E-Commerce
E-commerce, a growing extension of marketing automation and sales automation, drives sales by closing the deal through automated payments via e-commerce platforms. Here, find the latest news and strategies for deploying e-commerce business.
Top Stories
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Feature
28 Mar 2024
FTX scam explained: Everything you need to know
Cryptocurrency values rose in 2021 but started to decline in 2022, causing some exchange platforms to fold. FTX appeared to stay strong -- until news broke of an elaborate scam. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Mar 2024
8 free marketing automation tools for SMBs
Marketing automation can help any business engage more customers, but SMBs might need it most. These free tools can help small marketing teams get started with automation. Continue Reading
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Definition
05 Mar 2024
digital strategy (digital media strategy)
A digital strategy, sometimes called a digital media strategy, is a plan for maximizing the business benefits of data assets and technology-focused initiatives. Continue Reading
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Definition
05 Feb 2024
neobank
A neobank is a type of fintech that offers direct banking services to individuals and organizations, without traditional physical branches. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2024
Salesforce unveils retail shopping and marketing AI tools
The CRM vendor brings generative AI to analytics and management tools for businesses' marketing teams and Copilot for Shoppers for swifter product discovery and purchase. Continue Reading
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Definition
08 Jan 2024
cost price
Cost price is the total amount of money that it costs a manufacturer to produce a given product or provide a given service. Continue Reading
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News
04 Jan 2024
Google begins phasing out third-party cookies in Chrome
The search giant starts limiting cross-site tracking to respond to consumer privacy concerns, while aiming to preserve ad revenue and skirt pushback from U.K. regulators. Continue Reading
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Definition
13 Dec 2023
e-commerce
E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the buying and selling of goods and services, or the transmitting of funds or data, over an electronic network, primarily the internet. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Dec 2023
Binance money laundering scandal explained: What to know
CEO Changpeng Zhao wanted Binance to be the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange; however, the U.S. filed criminal charges due to lax compliance and money laundering schemes. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Nov 2023
SAP's Mirakl integration improves B2B e-commerce experience
Mirakl's platform lets B2B e-commerce companies create an online shopping experience that is more like B2C -- easier to configure, with a simpler interface for the end user. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Nov 2023
Embedded finance explained: Everything you need to know
When someone uses an app to request a ride, purchase from TikTok or order food, they are engaging in embedded finance. These options are growing and reshaping financial services. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Nov 2023
6 Black Friday statistics for 2023
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the biggest online shopping events of the year. Industry studies show this holiday season will increase over 2022 sales. Continue Reading
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News
26 Oct 2023
How Amazon AI image generation could help advertisers
The tech giant joins others using generative AI technology to cater to advertisers and help small businesses scale their advertising through personalization. Continue Reading
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Definition
17 Oct 2023
actionable intelligence
Actionable intelligence is information that can be immediately used or acted upon -- either tactically in direct response to an evolving situation, or strategically as the result of an analysis or assessment. Continue Reading
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News
11 Oct 2023
Adobe unveils Firefly AI models to quickly make vivid images
The CX and multimedia vendor amps up its generative AI image creation offerings with Prompt Guidance, vector graphic production, template generation and photo-style image tweaks. Continue Reading
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News
04 Oct 2023
Meta introduces generative AI features for advertisers
The capabilities include a background generation feature, an image expansion tool for fitting aspect ratio across different mediums, and a text variation tool for copy. Continue Reading
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News
25 Sep 2023
Shopify adds Audiences integrations for more segmentation
The e-commerce vendor builds on its customer segmentation capabilities by adding platform integrations with Snapchat, Criteo and TikTok for creating lists of target contacts. Continue Reading
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Definition
19 Sep 2023
Salesforce Commerce Cloud
Salesforce Commerce Cloud is a cloud-based suite of products that enable e-commerce businesses to set up e-commerce sites, drive more automation and provide customers with seamless shopping experiences. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Sep 2023
Social media marketing strategies: Cut cliches, add opinions
Effective online engagement with customers starts with conversations that use feelings and opinions, rather than cliches and facts, to build lasting relationships. Continue Reading
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Definition
17 Jul 2023
platform economy
Platform economy is the tendency for commerce to increasingly move toward and favor digital platform business models. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Jul 2023
11 social commerce statistics for 2023
As consumers spend an increasing amount of time on social media, it's important for brands to meet them where they are and integrate social commerce into marketing strategies. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Jun 2023
8 SMS marketing software to know in 2023
SMS marketing is the best way to reach customers where they are. These platforms can help organizations send automated replies, add personalization and integrate with other tools. Continue Reading
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News
09 Jun 2023
LinkedIn unveils generative AI-based tools for B2B marketers
The professional network's new products let marketers create ad copy, message other company Pages, and post different types of ads to attract buyers throughout the buying process. Continue Reading
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News
16 May 2023
SAP's new CX tools for retailers include generative AI assistant
The vendor's new tools include Digital Assistant for better personalization, accelerators to use customer data to improve CX, and a platform to sell excess products on the market. Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2023
Google adds Adobe's image generator, Firefly, to Bard
The AI-backed chatbot will have artmaking abilities with Firefly, an image generator that was trained on hundreds of stock images to avoid copyright infringement. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 May 2023
Top 10 SMS marketing best practices
Customers may be willing to opt into receiving texts from a brand, but marketers should follow various best practices to ensure they don't overload or overstep with customers. Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2023
Coveo brings AI to SAP Commerce Cloud search
The Coveo Search and Recommendations platform can now be integrated into SAP Commerce Cloud, echoing a trend in e-commerce and bolstering the enterprise vendor's embrace of AI. Continue Reading
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News
02 May 2023
Microsoft releases Teams Payments app for small businesses
The tech giant brings transaction capabilities to its Teams platform, expanding digital commerce options for small businesses that offer online services through Teams. Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2023
Salesforce integrates Einstein GPT and Data Cloud into Flow
The CRM giant updated Flow, its automation toolkit, with generative AI and Data Cloud capabilities to trigger automatic responses using natural language prompts and real-time data. Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2023
Canva steps up design game with new AI-powered design tools
The platform provides accessible tools for small businesses that need design help. Canva is also escalating its technology to compete against bigger design platforms such as Adobe. Continue Reading
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News
21 Mar 2023
Adobe Firefly brings generative AI image marketing tool
The CX giant's Firefly is an image creator trained on millions of visuals from Adobe stock content to understand written commands and make images for better marketing. Continue Reading
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Definition
14 Mar 2023
transaction
In computing, a transaction is a set of related tasks treated as a single action. Continue Reading
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News
13 Mar 2023
CX personalization drives strategy for customer data mining
Users are more likely to engage with custom-made, exclusive digital experiences, which ease the flow of zero- and first-party data back to the vendor for improved CX strategies. Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2023
Microsoft's new Dynamics 365 Copilot uses generative AI
Copilot accelerates routine tasks for marketing and sales teams like creating email responses and collecting customer insight data, intensifying the AI race in CRM software. Continue Reading
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Definition
27 Feb 2023
hosting (website hosting, web hosting and webhosting)
Web hosting -- also known as website hosting or webhosting -- is the process where a web hosting provider stores and maintains website files and applications on a server to make its customers' websites accessible on the internet. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Feb 2023
Cryptocurrency and taxes explained: What you need to know
Cryptocurrency is not treated the same as other currency when it comes to taxes. Since the government classifies cryptocurrency as an asset, there are some important guidelines. Continue Reading
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Definition
06 Feb 2023
B2C (business-to-consumer)
B2C, or business-to-consumer, is a retail model where products or services move directly from a business to the end user who has purchased the goods or services for personal use. Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2023
Salesforce upheaval likely as Elliott Management moves in
As the CRM and CX giant's financial fortunes have sagged in recent years, activist investor funds have targeted the vendor for cuts that could slow technology R&D and investment. Continue Reading
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Definition
02 Feb 2023
Pinterest
Pinterest is a social curation website for sharing and categorizing images found online. Continue Reading
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Definition
31 Jan 2023
market basket analysis
Market basket analysis is a data mining technique used by retailers to increase sales by better understanding customer purchasing patterns. Continue Reading
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Definition
31 Jan 2023
digital cash (e-cash)
Digital cash is a system of purchasing cash credits, storing the credits in your computer or digital wallet, and then spending them when making electronic purchases over the internet or in person on a mobile device at the point of sale. Continue Reading
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Definition
26 Jan 2023
headless commerce (headless e-commerce)
Headless commerce, also called headless e-commerce, is a platform architecture that decouples the front end of an e-commerce website with the back end. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2023
Microsoft and Salesforce step up smart store retail tech
The tech giants are quickly evolving their technologies aimed at the brick and mortar commerce market, with new software for smart store analytics, CX and retail associates. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Jan 2023
How is cryptocurrency valued?
Because cryptocurrency is not regulated, several factors affect its value, including demand, utility, competition and mining. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Jan 2023
6 e-commerce email marketing strategies to heed
Building a database, nurturing existing customers and using an email service provider are some e-commerce email marketing strategies to help businesses increase revenue. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Jan 2023
Top 10 PIM software products in 2023
PIM systems can come as standalone products, but many fit within larger digital experience platforms. Top PIM products include Acquia PIM, Precisely EnterWorks and Sales Layer. Continue Reading
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News
04 Jan 2023
Telus completes WillowTree acquisition in $1.2B CX deal
Telus acquired the developer of customer experience products, including mobile apps and unified web interfaces, and strengthened its position in the custom CX and UI market. Continue Reading
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News
04 Jan 2023
Salesforce 2023 layoff plans follow recent executive exodus
Changes continue to shake up Salesforce, with a 10% workforce reduction and office space closures this year following recent departures of top executives. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Dec 2022
Top 8 e-commerce marketing platforms to consider
An e-commerce marketing strategy is no longer optional. Organizations need a marketing platform that meets their e-commerce teams' needs, can customize websites and is affordable. Continue Reading
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Definition
21 Dec 2022
law of diminishing returns
The law of diminishing returns is an economic principle stating that as investment in a particular area increases, the rate of profit from that investment, after a certain point, cannot continue to increase if other variables remain at a constant. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Dec 2022
3 benefits of product information management systems
PIM systems help retailers manage product information across channels. Key PIM system benefits include improved employee experience and reduced data entry errors. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Dec 2022
10 e-commerce marketing strategies for your business
Marketers have myriad tools in their belts -- from SEO to influencers to technology and tools. These strategies can improve anyone's e-commerce marketing plan. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Dec 2022
How to choose the right PIM system for your business
PIM systems ensure sales channels display accurate product information. To find the right system, e-commerce leaders must first identify business goals and required features. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Dec 2022
PIM vs. DAM: What's the difference?
PIM and DAM systems help retailers manage information, but they focus on different information types. PIM systems aggregate product details, whereas DAM systems store multimedia. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
07 Nov 2022
Top e-commerce challenges for 2023 and how to overcome them
2023 will bring many e-commerce challenges that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, like international trade and rising customer expectations. Here's how to overcome them. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Oct 2022
B2B vs. B2C e-commerce: What's the difference?
B2B e-commerce websites offer many ways to reach agents, whereas B2C sites prioritize self-service. E-commerce leaders must build their websites to meet their customers' needs. Continue Reading
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Answer
21 Oct 2022
Why is social media important for e-commerce?
To increase transparency, organizations can integrate social media with their e-commerce platform and enable users to post reviews and rate their products. Continue Reading
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Definition
20 Oct 2022
email
Email (electronic mail) is the exchange of computer-stored messages from one user to one or more recipients via the internet. Continue Reading
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Answer
13 Oct 2022
How does e-commerce search work?
Effective e-commerce search relies on detailed product descriptions and metadata. Also, features like autofill and search filters can help organizations offer accurate results. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Sep 2022
6 product information management best practices
PIM systems maintain accurate product data across channels. For a successful implementation, business leaders should identify their needs and compare software products. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Sep 2022
How to create an e-commerce content strategy to improve sales
A content strategy that includes headless CMS, useful product information and visuals can draw the customer's focus to your product and improve your sales. Continue Reading
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News
26 Aug 2022
Cloud e-commerce revives product information management tech
E-commerce managers have dusted off a tech oldie: the PIM system, 1990s tech that predates the internet's mass adoption. The new tools, of course, are way cooler. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Aug 2022
Top 10 e-commerce software companies
E-commerce platforms can help organizations design and operate engaging online shops. Companies like SAP have offerings for large enterprises, whereas GoDaddy and Wix target SMBs. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Aug 2022
Key steps for an e-commerce planning process
E-commerce can help organizations grow their business online, but the venture brings the most success if planned properly. These steps can start organizations on the right path. Continue Reading
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News
10 Aug 2022
Salesforce adds headless commerce capabilities
Salesforce enables 'composable commerce' -- headless e-commerce, where users bring their own interface designs -- for large brick-and-mortar retailers and online-only sellers. Continue Reading
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News
25 Jul 2022
SAP green CX tech aids sustainable retail, B2B sales
SAP users can tackle sustainable e-commerce -- and be accountable to customers wary of 'greenwashing' -- with a bundle of Qualtrics, CDP, e-commerce and other tech tools. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jun 2022
Salesforce users get more low-code automation, including RPA
Salesforce integrates MuleSoft RPA and Composer with Salesforce Flow, which avails low-code process automation and bot creation to line-of-business users. Continue Reading
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Answer
28 Jun 2022
How do you know when you've outgrown your e-commerce platform?
When an e-commerce system's native content management capabilities no longer meet business needs, companies should consider integrating it with a content management system. Continue Reading
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Answer
08 Jun 2022
What IT skills are required for e-commerce?
While e-commerce involves a lot of marketing and sales, it also requires IT expertise to keep platforms running. Explore seven technical skills needed for e-commerce platforms. Continue Reading
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News
08 Jun 2022
Salesforce moves forward with controversial NFT Cloud pilot
Salesforce integrates with TikTok and adds marketing and e-commerce features to its platform -- including NFT Cloud, which sparked controversy earlier this year. Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2022
Square exec discusses metaverse, electronic payment trends
Millions of physical and online merchants use Square's payment processing services. We discuss retail tech trends with Roshan Jhunja, Square head of retail. Continue Reading
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Definition
05 May 2022
clickstream data (clickstream analytics)
Clickstream data and clickstream analytics are the processes involved in collecting, analyzing and reporting aggregate data about which pages a website visitor visits -- and in what order. Continue Reading
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News
02 May 2022
Metaverse shopping 101, from Forever 21's Roblox store creator
The founder of the agency behind Forever 21's Shop City explains what it is -- and what it isn't -- and what retailing in the metaverse will eventually look like. Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2022
AI virtual assistant grooms skier experience at Snowbird
Using an AI-powered chatbot designed with the friendly likenesses of avalanche dogs, the famed Utah ski resort is able to quickly respond to customers' questions. Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2022
Retailer: Informed humans still the hottest e-commerce trend
Sweetwater, the largest online audio gear and musical instrument retailer, uses AI to augment -- not replace -- its agents. Mike Clem, chief growth officer, explains why. Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2022
New Google Cloud retail tool targets search abandonment
The new tool is aimed at providing better results for online shoppers. It understands user intent and context, provides results for broad inquiries, and includes semantic search. Continue Reading
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News
29 Mar 2022
It's coming: The wild world of metaverse shopping
Gap and PacSun lead the way in NFT experiments, as retailers and analysts ponder the revenue potential of selling virtual products in the metaverse. Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2022
Instacart, McDonald's, Target share digital marketing strategies
Customer experience leaders discuss strategies to accommodate customers who want contactless shopping, those who want in-person sales, and everything in between. Continue Reading
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News
29 Nov 2021
Technology drives holiday shopping for retail, e-commerce
Black Friday e-commerce sales maintained 2020 gains. Retail traffic is up but hasn't rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. Technology, supply chain, COVID-19 variants all factors. Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2021
Real Madrid teams up with Adobe to enhance global fan experience
Real Madrid is using Adobe’s Experience Cloud software to better connect with its fans in Spain and worldwide Continue Reading
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News
26 Oct 2021
Acquia adds CDP, digital experience platform features
Analyst: Latest features added to Acquia's marketing, commerce and customer data platform offerings show the company is serious about adding enterprise users. Continue Reading
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News
15 Oct 2021
Shopify opens e-commerce platform to enterprise ERP vendors
Shopify's new Global ERP Program takes steps to attract larger enterprises, but the transition won't be easy, as large ERP systems are far more complex than those of Shopify's SMB base. Continue Reading
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Definition
30 Sep 2021
Secure Electronic Transaction (SET)
Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) is a system and electronic protocol to ensure the integrity and security of transactions conducted over the internet. Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2021
Infosys releases headless commerce services bundle
Infosys breaks down Skava, an e-commerce startup it acquired in 2015, into e-commerce, marketing and merchandising microservices, and renames it Equinox. Continue Reading
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News
10 Aug 2021
Adobe, Salesforce expand health clouds
Adobe releases Experience Manager for Healthcare and plugs its CDP into marketing and clinical data; Salesforce releases healthcare features. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Jul 2021
Brands opt for headless e-commerce vs. traditional commerce
For large enterprises, headless commerce breaks down websites into user-friendly modules marketers can update. SMBs can also use it, paired with WordPress and other simple tools. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jun 2021
E-commerce giant Shopify upgrades Liquid, dev tools
Buoyed by the pandemic e-commerce boom, Shopify rolls out upgrades for no-code, low-code and pro-code offerings for its web platform -- and rewrites APIs to make stores faster. Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2021
SAP Spartacus, headless and Commerce Cloud take center stage
In the wake of the pandemic, SAP users focus on e-commerce, and SAP puts new emphasis on headless configurations as well as its Upscale Commerce package. Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2021
Salesforce plugs CDP, WhatsApp into marketing, e-commerce
Salesforce connects its CDP to its platform's customer loyalty tech; Marketing Cloud integrates WhatsApp, SnapChat ads and Datorama advanced analytics reports. Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2021
SAP Upscale Commerce gets reboot
SAP relaunches its Upscale Commerce, first released three years ago to little fanfare, to a broader midmarket base to compete with Shopify's top-end offerings. Continue Reading
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News
25 May 2021
Amazon hit with antitrust lawsuit
Amazon is facing an antitrust lawsuit for fixing retail product prices. Experts said the argument likely won't hold up and Amazon will fight it 'tooth and nail.' Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Apr 2021
How post-pandemic B2B e-commerce tech stacks will look
What will B2B e-commerce look like in the post-pandemic world? Experts and tech leaders share how COVID-19 fueled big changes and what's next. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
03 Mar 2021
Break down platforms via a service decomposition strategy
There's more than one way to break down a platform into microservices. This excerpt from 'Developing Microservice APIs with Python' explains one: decomposition by subdomains. Continue Reading
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News
18 Feb 2021
Amazon bolsters e-commerce for small business with Selz buy
Australian e-commerce platform Selz may have caught Amazon's attention because it employs Liquid, Shopify's template language, which will simplify migrations. Continue Reading
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News
08 Feb 2021
Adobe releases headless commerce developer tools
At its developer conference, Adobe debuts Experience Manager features to enable faster headless e-commerce deployments and GraphQL functionality for content personalization. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2021
Google launches a suite of retail AI products
Google released AI products for online retailers as the tech giant increases its focus on industry verticals. The new products are designed for small and large retailers. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2021
Capitol riots spark e-commerce terms of service enforcement
Shopify, Salesforce and Google take action in wake of Capitol riots, as adware and customer experience platforms play an uncomfortable role in political events and discourse. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Jan 2021
SAP Commerce Cloud dresses up digital storefronts
SAP Commerce Cloud is designed to help companies launch digital commerce sites, which may be useful for large enterprises and digital commerce sites with complex processes. Continue Reading
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News
15 Dec 2020
Efforts to break up big tech expected to continue under Biden
Antitrust forces expect the Biden administration to pursue federal antitrust litigation and lawmaking. But Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have strong ties to big tech. Continue Reading
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News
30 Oct 2020
Holiday e-commerce set to surge
Adobe looks at e-commerce trends to predict holiday buying, while Salesforce surveys thousands of B2B buyers and consumers about what motivates their buying choices. Continue Reading
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News
20 Oct 2020
Government action on big tech monopoly power moving quickly
Government antitrust actions are building against tech giants Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. They could lead to tighter regulation or even a breakup. Continue Reading
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News
08 Sep 2020
Salesforce e-commerce capabilities to expand with Mobify
Salesforce beefs up its headless e-commerce platform capabilities for enterprise retail customers with the acquisition of Mobify, a Canadian headless commerce hosting vendor. Continue Reading