NEW YORK U.S. retail e-commerce sales (excluding travel) will total nearly $132 billion in 2009, down about 0.4 percent from 2008. Assuming the recession ends this year, as many economists have predicted, eMarketer forecasts that online sales will begin to rebound in 2010 and hit full stride in 2011.

Web research has become a priority for value shoppers in today’s recession. Currently, 86 percent of Web users are shoppers who browse, research and compare products on the Internet, but they do not necessarily buy online. Often ignored, store sales influenced by online research are three times higher than e-commerce sales.

Many consumers opt to buy online for convenience, price and broad product selection. About 81 percent of Web shoppers are also online buyers. Web consumers who refrain from buying online often get hung up on security and privacy concerns or the inability to touch and feel products. Web retailers are adding new content and features to lower these hurdles.

The recession has hit the retail industry from all angles. U.S. retail e-commerce sales will shrink from $133.6 billion in 2008 to $133.1 billion in 2009. EMarketer estimates online sales will be relatively flat in 2009, with some signs of recovery beginning in 2010. As disappointing as sales were online, offline figures were even more lackluster in 2008. Sales shrank 0.6% for the year and each quarter showed less growth than in the e-commerce channel. Affluent online buyers were a major reason e-commerce sales fared better than retail industry sales. Affluent Internet users are more active than ever, on PCs and mobile devices, and their numbers continue to grow, even in a severe recession.

Integrated marketing is an approach that relies on consistency and systematic strategy.? It is important to establish consistent images, content, and tone as you create and deliver marketing messages and materials.? A brand can generate greater sustainability over time by doing this.? Establishing consistency between various media and points of distribution will really pay off in the long run.? Aside from a company’s web design and presence on the internet, there are also other media outlets to address.? Print, radio, and television campaigns are very effective for marketing.? However, the effectiveness of all these campaigns depends largely on the integration of each element.

A professional web design company can help in this regard.? You see, it is all about getting the lion’s share while dealing with fewer metrics on performance and lowering overall costs.? Most companies have limited budgets, and that means there is a need to focus on the expenditure of dollars and other resources.? When you create an integrated marketing campaign, the results multiply.? It is possible to set up an outreach strategy that benefits from past messages and builds on that momentum for new marketing messages.

Once of the most prominent examples of this concept is logo design.? Think about some of the most powerful and lasting logos out there.? McDonald’s and Pepsi come to mind as iconic logos that have stood the test of time.? Consistency and long term application is important for a brand logo.? Skillful design sets the foundation.? A web design firm can work to integrate logos for all forms of media.? Developing a sleek logo that can be used in various marketing settings is crucial.? The same is true for other design details.? Marketing materials must flow together across different types of media.? You get better results when you project the same tone and message in your web, print, radio, and TV campaigns.? This is how you build brand recognition and establish a positive image.

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A Gartner study released last week said in the 12 months ended September 2008, more than 5 million U.S. consumers — 40% more than in the same period a year ago — lost money to phishing attacks. These well-publicized e-mail scams have made consumers wary of opening commercial e-mails. And perhaps no one feels the pain more than financial services companies, a prime target of scammers.

The OTA study said the overwhelming majority of Fortune 500 brands, including huge marketers such as AT&T, Procter & Gamble, Sears and MetLife, have not taken the two key steps to reinforcing online security: implementing website-security certificates and authenticate e-mails sent from their corporate domains.

What does that mean? E-mail authentication means a marketer provides information — digital signatures, IP addresses or domain names from which legitimate e-mails will come — to the ISPs, such as Earthlink or Comcast, or e-mail vendors, such as Yahoo or AOL, that helps them determine that this is truly from the company it claims be from. For example, XYZ company can declare to the ISP that it only sends e-mails from the domain www.bigbookseller.com. Thus, if the ISP sees e-mails purporting to come from XYZ but that are sent from any other domain, it should block them.

OTA Chairman Craig Spiezle said third-party e-mail marketers are adopting authentication at a rate of 85%, but brands themselves are not protecting their corporate domain names. That means third-party vendors sending e-mails on their client’s behalf often authenticate the domain they have set up to control the campaign. For example, an e-mail marketer sending promotional e-mails on behalf of XYZ might use the authenticated e.bigbookseller.com domain, but bigbookseller.com itself is not authenticated. Thus, it becomes easy for someone to forge e-mail that appears to be coming from bigbookseller.com.

In an aggressive social-media program that goes far beyond what Ford has done in the past — and reaches beyond just the marketing department — the automaker is counting on 100 bloggers to introduce its new Fiesta, which is set to reach U.S. dealers in early 2010. The idea behind Fiesta Movement is to get the model’s target audience to drive and, hopefully, chatter about the car for months to come.

The Fiesta is Ford’s global subcompact vehicle and was designed in Europe, where it’s been on sale since August 2008. The diminutive hatchback (a sedan will be launched here) seeks to provide stylish transportation in a small package with low acquisition cost, high fuel efficiency and cues that appeal to young consumers.

Ford is loaning 100 German-built Fiestas to social-media trendsetters for six months. The 100 “Fiesta agents,” chosen from 4,000 who applied online, will share their experiences behind the wheel, completing monthly, themed missions from travel to social activism; posting videos; and updating their friends and followers on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere. The participants begin training with their Fiestas in late April, and they will begin receiving the cars in the first week of May.

Poor creative design is one of the main pitfalls for web design. You need a solid foundation on which to build. Without this, you will struggle with the implementation of many prominent features. Poor navigation is often a result. Few things are as frustrating to a user as a confusing navigation setup. If there is no usability, then visitors will leave the site immediately. Another common mistake is when designers forget to make a site cross browser compatible. If a website only works for one type of browser, then you are cutting yourself off from tons of other potential visitors who cannot open your site with their browsers. It is a rookie mistake, so keep an eye out for it.

Poorly written content is also a big mistake. Internet browsers are generally intelligent, and they want to read good content. Garbage writing is an insult to their intelligence. People won’t return to your website if they find poor content. A professional web design firm can provide consultation so that this does not happen. They can also help to correct unfocused marketing messages. Speaking of marketing, it is important to make your site search engine friendly. Many amateurs forget to do this, and that is a major mistake that will affect the levels of traffic to your site.

Another web design mistake is using the wrong technology. Sometimes people will use Flash when HTML should be used. Remember to use an enterprise class data center. A slow hosting environment is never good for business. Finally, look for a firm that performs a post launch evaluation. If you spend a lot of time developing a site, a post launch evaluation should definitely be carried out to make sure everything works how it should.

Can Microsoft market its way out of the search basement? Probably not, but it’s going to try, entrusting roster agency JWT to craft a campaign for its new search engine, alternately dubbed Kumo or Project Kiev or Live Search, depending on who’s talking about it.

Several screenshots of the interface have been circulating in the blogosphere, and an internal memo about the changes from Microsoft search chief Satya Nadella was posted by AllThingsD. The service is being tested and is expected to make its debut in the summer.

Industry executives expect JWT, part of WPP, to unveil an estimated $80 million to $100 million push for the new search engine in June, with online, TV, print and radio executions. Microsoft spent $361 million on U.S. measured media in 2008, the bulk of it devoted to brand advertising and smaller chunks to other Microsoft brands such as Xbox and MSN, according to TNS Media Intelligence data.

Regardless, the marketing will be an uphill battle. Microsoft’s search engine has languished in third place and has seen its share of the category drop in the past year. Its declined almost 15% from February 2008 to February 2009, when it captured 8.2% of all consumer searches. During the same period, Google grew its share 7% to 63.3%, and Yahoo was up 5% to 20.6% share, according to ComScore.

The losses in share occurred despite Microsoft’s trying some interesting tactics intended to goose usage. Last year, for example, it launched Live Search CashBack, which essentially offered consumers cash discounts when they bought products they had searched for using Live Search.

Internet advertising revenues in the U.S. remain strong, topping $23 billion, according to the 2008 Internet Advertising Revenue Report, released today by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC). Despite a difficult U.S. economy, interactive advertising?s continued growth, albeit at a slower pace, confirms marketers’ increased recognition of the medium?s value in reaching consumers online where they are spending more and more of their time.

Search remains the main driver of revenue growth according to the report, showing a 19.8% increase over 2007. Digital video, though still a small overall contributor, more than doubled its revenue with an increase to $734 million from $324 million in 2007, demonstrating how both marketers and consumers are embracing this dynamic platform.

As in 2007, retail, financial services, computing and automotive remained the four largest verticals among Internet advertisers in 2008. Consumer packaged goods, an industry vertical historically slow to embrace interactive advertising, notably increased its share of total Internet ad revenues by 60 percent over 2007. The Internet is now the third largest ad-supported medium, marking its increasing significance to marketers and consumers.

Conducted by the New Media Group of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Internet Advertising Revenue Report was launched in 1996 by the IAB, and aggregates data from all companies that report meaningful online advertising revenues. The results are considered the most accurate measurement of interactive advertising revenues with the data compiled directly from information supplied by companies selling advertising on the Internet. The survey includes data concerning online advertising revenues from Web sites, commercial online services, ad networks, free e-mail providers, and all other companies selling online advertising. First and third quarter revenue reports are estimates, with the actual figures being released along with second and fourth quarter data respectively. PwC does not audit the information and provides no opinion or other form of assurance with respect to the information.

Great news for any firm in the web design industry. Even better news for full service interactive marketing firms like DoubleDome.

The internet is a competitive place, and a professional Web Design firm can really make a big difference in the impact and tone of your site.? Users will often leave a website within a few short seconds if the layout is sloppy and the interface is not easy to navigate.

Once you have the basics down, it is also a good idea to invest in professional Flash design.? Finding a Flash design company that understands your business goals is the first step.? Professional Flash designers can reshape your website with bold Flash elements.? It is all about building a dynamic web-page with an interactive display.? Flash animation helps make your site unique and keep users interested in whatever it is that you are promoting.

Engaging the visitors that come to your site is important, and there are some other areas many areas where it pays to hire professional Web Designers.? E-commerce development is a great way to work on comprehensive e-business solutions.? So much commerce is done online now, and it is definitely a good idea to find a reputable company to start and keep you on the right track.? Customers want a relaxed shopping experience online, and there are many advanced features that can put your site above the rest.? Nothing drives sales like a custom E-commerce business package.

As a web designer, I know all about the added value that dedicated website support can bring.? You want fresh content, sleek design, bold Flash elements, and customized e-business features.? If you look at the most successful websites on the net, they all have these features in common.? The job of a professional Web Design Company is to take your website to the next level.? You can do exactly that, so do your homework and seriously evaluate the key services available to you.

Not so long ago, a report on Hispanic Americans’ Internet usage would likely have been focusing on a “digital divide,” with Hispanic and other minorities lagging far behind the general population in online access and activity. The title of a Scarborough Research report released today, “The Power of the Hispanic Consumer Online,” gives a quick hint at how times have changed. The report finds Hispanic Internet users to be “avid downloaders of digital content,” thanks in part to a broadband adoption rate mirroring that of the nation’s overall online population.

Scarborough says 54 percent of Hispanic adults are online, vs. 69 percent of total U.S. adults. (If anything, the gap is likely to be narrower now, as the national data for the report were gathered between February 2007 and March 2008.) Among Hispanics who are online, 68 percent have a broadband connection in their household, as do 71 percent of U.S. Internet users in general.

In Scarborough’s polling, 42 percent of Hispanic Internet users (vs. 35 percent of Internet users in general) reported downloading some sort of digital content in the 30 days before being questioned. And what have they been downloading? As with the total online population, Hispanic Internet users are most likely to be latching onto music. Thirty-two percent of wired Hispanics reported having done so in the previous 30 days, vs. 24 percent of Internet users in general. Seventeen percent of online Hispanics (and 14 percent of all wired respondents) reported downloading something in the catchall “other video” category within that period.

Fewer Hispanic respondents said they’d downloaded audio clips (11 percent), movies (9 percent), TV programs (8 percent), video games (6 percent) or podcasts (3 percent) within that 30-day period. Aside from podcasts, the incidence of downloading in each category was slightly lower among Internet users in general than it was for the study’s Hispanic respondents. Scarborough (a joint venture between Arbitron and AdweekMedia parent The Nielsen Co.) notes that younger Hispanic adults were, as you’d expect, more likely than their elders to have downloaded digital content in the previous 30 days, with 51 percent of the 18-34-year-olds saying they’d done so.

Another section of the report notes that mobile devices are “an important point of Internet entry” for Hispanic adults. Among Hispanic cell-phone subscribers, 55 percent use it for text messaging, 28 percent for picture messaging, 22 percent for instant messaging, 15 percent for downloading video games, 15 percent for e-mail and 11 percent for “other” Internet usage. Here again, the polling finds Hispanic respondents more likely than cell-phone users in general to use the device in these ways.

When it comes to buying online, Scarborough found Hispanic Internet users lagging behind the total online population — but not by much. Sixty-two percent of online Hispanic adults reported having made at least one online purchase in the previous 12 months, vs. 70 percent of Internet users in general. Among those who did make such purchases, the average spent in the previous 12 months was $762 for Hispanic respondents and $861 for Internet users generally.

The report also took a look at some metro areas that have disproportionate numbers of Hispanic adults. Among the findings about these markets: The incidence of broadband access among online Hispanics was particularly high in Miami (76 percent), San Francisco (75 percent) and New York (72 percent). The incidence of past-30-day downloading among Hispanic Internet users was highest in Phoenix (60 percent). The average amount of online spending, among Hispanics who’d made any online purchase in the prior 12 months, was highest in New York (at $883), San Francisco ($879) and Phoenix ($831).

As with most things in life, you get what you pay for.? Amateur websites will achieve amateur level results.? Why is this?? Well, the answer is fairly simple.? The amount of repeat traffic and consistent clientele that you generate online depends on the quality of your web design.? A generic web-page with poor navigation features and ugly graphics will turn most internet visitors off immediately.? Studies have shown that you only have about ten to fifteen seconds to make an initial impact on a person browsing the internet.? That is not much time to make a good impression.? If a user is not impressed, they will immediately close the window and move on in search of better sites.

This is the last thing you want.? The purpose of investing in a professional web design firm is to get a site that draws users in rather than scaring them away.? Most people close a window the second they see poor web design.? A sloppy website often projects the negative stigma of a virus hub or a scam.? Users are wary of these things, so you have to be ready.? Your business depends on generating repeat visits to your site.? Your web-page is the face of your company.? A sleek design with great navigation features gives internet browsers more confidence in your company and the services it provides.? Confidence translates to more purchases, more referrals, and a positive company image.

On the other hand, poor web design brings a number of negatives.? Unprofessional websites keep you off the vendor short list, and that is never a good thing.? Confusing content and flash features will greatly decrease the amount of repeat traffic.? Sales are driven by return traffic and positive image, so it is important to invest in the design of your site.? It will definitely pay off in the long run.

The importance of professional web design should not be underestimated.? You may be doing alright with amateur design, but think how much better you could be doing with the resources of a design firm behind you.? Imagine doubling or tripling the traffic to your site while garnering more sales or referrals.? That is the kind of boost that can set your company apart from the competition.? Believe it or not, the initial impact of web design is the single most important factor in determining whether your site will be successful or not.? If your site is ugly or confusing, then visitors will leave immediately.

Studies have shown that most people browsing the internet will form an opinion of a new website within the first few seconds after the open the window in their browser.? That means that they are making a snap judgment about your site and your company.? It is key to put your best foot forward.? Sloppy web design will turn people off, and you will have significantly less traffic then you would if you had a sleek design with impressive graphics and unique features.

A professional web design firm can help you every step of the way.? Flash design and E-commerce solutions are exactly what you need to separate your site from the pack.? You can dramatically alter the image of your site with these bold features.? Combining flash design with sound business directives can go a very long way in terms of generating traffic and sales.? Amateur design and freelance web elements will not cut it.? There are tons of other sloppy sites out there, and users are not likely to appreciate whatever it is that your company has to offer if you do not take the time to present it in a professional fashion.? Image is everything, so make sure you are projecting a professional tone on your site.