Sales & Marketing Management - November/December 2008 - (Page 23) additional trip to the post office. This is not convenient and can cause the customer to lose faith in the retailer. The retailer must take the product back, and may face losing revenue as the packaging is surely damaged and in all probability cannot be circulated back into inventory. Structuring Websites with features such as ratings, reviews and live chat or question and answer functionality enables customers to take a more active role. This reduces the chances that consumers receive products that do not meet their expectations, thereby minimizing returns and the number of resultant calls made to the call center. Celebrate Your Stars with Macy’s Gift Cards It's the card that says "thank you" in a million different ways. Happy Holidays Driving shoppers to Websites Remember, retailers have all the data at their fingertips on how to best communicate with their customers. Even abandoning a shopping cart can provide organizations with data they need to approach consumers with products and promotions that will likely fit their needs. It is important that retailers not spam shoppers with items and news that does not reflect their specific needs and interests. Be sure to use previous buying behaviors to structure communications. Targeting newsletters toward customers’ specific habits ensures consumers receive relevant information, significantly increasing the chances they will become repeat customers in the future. Is mobile content important? It’s also important that marketers enable their content for mobile devices; online shopping does not only happen in front of a computer. Websites that format their material for mobile devices are sure to become the preferred retailer for individuals seeking fast and simple shopping solutions. Shop over 800 Macy’s stores, or online at macys.com. Putting it all together All (or a combination) of the aforementioned functionality must be in place to ensure retailers are serving the modern consumer. Remember this: Visitors can leave a site just as fast as they entered it if it does not immediately appeal to them, or present relevant products or promotions that match what they are searching for. In a cluttered arena, shoppers can easily visit a competing site and quickly determine if that retailer can meet their needs. It falls to you to ensure things don’t progress to that point. —Rolf Elmér, Ph.D. www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com And Macy's Gift Cards never expire. Volume discounts are available on orders starting at $5,000. or visit us at NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 SALES &MARKETING MANAGEMENT 23 http://www.macys.com http://www.macys.com/corporategifts http://www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com
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