Ecommerce Links: January 2012

Before we dive into the links, there’s still time to register for Conversion Conference and Affiliate Management Days upcoming in March. I’ll be speaking on Remarketing and Checkout Optimization, respectively. I would love to connect!

• What could be worse than SOPA and PIPA? A similar Act on a global scale. Find out why some believe ACTA ‘Is More Dangerous Than SOPA’.

• Even if you didn’t take your site offline to protest SOPA, it’s important that you know How To Handle Downtime During Site Maintenance. Make sure you don’t confuse search engines — it could impact your rankings.

• HTML5 – this is why it’s hot. Amazon Scoots Past Apple’s Rules With HTML5 iPad Kindle Store. If you recall, Apple wants 30% of in-app revenue, this is a good workaround.

• While the 2012 predictions posts have for the most part died down, check out why shopping cart abandonment is set to rise in 2012.

• How Netflix Measures You to Maximize Their Revenue & How It Can Help Your Business is a good reminder why you must calculate customer lifetime value to know how much you can spend to acquire a new one. PS: Netflix’ LTV is 25 months and $291.25.

• Fun fact: the top 5 passwords used at Gawker account for about 25% of all users. The #1 password is — wait for it — 123456 (over 3000 accounts!) For more reasons why you should be diligent to push users towards secure passwords, check out Data Monday: Login & Passwords.

• Spotted in the wild: a paid search ad that lands the user on a customer review page rather than a product page. This is a great way to build user trust, no matter what you’re selling.

• You know we love infographics, and this one comes to us via Econsultancy: Profiling the Social Gamer. Hint: it’s not an 18 year old boy.

• The New York Times broke a story on an Amazon seller who offered refunds for 5 star reviews. Is this gaming the system, or mere incentivizing word of mouth? You decide.