Ecommerce « Ferguson SEO Consulting

Important Internet Shopping Law Signed by President Obama

[Although this piece of news is a bit dated, I wanted to post it because there are many online retailers out there that are not aware that it exists]

President Barack Obama has signed into law the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA). The new law restricts “post-transaction third-party marketing,” where a shopper’s online purchasing information is passed from one merchant to another, who then uses that data to enroll the consumer in their programs, oftentimes without the consumer’s knowledge or consent.

[Very good article by Mike Young, a prominent Internet Lawyer here]

The Act makes it unlawful for any Internet merchant to pass personal financial data — credit card, debit card, bank account, financial account numbers or any other billing information — to third party merchants for use in an Internet-based sale of goods or services from the post- transaction third party seller.

ROSCA was developed as a result of an investigation conducted by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The Committee found hundreds of honest online retailers were sharing their billing, credit card and debit card information with third party sellers through the data pass process. Some third party sellers then offered consumers “memberships” which were cleverly disguised as part of the consumer’s initial purchase. The consumers were given a “negative option” where they could decline the membership after an initial trial period. Following the free trial period consumers who did not cancel the membership were charged recurring fees.

The new law deems this practice to be a misleading sales tactic.

In addition, ROSCA makes it unlawful for any Internet merchant to pass personal financial data — credit card, debit card, bank account, financial account numbers or any other billing information — to third party merchants for use in an Internet-based sale of goods or services from the post- transaction third party seller.

The Act prohibits the practice of negative option marketing, unless the merchant:

Provides text that clearly and conspicuously discloses all material terms of the transaction before obtaining the consumer’s billing information
Obtains a consumer’s express informed consent before charging the consumer for the transaction
Provides simple mechanisms for a consumer to stop any recurring charges.

Violations of ROSCA shall be treated as a violation of a rule under section 18 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 57a) regarding unfair or deceptive acts or practices.

View the Full ROSCA Law (PDF)

This site, www.online-law-degree.com is also resource if you are interested in learning more about law.

R.E. Ferguson December 1, 2011 Ecommerce, Industry News, Internet Law internet shopping law, President Obama

SEO Marketing Ideas

SEO has evolved and changed over the years (I’ve been doing this for over 10 years and have seen so much change sometimes my head spins). One thing that remains constant is the importance of SEO. Actually that isn’t even entirely accurate. SEO continues to become more important.

Back in the good old days, not everyone understood the importance of SEO so there was less competition. As more and more companies realize the importance and hire an SEO company, the competition continues to get even fiercer and the importance of getting listed in the engines is greater.

Now add the economy into the mix, and things really start to heat up.

As much as I hate to bring up the economy (we are inundated with talk of the economy all day long) I have to. Not because I want to add to the negative talk out there, but because the poor economy is actually playing an interesting role in how people search online. More than ever people are comparison shopping, so getting your site listed on top is even more crucial. You want to be one of the sites they consider when they are doing their comparison shopping. You also want to make sure your site is in tip-top form so that you can earn that business while they are doing their comparison shopping.

Another interesting tid bit about people’s shopping habits in this crazy economy: while people always look for a deal – they are now looking for who offers the best value and not necessarily the cheapest price. Rather than automatically lowering your prices like everyone does, why not try building up the value? Make yourself stand out from the crowd. Add some freebies in there and win them over with the value you offer!

So, the take away here?

Make sure your site is listed on top of the engines.
Make sure your site is a selling machine and prepared to convert your traffic into good old fashioned paying customers.
Consider bulking up your offerings to increase the value and make sure people feel it’s a no brainer to do business with you.

-R.E. Ferguson

R.E. Ferguson July 19, 2010 Ecommerce, SEO comparison shopping, e-commerce, marketing ideas, seo

Finding Products To Sell Online

Looking for the perfect products to sell online? Sometimes they can be hard to find. So, to help you start your research, here are ten top places to look.

If You Are Just Starting Out

Garage sales and flea markets: If you’re starting out small and want to experiment with eBay, garage sales are a good place to start. Do some research into categories that interest you, and then start scouring sales for good prices.
eBay: eBay itself can be a source for products. Look for wholesale lots that can be broken down for individual sale.
Drop Shipper Directories: Drop shippers are wholesalers that will ship direct to your customers so that you don’t have to invest in or store inventory. Directories of drop shippers are for sale online, but make sure you’re buying a reputable one. I’ve previewed the Worldwide Brands directory and can recommend it.
Local Businesses: You may find businesses in your backyard that offer just the right products, but are not yet into e-commerce. Offer to sell their product online in exchange for a percentage of any profits you make.
Crafters: Local crafters are a good source of unique products, and may be willing to reduce their prices for you if you purchase in quantity. Either buy the item outright, or set up a consignment arrangement with them.

For The More Ambitious

Trade Shows: Trade shows are my favorite way to source products. Lots of merchants gather in one place to look for resellers. To find trade shows in a particular industry, contact trade associations and industry publications
Permanent Marts: Many industries have a location that houses permanent wholesale showrooms. For example, there is a “Gift Building” in New York, and a Furniture Mart in High Point, North Carolina. Once you have established yourself as a retailer, you can visit the marts and have face-to-face meetings with product suppliers.
Wholesaler Directories: Your local library will probably have directories of manufacturers, wholesalers, and/or distributors. Most directories are organized by SIC code so that you can zero in on the product categories that interested you.
Importers/Exporters: If you are thinking big, you might want to consider contacting companies that import goods from overseas. If you’re thinking even bigger, it’s possible to source directly from overseas. This requires a lot of expertise, but many companies do it successfully.
Foreign trade offices: Most countries maintain trade offices in major US cities to help their nationals expand trade with the US. They may be able to let you know about companies interested in exporting to the US that you can contact.

-REF

R.E. Ferguson August 5, 2009 Ecommerce, General Business online products