As e-commerce marketers set or adjust their strategies for 2011, there are some important trends and developments to pay attention to that can help capture new revenue streams and strengthen brand awareness this year and beyond. For many retailers, selling online is a critical component of their business, but they also have other channels to manage. For those businesses, the coming year will bring an increasing focus on the Internet and mobile technologies, not only to influence online sales, but also to affect sales that happen through other channels.

Not since Amazon started selling books more than 15 years ago has the world of e-commerce undergone such a wholesale transformation. The current online overhaul will likely be even more profound than the original dot-com boom, as it’s unfolding across the entire retail sector as opposed to just a few business areas. Today, some of the biggest brand names in storefront shopping are suddenly investing heavily in their once-neglected dot-com units. Other businesses that previously leveraged websites exclusively for branding are now embracing the opportunity to sell online.

Citing First Amendment protections, a U.S. District Court judge in Seattle has ruled in favor of Amazon.com in its battle with North Carolina over potentially sensitive customer data the state claims it needs to calculate taxes. Judge Marsha J. Pechman ruled Monday that Amazon is not obligated to provide the names, addresses and purchasing records of North Carolina residents with whom the company has done business between August 2003 and February 2010. The ruling is the latest in a string of disputes between online retailers and state revenue departments.