Search engines, as portals to locate products, services, information and community, continue their march toward destination of user choice. Whether it is a large, broad base, consumer targeted search engine, or a second- or third-tier niche targeted vertical engine, SE’s earn their user crede — and potential advertising revenues — step by step. They’ve focused on building their muscle in data warehousing, getting sticky with personalized feeds based on previous user behaviors, expanding their content distribution networks, and offering multimedia plus localized Universal Search Results … without being asked in the search box.

Ever since Tim O’Reilly, technology promoter and publisher, coined the term Web 2.0 for next gen web sites that encourage user-generated content, e-commerce site managers have been exhorted to develop tools for user feedback, user reviews, user ratings of content and user collaboration. The Web 2.0 trend toward more user-generated content, which is often tucked under the label of Social Media, just got another strong push.

Trusted Site and Trusted Users X 30

From surveys conducted by the live entertainment, half-price ticket seller Goldstar, which serves multiple audiences (show producers, venue managers, customer/attendees), online customers were more influenced to purchase tickets by positive user reviews at the web site than they were dissuaded by an expert critic’s negative review. Thirty times more influenced!

5 Ideas to Cut Freight Costs and Boost Your Bottom Line

Jason Konkel

Manager, Supply Chain Operations

GENCO Marketplace

It’s hard to be an expert at everything. But as a small business owner, it could sure help. Take shipping. Every extra dollar you pay for freight eats into your profit margin. Here are some tips to help you reign in freight costs and boost your bottom line.

1) Understand different trucking services and how they are priced

There are lots of ways to move freight, but liquidation loads are shipped primarily by two types of ground freight.

• Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) Carriers are trucking companies that combine smaller shipments from multiple companies on the same truck and make multiple deliveries. These goods move through a network of terminals on route to their final destination. At each terminal, the shipment may be taken off one truck and transferred to another that is loaded with goods destined for the same region. LTL is used by companies without the volume to move full truckloads.

People who shop regularly at discount and dollar stores are well aware that in exchange for their super savings they may grudgingly be forced to sacrifice the name brands they’ve readily become accustomed to. Brands, that at the end of the day offers a sense of familiarity and consistency in a week that may too often be filled with a sort of, controlled chaos if you will. Just imagine the projected spike in sales if such stores stocked a number of officially licensed products alongside their name brand counterparts. Well, thanks to Four Seasons General Merchandise, this dream is easily made a reality.

If you have been searching for the best quality leather products at the most competitive prices, then look no further. Pro-Rider Leather Wholesale has spent much of the last year developing a user friendly website to offer their unbeatable prices and top of line wholesale leather products available online.

When asked about the recent changes to the website, owner Saleem Shaikh says “Our mission is simple: to provide the best products and service to our customers at the lowest prices possible. We take great pride in our company, our commitment to customer service and in the products we sell. Our online store is designed to provide you with a safe and secure environment to browse our product catalog.” To protect their resellers, Pro-Rider Leather does not publish their prices online and you must submit a Resale Tax ID when requesting a catalog.

Yahoo! CEO Jerry Yang was scolded this week by a Congressional Committee for sacrificing democracy and free speech for commercial gains.

Given all the heat generated by the issue of net neutrality for U.S. Internet users — now tied into immunity from prosecution that U.S. telecommunications providers are demanding for breaking laws on wiretapping without FISA warrants for the government — the only surprise in this Congressional tongue lashing is that it does not involve a United States citizen. It’s about China.

The Chinese government maintains strict censorship over all forms of speech and communications on Chinese soil. So, when government censors wanted to shut down two Chinese Internet users who advocated for democratic reforms and rights of free speech, they contacted the ISP these two nationals were using as a democratic soapbox and they demanded the Yahoo! users’ identities. Presumably, Yahoo! was offered something in exchange, such as permission to operate in China’s heavily regulated playing field.

According to comScore’s tracking of online retail in the U.S., online sales jumped 23% from July to September 2007, over the same third-quarter sales reported in 2006. Forrester Research analyst Sucharita Mulpuru, quoted in E-Commerce Times, noted that the 20-percent-plus growth rate for online retail outstripped the rest of the retail industry.

ComScore found that a soft 1Q 2007 in online retail simply mirrored a weakness in offline retail at the same time. But in the following two quarters, heading into the holiday season for 2007, online sales have resumed their growth rate of 20% or better.

The top performer in increased online sales was, predictably, online gaming, with the 2007 release of new Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation 3 consoles, plus the hot “Halo 3” game.