Questions? Comments? Interested in contributing content? Please contact Vi Paynich, Editor-in-Chief, at vpaynich@retailing.org or 909-606-3406.
Even staid JCPenney gets in the viral marketing game this holiday season with this short, “Beware of the Doghouse,” which uses sly humor and Internet-based marketing to spur clueless gifting husbands to visit their local JCPenney fine jewelry counter.
What do you think, folks? Will it work?
Rick Petry is a direct marketing strategist and creative services professional and a past chairman of ERA. He can be reached at (503) 740-9065, or via e-mail at rick.petry@me.com.
It is clear that for online retailers to remain competitive during this holiday season, their sites must offer personalized recommendation engines, product reviews, live chat and a host of other features supported by social behavioral platforms. Consumers are driving this demand, and to ensure they continue to return to a site, they must have access to the technologies they have come to rely on.
Marketing professionals need to know the benefits they can expect from deploying social behavioral platforms, as well as why it is critical they integrate this type of system before the 2008 holiday shopping season ends. Following is a list of benefits online merchants can anticipate in terms of ROI, as well as short- and long-term effects.
• Immediate and measureable results are the “brass ring†every business is looking for. Satisfied customers may not contact retailers directly to share their thoughts regarding positive experiences, but increased average order sales and repeat visits exemplify their contentment.
• Online marketing systems decrease the need to manage on-site merchandizing and in turn reduce the need for seasonal retail staff. Using a multichannel approach empowers retailers with the ability to reach consumers of every demographic. Additionally, a ubiquitous presence engenders a perception of strength and longevity.
• Low cost of ownership is paramount to internal teams, and can be easily achieved through the deployment of fully automated software. A system that collects data, like click patterns, searches conducted and products purchased—all provided through the simple act of shopping—creates a self-sustaining system that essentially runs on its own, requiring no maintenance.
Once the IT department and business team deem the site ready to include e-commerce optimization software, key functionalities the project manager should look for are:
• Intelligent mining of large data sets – This offers real-time, automated, intelligent predictive suggestions.
• Performance-based models – Empower retailers to invest in the future by developing their online presence now, while keeping costs low and building their brand.
• Landing page optimization – Directs consumers to the specific page of the product being searched, presenting the merchandise most likely to appeal to shoppers.
It is crucial in today’s economic climate that online retailers employ strategies expressly designed to mitigate costs and optimize resources at hand. Instituting a social behavioral system that can be deployed in days rather than weeks ensures shoppers are greeted with personalized treatment and individualized care in time for the holiday shopping season, which will also begin laying the foundation for future retailing success.
Dr. Rolf Elmér is CEO of Avail Intelligence.
