Simon R.

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Why Google+ is so Important for your Business

Simon R. posted an article on - Nov 13, 2011, 5:15 pm
As everyone knows Google+ launched the long awaited business pages last week. It was interesting to watch everyone test the waters where almost everyone raced to get their page live but really only the content based (TV, Radio and other news) business have leverage it heavily. Sure it is anoth...
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Building Customer Stories with Social Media

Simon R. posted an article on - Nov 10, 2011, 10:36 pm
A very interesting use of social media that shows how to drive unexpected customer delight.  Engagement with a brand is all about building stories with them and although they talk about the impressions as if it was a campaign at the end of the video the real win here is the long term emotional co...
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Shopping Cart Improvements

Simon R. posted an article on - Oct 19, 2011, 10:23 pm
I am going to shamelessly steal a great video / ad from Google Analytics to prove a point and that is that we, as an industry, still suck at taking money from people when they really want to give it to us. Simply put we focus on the wrong things, we look to cross sell, get email sign-ups...
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Thanks Steve

Simon R. posted an article on - Oct 5, 2011, 10:51 pm
The true legacy of ones life is not told by the millions of dollars you have but the millions of lives you have touched.  I never knew the man personally but can say that his passion for life, excellence and perfection helped shape the leader I am today. The world lost today not because we lost som...
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The Ultimate Google Analytics Study Guide

Simon R. posted an article on - Sep 27, 2011, 12:20 am
For those of you that have worked with me, heard me speak or have read the blog you know I am a big believer in open analytics within the organization.  The concept of open analytics is simple: instead of having a small group controlling the tools, as well as, the analysis and reports you ensur...
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Finding an Extra Week a Year - What will you do with it?

Simon R. posted an article on - Sep 25, 2011, 11:24 pm
What would you do if all of a sudden you had a extra week to get those high value projects done.  We all have those meetings where we wonder why we are there and, often, these "regular" meetings happen just because they always have with no real value.  This is where it gets crazy, an hour a week i...
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Driving User Experience Through Content Creation

Simon R. posted an article on - Aug 10, 2011, 11:09 pm
I was reading a business plan the other day that I had helped build for a telecom company in India ten years back and it amazed me how much that we had come in our connected lives.  Ten years back TV was still the major media and we used cell phones to call people not interact with the greater worl...
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Motivating Teams in eCommerce

Simon R. posted an article on - Aug 8, 2011, 11:04 pm
I have had the chance to build some great teams in the eCommerce world and have talked a few times that winning in eCommerce is all about talent. (This I Believe) eCommerce isn't about building great technology it is about building great teams that know how to leverage the technology to new levels....
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How are you using Google+

Simon R. posted an article on - Aug 7, 2011, 5:51 pm
Interesting in how Google+ is fitting into my online life.  I am using it to get out micro bits of info I used to save up for my blog and finding that it is a great way to discover new information (it would be even better with a search function but I bet that is what social search will be for). How...
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Why Sometimes You Need to be Different

Simon R. posted an article on - Jul 26, 2011, 9:52 pm
There is nothing wrong with bench-marking, comparing and trying to keep up with your competitors but you also need to make sure you are taking time to do something different once in a while.  Be the leader and have someone follow you for once! This isn't the secret sauce or the...
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The Idea of Incremental Development

Simon R. posted an article on - Jul 23, 2011, 7:32 pm
Why is it that we often think it has to be different to be a winner, you can be very successful in eCommerce product management by taking an incremental approach.  I am not suggesting that you need to slowly improve your product but everything doesn't have to be different to win. Build things that ...
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Do what you love and love what you do

Simon R. posted an article on - Jul 4, 2011, 6:53 pm
Life is too short to not love what you do, find something you can embrace and don`t let go.  You will know you are in the right spot when what you do doesn`t seem like work, it inspires you to push further and harder.  In the end money can`t be the reason you do what you do, it needs to be about t...
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Why Waste Time With Social Media?

Simon R. posted an article on - Jun 29, 2011, 10:50 pm
More and more we are being asked what is the ROI of social media and how we can drive sales from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Insert Newest Social Media Site Here?  I truly believe this is driving the wrong behavior as companies build out their social commerce strategies.  It can not be ...
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What is a Win When Building a World Class Website?

Simon R. posted an article on - Jun 24, 2011, 9:46 pm
We often talk about wins but what really is a win?  To be a successful online business a win just can't be a big one, especially in the agile world we live in.  Celebrate the little things that move your business forward - finding a bug that is hurting the customer experience and fixing it, impr...
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A Testing Tool for Your Online Tool Chest

Simon R. posted an article on - Jun 24, 2011, 1:41 am
We always talk about leveraging the customer more in our day to day development of the user experience and, often, we spend big dollars putting together panels or usability sessions that often leave us with more questions than answers. Bryan Eisenberg introduced me (thanks!) to a great tool - Us...
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Blogger has Major Changes Coming in 2011

Simon R. posted an article on - Mar 14, 2011, 3:49 pm
Blogger has been one of those quiet products for Google but has continued to grow and is still the #1 blogging platform in the world.  Seems that in 2011 they are going to make some major changes to advance the product. Should be interesting to watch as these roll out.
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Google TV in Canada Update #2

Simon R. posted an article on - Feb 27, 2011, 11:23 pm
So interest seems higher than ever for Google TV in Canada, at least according to traffic on my blog, yet no news on when it is officially coming to Canada (Which really means when it will be integrated with traditional TV content providers and when some additional apps will become available). &#...
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Should we pay more for Internet in Canada?

Simon R. posted an article on - Jan 30, 2011, 12:05 am
The CRTC has made a decision that allows for (and in some cases will force the smaller players that buy in bulk from the major carriers to use) metered Internet usage.  While this doesn't mean that we will see higher charges tomorrow it does hurt competition which is never a good thing for the con...
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Fast Failure - Why we all need to embrace it

Simon R. posted an article on - Jan 24, 2011, 4:11 pm
I talk about fast failure a lot and how important it is to be failing regularly to be successful. Here is a great example of how Honda looks at failure at and, I believe that, it shows how their culture of embracing failure is a key part of their success. Remember: When you fail, fai...
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Great Video for a Monday Morning

Simon R. posted an article on - Jan 24, 2011, 10:52 am
WORDS from Everynone on Vimeo. from Derek Dikdik
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How to Win in Business

Simon R. posted an article on - Jan 3, 2011, 7:51 pm
I have been doing alot of thinking lately on what winning means in business especially in the online world.  I think that we often believe that Google, Facebook, Youtube, Groupon etc were home runs but what I would propose is that these companies were not created with a single big win but a serie...
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Google TV in Canada Update

Simon R. posted an article on - Jan 1, 2011, 1:29 pm
There seems to be a ton of interest for Google TV in Canada, based on the traffic from my last post Google TV in Canada a Primer so I thought it would be good to give an update from a Google TV user in Canada. Over the past few months Google has been busy making the product better with addition...
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Two more great Brainstorming Videos

Simon R. posted an article on - Dec 30, 2010, 6:09 pm
As a follow-up to the brainstorming post - Great Videos for Brainstorming Sessions - Videos That Help You Think - here are two additional videos that really show how behaviour can be influenced through great design.
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Great Videos for Brainstorming Sessions - Videos That Help You Think

Simon R. posted an article on - Dec 14, 2010, 12:33 am
This past week I was able to lead a three day brainstorming session.  One of the things we wanted to do was encourage out of the box thinking so we used a series of videos throughout the days to reset the brain, make people think, see how far we have come or just plain laugh.  I was surprised ho...
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Mobile: Where should you focus - site vs apps

Simon R. posted an article on - Nov 27, 2010, 1:49 pm
It seems that everyone is racing to be #1 in mobile, with smartphones and tablets taking off everyone is prediciting that the mobile space is the next great battleground and that if you are already not investing heavily in this space you may have already lost. But the question is what should b...
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Flyers, Flyers Everywhere - But Does Anyone Care? (Or Why Canadian Retailers are Missing a Major Opportunity this Christmas)

Simon R. posted an article on - Nov 21, 2010, 7:11 pm
The first week of Nov, I was at my in-laws just outside of Ottawa, and was shocked to see the number of flyers neatly stuffed into the Flyer Force delivery bag. Over 32 different flyers, including multiple for the same stores (Sears, Walmart, Loblaws and ToyRUs all had more than one).  It was e...
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Newspapers Are Old News -- Take-51,067

Simon R. posted an article on - Nov 7, 2010, 5:03 pm
I’d like to start this post with a quick thank-you to Simon for sharing this platform with me. I’ve been following his blog ever since I first interviewed with him and have found some of the topics covered here to be very enlightening – so joining him is quite an honour for me. To be perfect...
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Google TV in Canada - A Primer

Simon R. posted an article on - Oct 31, 2010, 10:07 pm
I was able to pick up Google TV last week in Dallas and I guess I was lucky as the Best Buy where I purchased it is having a hard time keeping them in stock.  From the full demo, at the store, it will be incredible to have the ability to have a full converged environment with your TV and onlin...
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Some Inspiration for a Rainy Sunday Afternoon

Simon R. posted an article on - Oct 24, 2010, 2:47 pm
Surfing on Youtube this afternoon and I came across YouTube Play which happen last week at the Guggenheim on the 21st of Oct. Some really cool inspirational work that makes you think. Next time you have an hour to spare spend some time exploring the Youtube Play site or watching the event. Creativ...
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The Evolving Shift Family Expands

Simon R. posted an article on - Oct 20, 2010, 11:27 pm
As you all know I am very passionate about building out how companies leverage eCommerce.  To that point I figured it was time to introduce some additional voices to the Evolving Shift family to provide some different perspectives (and help keep me on my toes).  I am very excited to introduce Rick...
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Is This How Your Company Treats Social Media?

Simon R. posted an article on - Oct 18, 2010, 4:18 pm
As funny as these are many companies still treat social media as a thing they need to do because it is the buzz today vs that they need to do it because they can A. Listen to how their brand is perceived by consumers online; B. Engage consumers in an active media that isn't possible in traditional...
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Can You Really Afford to Piss Off 8% of Users

Simon R. posted an article on - Oct 17, 2010, 5:36 pm
I am continually shocked by two things over the past year when it comes to browser compatibility.  First is that so many sites just don't work when using Google Chrome and more often that not of late it is when I get to the checkout that the site just won't work.  Second is that most of these sit...
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Measuring Online Impact In The Stores

Simon R. posted an article on - Oct 16, 2010, 7:41 pm
I just got back from Copenhagen and Munich were I had the opportunity to speak to eCommerce professionals at two different conferences.  One of the points that I focused on was the importance of engaging your consumer in the ways that they want to be engaged (What they want, where they want, when ...
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Looking for Superstar Product Managers - Join the Travelocity team and help us transform the business

Simon R. posted an article on - Sep 13, 2010, 10:16 pm
We are looking for some eCommerce superstars to join us in Southlake to help transform how Travelocity services the consumer through our industry leading sites. If you have a passion for delivering world class user experiences and a drive to make great things happen we want to talk with you. ...
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Love What You Do

Simon R. posted an article on - Aug 8, 2010, 6:25 pm
Sitting at a cottage today and everyone is inside because it is raining, people were either taking a nap or reading that latest novel - me I'm reading a book on Site Experience and sketching ideas in my trusty book. Why?  Because I truly love what I do. Great slogan on a hat I have from Life...
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Easy Ways to Access the Voice of the Customer

Simon R. posted an article on - Aug 4, 2010, 10:58 pm
My wife and I had an interesting experience over the last couple of weeks. We purchased some really nice bed sheets (Egyptian Cotton Warehouse) that had to be shipped up from the US.  The company uses UPS and delivery was really fast (about 4 days - which is better than most times when we order f...
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Going Viral Doesn't Always Make Things Better - Why You Still Need to be Smart with Social Media

Simon R. posted an article on - Jul 25, 2010, 10:45 pm
Image via WikipediaEveryone has seen that the very successful viral campaign for Old Spice has been a bust where it counts - the bottom line.  Sales for the targeted product- Red Zone body wash are down 7% over the last 52 weeks but this doesn't seem to match with the unbelievable viral success o...
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Taking Time for Yourself - Being a Better Leader

Simon R. posted an article on - Jun 14, 2010, 5:02 pm
I just got back from an amazing trip taking a tour around the ring road in Iceland, it was an incredible time of exploring landscapes that you just can't see anywhere else in the world.  Not only was this an experience of a lifetime but it was amazing how you reset during a trip like this.  It...
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Shop.org Retailers Dinner - May 19th - Toronto

Simon R. posted an article on - May 1, 2010, 5:05 pm
Great news for all of us in the Canadian eCommerce Industry, on May 19th Shop.org is (finally- thanks Scott) having their first event in Canada.  This retailers only dinner will be a great chance for us to network as an industry and talk about how we can continue to grow our businesses but even m...
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We are Hiring at Travelocity.ca

Simon R. posted an article on - Apr 13, 2010, 10:12 am
It is exciting times at Travelocity.ca where we are looking to take the business to the next level.  To help do this we are looking for 3 superstars to join the team.  If you have a passion for eCommmerce and travel plus a drive to build a business to number 1 in the industry then this is the plac...
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Managing Contacts Across your Social Graph - Gist.com Gets it Right

Simon R. posted an article on - Mar 10, 2010, 11:21 pm
It seems that everyday a new social platform is coming out and with it comes the connections, followers and the unwieldy task of managing this across all of different ways we now have to communicate. The other day Bryan Eisenberg suggested I try out a new tool call Gist and all I can say is t...
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Google's Play for Control of the Business App Market - Launches Google Apps Marketplace

Simon R. posted an article on - Mar 10, 2010, 1:02 am
We all know of Apple's success in selling apps, but many don't know of Google's focus on taking control of the application market for business.  Google Apps has been around for a while and, according to Google, now has over 25 million users in over 2 million business and universities as well as 100...
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What Every Business Needs to be Doing on Twitter - Listen and Participate

Simon R. posted an article on - Feb 7, 2010, 4:43 pm
Twitter, Twitter, Twitter - for the last 18 months almost everyone has talked about the power that twitter can bring to the consumer yet many, if not most, Canadian businesses have not embraced this communication medium.  I truly believe this has to do with the perception that creating a new market...
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The best test to do for eCommerce sites

Simon R. posted an article on - Dec 28, 2009, 2:30 pm
I don't think we do enough of this as we are often caught up in the newest technologies, product launches or interesting creative but it is important to look at the basic ease of use of the site. In the end the overall user experience is simple to define and at its base it is how easy is it fo...
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This I Believe (A Manifesto for eCommerce)

Simon R. posted an article on - Sep 14, 2009, 12:14 am
A few weeks back Avinash wrote a post called 'This I Believe' and it really struck a chord with me. The Internet is still continuing to evolve, especially in eCommerce (and more so in Canada), where retailers are really starting to understand the power of the internet - not as another advertising m...
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