And taking the pulse of the younger generation of buyers has inspired Inspire – an Amazon quasi-social media app designed to mimic the popular TikTok. Not surprisingly, it’s an early hit.
Amazon Inspire began a rollout phase in early 2023, offering a downloadable app that in fact resembles the TikTok platform. TikTok is a video-centered app popular across a range of demographics, though it is mostly used by those under 40. That’s where the dollars are, say experts in ecommerce. And that’s where the Amazon future is headed.

This intriguing and nuanced app offers so much more than just a small photo on their main website. Amazon shoppers can log in to Inspire directly through their phone-based Amazon app by launching a light bulb icon. It promises personalized content (made possible by a collection of prior shopping choices and probably a bit of data collection from social media use).

Users may choose from more than 20 areas of interest such as gaming, beauty products, clothing, pet care, recreational pursuits, and beyond. Browsing the returns that pop up after you’ve chosen a sector, shoppers scroll through buttons to further customize a collection they may find interesting. The experience is similar to TikTok feeds, with engagement buttons and swiping actions that lead to promoted or favored items.

This customization feature is perhaps the key selling point of both selling and buying on Inspire. It doesn’t require typing text into a search window. Product categories appear in launchable buttons, and they are diverse. Amazon hopes they will lead you to what you’re shopping for.

What Amazon has not disclosed is how the app generates recommendations, except to say that it requires at least two recommendations before it appears as a promoted product.

Content creators may enroll in the program to upload media, including video and photos connecting to  thumbnail photos of Amazon listings they fancy. These contributors may earn commissions, depending on volume. Customer reviews, always a key element in online sales, are welcomed.

Amazon Inspire is now available for use by all US consumers, and the jury is out on how this new, creative approach to a hybrid influencer/advertising function will play out. For now, it appears to be an ingenious method of following the lead in cultural and consumer trends as they develop on the internet.
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Interested in buying or selling on Inspire? Get more info here.

That softens the blow of what we’re about to discuss. As long as you’re dealing with digits, start examining the core of your business by figuring out who buys what, and how often. In the trade, it’s referred to as “customer segmentation,” and it is a critical way to make your store thrive.

Customer segmentation works best when you pin down stats and demographic data from the top 20 percent of sales. Not of customers, of sales. If you have repeat customers, that’s great, but if their volume of purchases is not especially high, it’s not a helpful measure for future performance and growing a consumer base. We all know about customer conversion, or turning lookers into buyers. The conversion rate among all ecommerce sectors in 2022 was 3.65 percent.

Studying the shared attributes of those buying across your site will guide you toward marketing more prospective customers. And unlike other strategies for growth, it can happen quickly.

Targeted marketing in the 2020 decade is about as easy as it gets. Social media platforms are practically designed for this. Facebook (Meta), for example, provides an easy breakdown of the basics – age, location, ideology – but increasingly it allows businesses to gather data about their interests based on company sites and pages they have visited. With this knowledge in hand, your task is to match your product mix with those most likely to be intrigued.

Facebook Ad Analytics Guide is one tool to help you dive into the art and science of zeroing in on potential customers. Its data reach is admirable: available are customer-reported statistics such as income, buying habits, buying likelihood, and other measures useful in figuring out who may be receptive to outreach.

Kick off your segmentation efforts with these basics:
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• Age. It’s probably the easiest gauge of product interest.
• Gender. Though it’s obviously becoming more fluid, it’s still an excellent measure.
• Cart abandonment. This tells you how close you came to making a sale. Don’t ignore it.
• First-time shoppers. These future buyers could be an easy catch.
  
  

Grow your business in a hyper-competitive environment by determining who is most likely to buy from you. It sounds simple, but perhaps is something you’ve put off. Until now.

The first reality to absorb is this: if you sell merchandise over the Internet and you have a physical presence in a “nexus,” or state, you are required to follow that jurisdiction’s sales tax laws – but only from customers who are subject to sales tax because of their residence in that state. Sounds pretty simple until you understand that there are 50 states to keep track of. Add to that the wonky official rule that if customers do not remit sales tax payments to sellers, they are technically required to pay them directly to their state. Don’t ask how that enforcement mechanism would work; truly, it’s anyone’s guess. Mostly only very high-end purchases would come to the attention of each state’s tax collector.

We’ll make it easy for you. Only five U.S. states do not impose a sales tax. They are Alaska, Oregon, Montana, Delaware, and New Hampshire. Now you know.

But what is your obligation in terms of making sure your customers pay up? That’s more confusing.
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If you’re committed to avoiding future problems and doing the right thing at the outset, here are steps to take that will keep you in the clear:

• Acquire a sales tax permit. Registering for a permit in the state where you are based is only necessary if that state collects sales taxes. The Department of Revenue is typically the governing agency, so locate yours and find out the process, the filing frequency requirements, and any related obligations. *Note that in many states it is illegal to collect sales tax without a permit, so don’t freelance on this one.
  
  
• Set up a sales tax collection mechanism. Perhaps your service provider has a built-in function making it easy. Some offer precise tax-collection features pertinent to each state. If you don’t have this option, find a way to get it.
  
  
• Learn the difference between destination and origin. If you ship to a customer in a state that does collect sales taxes, charge that state’s rate on each purchase. If your state requires collection based on where you are located – the “origin-based” designation – you will be charged by your state and required to pay up. Again, consult your state’s revenue agency for clarification.
  
  
• Now file taxes. No one likes that phrase, but if you buy online sales tax software, you can cut through the red tape with little effort. These programs will even nitpick down to the varying counties and jurisdictions with add-on taxes. They make filing a breeze.
  
  

If you start out of the gate with a solid tax-collection strategy and are clear with your customers, you’ve saved a lot of time and trouble. Try including an estimated tax figure in shopping carts so prospective buyers are aware of it in advance. They will appreciate the heads-up.

More then ever before, Americas are renting their homes. And while there are certainly perks to that choice, but there are a few drawbacks when it comes to your interior design. Namely, that you’ve got rules to follow. And while they’ll vary from one home or apartment to the next, generally, you can’t make big design changes.

Don’t love the chandelier in the dining room? Not a lot you can do. Wishing you could add a ceiling fan in the bedroom? Probably not going to happen. And forget making wholesale changes to flooring…

But that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything to really reinvent your space and make it feel a whole lot more unique and personalized to your taste.

So, here are our best tips for creating a look you love:

​Patterns! From peel-and-stick wallpaper to create an accent wall, to funky throw pillows on the sofa, adding patterns in your home create instant texture and dimension. And don’t sleep on peel-and-stick tiles! They’re a great way to perk up a backsplash, add detail to bathroom, or even define and entryway.
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We love these Terrazzo tile decals from Chasing Paper.

​Flooring! Sure, you can’t tear out that wall to wall carpeting and add hardwood, but you can certainly add area rugs that introduce personality and create a look that’s a whole lot more interesting than boring beige. We love Ruggable – they’re washable! – and come in tons of fun patterns, colors, and sizes. You don’t have to commit right away, start with a couple small rugs in the entry or kitchen and then when you love it, graduate to that 8x10 in your living or dining room to really make a statement.

Something like this rug from Wayfair adds color and pattern, but you can go as subtle, or as bold, as you’d like here. 

Of course, there’s a ton  you can do with decor – everything from bedding to upholstery to furniture style – to make you home feel like, well, home.
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What are your best tips and tricks? We want to hear about them in the comments.

Peruse the seemingly endless rows of tulips in a litany of colors, and buy bunches at the gift shops run by growers. And … then what? Well, pick a vase to show them off once you get home.
It’s not rocket science, but it seems like a décor guru’s dream to pair their fave flower with a receptacle that brings it to life. We’ve found a few that whet our whistle, and work for budgets from meager to extravagant. 

Be mindful of the sadly short seasonal life span of tulips. The premiere Skagit Valley variety stick around just a few weeks before growers harvest bulbs for future blooms. And maybe that’s a good thing. We appreciate them more when they make a timed appearance.

Ultimately your environment is personal; expressing your signature design statement may initiate with an “expert” idea, and drawing on that is inspiring.

Here’s what else these gurus of style have to say:

• Try bold color on walls. Navy, green, plum, and aubergine reflect a rich, robust way to brand a living space. Easy to design around, these darker tones invite creativity in furnishings and accessories, and that can be a ton of fun.
  
  
• Or primary colors! A careful composite of neutral tans, black, and ivory tones simplify any room, giving it that livability factor for extra comfort.
  
  
• As long as you’re leaning dark, consider stained wood cabinetry and woodwork. It’s rustic and nature-influenced, and embellishes a living space or bedroom with personality.
  
  
• Dress up these darker walls with classic plaids or other iconic patterns, including vintage paisley (for traditional motifs) or radius circles (if you won’t budge from contemporary). Their distinctive aesthetic goes toe-to-toe with dynamic woodwork, toning down the expectation of furniture pieces.
  
  
• Shoot for multi-generational appeal. Choose from the iconic collection of retro and vintage fare and pair it with newcomers in interior design. Couches with clean lines were once verboten as partners with vintage rugs, but with attention to detail in the rest of a space, they can mix splendidly.
  
  
• Bold patterns in limewash and plaster might be making a comeback if design experts are right. They can be permeating if you aren’t conservative with surrounding materials and accents, so go slow.
  
  
• Everyone’s into earthy essence. Nature seeps into classic spaces now, with botanical wallpaper, furnishings made of exotic woods, and even a generous use of artificial greenery and flora. Key to incorporating this ethereal aesthetic is to not overpower with dominant accessories.
  
  
• Make it shine. High-gloss finishes are growing on designers, creating an interesting effect to furniture and even woodworked wall elements. Lacquer adds an automatic lift that grabs attention.
  
  

There’s no shortage of source material to snoop out your own preferred version of what’s new this year. Consult with a pro interior designer, talented friends, or yours truly to come up with a way to refresh your environment. Often it requires a paltry investment – but feel free to go all out if it’s a mood-lifter.

One reason newbies might let items sit in your virtual cart? Reluctance to sign up for an account. We all know building an identified account roster is a win-win for both sellers and consumers, with easy options for a quick checkout, and the ability to target promotions. But not everyone is eager to divulge tracked info including email address, phone number, or even a name, to a vendor that they don’t know well. The answer is to provide a seamless guest checkout system. Offer clear opt-in choices to be “remembered” by your site even in the absence of a formal sign-up. A subtle trick like that can work wonders for skeptical buyers.
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Here are other ways to turn abandoned shopping carts into sales:

• Get the dough. Try to offer as many quality payment options as you can. There are a number of them, both established and relatively new. Each has options that may edge your buyer toward making the sale.
  
  
• Simplify the checkout process with a smooth flow of steps requiring only the necessary information needed to execute an order. Asking for tangential information may be an intriguing way to tap an algorithm you’ve set up, but from the buyer’s perspective, it’s probably too intrusive.
  
  
• Make it worthwhile. Offering promo codes and deals to even new buyers who don’t set up accounts adds value to their purchase and may well lock in a regular customer. Better yet, offer free shipping. The psychological effect of saving on delivery costs is demonstrably potent.
  
  
• Tell the truth. Are you aware of existing or potential shipping delays? Fulfillment is a critical component of your success as an ecommerce merchant; it can make or break return business. Buyers count on close or exact estimated dates of delivery. The trick, if you don’t really know how soon an order will arrive, is to spell it out in those terms, and possibly pointing buyers to alternative selections that might work.
  
  
• Return to Sender: Be blatantly honest. State very clearly your return/exchange/refund policy on as many site pages as possible. Confidence in a merchant’s willingness to accommodate changes of mind (at best) and correcting product deficiencies (at worst) might be the difference between not just repeat customers, but a dreaded reputation hit as shoppers tend to share their experiences with friends, family, and the internet overall.
  
  
• Keep up the pace. Customers are famous for making a solid commitment to choosing a vendor based on the ease of web site navigation. This shouldn’t be a surprise in an era where the need for speed reigns supreme. Invest in infrastructure to minimize slowdowns, or your next customer may time out and hop to a competitor.
  
  

Consult Constructor for more up-to-date tips on how to turn languishing carts into sales.

So, what should ecommerce vendors (and their service providers) be looking at with respect to security? Much of it is out of your hands, but if you entrust a third party to handle payment transactions, you have the right and the obligation to observe best practices. Look at it this way: they are aware of their high burden, and your constant inquiries will keep them on their toes.

Smaller online merchants should build a rigid threshold of in-house and exterior policies and procedures, say cybersecurity experts. Irrespective of compromised customer or internal data, the more down time a small vendor experiences, the greater the hit they take.

So what exactly are the secrets to protecting your data to the best of your ability? How about tighter access control and data security software? Both will vest more confidence and safety in your business. Business News writer Jeremy Bender reminds merchants that the big kids such as top-tier credit reporting agencies have fallen victim to mass data breaches, but they aren’t alone. The idea is to limit who may have a path to reaching your data using UTM (Unified Threat Management). Here’s a useful read on steps to take to protect your treasured business.
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Whether you go all in with a deep dive, or just take cursory steps to ensure your security, your first priority is to be prepared for a cyberattack, however unlikely that is. Ransomware – the pernicious method of a nefarious party blackmailing your very access to your own data in exchange for a payoff – is not common among small sellers, but never say never. Develop an incident response plan to be ready for whatever comes. That means keep whatever backup data you can on a separate server. Your customers will love you for this, and your business may experience less costly down time.
 
It's a New, Scary World.

• Easy to think your slight presence in the ecommerce field will work against being targeted, but all they need is a domain and a back door. Make sure your firewall is robust. It’s your first line of protection. If you are one of thousands who use a third-party sales platform, investigate and press them to supply specific detail of their firewall stability. If you’re working on your own, shore up your firewall. Check out entities such as Cloudflare, a highly rated platform with a tight network and advanced preparation to combat hacks.
  
  
• It sounds simple, but it’s often overlooked. Make sure you know who has physical access to your business computers, creating separate, trackable user accounts for each employee and especially each service contractor.
  
  
• Wi-Fi networks are a vast part of the cybersecurity equation. They trip up home users often and that makes them a big target for bad guys. Contact your provider and conduct an up-to-date security check.
  
  
• Make sure the banks used in processing your payments are as up to speed on cyber issues as you need them to be.
  
  
• Finally, consult a useful litany of great info from the government itself, which is as vulnerable to attacks as anyone and typically at the forefront of aggressive efforts. The Federal Communications Commission is a good place to start as you navigate the unfortunate reality of making sure your hard work is not sabotaged by criminals.

Photo by FLY:D on Unsplash
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In a tribute to holiday spirit, Pantone has selected a truly rich, beautiful color for its 2023 Color of the Year designation. Meet Viva Magenta, an alluring version they call “crimson electric.”

​Viva Magenta has roots in nature, originating from the primary red family yet embellished with subtle undertones of pink and blue. But make no mistake: there is nothing subtle about this delicious hue. It serves bold notice as a dominating tone when, used carefully, transforms interior spaces.

Magenta itself is not a newbie. It was a mainstay in retro times, hinting at a renaissance motif. Typically it is used sparingly because of its richness. Pantone leaves that distinction up to the beholder, suggesting generous incorporation with gradient shading, or even coating walls it its romantic splendor.

Viva Magenta’s moniker is an indicator of intensity and festivity. “Viva” translates to “life” and “living,” celebratory terms that vest permission to go all out in making this scrumptious color part of everyday life.
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Some suggestions on how to accomplish that:

• Walk the talk. These festive sneakers from Cariuma commemorate this year’s COY with some high-tops that will not go unnoticed.
  
  
• Emphasize the botanical aspect of Viva Magenta with this stylish throw pillow cover, a lush, texturized addition to highbrow living spaces made available by Wayfair.
  
  
• Go fully modern with the geometric aesthetic of peel-and-stick wallpaper, a boon for kitchens and utility rooms.
  
  
• Words count! Simplicity is at work in a casual poster with the COY’s name in plain text here on Pinterest.
  
  

Using your imagination, you can work Pantone’s selection of 2023 into a primary color palette, or use it sparingly for a chic accent. Its richly magnificent tone is a delightful way to go bold. Whether it’s a living space, wardrobe closet, garden, or automobile, the romantic essence forming this variant of a design-forward shade is now a prime time choice.

Your E-Commerce biz can use all the tech tools it can get when it comes to expanding ease and access for your customers. If you’ve visited a website for a store or even a service and been greeted in a separate window by a “chatbot,” you’ll know what we mean. These personal assistants give the perception of a real time pal, and that is impressive. The degree to which each is truly staffed by a human who is able to assist at every level varies by proprietor, and you may find yourself at the low end of that spectrum. But even offering extra information that doesn’t appear on your home page or landing pages will be an exceptional benefit to shoppers.

While major utilities and mega corporations are most likely to avail actual staffers for receiving chatbot requests, don’t immediately dismiss their ability to offer specialized help. A database of inventory can easily translate to a searchable body with which the chatbot suddenly becomes a personal shopper by responding to search criteria. If your customer asks whether you sell faux leather covered ottomans, your search string is fashioned for you, and programming follow-up questions (including style, color, etc.) refines the process.

Analysts estimate that the global chatbot market may reflect almost $4 billion in just over six years, so maybe it’s time to at least familiarize yourself. An engaged response policy may cement a sale in real time, but at very least, highlighting information in a setting that feels comfortable and customized to a shopper is a win-win. Intercom is a perfect place to start with respect to learning more about AI, and finding an appropriate service level in chatbot functionality. Zendesk is an AI provider already to help you explore the technology with a free trial.

The key to an effective chatbot system is to let potential buyers in on its limitations in advance. Make sure they know they may not be interacting with a real person as they type into that window. Tell them the bot is their second-tier personal shopper who can ease the search process.
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But if you’re able to tap the real thing, there are also expectations among consumers that you should meet. Long timeouts, inaccurate information, and a failure to reconcile the shopper’s purpose for visiting will probably ensure no further usage. Like a lot of aspects of technology, it’s as good as its feasibility. But play it right and it could be a valuable addition to your team.