<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><!--RSS generated by Windows SharePoint Services V3 RSS Generator on 7/31/2010 6:49:33 AM--><?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="/blog/_layouts/RssXslt.aspx?List=5c317361-fe96-4521-a0c9-f3d9d7ded8fc" version="1.0"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Cactus Blog</title><link>http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog</link><description>RSS feed for the Posts list.</description><lastBuildDate>Sat, 31 Jul 2010 10:49:32 GMT</lastBuildDate><generator>SharePoint CKS:EBE</generator><ttl>60</ttl><image><title>Cactus Blog</title><url>http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/_layouts/images/homepage.gif</url><link>http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog</link></image><item><title>Top 5 Tips For Ensuring Successful E-commerce Development</title><link>http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/Top-5-Tips-For-Ensuring-Successful-Ecommerce-Development.aspx</link><guid>/blog/Top-5-Tips-For-Ensuring-Successful-Ecommerce-Development.aspx</guid><description><![CDATA[
In the lull before starting full development on the next iteration of CommerceLive, I thought it would be useful to share some observations I've gathered over the course of the development process.
I'm also going to tie this in with my observations from the Internet Retailer conference last month ... (More)]]></description><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Cam Stevenson</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:42:00 GMT</pubDate><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/CommerceLive/default.aspx">CommerceLive</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/research/default.aspx">research</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/e-commerce/default.aspx">e-commerce</category></item><item><title>Big Brands Notice Social Gaming</title><link>http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/big-brands-notice-social-gaming.aspx</link><guid>/blog/big-brands-notice-social-gaming.aspx</guid><description><![CDATA[
When you think about the online gaming community, you may think about the traditional demographic of young males playing Xbox or PlayStation. However there is a new growing segment that is making big brands take notice – the ‘casual’ player. Social gaming is the fastest-growing segment in the vide ... (More)]]></description><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Wanda Cadigan</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:58:00 GMT</pubDate><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/marketing/default.aspx">marketing</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/social media/default.aspx">social media</category></item><item><title>What is User Experience?</title><link>http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/what-is-user-experience.aspx</link><guid>/blog/what-is-user-experience.aspx</guid><description><![CDATA[
You may think that I get that question quite often. As a matter of fact, I can't remember the last time it was brought up by anyone in my work environment.
Wikipedia states that &quot;User eXperience (UX) refers to the interaction of a person with a system, including their actions and perceptions ... (More)]]></description><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Caroline Zenss</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:01:00 GMT</pubDate><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/user experience/default.aspx">user experience</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/web design/default.aspx">web design</category></item><item><title>Fashion Magazines Offer Advertisers New Ways to Reach Readers</title><link>http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/fashion-magazines-offer-advertisers-new-ways-to-reach-readers.aspx.aspx</link><guid>/blog/fashion-magazines-offer-advertisers-new-ways-to-reach-readers.aspx.aspx</guid><description><![CDATA[Some fashion magazines are using multi-media and mobile technologies to create additional opportunities to help advertisers reach consumers via Web and mobile platforms. According to a recent article by Lauren Indvik at Mashable.com, fashion magazines lost nearly a quarter of their ad pages in 2009. ... (More)]]></description><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Melany Gallant</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:22:00 GMT</pubDate><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/e-commerce/default.aspx">e-commerce</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/marketing/default.aspx">marketing</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/mobile/default.aspx">mobile</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/social media/default.aspx">social media</category></item><item><title>Social Tools Influence Online Purchases</title><link>http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/social-tools-influence-online-purchases.aspx</link><guid>/blog/social-tools-influence-online-purchases.aspx</guid><description><![CDATA[
Social tools have become an important part of a retailer’s online strategy. It’s an exciting new way to engage customers. For the consumer it’s a way to share their online experiences. The Facebook ‘Like’ button has proven to be a popular tool with sites like Levis, who were one of the first to im ... (More)]]></description><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Antonella Pannizzo</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:26:00 GMT</pubDate><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/e-commerce/default.aspx">e-commerce</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/social media/default.aspx">social media</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/marketing/default.aspx">marketing</category></item><item><title>Ready for Back-to-School?</title><link>http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/2010/07/06/Ready-for-back-to-school.aspx</link><guid>/blog/archive/2010/07/06/Ready-for-back-to-school.aspx</guid><description><![CDATA[
After the July 4th long weekend, many retailers turn their thoughts to the Back-to-School season. And Back-to-School is big business. According to a NRF study, last year’s Back-to-School holiday spending total was $47.5 billion, second only to Winter Holiday spending category. Over at the Google R ... (More)]]></description><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Wanda Cadigan</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:50:00 GMT</pubDate><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/CommerceLive/default.aspx">CommerceLive</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/e-commerce/default.aspx">e-commerce</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/search engine optimization/default.aspx">search engine optimization</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/social media/default.aspx">social media</category></item><item><title>Enhancing Search with Ratings &amp; Reviews</title><link>http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/2010/07/02/enhancing-search-with-ratings-and-reviews.aspx</link><guid>/blog/archive/2010/07/02/enhancing-search-with-ratings-and-reviews.aspx</guid><description><![CDATA[
User generated ratings and reviews are extremely important in e-commerce. Empowering consumers to make more informed choices by providing access to others feedback is generally accepted as a very good business practice.
And now businesses can extend the value of that user generated content beyond ... (More)]]></description><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Wanda Cadigan</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 09:15:00 GMT</pubDate><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/analytics/default.aspx">analytics</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/e-commerce/default.aspx">e-commerce</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/search engine optimization/default.aspx">search engine optimization</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/user generated content/default.aspx">user generated content</category></item><item><title>The Evolution of Loyalty Programs</title><link>http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/2010/07/02/the-evolution-of-loyalty-programs.aspx</link><guid>/blog/archive/2010/07/02/the-evolution-of-loyalty-programs.aspx</guid><description><![CDATA[
The rapid adoption of location based services such as Foursquare, Gowalla, etc, provides indication that both users and businesses see the potential benefits of such services, specifically around loyalty.A new site launched recently called Topguest, gives you real reward points from some of your f ... (More)]]></description><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Antonella Pannizzo</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 02 Jul 2010 10:54:00 GMT</pubDate><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/e-commerce/default.aspx">e-commerce</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/social media/default.aspx">social media</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/marketing/default.aspx">marketing</category></item><item><title>Ratings &amp; Reviews: Harnessing the “Amazon Effect”</title><link>http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/2010/06/25/ratings-and-reviews-harnessing-the-amazon-effect.aspx.aspx</link><guid>/blog/archive/2010/06/25/ratings-and-reviews-harnessing-the-amazon-effect.aspx.aspx</guid><description><![CDATA[Offering a ratings and review system on your e-commerce site can be an effective way to get your customers to champion your brand. It also offers you the opportunity to actively engage those customers in dialogue about what they like, and what they dislike, about your products and services. For SEO  ... (More)]]></description><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Melany Gallant</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:01:00 GMT</pubDate><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/CommerceLive/default.aspx">CommerceLive</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/e-commerce/default.aspx">e-commerce</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/marketing/default.aspx">marketing</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/social media/default.aspx">social media</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/user generated content/default.aspx">user generated content</category></item><item><title>IRCE 2010 - Renewed Energy in Retail</title><link>http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/2010/06/29/irce-2010-renewed-energy-in-retail.aspx</link><guid>/blog/archive/2010/06/29/irce-2010-renewed-energy-in-retail.aspx</guid><description><![CDATA[I remember thinking at IRCE last year, that despite the economic climate, retailers were generally upbeat, especially when it came to e-Commerce.  Comparison really puts things in perspective for you … this year felt like full steam ahead, everything looks great!
The show boasted:


6400 Attende ... (More)]]></description><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Donna Remillard</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:32:00 GMT</pubDate><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/e-commerce/default.aspx">e-commerce</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/mobile/default.aspx">mobile</category><category domain="http://www.cactuscommerce.com/blog/archive/tags/social media/default.aspx">social media</category></item></channel></rss>