If you pay attention to search engines news, and you should if you are involved in an e-commerce business, you might have noticed that Yahoo’s search results are no longer their own. They are Google’s. Up until October 10th, Yahoo pulled its search results first from its own directory listings and then subsequently from Google companies. Now, Yahoo pulls their search results exclusively from Google. See for yourself. Run an identical search on Yahoo and Google and you will see that the results are the same. The only difference is that the first few results on Yahoo are still Sponsor Matches, pulled directly from top ranked sites at Overture.

So, now, the obvious question is should you continue to pay $299 annually to be listed in Yahoo’s directory or, if you are not yet listed in their directory, is it a good idea to pay $299 to be included?

You might want to use the following test. Using the results of your website analytics stats, take the past month’s traffic that originated at Yahoo, multiply that amount by 12 and then divide that into $299. This will give you your cost per visitor. You can then decide if that cost is worth it based on your site’s traffic volume.

So, how does this affect you? The key to higher listings on Yahoo is to have higher listings on Google, which in itself is extremely important. So, top Google listings are now even more of a holy grail than they were just a few months ago. Are you wondering how to get a top Google ranking? You might consider contracting a search engine optimization company. If you are a “do it yourself” type of person, there are various articles published on the web that you should consider reading. We recommend the search engine optimization book published by Planet Ocean Communications at http://www.planetocean.com.

Amazon.com recently launched a free Super Saver shipping campaign and saw its sales rise 33% for the 3rd quarter as a result. Their Super Saver campaign offers free shipping on all orders above $25. As an online merchant, you should consider the effect your shipping charges have on your sales, and look to ways to use shipping as a tool to encourage customer-purchasing behavior. Be certain to have your shipping policy clearly worded and easily accessible. Finally, let your customers see their shipping charges early in the shopping experience. Having an attractive shipping structure can have a profound impact on sales.

Economic downturn? Recession? Bah-humbug! GartnerG2 research predicts that this will be the best holiday online shopping season ever, with sales expected to jump 48% from last year. In addition, they have predicted that 1/4 of all holiday sales will occur online this year. Why? Customers are realizing that it is more convenient than going to the malls. They can shop from the convenience of their home or office 24 hours a day, get better prices than offline stores, and visit multiple stores in a matter of minutes saving a significant amount of time.

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