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Wednesday 29^th September

The Malmaison is the chosen location for our London event this time around. We will be showering retailers with an eclectic mix of topics including Fashion Photography, Social media, the Future of Ecommerce and Conversion and Usability. Confirmed speakers include Meltwater, IMRG and WMpS.

Friday 1^st October

Retailers in attendance at Malmaison Manchester will be able to discuss their needs over an informal (but tasty) lunch with experts in overseas payment, translation, logistics and legal services. Confirmed speakers include SecureTrading, Applied Language Solutions and DHL. Plus, our very own Mike Anderson will be speaking, this time joined by Andy Walters also from WMpS, to impart some valuable facts, figures and knowledge on improving website usability and conversion.

Following the success of our previous VIP retail events this year we have high hopes for another two valuable and informative afternoons. Invites will be in the post next week but if you’re interested in attending then feel free to contact us.

We look forward to seeing you there!

VIP Retail Luncheon – Round 2 is a post from WMpS, your one stop digital agency.

These are all on our WMpS YouTube account so please visit there now if you missed out on the event and want to catch up with the valuble tips and advice given out by our guest speakers or if you did attend and want to recap on any points made. Please click  on the links below for each video on our YouTube channel to view the videos or click on the YouTube link in the blog header to visit the main channel page.

ecommerce market trends – guest speaker David J Smith from the IMRG

social media listening platforms – guest speakers Rachel Goalby and Alex Britten from Meltwater

onsite photography – guest speakers William Lack and Andy Holmes

Online Retail Event Manchester – Videos Uploaded is a post from WMpS, your one stop digital agency.

The afternoon was kicked off with David Smith from IMRG giving some eye opening facts and figures on the ecommerce industry as it stands today and highlighting the pace of growth we should expect in the coming years. An ever eloquent speaker, David set the scene with great clarity for the rest of the afternoons speakers. To emphasise the pace of change even further, our invitees were then treated to a talk from Alex and Rachel of Meltwater Buzz on listening tools for social media. The pair highlighted the need to listen first before jumping into the social media ocean, to lower the risk of drowning! The mBuzz presentation also gave some insight into the advantages of paying for listening tools as opposed to using the many free (but elementary) tools that are on offer.

After enjoying a lunch of double-decker sandwiches, mini burgers and chocolate shots (non-alcoholic!), we all reclined in the company of Prodoto, educating us on the importance of good imagery. Will and Andy’s very visual presentation was a fascinating journey into the world behind the final image that appears on a website. For those of us that haven’t worked in fashion it was educational, for those that have and do it was a valuable reminder that a good base is needed to build a successful brand online. The key take-away from the talk was that your imagery reflects on your brand and compromise should not be an option. Following on from the mechanics of a good photo, Mike from WMpS showed how to get the most out of your imagery and engage consumers on your website. Filled with facts and figures, his presentation emphasised the importance of aligning your website proposition with that of your store, catalogue and other offline brand presence.

The day was once again received well by all that attended, and we look forward to hearing feedback on how to make our future events even more valuable and enjoyable for retailers and industry experts alike. If you’d like any information on our future events or to request an event near you, feel free to contact us.

VIP Retail Luncheon Review is a post from WMpS, your one stop digital agency.

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IMRG – Key Trends in Ecommerce and Multi Channel Retailing

Meltwater Group – Social Media Listening Platforms

Prodoto – Lifestyle Imagery and 360 degree Photography

The Managing Director of WMpS, Mike Anderson, will also be speaking on how to turn your browsing online customers into buying online customers. The whole event is focused on giving top retailers the information they want on the topics that matter, so we’re expecting lots of questions, comments and thought provoking ideas to come out of the afternoon. Look out for my post-event review for these!

For more information on any of our events, or if you would like to request an event in your area then feel free to contact us.

VIP Retail Luncheon – Manchester is a post from WMpS, your one stop digital agency.

e-payment solutions – guest speaker Richard Parker from Cybersource

translation services – guest speaker Kris Smith from Applied Language Solutions

legal services – guest speakers Gavin Matthews and Andrew Kimble from Bond Pearce LLB

logistics – guest speaker Roger Burns from DHL

turning browsers into buyers – speaker Mike Anderson (WMpS MD)

For those of you who would like to attend the next event we are holding it at the Malmaison Hotel in Manchester on Tuesday 20th July. This event will focus on the following topics:

- Industry overview and current market trends

- Listening platforms for social media

- Lifestyle imagery and 360 photography

To get a free place in the event please contact juliee@wmps.com as soon as possible.

Online Retail Event London – Videos Uploaded is a post from WMpS, your one stop digital agency.

Yes, July has finally arrived and this Thursday (8^th) will see us descend on the DeVere Hotel, London for an afternoon of insight and debate around two of the hot topics for retailers looking into 2011.

Our first two topics; as voted for by the retailers that are attending the seminar will be: Selling Abroad and Browsers to Buyers

Our very own Mike Anderson, ecommerce extraordinaire and experienced keynote speaker, will be joined by experts from DHL, Bond Pearce, Cybersource and Applied Language Solutions to educate and inform guests on Selling Abroad and Turning Browsers into Buyers. We’re expecting some lively debate on these important, up and coming topics as the event has attracted lots of attention; and we’re looking forward to meeting all of you that have booked a place.

But don’t worry if you couldn’t make it; I’ve not forgotten to pack the camera!

WMpS VIP Luncheon This Week! is a post from WMpS, your one stop digital agency.

For more information, or to request an exclusive invite, don’t hesitate to contact us.

VIP Retail Luncheon – 8th July, London
Votes have been cast and the first topics for discussion are going to be ‘Selling Abroad’ and ‘Turning Browsers into Buyers’.

VIP Retail Luncheon – 20th July, Manchester
Following the surge of interest in our London event we are also hosting one ‘up North’ in Manchester. The topics are varying slightly, with speakers joining us to share their expertise on ‘Current Market Trends’, ‘Listening Platforms for Social Media’, ‘Lifestyle Imagery & Photography’ and ‘Turning Browsers into Buyers’.

More events are currently being planned around the country, so if you’ve got any topics you’d like us to include feel free to get in touch.

Upcoming WMpS Events is a post from WMpS, your one stop digital agency.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated so please leave on our YouTube page and we can bear any comments in mind for the next presentation. If you would like to talk to Mike or any of our team about improving conversion on your website or you would like a copy of the presentation please contact us. Alternatively you can get a copy of the presentation at slideshare.net.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Ecommerce Expo North – Mike Andersons Keynote Speech is a post from WMpS, your one stop digital agency.

Upcoming dates for your diary should include:

Ecommerce Expo North – 27th May, Manchester
We’re both exhibiting and presenting at Ecommerce Expo this year. Our Managing Director Mike Anderson will be taking to the floor with a keynote speech on how to engage your customers online. Renee and Julie will also be on hand at our stand, number 123; should you want to discuss any of your upcoming ecommerce projects in more detail.

Catalogue Exchange Annual Summit – 9th June, Kensington
We’re continuing our partnership with Catalogue Exchange this year by hosting a Round Table at their Annual Summit.
Entitled “Leverage your brand and assets to dramatically improve your online business.”  We will be holding a discussion on how most retail websites present products to the customer as ‘thumbnails’ rendered as a list.  And debating about how such methods may work for ‘utility’ based products, but they don’t work for large ranges, quality brands, fashion or homeware.  Hopefully we will provide those in attendance with some lessons on how to be more engaging and more inspirational with the online presentation of online products to generate greater sales.

VIP Retail Luncheon – 8th July, London
Our most exciting event of the year is destined to be a VIP Luncheon hosted by WMpS for the ecommerce elite. Taking the form of a roundtable event, supported with presentations and Q&A sessions with experts in the field it promises to be an enjoyable and valuable day for all. Votes have been cast and the first topics for discussion are going to be ‘Selling Abroad’ and ‘Turning Browsers into Buyers’. For more information, or to request an exclusive invite, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Upcoming Events in June and July is a post from WMpS, your one stop digital agency.

Top Ten Customised Search Analytics Reports was part of the Analytics & Conversion Track.  They chose to do this seminar to help marketers sort through the huge amounts of data generated by web reports.  The seminar helped to highlight the few relevant reports for search marketers.  They said that the more you customise reports, the more you will increase the value of your business because you can tune into your site’s personal needs.  They noted that you can create customised reports by making advanced segments in your analytics.  The top ten advanced segments were:

1. Visitor to Purchase
2. First Touch vs. Last Touch vs. Paid Search
3. First Touch vs. Last Touch vs. Non-Branded
4. Search v. Direct
5. Econometric Models

(*1-5 Attribution)

6. New Links
7. Keyword Length (segments for elements in long tail)
8. Number Organic Landing Pages Over Time (all landing pages that has had at least one visitor; indexation by sections i.e. products, blogs)
9. Real Time
10. Heat Maps

The Art of Measuring Local and Mobile Search Results seminar was part of the Social Media Track.  It was to help people understand how to measure the offline conversions from local and mobile search marketing efforts.  They chose to do this seminar because companies have more difficulty measuring return on investment from mobile marketing than any other digital channel.  They gave us an idea of what metrics and techniques that sheds some light and help for accountability for local and mobile search campaigns.  They said to check out “place pages report” from Google.  They also said to check out www.getlisted.org.   They talked a lot of strategy on how to get into the “7 pack”, which is the local map section.  For that, you need to do these five things:

1. Have a local vanity URL (i.e. www.domainname.com/cityname).
2. Create tracking URL (Google Campaign URL Tool Builder).
3. Redirect vanity URL with a 301 redirect to ugly URL you got from Google Campaign URL Tool.
4. Make sure to de-dupe either with canonical element or replace ? with # with pagetracker_setallowanchor(true)
5. Create advanced segments in Google Analytics

For mobile search they said to check out FourSquare and Yelp.  They said that with mobile, universal search will grow increasingly important.  Thus you need to tag and put links on maps, images, video, news, maps, books and products.  They listed ten areas that are overlooked in local/mobile search:

1. Do employee profile pages with hcard microformat
2. Events and Calendars with hcard microformat
3. Contact us and location maps with hcard
4. Telephone numbers to do standard format
5. Testimonials
6. Coupons/special offers (in Google places)
7. Product/service descriptions
8. Books/white papers/PDFs
9. Images help in SEO & Local SEO (optimise because blended and universal)
10. Custom Maps (user generated maps and places “related maps” with embedded links to places of interest

One last little nugget of information I picked up was to look at your competitor’s citation to see where they have links from and make sure to get on their same directories and with people like Chamber of Commerce (infoseek).

SMX Advanced London is a post from WMpS, your one stop digital agency.