NEW! From the Editor - June 2, 2013
(June 02, 2013, Issue #336)
It's time to vote for the one of the five finalists in our Web Design Challenge in which three web designers do a homepage design makeover for one lucky reader's website. It was an eye-opening process to see the number of online sellers interested in a site redesign and to hear the stories behind their websites. Also, this week we'll be covering the Internet Retailer conference in Chicago - with more than 600 exhibitors and over 9500 attendees expected, stay tuned to the EcommerceBytes Newsflash newsletter, Blog and twitter to keep up with the news.

NEW! Finalists Announced in Web Design Challenge, Voting Now Open
(June 02, 2013, Issue #336)
The five finalists of the first EcommerceBytes Web Design Challenge have been selected, and it's time to vote. The sites range from modest to medium annual revenue, and the five online merchants sell a wide variety of types of products. Who are these business and why do they think they deserve to get a Web Design Challenge makeover? Read on to find out, and then vote for the one you think most deserving of a homepage makeover.

NEW! EcommerceBytes Web Design Challenge - AmazingKeys.com
(June 02, 2013, Issue #336)
Ben Mandell of AmazingKeys.com does over $100,000 in annual sales on his site offering over 11,000 product SKUs. In applying for the EcommerceBytes Web Design Challenge, Ben said there are plenty of things he likes about his website, explaining that it's easy for customers to enter information and find the exact product they need. But he wants his homepage to be "more like a homepage," to make it more modern, and to have the right design elements to maximize conversion rates.

NEW! EcommerceBytes Web Design Challenge - BlueMooseCoffee.com
(June 02, 2013, Issue #336)
Greg Bell of Blue Moose Coffee is a small retailer doing less than $50,000 in annual sales. He likes the ease of navigation of his website and says he gets a lot of regular repeat business. He entered the EcommerceBytes Web Design Challenge because he feels his site needs a new, cleaner and professional look with professional photography, updated and better content, and better SEO. While Blue Moose Coffee's educational section gets good traffic from organic search results, he has difficulty converting that traffic to orders.

NEW! EcommerceBytes Web Design Challenge - GlamourSurf.com
(June 02, 2013, Issue #336)
Pamela Fierro began selling on eBay in 2001 and launched Glamoursurf in 2007 selling vintage bathing suits. She built the site herself and does less than $50,000 in annual sales. Pamela wants more visibility in search and better reach, and is hoping she wins the EcommerceBytes Web Design Challenge so she can get a better design flow and navigation as well as a fresh face for Glamoursurf, and she'd like to incorporate the new look on her blog at GlamourSplash.com.

NEW! EcommerceBytes Web Design Challenge - KarensArtisticTouches.com
(June 02, 2013, Issue #336)
Karen Redenbaugh began selling her handcrafted jewelry in 2007 on eBay and has since expanded to include Etsy and her own website, Karen's Artistic Touches. Karen entered the EcommerceBytes Web Design Challenge in the hopes of making her site more appealing to customers, to make it easy to navigate, and to generate more sales. She's hoping to grow her business to the point where she can quit her day job to focus on her passion of making and selling jewelry.

NEW! EcommerceBytes Web Design Challenge - PracticalSports.com
(June 02, 2013, Issue #336)
Byron Tabor grosses over $100,000 in annual sales on his site Practical Sports and Outdoors website. Byron wants to increase conversions and search engine rankings and is willing to change it all, including his site's navigation, header, logo, layout and product reviews. The best thing about his site now is the high quality of content he uses for the best selling items, and while he said he's used enhancements like fly out nav and cross sell features, overall it is just a standard looking template.

NEW! Ecommerce Shipping Options Save Merchants Time and Money
(June 02, 2013, Issue #336)
It's easy to get into a rut when it comes to shipping your ecommerce orders, but considering how much money sellers spend in shipping costs, it's good to periodically review your options. Contributing Editor Greg Holden talked to some online merchants and shipping services and finds there are many options to consider that could save you time and money for both domestic and international orders.

NEW! Collectors Corner: Corning Ware
(June 02, 2013, Issue #336)
Who hasn't come across the Blue Cornflower pattern of Corning Ware, the dishware that took off in the late 1950s? Thanks to its durability and versatility, along with plenty of nostalgia, Corning Ware has become a popular collectible. Here are some things you should know.

NEW! EcommerceBytes Soundoff: Letters to the Editor - June 2, 2013
(June 02, 2013, Issue #336)
In every issue, readers soundoff about issues important to them. From shipping issues to payment processing, from fees to online marketplace policies, EcommerceBytes Soundoff gives you a chance to air your views.