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As web marketers seek new ways to boost conversion rates and improve their visitors' site experience, interest in multivariate testing is on a feverish rise. But those unfamiliar with the techniques are often unclear about where to start, or how to ensure success.
Common methods for running controlled experiments on Web sites range from simple
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Welcome to the world of "credit card shaving." Like mathematicians searching for the right formula, thieves painstakingly try out combinations of 16 digits until they come up with a series that fits someone's card number. They grab gift cards found in most grocery stores and craft their own credit card or debit card -- shaving numbers off the g
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To get a general idea of what comparable businesses are listed for, you can look somewhere like Business Valuation Resources. However, he cautions: "With a business like yours, seeking a strategic buyer, the usual multiples go out the door." Regardless of your industry, multiples are a very dangerous way to value a business, says Cathy J. Durham
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TowerGroup estimates that of the $97 billion worth of plastic gift cards purchased in 2007, nearly $8 billion has gone unused. Just what happens to that pile of cash has become a matter of some controversy. A lot of states—roughly half—claim that at least part of the unspent balances should go to them under their unclaimed-property laws. Other sta
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What's a small business owner to do if the current economic climate extends through 2008? Business consultants are busy weighing in on this question, so we rounded up some of their advice.
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This great article on tips to increase sales on your site come from an e-commerce veteran who eats sleeps and breathes sales for an upscale fashion retailer. Eileen is the Creative Director for IntermixOnline.com, which has retail stores in 20 major cites across the US. My favorite tip is to take advantage of "pause points."
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A century ago no one “dared speak its name.” Today, advertisers are eager to talk to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders. It is estimated that the gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender (GLBT) market in the US numbers approximately 15 million and represents annual purchasing power of $660 billion. ”With more disposable income and discretiona
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Each day, thousands of stories are submitted to Digg by its users, who often have vastly different reasons for submitting them. Some use Digg as just a personal bookmarking service, while others submit their own content in the hopes that it will get attention from others. Still others just want to share good, quality content with the world. In any
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Market research has the power to make or break any business idea you have. Luckily, the U.S. Census Bureau tracks just about every useful detail about our cities. Whereas it would normally be a major headache to sift through all of the data, I use a site that cuts down my research time to just a few minutes. Enter ZipSkinny.com, still in beta, w
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The House of Representatives approved legislation on Tuesday extending a moratorium on state Internet access taxes for seven years, sending the bill to the president to sign into law. Internet service providers say the price of Internet access could rise by as much as 17 percent if the moratorium on state taxes was allowed to expire.
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A coalition of consumer privacy groups is expected to propose the online equivalent of the Do Not Call list, reports Advertising Age. Groups including the Center for Democracy and Technology, Electronic Frontier Foundation and others, have announced a press conference for today. The groups are expected to propose changes to how advertisers disclos
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According to the Discover Small Business Watch, reports the DMA, economic confidence among small business owners continued to fall in October as many expressed increased pessimism about both the future of their own businesses and the US economy in general. The monthly survey of 1,000 small businesses with five or fewer employees shows that at 96.8
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According to the Arketi Group 2007 Web Watch Survey, 84 percent of journalists say they would or already have used blogs as a primary or secondary source for articles. 100% of those (journalists) surveyed say they rely on the Internet to help get their job done. One-quarter of journalists say blogs make their job easier, while 18 percent say insta
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According to the latest Annual Holiday Survey commissioned by Deloitte, gift cards are seen as the top gift purchase for four consecutive years, with 69 percent of the consumers planning to buy them this year, compared with only 66 percent in 2006. The respondents plan to buy an average of 5.5 cards, compared with the 4.6 cards last year, at $36.2
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