European E-commerce Sites Poorly Prepared for Christmas Rush
Many European e-commerce sites have made only minimal preparations for the increased number of visitors in December. The congestion caused by Christmas meant that, on average, only one in six web sites was continuously available. This was the conclusion of WatchMouse, a Dutch monitoring service provider, following a survey of over 50 European e-commerce sites. Excessive interest from customers can overload the server or have dramatic effect on response times.During the past month, WatchMouse ? at its own initiative ? closely monitored over 50 web sites where consumers can shop online. The survey shows that the availability varied from 98% to 99.6%.
"This may seem high, but a score of 98% means that a site is not available for half an hour per day. This makes 14 hours a month, or a week a year", says Mark Pors, one of the founders of WatchMouse.As a comparison to the US market, two "role models of e-commerce" - amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com - were monitored during the same period. Amazon performed similar as an average European web shop, Barns & Noble outperformed most e-commerce sites with an uptime of 100%.As a comparison to the US market, two "role models of e-commerce" - amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com - were monitored during the same period. Amazon's performance was similar to that of the average European web shop, whereas Barnes & Noble outperformed most e-commerce sites with an uptime of 100%.The consequences of downtime are reflected not only in loss of income. Pors: "A website that is not available can cause stacks of work for your helpdesk and, at the end of the day, damage your brand.
The problem is that many website owners are unaware that sites are responding poorly, or not responding at all. If they were aware of this, taking action to intervene is simplicity itself: for example, by adding extra server capacity."WatchMouse has concluded from its survey that more than 70% of the web sites have not achieved optimum accessibility. Given the increasing trend in online purchases, gigantic sums are involved: Online sales will increase by 44% to ?13 billion ($17 billion) in Western Europe over the holidays period, compared to ?10 billion ($13 billion) in the US (Forrester Research, November 2004).December is a top month for purchasing on the internet. Pors: "We see response times and the number of error reports increase dramatically in the days leading up to Christmas."About WatchMouseCompanies can easily monitor their internet sites themselves, thanks to WatchMouse's monitoring service. WatchMouse has been monitoring internet sites and e-commerce applications for companies across the globe since 2001.
WatchMouse has thousands of customers in more than 70 countries. WatchMouse services are available in seven languages, and analyses are carried out through the world-wide monitoring network from a range of locations and networks.More information: http://www.watchmouse.com/.
Credit Report Concerns at Top of List For Consumers Seeking Refinance Mortgage Rates and Debt Consolidation Loans
Dallas, TX
October 27, 2004 -? Americans are overwhelmingly rushing to financial industry experts for advice on credit reports, as they refinance their mortgages and consolidate debt for the Christmas shopping season. SPENDonLIFE.com, a savings portal for consumers, reports that 3 out of every 5 consumers seeking advice from the Ask The Expert service are having problems with their credit report. "Consumers are planning their finances in preparation for the Christmas shopping season. Many of them are finding errors on their credit report and realizing it is costing them money each month," says Mark Henry, SPENDonLIFE.com President. "Our experts are enthusiastic about getting these consumers back on track.
They empower...
Credit Report Concerns at Top of List For Consumers Seeking Refinance Mortgage Rates and Debt Consolidation Loans
Christmas > Credit Report Concerns at Top of List For Consumers Seeking Refinance Mortgage Rates and Debt Consolidation Loans
Online Poker Rooms are Giving You Plenty to Play for During the Holiday Season
(ContentDesk) December 20, 2005 -- It doesn't matter if you play for fun, or if you play for real money. Online poker rooms are giving it all away, either in the form of freeroll tournaments and buy in tournaments with jacked up tournament guaranteed prize pools, with several online tournaments boasting prize pools in excess of $100,000.If you are one looking for a chance to enjoy in the holiday bliss there are several poker rooms that you can browse for special online poker room holiday bonuses. For example:Party Poker:http://partypoker.com/news/events/santas_party_pack.html?wm=2200420 - Its Christmas and Santas sack is bulging with PartyPoker.com points prizes!To celebrate this exciting time of year, we'd like to invite you to take part in PartyPoker.com's latest cash giveaway. Play your cards right and you could win up to $300 by earning points over a specified period of time.Paradise...
Online Poker Rooms are Giving You Plenty to Play for During the Holiday Season
Christmas > Online Poker Rooms are Giving You Plenty to Play for During the Holiday Season
‘Western Retro’ a Fashion Trend this Christmas Season
(ContentDesk) October 29, 2005 -- This year, retailers are finding some new trends emerging for the Christmas season.
One of the most powerfully chic movements is not at all new; it is a throwback to a classic, leathered, western look, but with an edge.
This Western Retro trend is not only taking over peoples wardrobes, but their home d?cor as well.Everything from western hats to boots to jewelry will be hot this holiday season.
Western retro shirts, classic western boots, and fine dress shirts for men are in high demand.
For women, a variety of options are available, from hats to footwear.
Common materials include leather, wool, suede, and velvet, and many brands are taking advantage of this style with new lines of suitable apparel.
The western retro shirt, previously in demand primarily by performers and those true western enthusiasts, has been brought back to life from the late 1930's to 1950's, when the day of the "B" Westerns...
Christmas > ‘Western Retro’ a Fashion Trend this Christmas Season
SteakBrands.com Announces Production Of Custom & Monogrammed BBQ Branding Irons
Kansas City, MO (ContentDesk) December 8, 2005 Are you looking for that last minute holiday gift? Kansas City based http://steakbrands.com has announced production of BBQ branding irons for custom logos, western themed & 2 3 letter monogrammed branding irons. A popular idea is to get a company logo or a rancher brand made into a steak branding iron to really brand your logo.SteakBrands.com says that it will accept orders for the 2 3 letter monogrammed brands through December 12th to insure Christmas delivery. All other BBQ branding irons, including custom brands, can be ordered through December 23rd. One great thing that sets them apart is that SteakBrands.com can do any size job from 1 5,000+ custom branding irons.Branding is nothing new to ranchers but as of the last few years it has caught on as a must for any serious BBQ chef. People take extreme pride in their BBQ skills and branding is the perfect way to personalize...
SteakBrands.com Announces Production Of Custom & Monogrammed BBQ Branding Irons
Christmas > SteakBrands.com Announces Production Of Custom & Monogrammed BBQ Branding Irons
Santa Spreading Cheer Through Mobile Phones
PhoneBites, Inc., a technology company, has created the Christmas RAZZ, a mobile phone application that enables people to add the sounds of Christmas into their phone conversations.
Traditional classics like "Jingle Bells" and "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" as well as the rest of the Christmas favorites, can be played right into the conversation, simply by pressing a number on the phone's keypad.
Consumers are able to choose from a library of accessible holiday sounds, which they can share with their loved ones on the other end of the line, or leave them an unexpected and cheerful message on their voicemail.
Reports of elves leaving festive holiday greetings on outgoing voicemail messages suggest that Holiday RAZZing is getting a little out of hand.
Some describe the Christmas RAZZ as "decorating your conversation." "Christmas RAZZ provides a unique way of sharing the holiday spirit while you're on the phone," said Jeff Malkin, PhoneBites CEO.
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Santa Spreading Cheer Through Mobile Phones
Christmas > Santa Spreading Cheer Through Mobile Phones