In the ecommerce industry it is not uncommon for retailers to demand a site that looks and functions like Topshop or Net-a-porter or ASOS. And while we want to mimic these ecommerce giants for good reason, it is also important to analyse the local market...

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As the third most popular social media site in the US, and boasting over 10.4 million users, it is no surprise that Pinterest has recently opened itself up to the wider public, as opposed to its previous “request an invite” sign up method. Despite its...

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The prolificacy of iPads and tablets as a household item is creating significant opportunities for multi-channel retailers and their online offerings. The iPad alone accounts for 68% of mobile shoppers accessing retail websites, and 90% of all mobile revenue. These iPad shoppers appear to be...

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Marketplace integration, also known as aggregators, affiliate or third party sites, is becoming an increasingly important tool for driving traffic and sales for ecommerce websites. Marketplace integration typically comprises of feeding your products into other webstores, or ecommerce portal sites in order to pick up...

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Solutionists Advanced Webstore ecommerce platform is now optimised to offer marketplace integration for Australasian online fashion retailers, delivering higher exposure, traffic, and sales for their clients. The fashion specific platform, which already had built in POS integration for many retail management systems such as dolFIN,...

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Australian fashion label GASP, boutique stockist of international clothing labels Sherri Hill and Jovani, has launched a brand new online retail offering with Australasian ecommerce specialists, Solutionists. www.gaspjeans.com.au boasts full integration with their Point of Sale system, Counter Intelligence, delivering real time stock levels and...

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With so many out of the box ecommerce platforms on the market it is easy to blow your investment on something that doesn’t, and never will deliver your online retail needs in a cost effective solution. As a fashion retailer in particular it is important your webstore has...

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It’s no longer about having A mobile presence for retailers, it’s about having the RIGHT mobile presence. Today, more than 60% of 25-34 year-olds own a smartphone, and if retailers aren’t leveraging their online retail strategy to target these users, they’re in trouble. The argument...

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As a retailer it can be extremely difficult to determine which online trends are worth investing in and which are merely over hyped trends in the tech world. With 51% of consumers more likely to purchase from retailers with a mobile specific website, you have...

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Credit Card Frauds, even though rare, do occur.  There are a few measures you can take to protect your business from the consequences.  Watch for red flags, especially in first-time orders....

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Fashion footwear retailer Overland Footwear has launched their first mobile website to support customers growing use of their website and email campaigns via mobile devices. Their mobile website was built by leading Australasian ecommerce provider Solutionists, who recently exhibited at the Online Retailer Conference and...

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Zambesi has recently launched www.zambesistore.com – an ecommerce website which is fully integrated with their point of sale system Retail Pro. Their integrated webstore was delivered by Solutionists of Australasia’s leading ecommerce and integration specialists.

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New Zealand menswear retailer Barkers (www.barkersonline.co.nz), has been named as the only New Zealand finalist in the Online Retail Industry Awards, commonly known as the ORIAs. The Barkers website will be up against five Australian companies, including Dick Smith, in the Best Multichannel Retailer category

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Barkers Menswear (www.barkersonline.co.nz) has been named as the only New Zealand finalist in the Online Retail Industry Awards, commonly known as the ORIAs. Barkers has worked with ecommerce specialists Solutionists (www.solutionists.com.au) since 2007 to deliver and enhance their website, which will be up against five...

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By James Gilbert With an industry as fast paced as online retail it is critical to benchmark, monitor and analyse the performance of your webstore in order to make improvements. Fortunately, Google Analytics delivers a free, powerful, and relatively easy to use system that allows you...

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Everyone knows how important Facebook is – it is being drilled into business owners and managers over and over again everywhere you look. Facebook is unique in that is the one place where you can build a legitimate relationship with customers who are actively seeking out information from you...

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Logistics often get in the way of running a tight ship when it comes to online business. With physical stores in the forefront of most retail owner’s minds, it can often seem too hard to put a lot of resource into setting up an efficient dispatch process for...

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Virtual dressing rooms help recreate the experience of being in a shop, holding up a garment to your body, and asking friends or shop assistants what they think of a garment. They also give customers valuable information about a garments shape, how it’s meant to fit and how it...

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Australasian ecommerce specialists, Solutionists, have released a new mobile commerce interface which will improve retailers’ communications with their customers, and drive sales online and in store.  The mobile commerce interface automatically recognises a customer’s smart phone device and displays an optimised version of the retailers’ webstore accordingly.

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Retailers are losing large amounts of online sales by refusing to include customer reviews as a feature of their websites. A recent survey shows that 65% of online shoppers indicate they are more likely to purchase from a website if it has product ratings and reviews (BazaarVoice). With 84%...

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Now that smartphones can deliver content and functionality at a standard usually reserved for computers, customers are more frequently turning to them as a shopping channel. It is important that your website is optimised for smartphones and iPads as they provide you with another touch point for engaging with shoppers...

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It’s no secret that online shopping is becoming more and more prevalent both here and overseas, with 45% of New Zealanders now shopping online, and online fashion sales  taking a solid 26.8% of the pie. With online shopping on the rise worldwide, and an array of overseas competitors becoming readily...

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A recent survey distributed to 5000+ New Zealand retailers revealed that 32.7% of the respondents were planning to carry out their online developments for the next 12 months in-house. There are only two instances where this is a good idea, and the majority of these...

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We often find ourselves in a situation where our clients think they need a whole new website, when in fact all they are really asking for is a re-skin. Read more...

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Auckland based ecommerce specialists, Solutionists, have paired up with the New Zealand Retailers Association to survey 5000+ New Zealand retailers. The survey provides insight into the online intentions of retailers for the next year, and revealed that almost half of New Zealand retailers are already selling online, with 40%...

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Working alongside over 60 clients with active webstores has enabled Solutionists to identify the characteristics required for a successful ecommerce manager.

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The growth of online retailing suggests a need for growth of online marketing. Fashion retailers are increasingly searching for advertising methods that speak to their customers, rather than at them, and the conversational delivery of fashion blogs makes them an ideal outlet for your brand...

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While New Zealand fashion labels have been doing increasingly well in the international market as of late, our websites are unfortunately not following suit...

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So you’ve made your investment and jumped on the e-retail bandwagon. Unfortunately, while you may currently be enjoying increased sales and decreased overheads you still need to maintain your webstore as much as you would a physical store.

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The proliferation of smart phones and people using their cellphones to venture online has created the need for smarter marketing and smarter retail platforms.

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The natural step to take once you have invested in your webstore is to take your Business-To-Business (B2B) processes online as well, making it easier for your suppliers/retailers to purchase your stock. Luckily for you, you can easily leverage your existing ecommerce investment to support...

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The gap between physical stores and online stores is getting closer and closer as online product merchandising becomes more and more advanced...

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A multichannel retailer is a company that sells through more than one type of distribution channel. For a long time retailers happily stuck with one channel - bricks and mortar stores. Now there is the online store, an essential distribution channel for any retailer wanting...

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What kind of online marketing strategy is best for your business, and how do you go about executing it?

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Copy and paste the following into your strategy docs for next year, and you’ll be the office hero.

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Solutionists - one of New Zealand’s leading e-commerce agencies - provides suggestions on how to optimise online purchasing opportunities for the Christmas retail season.

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4 requirements that will get your online retail store making you money.

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Think about it this way - if you put a whole bunch of boxes in a warehouse with a till at the front, is that a proper retail experience? Not really. You've got an outlet store.

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Education. Engagement. Experience. These are all elements crucial to Verge’s jump into the online space; a leap that started with a design vision and ended with a future-proofed online presence.

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We all shop. Some more than others ... you know who you are!   And, if you are like me, I often like a second, or even third opinion before I hand over the credit card ...

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You can't just create an ecommerce site and expect it to succeed all by itself. And in this recession, it's even more important to create your own growth! Here are five ways to do it ...

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When you go to a shop you talk to the sales person who is serving you, right? You probably have a chat about a few other things like sport, the weather etc, and possibly some other friendly banter. It's all part of the sales process,...

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Waiting for better times to get your business online?  Give it a go, Bro. 5 good reasons why you should get your business online now.

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Imagine you want to sell a product, service or training online. What's the first thing you think of when you're getting ready to promote the product? Why it's the sales page, right?

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Despite the sour economy, 29% of NZ businesses plan to either upgrade their current e-commerce website or buy a new one in 2009...

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Have you wondered whether it would be worth setting up a presence on Facebook to help sell product?A lot of online retailers have different videos on Facebook and YouTube, including commercials, warehouse scenes and company parties.

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Good online customer service can give e-retailers an edge in the market, but it must coincide with things like a transparent returns policy and a user-friendly website.

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81% of shoppers are more likely to buy online if it is easy to make returns, a recent study says. 

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Here's an interesting post I read from www.internetretailer.com that talks about how important e-mail marketing is for e-retailers. The statistics are that retailers and wholesalers are expected to send 158 billion e-mail marketing messages in 2008 and 258 billion by 2013, so read on to...

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I recently attended the Internet Retailers conference in Chicago.  There I discovered no end of interesting insights into what is happening in this incredibly dynamic area.  One issue that I know is of concern to retailers in New Zealand is the question of whether setting up an online store would...

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I’ve been working in the ecommerce / web area for almost 8 years now, and if there is one thing I’ve learned it’s that a checkout and shopping cart don’t make a store.

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Content is King. That’s right. Plain old content is king. It’s what sells your product or service. It’s what makes people want to email or call you for more information. Here are some good suggestions about how to improve your web content.

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