/ Technology

The U.S. Census Bureau confirmed on May 15 that online sales were continuing stronger than offline sales in the first quarter: E-commerce sales had grown 13.6%, while total retail sales were up 2.8%. Though not the torrid online growth of prior years, many felt it was good growth in a troubled economy.

/ Technology

In the long-simmering battle between states and Internet merchants over the collection of sales tax, New York upped the ante in April when it amended its sales tax law to cover sales by out-of-state online retailers who get customers through New York-based affiliate sites. But Amazon and Overstock say they won’t let the state cut into their profit margins without a fight.

/ E-Retailers

More complex sites present new performance challenges

/ Marketing

/ Technology

ForeSee Results measures the top online retailers’ success in making browsers happy and enticing them to consider a purchase.

/ Technology

It’s an ongoing saga. CyberSource reports the latest efforts by e-retailers to keep fraud at bay.

/ Technology

Delayed gratification is the rule when it comes to recognizing revenue from an online sale.

To integrate or not is the question when e-retailers make acquisitions.

/ Marketing

Some retailers are setting sail for international sales but taking two very different routes.

Online toy sellers dig deep into the box to compete with the big chains.

Anywhere, anytime: the new benchmark for taking and fulfilling customer requests.

/ Technology

Language remains a barrier to reaching online Hispanic shoppers. The question: How big a barrier?

/ Technology

With more than 200 web storefronts, CSN’s recipe for success: Niche the sites, unify the back-end.

/ E-Retailers

Drop shipping expands a merchant’s offerings, but not without a lot of homework. Here’s how some e-retailers manage drop-ship relationships.

/ Technology

While shoppers can find almost any wine online, retailers fight to ensure it can be bought there.

In addition to papers, pens and personal computers, OfficeDepot.com is now offering its business customers Google marketing and business tools including Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs and the ability to create free online business listings that appear in Google search results.

With Microsoft’s new Internet Explorer 8, consumers can shop ‘til they drop, then take a ‘webslice’ along for the ride.

FootSmart.com’s sales rose 46% year-over-year in the first quarter to about $21 million, following a series of enhancements including behavioral target marketing, customer reviews and alternative payment options.

By 2015, consumers expect more ways to connect with online retailers, including via mobile phones and online shopping communities. But consumer preferences for such options vary widely among international markets, TNS Retail Forward reports.

Launched as a phone-order retailer of medicines and other pet supplies, PetMed Express is finding that what’s best for its own health is the web. It now processes nearly two-thirds of its sales through the Internet.

Hitting all the right notes on its e-commerce site to drive sales up 30% through May, Musicnotes is playing out a strategy of building its web content and customer service. It also plans to at least double its number of downloadable songs in sheet music and guitar tablature.

Take a close look at all the data in the new Top 500 Guide, and you’ll soon understand why we produce such a massive data book on a segment of the retail market that accounts for only 6.3% of total retail sales.

By watching expenses and generating more sales from repeat customers, web retailers are bullish about their business.

E-retailing entrepreneurs talk about what they’ve learned from the Internet school of hard knocks.

/ Marketing

Why merchants should—and how they can—make their web sites accessible to the blind.

Search marketing is more competitive than ever. Retailers must stay on top of the latest techniques if they are going to spend their search money wisely.

Online retailers can reduce payment-processing costs in many ways, and more cost-saving options are coming. But more alternatives means it’s more important than ever for retailers to know how to play the game.

The temperature is rising so it’s time to start thinking about Christmas. Here’s what some retailers are doing to make sure they are ready for the rush.

2007 may have witnessed the start of a down economy, but not for web merchants. The top 500 uniformly outperformed the retail market.