Establishing a strong web presence through a successful online business can be a really profitable venture. The following techniques will help you get your business noticed online and stand out from your competitors.

Choose an accurate domain name
Many businesses fail to establish a strong online presence because their owners choose irrelevant domain names. The domain name of your online business should contain your key product. For instance, if you sell glasses, you should include the keyword “glasses” in your domain name. Unless you have an already established and reputable online business, customers will find you by typing in the search engine the keyword of the product they are looking for. So, make sure to select an accurate domain name in order to target the right audience and convey the right marketing message.

Optimize your website
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a crucial success factor for your online business. By optimizing your website, your online business earns a higher ranking in the search engine results pages (SERPS). Effective optimization means that when a user enters a keyword in a search engine like Google or Yahoo, your website will appear in the first pages of results. For example, if you sell women’s clothes, use keywords such as “women’s apparel”, “women’s fashion” and so on. Generic keywords like “jeans”, “underwear”, “skirts” etc. won’t bring traffic to your online business. By making your website “search-engine friendly” you can attract prospects and turn them into regular customers. In fact, Google uses “spiders”, a software that crawls the web frequently and finds sites to index. Read more »

Online sales are booming across the UK, and everything suggests that this trend is here to stay. The United Kingdom tops the list of European countries in terms of online sales, as during 2014 alone online transactions generated revenues for the value of nearly £45 billion. In only six years, the volume of online sales in the UK has tripled, especially since more and more consumers are using their mobile devices (like tablets and smartphones) to make purchases online.

Online retail sales (also known as e-tailing) offer consumers the convenience of purchasing their favourite goods from the comfort of their homes. This new way of conducting commercial transactions also benefits business owners, who can now easily reach a wider consumer base and multiply their income exponentially. Whether you are a consumer who shops online or the owner of an online business, it is important that you are aware of the new consumer regulations that apply to online commercial transactions since June 2014. Read through our summary below to familiarise yourself with your rights and responsibilities.

What type of transactions are included?
The new consumer regulations apply to online transactions used to purchase both goods and services. This includes the purchase of digital content (music, movies, software, etc.) but excludes things like the purchase of foodstuffs, gambling transactions, and transactions that involve residential accommodation.

What information are retailers obliged to provide?
Retailers must make the customer aware of the following information before any contract is signed and before orders are placed: the characteristics of the goods on offer; the final price including any relevant taxes; clear delivery information; the seller’s name and contact details; and the duration of the contract where applicable.

How do the changes affect the ‘cooling off’ period?
Previously, consumers had a seven-day ‘cooling off’ period that allowed them to cancel a contract or purchase without needing to have any specific reason. Under the new consumer regulations, this period has been extended to 14 days. The 14-day period also applies to other parts of the transaction, such as returns and refunds, which must be processed within 14 days of receiving the returned goods.

What about delivery terms?
Under the amended consumer regulations, online retailers must deliver goods or services without delay and within a maximum of 30 calendar days from the date in which the order was placed.

The following infographic, courtesy of Waterfront Solicitors, provides a detailed visual overview of the regulatory changes that every e-tailer in the UK should be aware of.

Being an online retailer is not always easy, but it can be a lucrative way to make a living if you follow the right advice. With an online retail store, you literally have the entire world as your prospective customer base. The steps you take to create the ideal store and cultivate that customer base will determine what level of success you will enjoy.

According to the data revealed by multiple studies, the switch to mobile e-commerce is already a well-defined global trend. For example, an April 2013 survey carried out by eMarketer showed that in the United States, online shopping using mobile devices is quickly taking over the US online retail industry. According to this survey, approximately 15 per cent of all online transactions are performed using a mobile device (mainly tablet PCs). This means that mobile-based e-commerce generates more than $39 million a year, a figure that is 50 per cent higher than in 2012.

Europe is not lagging behind, as the EU has been considered the world’s largest e-commerce market for several years. In 2013, more than €363 billion were generated via online shopping in the Eurozone, and in fact, the online retail industry accounts for 2.2 per cent of the EU’s gross domestic product.

E-commerce is also booming in the Asia-Pacific region, mainly as a result of the huge growth levels of populous countries like China or India. Online retail in this part of the world is actually growing faster than in Europe, and in 2013 total sales in Asia amounted to more than €406 billion. Asian e-shoppers are also developing a strong preference for mobile devices, particularly in China, where nearly 70 per cent of shoppers use their smartphones to shop online.

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According to the data revealed by multiple studies, the switch to mobile e-commerce is already a well-defined global trend. For example, an April 2013 survey carried out by eMarketer showed that in the United States, online shopping using mobile devices is quickly taking over the US online retail industry. According to this survey, approximately 15 per cent of all online transactions are performed using a mobile device (mainly tablet PCs). This means that mobile-based e-commerce generates more than $39 million a year, a figure that is 50 per cent higher than in 2012.

Europe is not lagging behind, as the EU has been considered the world’s largest e-commerce market for several years. In 2013, more than €363 billion were generated via online shopping in the Eurozone, and in fact, the online retail industry accounts for 2.2 per cent of the EU’s gross domestic product.

E-commerce is also booming in the Asia-Pacific region, mainly as a result of the huge growth levels of populous countries like China or India. Online retail in this part of the world is actually growing faster than in Europe, and in 2013 total sales in Asia amounted to more than €406 billion. Asian e-shoppers are also developing a strong preference for mobile devices, particularly in China, where nearly 70 per cent of shoppers use their smartphones to shop online.

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There is no doubt that the Internet has revolutionised the global economy. Internet-based technologies have clearly contributed to the expansion of globalisation and have opened a wide range of previously inexistent opportunities for both business owners and consumers. In barely two decades, the global economy has been profoundly transformed by new and powerful technologies, and this has had an impact on a large number of industry sub-sectors. Internet-based industries are certainly alive and kicking in the United Kingdom, and the opportunities for development are far from exhausted. This post will look at the top Internet-based industries in the UK and their most recent performance.

E-commerce

E-commerce and Internet technologies go hand in hand. This sector has grown enormously over the past few years, and there are now dozens of online retailers that are clearly successful and generate millions of pounds in revenues every year. According to an article published by The Guardian, the British Internet industry contributes more than £100 billion to the country’s economy (accounting for nearly 9 per cent of the UK’s total GDP), and the sales figures keep rising. In fact, when per capita expenditure is taken into consideration, the UK’s e-commerce industry is the world’s largest. British consumers spend up to 5 times more shopping online than in store, and in 2013 the average UK shopper spent over £1,200 in online purchases.

E-commerce has survived the crash of the dot-com bubble and has particularly benefited from the development of mobile technologies. A recent Interactive Media in Retail Group / Capgemini report has shown that m-retail sales figures increased by a staggering 138 per cent in 2012, generating revenues that were in excess of £3 billion. The past year has seen such a large increase in m-commerce sales figures that online retailer John Lewis has gone as far as coining the expression “mobile Christmas”.

The booming sales do not only correspond to businesses that are exclusively run online, since traditional retailers have also jumped on the e-commerce wagon and are now seeing obvious benefits. Click and collect schemes have been incredibly successful, partly because they combine the best of both worlds. It can be said that UK consumers have the world at their fingertips thanks to e-commerce.

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The Internet has opened up expansive opportunities for businesses in the U.S. By developing a website or taking advantage of social media, a business can quickly soar to success. Certain Internet industries hold great promise in the U.S., and a few examples include the development of consulting firms, freelance writing agencies, tutoring firms, legal services and more. Here is an in-depth look at the top web-based industries in the U.S.

Consulting Firms

Online consulting is an industry that has taken the U.S. by storm in recent years. Individuals in virtually any field can become consultants by starting a website. One can take all of his or her knowledge gained from a particular industry to start his or her own consulting business. There are numerous free blog and website makers available on the Internet to help an individual start a consulting firm with little capital.

Green Energy Companies

The Internet now provides small businesses with an opportunity to provide additional services that may have not been otherwise offered. The local plumbing or appliance repair company may decide to provide energy consulting appointments to homeowners. The Internet provides these companies with a powerful platform to advertise additional services. Homeowners can now set up online appointments for energy consulting services. With energy consulting services, homeowners are able to decrease their monthly utility costs.

Freelance Writing, Editing and Publishing Firms

Another top Internet industry consists of the many freelance writing, editing and publishing companies that operate solely online. Through these types of services, businesses are able to order content on demand. Individuals can receive professional assessments of a novel, white paper or other publication that they have produced. Also, individuals from all backgrounds can become freelance writers and editors. An individual does not need to have a full-time career at a major magazine or a B.A. in English in order to become a freelance writer. Those who want to try their hand at writing or simply enjoy the activity can take advantage of the opportunities to create content through online firms. Online firms can also bank on the decreased costs of hiring freelance writers on an independent contractual basis.

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Before you begin selling products online, it is important that you are aware of the plethora of rules and regulations impacting e-commerce in the U.S. Laws currently govern e-commerce issues like the protection of consumers’ privacy, online advertising and marketing, copyright, contract requirements, terms and conditions and the collection of sales tax online. Violating one of the many e-commerce rules could subject your business to civil penalties or even criminal sanctions. Here is a brief overview of the e-commerce laws that you need to know in the U.S.

Consumer Privacy

Because businesses often handle sensitive consumer information to facilitate a transaction, such as credit card or social security numbers, it is vital that businesses have strong protections in place for this information. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is responsible for the enforcement of privacy matters. Businesses have a responsibility to take steps to protect this data. These steps may entail investing in software that encrypts and stores consumer data. All e-commerce business owners should ensure that a privacy policy is posted in a public area on the e-commerce website. The privacy policy should provide consumers with an overview of how their data is collected, used and viewed.

E-commerce business owners should be familiar with PCI compliance and its role in storing and processing credit card data. The Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS) is an important standard that sets the measures that must be taken to ensure consumer financial data security.

Collection of Taxes

Online businesses are subject to tax laws. If a business maintains a physical presence in a state, then it must collect state and local sales tax from customers. Businesses that do not maintain a physical presence in a state will not have to impose a state or local sales tax on individuals. Certain states do not have a sales tax, so e-commerce business owner may want consider operating out of these states. States without a sales tax are Hawaii, Delaware, Alaska, New Hampshire, Oregon and Montana. Also, some states provide tax exemptions for certain types of items. Business owners may want to familiarize themselves with tax exemptions to see whether any apply to the products that they sell. Read more »