Countdown to Summit 2012: What to expect
Monday, July 30th, 2012
The Yahoo! Merchant Summit is just a few days away! We look forward to seeing everyone in person every year and this year is no different. We’ve packed the two days we have together to ensure you get the most of your time with us.
Some of the highlights you can look forward to
Keynote speaker Tim Ash
This year’s keynote speaker is Tim Ash, author of Landing Page Optimization. On Tuesday, August 7, at 2:30 p.m., Tim will be presenting The Seven Deadly Sins of Ecommerce Landing Pages, focusing on helping merchants understand the biggest mistakes made on ecommerce sites and how to apply simple strategies to maximize conversions. As a special treat, Tim will also be participating in the Live Site Reviews session and signing copies of his book during the lunch break on Wednesday, August 8.
Along with being the author of Landing Page Optimization, Tim is also the CEO of SiteTuners, a firm that specializes in improving web site conversion rates through landing page diagnosis and redesign, conversion consulting, a/b and multivariate test plan creation, and client training/mentoring. A computer scientist and cognitive scientist by education (his PhD studies were in Neural Networks and Artificial Intelligence), Tim has developed an expertise in user-centered design, persuasion and understanding online behavior, and landing page testing.
Over the past 15 years, Tim has helped hundreds of U.S. and international brands improve their web-based initiatives, including Canon, Google, Expedia, CBS, Sony Music, Facebook, Nestle, Verizon Wireless, Texas Instruments, Cisco, and Coach. A highly-regarded keynote and conference presenter, Tim has published hundreds of articles about web site usability, best practices in landing page design and tactics to improve web site conversion rates, and he is the host of the Landing Page Optimization podcast on WebmasterRadio.fm.
John Lawson of ColderICE
We’re happy to welcome back John Lawson of ColderICE Media. Named “Small Business Influencer of the Year” by Small Biz Trends, John Lawson was a keynote speaker at the 2011 Yahoo! Merchant Summit. He’s the CEO of 3rd Power Outlet, founder of the eCommerce Group, president of ColderICE media, and has been hailed as “Savviest in Social Media” by Startup Nation.
John’s presentation at this year’s Summit will focus on the world of social media. You will walk away from this presentation understanding The Six Weapons Of Influence and Five Methods for Transactional Success in Ecommerce.
Stefany Moore, Internet Retailer
Also new this year to the Yahoo! Merchant Summit is Stefany Moore, a research analyst from Internet Retailer. Stefany oversees data gathering, product development, and analysis for the Second 500 Guide, and writes for Internet Retailer magazine, Top500Guide.com, and InternetRetailer.com. She’ll be kicking off the day on Wednesday sharing an in-depth look at online retailer trends in the Internet Retailer Second 500. In her overview, Stefany will identify best practices and trends to help you benchmark your business in the industry.
Registration and more
Starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, you can pick up your badges at the Merchant Summit registration desk located just outside the California Ballroom at the Marriott Santa Clara. After picking up your badges, be sure to stop by the Partner Speed Review and Yahoo! Web Analytics tables to sign up for your 1:1 sessions. Then, head down the hall and pick up lunch before heading into the General Session.
Yahoo! Small Business General Manager and Vice President Tom Byun will kick off the General Session shortly after noon, and his welcome will be followed by Yahoo! Merchant Solutions updates. Several speakers will be giving direct practical advice that you can implement yourself when you get home, including an attendee favorite: Yahoo!’s own Michael Ober, Director of Merchant Development. Michael’s presentation promises to be filled with actionable tips and tricks to help you drive more profits to grow your business. Be sure to come prepared to take notes on what you can do with your Yahoo! store.
We’re also throwing a party in your honor Tuesday night! Directly after sessions end on Tuesday, hop on the shuttle outside of the hotel to the party at the Yahoo! campus. We’ve arranged it so you can finish your last session, walk on the bus, and get ready to have a great time and relax.
Wednesday morning kicks off with an 8:00 a.m. breakfast sponsored by PayPal, so you can start your networking early!
After hearing from Stefany Moore and John Lawson, we’ll break for a bit around 10:40 a.m. for more partner networking and then dive back in with the popular live site reviews. (Would you like to have your web site reviewed by our experts during the Live Site Reviews? Submit your site for a chance to have it critiqued during the session.)
Lunch will be hosted around noon, which gives you another great chance to talk to other merchants as well as the Summit sponsors. There will also be a few select discussion tables during lunch on Wednesday. These tables will be designated topics such as SEO and SEM, social and online marketing, feed management, backend operations, and more. If you want to hear from and discuss tips and advice with other merchants, grab a spot at one of these tables for some lively, active conversation.
Following lunch, we’re offering two different program tracks during the afternoon’s breakout sessions. There’s something for everybody! These tracks will cover everything from how to connect with your customer, to advanced SEO techniques, to backend operational efficiency, to using analytics for conversion optimization. If you can’t choose, don’t worry — we’ll be taping all sessions!
And last but never least! Our final presenter of the day is guaranteed to grab your attention. The Brand to Beat, presented by Eric Yonge, President and Creative Director of EYStudios, will help you discover ways to transform your brand into the one that beats the competition as well as your customer’s expectations. Eric will close out the day by applying some of the lessons learned throughout the Summit to help you form a powerful brand strategy for your business. You won’t want to miss this one!
The 2012 Merchant Summit will then close at 5 p.m. and the Partner Showcase will stay open until 6 p.m. for any last minute connections you want to make.
As always, we’d like to thank all of our Yahoo! Merchant Summit Sponsors who have helped make this event possible. All sponsors will be located in the Sponsor Showcase room, so be sure to stop by and say hello. We would especially like to thank our Patron Sponsors, Monsoon Commerce and Ventura Web Design.
We’re excited for another great Yahoo! Merchant Summit this year, and can’t wait to see you there!
The Yahoo! Small Business team
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