What happened so absolutely right on Wednesday, January 18th was that a large consensus opinion was conveyed broadly and effectively by the web’s most prominent players; information was disseminated, action was taken, an effect was made. These same tactics are used across the communicative spectrum from marketing and branding to propaganda to entertainment, but rarely does a tenuous and dynamic audience like “the Internet” rally to such a cause, or any cause for that matter, and make a real and immediate change. The difference this time from previous internet based legislation, such as the Communications Decency Act which attempted to regulate obscene images on the internet, is that this would disrupt more than just, ahem, obscene material. This would affect the very core of the internet’s piece de resistance – the uninhibited dissemination of information. It also helped that the some of the most popular sites on the internet came out very strongly against these proposed bills and made the message impossible to miss. Certainly some lessons to learn.

At WebLinc we love a free and open internet. We cut our teeth during the early days of the web, helping to create, evolving with and adapting to emerging technologies, getting through the boom and the bust stronger and more aware of the importance of the freedom to innovate. These ideas are no less important to us now than they were in the past, especially with the emergence of mobile devices and social media interaction as an intrinsic element of our everyday existence. Companies like ours thrive on an ever-changing diet of fresh ideas and new technology, so here’s to hoping we never have to go hungry. Now I think I’m going to get some sopa de fideo con pollo.

That being said, the Thanksgiving Day sales number is still a considerably lower number than Cyber Monday, which early results have as being up 20 percent from last year, and expected to exceed $1.5 billion.

How can eCommerce marketers benefit from these analytics next year? For starters, consider the timing of your sales and the marketing that goes with them. I know my inbox overflowed with offers from online retailers on Cyber Monday, but Thanksgiving was relatively quiet. Internet Retailer also suggests that traffic picked up markedly between the hours of 6pm and midnight. Think about enticing shoppers with limited, timed sales that occur after dinner. Don’t forget that many people are not shopping for themselves at this time of the year. Free shipping for purchasing from someone else’s wish list could drum up sales, especially since this is a time when many people are spending time with friends and family, and tablets and smart phones are making it easy to bring the online shopping conversation into the living room. Take a good look at your site’s analytics. Is there a spike in a spike in gift wrapped items? A spike in the type of items being gift wrapped, or the times those items are being purchased? Prioritize incentives using that knowledge to create meaningful promotions.

Four out of six of Urban Outfitters’ eCommerce sites were developed by WebLinc (freepeople.com, freepeoplewholesale.com, BHLDN.com and the recently launched shopterrain.com). WebLinc also developed the Free People Mobile site. We are proud of our partnership with Urban, a client since 1998, and we look forward to what’s in store.

I think the study paints a broad stroke, and social media’s impact on eCommerce is vast in some respects and limited in others. Having a Facebook presence simply isn’t enough to impact sales; it’s too often just another channel for one-sided marketing. However, giving loyal customers rewards such as referral credits for sharing your site, or creating social media contests, such as ideeli’s Twitter-based Flash Friday giveaways, seem to have a bigger impact on sales because of the engagement factor, and because a friend who recommends a site or product generally carries more weight than a marketer who’s hocking their wares to the general public.

Wal-Mart’s news comes on the heels of a major expansion from online grocery giant Peapod.com, and just a couple of months after Meijer, a Midwest retail chain, announced its plans to sell about 5,000 non-perishable products through their site.

Grocery shopping has long been a necessary evil for many –- one of those chores that comes with long lines, crowded aisles and very little in the way of convenience. Based on all of this recent news, this year could be the year that sees online grocery shopping break out in a big way. (Trader Joe’s, I hope you’re listening.)

What remains to be seen is how some of the mainstays of brick-and-mortar food shopping translates to eCommerce. For instance, will grocers find a way to accept coupons from the Sunday paper? Will they be able to double coupons? How will they prevent coupon fraud if manufacturers’ coupons aren’t collected?

Acquisitions can ultimately mean expanded reach and a wider range of services. However, it may come at the risk of current client satisfaction. Brian Walker of Forrester Research noted on his blog that the move could mean “that customers of GSI will find their key account management people laid off or even busier, placing their business priorities in further question.”

By all appearances, eBay has been on an acquisition streak, most notably (and arguably most successfully) with PayPal, but also with Skype (later sold to a private equity firm in 2009); online ticketing marketplace StubHub; brands4friends, Germany’s largest online fashion club; and  RedLaser, a barcode-scanning application for Apple’s iPhone.

Given the explosive growth in the private sale arena, it’s interesting to note that eBay will divest itself of 70 percent of Rue La La and ShopRunner, both of which the company says are “not core to its long-term growth strategy.” These assets will be placed into a new holding company run by GSI founder Michael Rubin.

In addition to wedding dresses, the site features vintage-inspired accessories, such as hair adornments, shoes and jewelry. Inspiration can be found throughout the site, and especially in the Nuptials of Yesteryear photo gallery. Brides who needs a little help defining their personal style can take the What Kind of Bride are You? quiz, which will provide them with a portfolio of product suggestions based on their answers. Links from dress pages will connect brides-to-be with BHLDN Stylists who offer advice, reassurance, and second opinions.

The new site fills a void for brides looking for something other than cookie-cutter, but less costly than couture. Its launch has been covered in depth across the media landscape, including CNN, Women’s Wear Daily, InStyle, The Huffington Post and others.

Learn more about WebLinc’s work with Fanatics by checking out this case study.

Free People currently has 40 stores and is carried in more than 1,000 boutiques and department stores nationwide. As the youngest sister of the Urban Outfitters family of brands, they are dedicated to staying on the cutting edge – both in terms of fashion and eCommerce. WebLinc has worked with Free People since 2004, providing them with the platform they needed for growth through eCommerce, their wholesale site, and most recently with mobile commerce.

Progressive Lighting is one of the largest and most trusted residential lighting chains in the south, with several showrooms in Georgia, and stores in North Carolina and Texas under the Lee Lighting name. Progressive Lighting’s eCommerce site LightsOnline.com relaunched on WebLinc Direct in April 2010, and since then, net sales have nearly doubled while the retailer’s conversion rates have increased a staggering 91%.

As it turns out, this trend was much bigger than my living room. According to this article in the New York Times, online sales on Thanksgiving Day increased 33 percent over last year to $407 million. That’s a dramatic increase no matter how you slice it, and it could signify a sea change in holiday shopping.

Today is Cyber Monday, the traditional start to the online holiday shopping season. Already today, I’ve received no less than 50 emails touting sales and one-day-only bargains – some of which are truly lackluster compared to the door busters found at brick-and-mortars. I’ve started deleting the emails now without reading them. It’s too much. While online shopping helps consumers avoid crowds, this proliferation of marketing is the online equivalent of a packed mall; it can over-stimulate consumers into complacency.

Learning from what’s already happened this year is the perfect way to prepare for next year. Savvy retailers will start early, and market directly to those shoppers who are taking time away from the turkey to shop online. After all, these are the same people who are spending time with family and friends who they will eventually be buying holiday gifts for. Get to them while the gift ideas are fresh in their minds, and give them an incentive for being a smart, early shopper.