Online retail is back on the rise!

According to a recent eMarketer article, the prediction is that this year (2010) ecommerce “will climb to more than $152 billion, up 12.7% year over year”. In addition, according to the US Census Bureau online sales grew by 14.6% in Q4 2009 (over the previous year’s sales), which means a positive trend is finally under way.

These gains, of course are reflective of the overall state of the economy, which is starting to pick up, as well as peoples’ desire to start purchasing again.

Online product research gaining in popularity as well

The number of people doing their product research online, of course is even greater. In fact, in the US, a whopping 162 million people are expected to do their pre-purchase research online this year, with over 82% of them ultimately making an online purchase.

That means, that in order to maximize your sales, you need to be everywhere they’re searching – and we can help with that.

Besides creating, hosting, and streaming product videos, Treepodia also has a service that uploads your videos to any and all of the major video portals (think YouTube, Google Videos, etc.).

Bottom-line

increasing your visibility online will ultimately increase your sales. This type of coverage will help not only in terms of SEO, but also in terms of reaching your clients wherever they are going to do their research, leading them back to your store to complete their purchase.

Contact us now for further details.

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobilestreetlife/4278659537

What does the future hold in store? Video!

Human beings have rarely proven particularly apt at predicting the future – or at least certain kinds of futures.

In the days of vinyl it was hard to imagine one would ever purchase music in another format, but then came the eight-track, the cassette, the CD and the music download. It is unlikely to end there, but what other possible manner is there to access our favorite tunes?

Predictions of a certain nature, based on patterns combining past and present behaviors, are somewhat attainable.

We may see a small child who says she is going to grow up to be a doctor actually become a doctor, in so much as she expresses the desire to become a doctor, shows an interest and aptitude in anatomy and the sciences, chooses a study course to this effect, enrolls in medical school, and completes her residency. A prediction in this sense is a sequential pattern of behavior leading to a predictable outcome.

Trend spotting - predictions that make sense

Describing a pattern and assuming it will maintain course, therefore, is the most common form of prediction, and that is pretty much all we can do. See what’s been done, what’s worked in the past, and how it can continue to maintain its relevance. A bit of a buzz kill on the concept of predictions, but in no way an invalidation. People study trends for a reason, and past/present behaviors are generally an excellent indication of what’s ahead.

That being said, it’s always exciting to read that what you’re doing is the predicted activity of the future. And what we’re doing here at Treepodia is!

eMarketer’s prediction round up for 2010 led by video

Number one on the eMarketer “2010 Predictions Round-Up” of key areas of ecommerce was none other than video.

As CEO Geoff Ramsey said:

“More marketers will increasingly embrace online video advertising, supported by the twin boom of video streams and video ad networks. Further support for video ad growth will come from sites that offer a deeper catalog of professional, premium video content, which will need to introduce hybrid plans that combine subscription fees with advertising.”

Our advice? If you haven’t already done so, get with the program, get with the times, and make sure to add video to your online store in 2010.

Image credit: Frogman

Yes, I know, it’s a pretty crass attempt at grabbing your attention, but if you’re reading this… hey, it worked. AND, I do have a point.

According to a recent article in eMarketer, people are “Going Social Anywhere and Everywhere”.

“…60% of Twitter users reported using only their computer to access the service, microbloggers are highly mobile, accessing social media from the washroom, the car, the theater and even during a religious service…”

They’re not just shamelessly updating their Facebook statuses, revealing more about themselves than you never wanted to know. They are doing it, literally, in the most uncanny of places.

The graphs included in the eMarketer article tells us where American social media users are accessing their accounts:

Where US Social Media Users Have Accessed Their Accounts

And in what situations:

Situations Where US Social Media Users Have Accessed Their Accounts

So what do we learn from these graphs?

Well, the high percentage of people accessing social media during work hours, particularly for those under 35, is obvious enough. What’s slightly less expected is the relatively large number of people doing the same from the washroom or toilet (second only to work).

Truly disturbing is the fact that a vast percentage of people are checking up on their social circle while driving (eyes on the road people!), and right after sex (is romance THAT dead?).

Priorities people!

Which leaves only one question, really, where are your priorities?
We’re definitely all for staying up-to-date with the social media scene, but really…

I guess the moral of the story is that people really like their social media, and there’s just never a time too personal nor too sacred, when they aren’t at least tempted to give it a peek…

Oh, and if you’re not already doing so, you should definitely start following us on Twitter @treepodia.