11 Exceptional E-commerce Entries For You to Enjoy: E-commerce Link Digest

This summer’s world tour finds me in Paris, the city of lights, this week, Big Thinkers, so I hope you won’t mind if I skip any setup and simply present these 11 exceptional e-commerce entries for you to enjoy. So, um… enjoy:

1. On the mobile front, WIRED wrote, “Microsoft Thinks the Smartphone Is Over. It’s Wrong.” They’re right.
2. Mobile Commerce Daily explains “Why a mobile loyalty program is imperative when selling to millennials” and says “Virgin Hotels turns mobile into shoppable Gap closet for guests.” Such a good idea.
3. The Future of Commerce asks, “Is your brand still stranded on Mobile Island?” Good question.
4. Thinks rounded up “The Top 15 Digital Marketing and E-commerce Posts of 2015 (So Far),” which is definitely worth checking out.
5. Marketing Charts asks an incredibly important question, “Which Digital Tools Impact Online Shoppers?”
6. Mobile Commerce Daily also notes, “Apple Pay’s launch in Britain advances mobile payments in mature market.”
7. eMarketer asks, and answers, “What Are 2015 High School Grads Glued to This Summer? YouTube.” Very true. We’d looked at this topic a bit in Episode 127 of Thinks Out Loud, which said, “2015’s Top Digital Trend: Online Video Arrives.”
8. On the visual trends front, Mobile Marketer has an interesting question, asking, “Are Snapchat, Facebook putting too big a focus on brands?” What do you think?
9. Speaking of trends, Quartz suggests that “Online food delivery ordering is about to overtake phone ordering in the US.”
10. And while we’re talking about trends, eMarketer states that when it comes to “Apparel Retailers and Ecommerce: Direct Marketers Dominate.” Clearly an opportunity here for retail brands.
11. Finally, while we’re talking about trends, don’t miss Episode 125 of Thinks Out Loud, “Breaking Down the Mary Meeker 2015 Internet Trends Report” and these “9 Killer Posts Featuring This Year’s Key Digital Marketing Trends” from our ongoing E-commerce Link Digest series. Outstanding stuff.

And, if you like this week’s list, why not check out other entries from our E-commerce Link Digest series, including these “9 Mind-Blowing Mobile and Social Commerce Posts,” these “11 Excellent E-Commerce Entries from the Past Week,” these “10 Damn-Good Digital Marketing Posts,” and this set of “6 Major Stories About Millennials and Mobile Commerce”?

Do you want learn even more about how your customers’ changing behavior shapes e-commerce and marketing? Be sure an register to receive a special report I’ve produced in conjunction with hotel marketing firm Vizergy, “Digital Hotel Marketing in a Multiscreen World.” While it’s targeted specifically at hotel and resort marketers, the lessons apply to just about any business. You can get your free copy of the report here.

You can also check out these slides and video from my recent webinar, “Digital Marketing Directions: Three Key Trends Driving Your Marketing Next Year”:

And, finally, you might want to take a look at some of our past coverage of the e-commerce, mobile commerce, and digital marketing overall, including:

• 10 Key Posts about Millennials and Mobile: E-commerce Link Digest
• The Secrets Behind “It’s All E-commerce” for 2014
• The Zen of Digital Marketing Strategy
• 7 Steps to E-Commerce Heaven
• Today and Tomorrow: Mobile and The Changing Customer Journey
• Mobile Makes E-commerce Even More “Frictionless”
• Your 2014 Internet Marketing New Year’s Resolutions – Thinks Out Loud Episode 56