Mind the URL for Storefront SEO
SEO takes work. It’s both an art and a science. When you finally achieve prominent page rank for great keywords, it’s essential to maintain that position long-term. But what if your URLs aren’t portable? What if you can’t take that page rank with you, when you switch technology providers?
Consider the case of Demandware clients, many who accept the URL generated by default. Retailers like Barneys New York, House of Fraser, Bare Escentuals, Sanrio, and Playmobil have their storefront URLs stuffed with non-essential elements, including the Demandware brand. Here are some examples: Read more
House of Fraser launches on Demandware
Demandware recently announced it had launched a new ecommerce site for House of Fraser, a UK-based department store. The site is gorgeous and employs many innovative AJAX-based merchandising features from the product display to shopping cart. It is not at all cookie-cutter in its appearance. You would hardly believe this came from a console provider.
While the site is on the Demandware platform, it is being managed by eCommera, a new UK-based ecommerce service provider OEM-ing Demandware’s platform. According to Gunnar Sigurdsson of the Bauger Group, “We have a joint venture with Sir Tom Hunter’s West Coast Capital that we call eCommera. It’s building a platform for our companies to establish their online operations through a centralized channel, so we can help them to access the best online platform and advice in a very efficient manner.”
House of Fraser had been running on the Venda platform. It is among the merchants in the Bauger Group, along with other notable UK retailers such as Hamleys.
Integration work was done by The Javelin Group with creative by LBi. By outsourcing design, technology and integration, I’m really not sure what remained for eCommera to do. I guess eCommera’s marketing team is still working on the press release.
HP selects Demandware for paid digital content
On-demand content meets on-demand ecommerce. According to a January 7 press release, Demandware and HP Digital Content Services have partnered up to help studios deliver paid digital content to consumers. Movies, television, games and music can be merchandised and sold using the combined platform.
Demandware will include analytics and site monitoring tools to track online activity. Willem de Zoete, VP/GM of Digital Content Services at HP, is quoted in the release stating, “Demandware’s platform will enable us to quickly deploy storefronts and scale with us as we grow.”
Availability for the combined solution is expected in the first half of 2008.
Last August, HP DCS had formalized a partnership with Ascent Media Group for post-production services to repurpose content for broadband and mobile distribution. Their alliance with AMG began in 2004, and has helped studios including Sony Pictures Entertainment and Paramount Pictures. Adding Demandware to this mix now promises a full end-to-end solution to producers of digital media who wish to monetize their content.
Now only if the writer’s strike would end.
Timberland launches UK site on Demandware
Demandware announced today that it had launched Timberland’s new European site, www.timberlandonline.co.uk, for shoppers in the United Kingdom. The site uses Demandware’s on-demand ecommerce platform. According to the press release, this is “part of Timberland’s strategic push into international markets.”
Timberland is also a client of GSI Commerce for its US site.