Making Cents of Social Media Tools
Tired of new social media services that promise to bring customers to the door? Well, the truth is consumers are using social media to connect, and you might... Read more
E-commerce
Recent E-commerce Articles
A Hacker You Should Do Business With
Evaluating your company's security vulnerabilities is the first step toward preventing costly data losses that could compromise both information and your com... Read more
How to Start Selling Internationally
Advice for business owners on researching foreign markets, putting together an export plan, and finding salespeople overseas. Read more
Track Comments about Your Business Online
Listen Up! Tracking software and services can alert you to what customers are saying about your business on social networks, blogs, and other social media. T... Read more
Tech Talk: Vehicle ID Firm Upgrades Internet
An automotive inspection and logistics service company finds that upgrading to more reliable Internet service allows it to expand into new businesses and bec... Read more
The Future of Manufacturing
A New Zealand company called Ponoko has reinvented the factory for the 21st century. Read more
The Real-Time Web and You
With the emergence of the real-time Web, it is becoming increasingly critical for companies to be able to use business intelligence, their internal data, and... Read more
Avoid Social Media Faux Pas
If you’re using Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn for business, the last thing you want is to alienate potential customers before they even know you. So lay o... Read more
Twitter's New Tweets for Small Business
Twitter is rolling out new and improved features aimed squarely at making small and mid-sized business users more comfortable with the social network. Read more
The Way I Work: Marc Lore of Diapers.com
Meet the man who sells $89 million of diapers each year online Read more
Social Media: More than Creating Connections
How smart companies are using social media tools to outsource work to their customers. Read more
Lessons from the Most Successful Internet Marketing Campaign Ever
The use of social media in politics holds lessons for business. The more you establish your business online, the more you need to be ready for all kinds of p... Read more
Should Your Company Go Online-Only?
For many 2009 Inc. 500|5000 honorees, conducting business almost exclusively online is a win-win -- less overhead and bigger profits, while providing a 24/7 ... Read more
Amazon Buys Zappos for More Than $900 Million
Tony Hsieh, CEO of online shoe retailer Zappos, announced on Twitter that he had agreed to sell the privately-held company to Amazon. Read more
The Character of Your Web Content
The only way we stand a chance of having the content of our business character judged in the age of social media is by creating Web content that is full of c... Read more
Tech Talk: Online Meetings Serve Clients
A Connecticut based information technology company that serves community banks and credit unions found online meetings not only helped save travel costs but ... Read more
Using Twitter to Find Customers
Most businesses think of Twitter as a promotional tool, but it can also be used to find sales leads. Here's how to use Twitter to find potential customers an... Read more
A Start-up Takes on Wal-Mart
Recently-launched Alice.com is Brian Wiegand's fourth Internet start-up, but the first to take on the consumer-packaged goods industry. Read more
Getting the Most from Banking Online
Many small businesses are still using paper checks sent through the mail to settle their accounts. But online banking can save time and effort, and improve c... Read more
The Long Tail and the Black Swans
Technology has enabled sellers and marketers to serve a long tail of needs and wants. Companies like Amazon and Netflix have built successful businesses arou... Read more
Tech Talk: Florist Switches Payment Platform
An online fresh-flower seller found that sales increased dramatically after the company deployed a new software-as-a-service secure payment solution that int... Read more
10 Questions for Tony Hsieh
What's your favorite part of a typical day? Anytime I'm building something new. What's the least glamorous thing yo... Read more
The Zappos Way of Managing
How Tony Hsieh uses relentless innovation, stellar customer service, and a staff of believers to make Zappos.com an e-commerce juggernaut -- and one of the m... Read more
Online B2B Marketplaces: Should You Dive In?
Business-to-business marketplaces are proliferating on the Web. Here’s how to tell a site is right for you. Read more
Glue May Help Customers Navigate the Web
Businesses need to understand how to reach customers who are drawn to sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to join conversations that are of interest to... Read more
Tech Talk: Digital Assistant Logs in Remotely
A virtual assistant that provides typing and administrative services for law firms found that an online service enabled seamless and secure access to her off... Read more
Tech Talk: Online Game Site Develops Forum
An online video game trading website used new collaboration technology to allow customers to get to know and trust one another before trading games through a... Read more
Use Technology to Market Your Startup
Technology is available to help small businesses market their brand and wares on the cheap, from printing business cards on your computer to using an online ... Read more
5 Steps to Localized Online Marketing
Just because it’s called the “World Wide Web” doesn’t mean you can’t use it to reach a local audience. Here’s how. Read more
Beware the E-mail Blacklist
It’s surprisingly easy to get included in anti-spam blacklists that can keep your messages trapped in limbo. Here’s how to stay off these lists. Read more
Simplifying the Content Creating Process
By creating online content, businesses can drive business and turn strangers into customers. Finding time to create content is another issue. Here are some e... Read more
Tech Talk: Moving Online Helps Florist Grow
A florist in the Dallas-Fort Worth area found that closing branches and moving operations online with a new domain name strategy helped boost sales dramatica... Read more
Viral Video Helps Market Products
Want to make a big impression with a tiny ad budget? Try creating videos customers will forward to each other. Here are three case studies of small businesse... Read more
Improving Your Sense of Site
Your web analytics report is filled with clues on how to boost sales. Read more
How I Did It: Jack Ma, Alibaba.com 
What is the secret to success for China's hottest Internet tycoon, Jack Ma? Senior editor Rick Schine explains. Watch video
