The last two weeks have seen the launch of Frame Express’ brand new website.

The site, which can be found at http://www.pictureframesexpress.co.uk/, has been a real labour of love. HeadRed have worked closely with the client for the past few months ensuring their new site meets exceptionally high testing standards. The finished product is a highly polished, beautifully designed, user friendly system that provides the ultimate online picture framing experience.

As was the case with its predecessor the new site sells a wide range of picture frames, picture frame mounts and picture frame supplies, but where the real customer value lies is in our tailor-made Express Designer system.

Users can upload their own images to frame and can customise their purchase to their required size, design and mount. The Express Designer guides the customer through the buying process, ensuring that their route to purchase is as streamlined as possible.

Frame Express have always seen a positive level of online sales, but the new site is hoped to further accelerate their profitability and strengthen their position in the online picture framing market.

Visit the site now at http://www.pictureframesexpress.co.uk/

Some 57% of online shoppers would be less likely to buy from a brand offline if they experienced problems online, according to research by Harris Interactive and Tealeaf Technology.

The study of more than 2,000 online consumers, conducted in August, found 89% believe online customer service should the same level or better than shopping in store.

It also revealed that 49% who experience problems with online transactions would abandon or switch the transaction to another site – up from 37% the previous year. Some 87% also believe there’s no reason why an online transaction can’t be completed on the first try.

These statistics illustrate how important the quality and reliability of your e-commerce solution are to consumers. A faulty, inefficient website could lose you vast amounts of revenue both online and in-store.

It just goes to show that if you’re looking to embark on the journey into online retail it’s imperative your first steps are taken with as much care and diligence as you’d give your bricks-and-mortar counterpart.

UK online sales of DVDs, books and music are set to grow to £2.02bn by 2009, according to Jupiter Research. Its research into European commerce forecasts online sales in this area will increase by £320m from £1.7bn in 2007 to £2.02bn by the start of 2009.

Figures such as these can only illustrate further the growing potential that e-commerce can offer traditional retailers. By selling online your company can gain access to a huge pool of ever-expanding revenue.

Whilst this particular example focuses on low-level, entertainment-based purchases, it paints a very rosy picture of the amount of money people are now willing to spend online. With growing broadband proliferation and heightened financial security measures consumers are happier than ever to turn their capitalist interests to the web.

Plus, given the state of the UK weather you can hardly blame them for doing so.

With Christmas approaching there’s no better time to take advantage of the online marketplace – contact HeadRed today and we can help you take your first steps in the world of Internet retailing.

An early poll done by retail specialist, Actinic, into Christmas trading results has found continued growth in shopping online. Respondents reported a 27% rise in the number of customers buying online at Christmas compared to the same period in 2006. They also reported an even greater increase in internet revenues at 46% – indicating that not only are more people shopping online, but they are spending more as well.

The poll also found e-commerce making a greater proportional contribution to the bottom line compared with other channels. Companies trading both online and offline, reported that on average, just over 50% of sales in November and December were made online, compared with only 30% in 2006.

According to Actinic CEO Chris Barling, the results show that growth in online spending remains remarkably buoyant.

“Considering the effects of the US credit crunch, the Northern Rock crisis and the general overall decline in confidence, 46% is remarkable growth and continues the rise and rise of online retailing.” – he says.

In all, over half of retailers who responded were very confident that online sales would continue to increase in 2008.

Cheaper broadband and faster Internet access are boosting spending online to an expected £40 billion in 2007.

The figure comes from price comparison website, Uswitch, and is based on the data taken from official Office for National Statistics retail numbers.

Uswitch predicts that the UK’s online spending will further rise to £162 billion by 2020, when it will make up 40 per cent of total retail sales.

Meanwhile, almost three-quarters of consumers (74%) will use the Internet or mail order to help with their Christmas shopping this year, according to the Annual Christmas Retail Survey published by business advisory firm Deloitte.

Two thirds (66%) of consumers will research or purchase goods online compared to half of the population (51%) last year.

Use of the Internet for the bulk of Christmas shopping has also doubled to 14% in 2007 from seven per cent in 2006.

Further details can be found on Deloitte’s website

The accolades just keep coming for Belt:Me. Not content with their “site of the week” award, nor their recent feature in the glossy girls magazine “More”, Belt:Me has taken to the airwaves.

If you tuned into Kerrang! Radio last week you might of heard our fearless leader, ‘Belt-man’ Liam, on the breakfast show with Tim Shaw and Kate Lawler.

Belt:Me was featured as part of their “Steve the Egg” campaign and we kindly donated 20 Steve the Egg belts to Kerrang! for their competition. So if you were lucky enough to win one of our belts, congratulations, and if not then you can always just buy one like everyone else!

Visit the Belt:Me site.