable trend in the industry, charging $1,200 annually for faster acceleration.

    Automakers looking for ways to nickel and dime their customers have turned to subscriptions as their method of choice, locking access to existing features unless customers pay the subscription price. Mercedes is the latest to adopt this practice, with plans to charge $1,200 for customers that want faster acceleration.

    Mercedes EQ electric vehicles (EVs) will come with reduced horsepower and torque, which will be increased if customers pony up the extra cash annually. The overall performance of the vehicle will increase as well.

    “Fine tuning of the electric motors increases the maximum motor output (kW) of your Mercedes-EQ by 20 to 24%, depending on the original output from factory,” Mercedes explains on its website. “The torque is also increased, enabling your vehicle to accelerate noticeably faster and more powerfully. This shortens the time it takes to accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH by around 0.8 to 0.9 seconds. This additional output is available in all DYNAMIC SELECT drive programs.”

    Mercedes’ move follows similar ones by other automakers. For example, BMW announced plans to charge $18 per month to unlock the heated seats already present in the vehicle.

    The problem has become so bad that New Jersey lawmakers have introduced a bill that would ban automakers from charging a subscription for features that are already built into a vehicle.

    As we have stated before, it is completely understandable to charge a subscription fee for services that require ongoing updates, such as GPS mapping services. It is certainly understandable to charge for other subscription services, such as satellite radio.

    On the other hand, it is nothing but unmitigated greed and absurdity to charge customers to use features that are already included in the vehicle and that do not cost the automaker anything. If a user purchases a vehicle with a certain set of features, ALL of those features should be available and unlocked.

  • UK Regulators Investigating Apple and Google’s ‘Mobile Duopoly’

    UK Regulators Investigating Apple and Google’s ‘Mobile Duopoly’

    The UK is launching a market investigation into Apple and Google’s dominance in the mobile market, especially cloud gaming and web browsing.

    Apple and Google have an undisputed duopoly in the mobile market. Blackberry, Palm, Nokia, Microsoft Windows, and others have all fallen by the wayside, unable to compete with Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android.

    The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating the companies’ duopoly following complaints from developers “that the status quo is harming their businesses, holding back innovation, and adding unnecessary costs.”

    A market investigation is an in-depth investigation that will look at the state of the market and see if competition is being negatively impacted. The CMA has the authority to impose rules on how a business operates, or can even force a company to sell off some of its businesses if they are deemed anti-competitive.

    “We want to make sure that UK consumers get the best new mobile data services, and that UK developers can invest in innovative new apps,” said Sarah Cardell, interim Chief Executive of the CMA.

    “Many UK businesses and web developers tell us they feel that they are being held back by restrictions set by Apple and Google,” Cardell added. “When the new Digital Markets regime is in place, it’s likely to address these sorts of issues. In the meantime, we are using our existing powers to tackle problems where we can. We plan to investigate whether the concerns we have heard are justified and, if so, identify steps to improve competition and innovation in these sectors.”

  • Amazon May Deploy Facial Recognition to Confirm Seller Identity

    Amazon May Deploy Facial Recognition to Confirm Seller Identity

    Amazon is testing various methods to streamline seller identity verification, including facial recognition.

    Facial recognition is a controversial technology, with critics raising concerns over privacy, security, racial profiling, and more. That isn’t stopping Amazon from testing the technology as a way to speed up and simply seller verification.

    The company announced its intentions in a blog post:

    Today, we are starting to test a new, optional experience for prospective sellers that uses forgery detection, facial recognition, and liveness detection technology to quickly verify the authenticity of government-issued identity documents and whether they match the individual applying to sell in our store. Our test will determine whether we can achieve the same robustness of identity verification as our current processes while also providing a better experience for sellers who choose this verification process.

    Companies and organizations that have tried to roll out facial recognition for identify verification have quickly learned of the pitfalls involved. The IRS infamously tried to enforce the use of facial recognition for online accounts, only to backtrack over the backlash it received.

  • Amazon Unveils Next-Gen Drone for Deliveries

    Amazon Unveils Next-Gen Drone for Deliveries

    Amazon has announced a new drone for deliveries, the MK30, offering a slew of improvements over its predecessor.

    Amazon has been investing in drone deliveries in an effort to improve customer service, improve delivery speed, and reduce costs. The company plans to introduce the MK30 in 2024 in areas where it is testing its drone delivery program.

    The company outlined the benefits of the new model in a blog post:

    We’re now introducing our next generation delivery drone: the MK30. Due to come into service in 2024, this drone will be lighter and smaller than the MK27-2, the drone that will be making deliveries in Lockeford and College Station. The MK30’s increased range, expanded temperature tolerance, safety-critical features, and new capability to fly in light rain will enable customers to choose drone delivery more often.

    The company has also worked to reduce the noise profile of the new drone, so as not to disturb customers and neighborhoods:

    Reducing the noise signature of our drones is an important engineering challenge that our team is working on. Our drones fly hundreds of feet in the air, well above people and structures. Even when they descend to deliver packages, our drones are generally quieter than a range of sounds you would commonly hear in a typical neighborhood. Still, Prime Air’s Flight Science team has created new custom-designed propellers that will reduce the MK30’s perceived noise by another 25%. That’s a game-changer, and we’re very excited about it.

  • How the Ecommerce Theme You Choose Helps to Deliver the Best Brand Experience

    How the Ecommerce Theme You Choose Helps to Deliver the Best Brand Experience

    Ecommerce is a lucrative market for many businesses. By now, nearly every retail brand has either started or is working on launching an ecommerce store.

    Global ecommerce revenue is projected to reach 5.4 trillion US dollars by 2022. Therefore, more and more retailers have jumped into the ecommerce space to make more money. With increasing competition, however, it has become crucial for ecommerce businesses to deliver the best brand experience for improved customer retention and brand loyalty.

    The choice of your website’s ecommerce theme plays a vital role in preparing an UX-friendly digital destination that helps to acquire more customers.

    What is an ecommerce theme?

    An ecommerce theme is a pre-built design that you can select for your online store. It helps to deliver the best user experience to your customers.

    Why is the choice of your ecommerce theme significant?

    Around 40% of site visitors will stop interacting with your site if the layout is unattractive. Selecting the right ecommerce theme for your online store helps your customers to do business with you with ease.

    What features should you look for in your ecommerce theme?

    The features that you should have in your site depends on the kind of website that you are looking to build.

    That having been said, here are the top features you should look for in every ecommerce theme:

    Responsive Design

    A responsive website is mobile-friendly. Having a responsive site design ensures that your website’s look and functionality stays the same irrespective of the browsing device. It doesn’t matter whether the visitor is visiting your store using a mobile device or a desktop, they will be able to complete the purchase easily.

    A responsive design also has a positive impact on Google rankings, because Google and other search engines consider site design, user experience, and mobile browsing experience before ranking a website.

    Hence, a responsive website has more chances of ranking higher in the search results as compared to a non-responsive site. Besides, a responsive site is easy to maintain and cost-effective.

    Speed

    Faster loading websites naturally offer a more smooth user experience. Google and other search engines now consider site speed in their ranking algorithm.

    The recent Page Experience update from Google takes into account Core Web Vitals as a key ranking algorithm factor. Core Web Vitals comprises metrics such as LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), FCP (First Contentful Paint), and FID (First Input Delay), which collectively measure the real world user experience. Sites that pass the Core Web Vitals test have the best chances of being placed higher in the search results.

    You can use the Page Speed Insights tool to check the page speed score of a website. The higher the score, the better would be the UX and organic rankings.

    Therefore, before selecting a theme, you should conduct some research on the theme loading speed. Sometimes, fancy elements and design don’t matter much when compared to simple site design with a high speed.

    Ease of Use

    You should always select an ecommerce theme with a simple and easy to use navigation.

    For example, your theme should have a search bar, because often visitors are looking to search for a particular product to complete the purchase. If your site doesn’t have a visible search bar, then it might lead to poor conversions and a high bounce rate.

    Opt for a theme that has nicely designed “breadcrumb navigation” and prominent category and subcategory links. Besides, the CTAs should be large and clear. There are maximum chances of conversions when the CTAs are placed higher in the page leading to more clicks.

    Security

    Website security is crucial for a good user experience. Google takes website security very seriously. Make sure your ecommerce site offers good security.

    Opt for an SSL certificate and pick a trustworthy web host. Ensure, your ecommerce theme does not have any vulnerabilities that makes it easier for hackers to steal customer data.

    Support for integrations and widgets

    Most of the time, you will realize that it is much easier to install a widget or an app to add an additional feature to your online shop.

    You can find essential apps and plugins in the respective directories of your ecommerce platform. Plugins are powerful because they let you add beneficial functionalities to your store without the need to hire a developer. You can easily search and install a plugin of your choice to add different functionalities to improve UX and SEO.

    Hence, you should see whether your chosen theme is compatible with the plugins you plan to use. You should select an ecommerce theme that offers the support for maximum plugins, apps, and widgets.

    Final thoughts

    Building and managing your ecommerce business is challenging nowadays. The choice of your ecommerce theme decides the future of your online business.

    An SEO friendly store layout helps to acquire relevant organic traffic to your site. Besides, an UX-friendly theme keeps customers happy as it improves conversion and retention, which are significant to boost your online revenue.

    You should have a brilliant online marketing strategy, powered by a robust ecommerce theme to drive more qualified traffic to your site.

  • Customers Will Be Able to Use Venmo for Amazon Purchases

    Customers Will Be Able to Use Venmo for Amazon Purchases

    Amazon is prepping support for Venmo as a payment option, with plans to make it available in time for the holiday season.

    Venmo is a popular secure payment platform owned by PayPal. Amazon announced that it will begin supporting Venmo on Amazon.com, as well as within the Amazon app. Support will begin rolling out to select Amazon customers today, with full support in the US in time for Black Friday.

    “We want to offer customers payment options that are convenient, easy to use, and secure—and there’s no better time for that than the busy holiday season. Whether it’s paying with cash, buying now and paying later, or now paying via Venmo, our goal is to meet the needs and preferences of every Amazon customer,” said Max Bardon, vice president of Amazon Worldwide Payments. “We’re excited to continue to offer customers even more options when it comes to how and when they want to pay for their order.”

    Once support is added, customers will be able to set up their Venmo account as a payment option and select it when making a purchase.

    Credit: Amazon
    Credit: Amazon

    “We know that the Venmo community of nearly 90 million users value the safety, security, ease, and familiarity that paying with Venmo helps to bring to the checkout experience,” said Doug Bland, senior vice president and general manager, head of consumer, PayPal. “The ability to pay with Venmo on Amazon continues our ongoing commitment to offer the community more ways to spend, send, receive, and manage their money with Venmo.”

  • Japanese Government Wants to Remotely Turn Down Home AC Units

    Japanese Government Wants to Remotely Turn Down Home AC Units

    The Japanese government is looking for unprecedented power over people’s home, wanting the ability to remotely turn down AC units.

    According to Japan Today, the Energy Conservation Subcommittee of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry made clear in a November 2 meeting that it wants to gain authority to turn down AC and heating units in people’s private homes.

    The subcommittee’s goal is reign in energy usage and reduce pressure on Japan’s power grid, especially as the country transitions away from fossil fuel. Renewable sources of energy, such as solar, don’t always have the constant power generation as traditional sources, making power usage regulation far more important.

    Needless to say, people’s reaction to the idea is predictably negative. At best, people think the idea is “creepy,” with others believing the measure will ultimately lead to people dying during Japan’s hot summers — something that happens with increasing frequency.

    One thing is for sure: the subcommittee is going to have its work cut out to push its agenda through.

  • Higher Prices Driving Verizon Customers Away

    Higher Prices Driving Verizon Customers Away

    Verizon has the dubious distinction of being the only one of the top three wireless carriers to be losing customers.

    Verizon announced its third-quarter results, with the company reporting a net loss of 189,000 postpaid phone subscribers. The company said it was “due to elevated churn partially as a result of recent pricing actions”

    According to CNET, Verizon posted similar subscriber losses in the second quarter, to the tune of 215,000. Those loses were similarly the result of increased prices, from raising the price of legacy plans to increasing administrative fees.

    The losses put Verizon in an interesting position, as it appears to be the only one of the top three carriers losing subscribers. AT&T gained 708,000 subscribers during this most recent quarter and T-Mobile has similarly continued its growth streak unabated.

    Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg painted the subscriber losses as part of Verizon’s attempt to increase profits and operational performance.

    “We took a number of actions in the third quarter that helped drive improved operational and financial performance, but we know there’s still more work to be done,” said Vestberg. “The pricing actions we took earlier this year, as well as our new cost savings program, show that we are being deliberate and strategic in our decisions to strengthen our business. At the same time, we are focused on executing our 5G strategy, as we are covering every major market and accelerating our C-Band network build. We are on track to reach 200 million POPs within first-quarter 2023.”

  • Vonage to Pay $100 Million in FTC Settlement

    Vonage to Pay $100 Million in FTC Settlement

    Vonage has agreed to a $100 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission for making it difficult for customers to cancel service.

    Vonage was one of the early VOIP providers and continues to be a significant force in the industry. Unfortunately, according to the FTC, Vonage made it nearly impossible for customers to cancel service with the company:

    Who can forget the eerie admonition about Hotel California: “You can check out any time you like. But you can never leave.” It’s a feeling that may have been echoed by people who attempted to cancel their service with internet phone provider Vonage. In a $100 million settlement, the FTC alleges that Vonage thwarted the efforts of consumers and small businesses who to tried to cancel their service. It’s the latest action in the FTC’s ongoing battle against illegal hurdles, detours, roadblocks, and ruses often called “dark patterns.”

    The FTC goes on to say that Vonage blocked all means of cancelling, save one, and then put roadblocks up to make that one means as hard to use as possible:

    Vonage made it easy to sign up for its services, but blocked all but one method for cancellation. Vonage offered people a variety of ways to sign up – including through its website or by calling a toll-free number. But starting in 2017, Vonage gave people one way – and only one way – to cancel: by speaking to a live “retention agent” on the phone. When people asked to cancel via email or web chat, the FTC says Vonage was unyielding, telling customers that the company “will not accept cancellation via email, fax, SMS or other electronic methods.”

    The settlement, the largest of its kind over canceling services, sends a clear signal that companies that make it hard for customers to cancel do so at their own peril.

  • Stripe Lets 14% of Its Staff Go

    Stripe Lets 14% of Its Staff Go

    Stripe is the latest company to conduct mass layoffs, letting 14%, or more than 1,000 employees go.

    Stripe CEO Patrick Collison sent a memo to employees Thursday to deliver the bad news:

    Today we’re announcing the hardest change we have had to make at Stripe to date. We’re reducing the size of our team by around 14% and saying goodbye to many talented Stripes in the process. If you are among those impacted, you will receive a notification email within the next 15 minutes. For those of you leaving: we’re very sorry to be taking this step and John and I are fully responsible for the decisions leading up to it.

    Collison blamed the decision on a changing world, including significant financial headwinds that have become more apparent throughout 2022.

    At the outset of the pandemic in 2020, the world rotated overnight towards e-commerce. We witnessed significantly higher growth rates over the course of 2020 and 2021 compared to what we had seen previously. As an organization, we transitioned into a new operating mode and both our revenue and payment volume have since grown more than 3x.

    The world is now shifting again. We are facing stubborn inflation, energy shocks, higher interest rates, reduced investment budgets, and sparser startup funding. (Tech company earnings last week provided lots of examples of changing circumstances.) On Tuesday, a former Treasury Secretary said that the US faces “as complex a set of macroeconomic challenges as at any time in 75 years”, and many parts of the developed world appear to be headed for recession. We think that 2022 represents the beginning of a different economic climate.

    The company is taking a number of steps to make the layoffs as painless as possible, including a minimum 14 weeks severance pay, with employees with more seniority receiving even more. The company will also pay all 2022 bonuses and pay employees for all unused PTO. Stripe will also “pay the cash equivalent of 6 months of existing healthcare premiums or healthcare continuation.” The company will also offer career support, immigration support for those on work visas, and more.

    No layoff is ever good, but Stripe certainly deserves credit for trying to make the transition as seamless as possible.