The recession is an extra obstacle to shopping online. To stop it from being insurmountable, you need to make sure you remove all the other barriers you can.

Last summer I asked if the downturn was leading to greater use of e-commerce? The answer then was ‘yes’. The answer is still “yes”, only maybe more so now…

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Kraken Mosaic’s ‘Space Case’ stained glass shoes are technically art pieces, but in my mind’s eye I imagine them as something a modern Cinderella would wear. Each stained glass shoe is made from a real high heel, and features stained glass, glass beads, rhinestones, millefiori, and iridescent glass. The result is an art piece that’s slightly psychedelic and absolutely beautiful.

STRATHAM, N.H., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The Timberland Company today announced a bold integrated marketing campaign to create a dialogue with young city dwelling consumers around the world. The program supports Timberland’s modern, stylish and eco-conscious fall 2009 footwear collections and includes mobile iPhone and Blackberry applications and games; interactive billboards; branded videos and commercials on Hulu; customizable Pandora radio stations; reverse sidewalk graffiti; “station domination” out-of-home advertising; in-store promotions and retail windows; and public relations targeting trend-driving blogs and magazines. Select campaign elements launch this month in the U.S., Italy and the U.K.

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Artist Gabriel Dishaw really outdid himself with his latest project, The Junk Dunk. As a junk artist, Gabriel Dishaw knows his way around a dumpster, but this pair of Nike sneakers are a little special. This pair of kicks is made entirely from old electronic parts.

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Custom fit slippers are at the tip of your scissors with this self-adhesive footwear. Ernest Perera’s Uncut slippers are a DIY solution to finding the perfect fit.

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Small business research company Warrillow, in one of its recent newsletters, writes that amongst all social media Twitter is by far the best way that smaller businesses have found to to connect with the companies they want to be in touch with.

Warrillow uses automated email marketing company Infusionsoft and Intuit as examples of two companies leveraging Twitter to reach their small business customers.

If you find that Twitter is a waste of time and is not working as you think it should, consider the three tips below and see if you are doing these things:

• Dedicate a resource. Intuit and Infusionsoft are two front runners in on Twitter in Small Business and both have a position (or portion of a position) dedicated to tweeting. Expertise is required in creating succinct thoughts in under 140 characters and a single source helps create consistency in your company’s voice.
• Differentiate Twitter Accounts. Infusionsoft and Intuit also use multiple Twitter accounts to separate out information and exchanges. Both delineate customer service vs. general information/sales tweets; Intuit goes a step further and uses an “IntuitDeals” account specifically for promotions.
• Be responsive, not verbose. The power of Twitter is generating interest with a quick and powerful message; the 140 character limit is there for a reason! Resist the urge to create a high volume of tweets – instead, get a few interesting posts out per day and then be ready to react to and engage your followers.

At a Manhattan Chamber of Commerce event earlier this year, the director of marketing of Cafe Metro talked about how once a week he uses Twitter for a special promotion to customers. Quit innovative.

Although Twitter is gaining in popularity, don’t forget that the basics of email marketing, having a great web site (along with search engine optimization) is critical.

We are well past the moment when having a phone is a status symbol. Most professionals and just about everyone else has a cell phone. The ones who don’t have cell phones simply don’t want one, for the most part.

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What do you get when you mix rap music and shoes? A whole lot of awesome, that’s what! British rap sensation Dizzee Rascal and desginer Ben Drury have joined forces to rock our worlds with the ‘Tongue n Cheek’ Air Max 90.

Named after Dizzee Rascal’s upcoming album ‘Tongue in Cheek,’ these shoes are fierce. Constructed out of an off-white suede and with see-through soles, the ‘Tongue n Cheek’ Air Max 90 has the words tongue and cheek embroidered on the shoes, in case you didn’t get the point earlier.

Finding a company or buying something on the interwebs has become a way of life for many people. Heck that’s where I do the majority of my shopping — on my schedule at my convenience. I bet you do a lot of shopping online too.

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It’s already been established that iPhone users are happy spending money on their phones. Just this week AppsFire, found that the average iPhone user has spent $80 on apps for their phone.

But the key to the mobile ad market rests in bringing relevant ads to people where they are, on the go. For marketers to succeed with location-based advertising, consumers have to cooperate. Luckily, mobile phone users are proving open to advertising on their phones  — especially when they’re relevant.

And a new survey from Compete has found that smartphone users are ready and willing to get more targeted ads on their phones.

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