So ASOS, formerly As Seen on Screen, has announced a 90% increase in year-on-year sales (£81m).

Does this mean they’ve got the market sewn up? Have they created a product/brand/service that fashionistas just can’t live without? And is this a web business that is simply untouchable?

Figures, numbers and a four pence increase in the company’s share price would suggest so.

Although ASOS is a business that has so far understood how web works and constantly adapts its brand, I would say there needs to be some caution when celebrating its success.

Yes, it has virtually come from nowhere to compete with bricks and mortar brands. Yes, it has picked up on a niche (celebrity fashion) at the right time and yes, it has grown into a beast that has fashion brands dying to be a part of it. But how long will it last?

I reckon ASOS is in danger of becoming the Yahoo! of the online fashion world. Not that Yahoo!, which is worth $44bn, is a failure, but it’s hardly Google - the first name in search.

Online fashion is still a growing market (as was search), and ASOS seems to be one of the first online only beneficiaries (as was Yahoo). But then will come along a product that’s bigger and better (just like Google).

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As well as a directory enquiries service, you can now call or text 118 118 to answer a question on anything with their ‘Ask us Anything’ service.

I decided to try this out by texting…

What are the three most popular fashion websites in the UK?

To which 22 minutes later I received the response…

According to the BBC, Marks and Spencer’s website has topped the fashion retail along with rivals Next and Top Shop. Thanks for texting the 118 Team.

I suspect they got the answer from this BBC News report on website usability.

Before I had time to finish reading the answer I had another text from 118 118…

The 118118 text team felt that the last answer took us longer to answer than we’d like. So this time we haven’t charged you. Please text 118118 again soon.

But I suppose my vague question warranted a vague, and slow, response. Perhaps I should have been more specific and asked “what are the top three fashion etailers in the UK by sales?”

Answer: Marks and Spencer, Next, ASOS

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I’ve just come back from the launch party of Project Catwalk judge, Nick Ede, and Clothes Show presenter Brendan Courtney’s new personal styling service I Hate My Look at Punk nightclub, hang out of celebs like Peaches Geldof and Agyness Deyn.

I spotted the guys from the Daily Mail and OK! magazine there snapping all the celebrities (one of whom came, had her photo taken, then left - she shall remain nameless).

Check out Nick and Brendan’s website www.ihatemylook.com

As I was leaving the event Anna Krahn, from Tara Palmer-Tompkinson’s website 3sacrowd.com, ran up the stairs to stop me to say hello (she’s a fab writer who goes to lots of parties and premieres).

I didn’t get a goody bag as I left early, but I will make it my mission to find out what was inside and let you know!

Tonight was an early one, as I’m saving myself for something exciting that’s happening tomorrow night.

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Have you ever wanted to buy something and thought ‘I’ll wait until pay day’? How great would it be if you could order items online that would be billed and delivered when you get paid?

That was one of my 5 tips for online fashion stores in my latest blog on E-Consultancy.com.

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NMA magazine held a get together at the Alphabet Bar in Soho for people working in social media to network.

Pic courtesy of NMA

Tony from Centaur media was making me and my OSOYOU colleagues Rebecca and Fiza laugh (above).

I also got to speak to Chris Osborne, who runs BoxedUp.com, and Hugo Burge from Cheap Flights. Both great guys who are passionate about the tech and new media industries.

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Jonathan Hirshler and I looked at how five campaign websites could increase their online presence.

See our findings at E-consultancy

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After attending the Converse Century party I thought I’d take a look at the online marketing efforts of the brand.

I had an article published on E-consultancy.com analysing the online PR of Converse’s one hundredth year marketing campaign.

Ironically my article, which includes my take on what appears in the Top 10 results of Google for the term “converse century”, is actually #1 in Google UK for that term.

Read the full article Has Converse marketed its Century milestone online? on e-consultancy.com

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I have done another of my regular articles for internet marketing and ecommerce website E-consultancy.com. This time I have given regular readers something a bit different to read about - Victoria Beckham.

The article is basically an analysis of the Top 10 results for the search term “victoria beckham” in Google and as we all know Google’s algorithm is based on what the web in general (news websites, blogs etc) is saying, so it’s a great indicator as to what Posh is best known for.

Read my article on Victoria Beckham’s online PR at e-consultancy.com

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If you haven’t heard of private sales where have you been?!

It’s a new and fast growing phenomenon when it comes to shopping online for designer clothing.

I have had the pleasure of working with two of the best known private fashion sales websites in the UK, koodos and Brand Alley, which is part owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News International.

I’ve just written an article for E-consultancy.com, an internet marketing and ecommerce website, explaining more on what I think makes these private sales websites work.

Read the article on private sales at e-consultancy.com

Visit the koodos website

Visit the Brand Alley website

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