Sharon O'Dell v5.1

Kwedit – bringing cash payors to e-commerce

February8

Kwedit is currently only for digital goods, however, their partnership with 7-11 Stores will create a new payment method that changes the landscape of online sales, especially using Kwedit Direct!

In the New York Times article “Buy Now, Pay Later (Maybe with your allowance), Kwedit bring online purchasing to the under-13 crowd, as well as a tipping point to add new buyer personas to e-commerce.

Currently, Kewdit is being used strictly for digital goods in children’s games, where they can make purchases of digital goods in the game using a promise to pay. As they do pay for the goods, their “kwedit” score goes up, allowing them to purchase more on a promise. Kwedit is reportedly seeking the “sweet spot” where the kewdit limit is not too high, but not low enough to discourage the purchases. At the same time, the digital goods sellers suffer no real loss for non-payment (except obviously their time in creating them).

The cooler part of this new platform is the potential in the future availability to add “Kwedit Direct” as a payment form for all other online transactions. According to the New York Times article, the buyer will be able to make a purchase online using the Kwedit account, then print out a bar code and take it to 7-11 to make a payment in person using their cash, or their credit or debit card.

This potentially increases online sales to those who have avoided buying online because they do not want to expose their bank account, credit or debit cards – or they simply do not have one.

This is an exciting opportunity for online merchants and worth watching as it rolls out!

posted under Internet Consumer Behavior, Internet Marketing, eCommerce | No Comments »

C-Level Executives – still in the dark on the value of Social Media!

January2

In an online article from Media Post, Robert Half Technology conducted a recent study and found that in regard to social networks, businesses complained that “time-sucking social networks hurt their productivity”.

“It takes away from primary responsibility,” Dave Knapp, regional vice president for Robert Half told the San Francisco Examiner. “When socializing on sites such as Facebook, we lose track of time.”

[Is he even SERIOUS? Makes you wonder what kind of people he thinks he employs!]

According to the study, other concerns of these companies included being worried about employees leaking sensitive information. The survey indicates an amazing 54 percent of these businesses block social networking sites.

So, in 2010 will these Corporate Giants realize the VALUE social media offers to their bottom line and be more creative in using it – or will they continue with the same old rhetoric of productivity losses?

The key issue here is simple: these companies lack the creativity to do what is best for their bottom line. In corporate environments C-level executives have an “all-or-nothing” mentality. Either ALL employees get access, or NONE get it. Why? They certainly have IT professionals on staff who can manage their server traffic. Why not give it to their recruiters and marketing department?

Leaking sensitive information? I don’t know about you, but that sounds like an excuse to me to continue the “norm”. After all, how many employees that are not a C-level do you know that have access to sensitive corporate data? My experience shows that answer to be “NONE”. If it is the C-level Executives you are worried about leaking it, then WHY are they in those positions? RHETORIC.

My Solution: Attend our Feb 18th, 2010 Seminar given by David Meerman Scott, a true Thought Leader!

Don’t use ‘attendance’ as your excuse, either!

We will be providing a LIVE STREAM of the event – and you can experience the power of social networking while you attend because we will have a live chat, Facebook and Twitter feeds! Our roving cameras will provide you with a front seat so it’s just like being there – and on breaks they will be talking to VIPs, Attendees and even our Presenter, David Meerman Scott!

C-level Executives! I challenge you to come get creative and increase your bottom line for the New Year!

Source: Media Post; SanFrancisco Examiner