Sales & Marketing Management - November/December 2008 - (Page 22) TRAINING TECHNOLOGY INCENTIVES TRAVEL/MEETINGS Where is a good place to begin? Many online shopping trips begin with a search engine query. The Web is a noisy place, and convenience is a hot commodity. Therefore, deploying technology that leads consumers directly to what they are looking for is key to converting someone who is “kicking the tires” into a repeat customer. Landing page optimization is a unique strategy used to increase Website traffic. Directing consumers to the landing page of the product being searched, versus the homepage to the entire site, the technology presents the products and services that are most likely to appeal to them. For example, searches for “Timberland boots,” will bring shoppers promptly to the section of the site where this outdoor gear can be viewed and subsequently purchased. Also, with behavioral merchandizing techniques, additional products and services can be presented automatically and in real time on the landing page. Using the collective behavior of all visitors to the site to designate these items will ensure shoppers are presented with merchandise that truly resonates with their needs. Quickly delivering the desired item to a customer increases the chances that he or she will purchase the product, as it was fast and simple to find—and in addition to the sale, this initiates the early stages of brand loyalty development. pushing a popular item or old inventory. The key to offering predictive recommendations is to track customer behavior. Following implicit actions performed such as click patterns, searches conducted and products purchased enables the system to assess what the shopper is seeking. Knowing what they are looking for ensures that appropriate products are presented. To further support this strategy, the system also gathers intelligence on explicit actions such as basket content, click stream and collaborative search results. Retailers who elect other merchandizing methods— such as the top-seller approach or deployment of The key to offering predictive recommendations is to track customer behavior. Following implicit actions performed such as click patterns, searches conducted and products purchased enables the system to assess what the shopper is seeking. rules-based segmentation—do so at their peril. What they’ll find is that they are unable to meet their customers’ individualized needs and, as a consequence, cannot compete against the organizations successfully employing these modern methods. How can retailers leverage Web 2.0? Consumers now require a social element be a part of their Internet experience, and their purchasing activities shouldn’t be regarded any differently. The advent of social networking has forced retailers to provide peer-driven product reviews. Once hotly debated due to the possible ramifications of negative comments, it has now become common practice for retailers to provide unedited product reviews. It is important that eCommerce sites include this functionality, as studies show that almost 50% of those shopping online rely on feedback from peers. Another Web 2.0-based feature sought by shoppers is advanced interactions that enable users to invite peers to view personal gift lists for the holidays, birthdays, etc. This offering, in turn, encourages friends and family to become customers themselves. What is the most effective way of administering recommendations? Consumers give retailers all the information they need to make intelligent recommendations just by browsing and shopping for merchandise. Simple tracking of implicit and explicit actions empowers retailers with all the knowledge they need. Applying behavioral analytics shows customers the retailer is paying attention to their specific behavior, and not simply [THE PULSE] 49 PERCENTAGE OF CONSUMERS WHO PREFER QUICK ACCESS TO A PHONE AGENT FOR THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE NEEDS OVER HIGHER-TECH OPTIONS. How to lessen the burden of returns Let’s not sugarcoat things: Returns cost everyone time, money and aggravation. The customer is dissatisfied for some reason with the item and has to make an www.salesandmarketing.com www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com SOURCE: HARRIS INTERACTIVE SURVEY 22 SALES &MARKETING MANAGEMENT NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 http://www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.