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"Buy this!"
"50% off!"
"Limited time offer!"
"Free shipping!"
Not long ago, these promotions and emails would flood your site with buyers, eager to take advantage of discounts and special offers. Have you put a promotion out there lately, expecting to reap the rewards, only to find yourself, well....disappointed?
On a daily basis, the typical connected consumer is exposed to an average of 3,000 marketing messages. (Deloitte) However, more than 50% of adults said they were likely to open emails containing promotions and coupons. (Experian) While consumers may be open to receiving discounts from you, it takes more than just the promise of saving a few dollars to keep them coming back. Here are our three best practice tips for keeping their attention, whether you're offering a discount or not:
(1) Be Timely
Promotions should be relevant to the consumer if you expect to grab their attention. Take this recent email from Case-Mate, sent right after the holidays:
With four million Kindles (MSBNC) and an estimated thirteen million iPads (ZDNet) sold during the month of December, it's highly likely that a good portion of their subscriber base received one during the holidays. Case-Mate's email is both timely and relevant, reminding their customers that they have an extensive tablet case selection. The offer of free shipping captures a buyer who might otherwise visit a brick and mortar store to save money.
(2) Make It Easy
Want to capture the buyer that's in a rush? Offer them a way to quickly find what they're looking for on your website. Loehmann's offers a trend spotlight on their front page where consumers can find the season's top trends at discounts they're used to seeing in store. Showing both the normal retail price and the current price allows shoppers to see the value in purchasing directly from the site.
 
(3) Go Where They Are
With 40% of US mobile users owning smartphones (Nielsen), it certainly makes sense for you to have a mobile optimized presence. Implementing best practices like a persistent cart, consistent pricing and inventory allows your customer to have the best experience possible.
Wahoo Fitness knows that their customers are already using smartphones because their products are built to work with smartphones. It's a natural progression to take their web presence directly to a mobile site, easily navigated with one finger:
 
Remember, it's not always about providing the promise of a discount to your customer, but providing added value. Giving your shopper a reason to buy from you fosters loyalty, and will bring your customers back again and again.
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ShopVisible is pleased to announce that our CTO, Josh Lloyd, along with our CEO, Sean Cook, are to be recognized by Business Leader and Business to Business Magazine as part of their annual "Top 25 Entrepreneurs" awards. Each year, Business Leader selects the entrepreneurs that have created innovative, high achieving companies that contribute to their industries and business communities.
The awards banquet will be held on November 3rd, 2011 at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center. The evening's program will recognize Business Leader's "Ones to Watch" and feature a countdown of the Top 25 Entrepreneurs. To register for the event, please click here.
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 Catch This? is ShopVisible's weekly roundup of critical reading on the web. We know you're busy, but these are articles you simply can't miss. ShopVisible To Be Featured at Digital Atlanta's Technology ShowcaseCome here our own Kendrick Woolford speak at the 2011 Digital Atlanta Technology Showcase featuring the hottest tech companies in Georgia. We'll be presenting a case study of a legendary brand that's just started selling direct to consumer. The event will be held on November 8th at 10:00 AM, at 22Squared. For tickets, click here. For Early Shoppers, It's A WrapThink you've got until Black Friday to get shoppers' attention? Think again. This study in the Wall Street Journal finds that 39% of Americans have already started their holiday shopping, and many are finished. Four Out of Five Luxury Brands Now Have EcommerceWhile many luxury retailers came to the ecommerce game late, they've caught up quickly. Those that have shopping on their site nab 98% of all luxury ecommerce traffic. What's On Holiday Shoppers' Wishlists?Answer: quick cart totals, free shipping offers, and discount coupons, just to name a few. Social & Mobile App Shopping On The Rise
Gartner predicts that commerce through social & mobile applications will be responsible for 50% of all transactions by 2015.
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Catch This? is ShopVisible's weekly roundup of critical reading on the web. We know you're busy, but these are articles you simply can't miss. Shoppers In Australia Demand More Payment OptionsIf you're expanding internationally, consider exploring the payment options buyers in each country prefer. How Online Shoppers Plan To Spend This Holiday SeasonGreat statistics from NRF highlighting how shoppers plan to spend their money online this year. Some of the highlights? Almost half plan to do a portion of their shopping online, and plan to spend an average of $857.59. Following Brands On Twitter Increases Purchase IntentConstant Contact finds that people who follow brands on Twitter are more likely to recommend your brand to others and purchase from you. Back In Stock Emails Bring Huge ConversionsDo you let customers know an item they want is back in stock? Study finds alert emails generate 22% conversion rate. Self-Gifting On The Rise
Eager to strike a deal while it's hot, this survey finds that shoppers plan to treat themselves even better this year, and will spend an average of $130.43 on purchases for themselves.
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Catch This? is ShopVisible's weekly roundup of critical reading on the web. We know you're busy, but these are articles you simply can't miss. Online Coupon Users Prove Valuable CustomersThis study finds that visitors to coupon websites spend 13% more, on average, than other online shoppers. Bottom line: coupon codes close the deal. Flash Sale Emails More Successful In Late AfternoonInternet Retailer finds that emails advertising flash sales have a higher purchase rate when sent after 3PM versus emails traditionally sent mid morning. Understanding The Shift To Online ShoppingDespite a "doom & gloom" outlook for most sectors of the economy, online shopping revenue continues to increase. How Online Retailers Can Ride The Exports Growth WaveLooking to grow your sales? Consider opening up international shopping to Brazil, Spain, Russia, China, and Mexico. NRF Predicts Holiday Shopping Revenue Will Increase 2.8% Over Last Year
The NRF speculates this holiday shopping season will be a profitable one for retailers, with total sales expect to increase to $465.6 billion, a 2.8% increase over last holiday season.
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The case for social shopping became even more clear last Thursday with the introduction of Facebook's new open graph capabilities for developers. By implementing the ticker, the new timeline, and the ability to use verbs such as "want" and "own" in place of like, Facebook has fueled the social shopping machine.
Since January, we've offered our clients the capability to create a full storefront on their Facebook pages, with a seamless integration to their existing commerce operations. With this enhancement, shoppers could "like" a product and the action would populate their newsfeed for their friends to see. At the time, we believed this action would generate new sales and customers for our clients. We were correct - we saw sales increase and fan numbers dramatically increase.
Now, with the new open graph features, we expect unparalleled growth. Let's say you're looking to purchase a new laptop case. Previously, you could "like" the product and post a few of these in a row, asking your friends which one they liked best. Your post might generate a few comments, and if you were lucky, someone might say they own one of them, and they highly recommend it. The new era of social shopping will allow you to browse products on commerce sites and within Facebook, but you will immediately be able to see what your friends own. The personal endorsement will give you an idea of who you can immediately contact, knowing they own the product, to see if they are happy with their purchase. Now imagine your significant other's birthday is coming up. You have no idea what to get them. Previously, you might solicit recommendations privately through their friends or family. Now, you can visit their Facebook timeline, to view all the products they "want." The "want" action creates an instant wish list, right on your Facebook timeline. No more sending people an email with your Christmas list, or returning gifts that just aren't right. Your friends and family will always know the products that have caught your eye.
Additionally, the new Facebook ticker will become a product discovery engine. While now you can use it to see what music your friends are listening to, the food they're making, or the news stories they're reading, you'll eventually be able to see what they're buying, wanting, or reviewing. We've always said the best recommendations are personal ones - it's what drove us to create the ability for our clients to push a select number of products to Facebook, to improve our offering to a full storefront, and what is fueling us to implement these new open graph capabilities. Welcome to the era of social shopping, it's here to stay.
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Catch This? is ShopVisible's weekly roundup of critical reading on the web. We know you're busy, but these are articles you simply can't miss. Online Retail Is A Bright Spot In BusinessWatch the keynote from Shop.Org with National Retail Federation President Matthew Shay as he discusses how online retail is a force to be reckoned with. Forrester's Sucharita Mulpuru Discusses State of Mobile RetailIn this video, Mulpuru shares how retailers are investing in mobile, which retailers are getting mobile “right,” and outlines the differences between smartphones and tablets (and why that should matter to retailers). Experts Offer Tips On Cart AbandonmentContinuing our Shop.Org coverage, here are highlights from "The Science of Shopping Cart Optimization." How To Optimize Facebook PostsMarketing Charts finds that overnight posts between the hours of 8PM and 7AM drive the most engagement. Read on for additional tips to receive the most comments, likes, and feedback on your posts. Australians Are The Most Frequent Online Shoppers
Time to analyze your international expansion strategy? We think so. According to a recent study, while there are more people shopping online in the US, Australians shop more frequently.
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Catch This? is ShopVisible's weekly roundup of critical reading on the web. We know you're busy, but these are articles you simply can't miss. Consumers Growing More Comfortable with Mobile PurchasesThe average mobile transaction amount has increased 43% since 2011 as consumers become more familiar with buying and shopping from their mobile devices. Zara Launches Ecommerce in the USZara is leading the pack for fast fashion reatilers finally selling their goods online. We predict more retailers who've never sold online will soon follow suit. Ecommerce Secrets that Increase ConversionsThis great infographic shares some of the top best practices for increasing conversions at checkout: design, buying elements, social proof, and follow up emails. Should Your Sales Team Be Tweeting?Absolutely! This new report released by Altimeter Group shows a significant opportunity for your client facing employees to increase sales and traffic by networking on Twitter. 15% of Searches on Black Friday Will Be MobileGoogle projects that 15% of all searches on Black Friday will be from mobile devices. Additionally, Google forecasts that 44% of all searches for last minute gifts and store locations will be mobile.
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Catch This? is ShopVisible's weekly roundup of critical reading on the web. We know you're busy, but these are articles you simply can't miss. The ShopVisible team recently returned from the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition in San Diego, and our minds are spinning with all the great ideas and best practices that we learned. While you can check out our full write up on the best things we learned here, read below for articles related to IRCE and the speakers we heard.
Make the Most of YouTube
One of the best presentations we heard came from "The Online Video Guy," Lou Bortone. Lou is not only an entertaining speaker, but his 30 minute presentation was packed with the best information on how to create low cost, viral online videos. While we want to save his tips for a dedicated post (they're that good!), there's a lot of fantastic information on his blog. In his "Make the Most of YouTube" post you can get easy tips & tricks for taking advantage of one of the largest, free video marketing platforms around.
Silverpop's Email Marketing Best Practices
Loren McDonald's presentation was a big hit at IRCE, with findings presented from their research of the Internet Retailer's Top 500 email marketing practices. Guess what? Even the biggest companies are doing it wrong! In this recap of the study, Loren outlines five best practices and provides access to his slides and the study.
Retailers Should Put People First
Internet Retailer believes that Facebook offers retailers an opportunity to make shopping more social with recommendations from friends. Facebook allows retailers to hone in on the lifestyles of their customers and create a message that is both viral and generates ROI.
ShopVisible CEO Sean Cook Interview with AuctionBytes
Our CEO, Sean Cook, sat down with AuctionBytes editor Ina Steiner to discuss the ShopVisible platform, our recently released social commerce whitepaper, and tips for using social commerce to your advantage.
What was your favorite thing you learned at IRCE last week? We would love to hear your thoughts!
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With over 500 exhibitors and 7,500 attendees, the Internet Retailer Conference 2011 in San Diego, California brought together the best ideas, technologies, and thought leaders for a week of learning. We’re finally recovering from the whirlwind week and the ShopVisible team reflects on the top five take-aways learned at IRCE 2011:
(1) Ecommerce? It’s all just commerce.
Christopher Payne, Vice President and Head of eBay North America, delivered a riveting keynote on the future of commerce. One of his most salient points was that retailers should no longer consider online retailing as “ecommerce,” but just “commerce.” With the introduction of mobile devices including smartphones and tablets, there will be 50 billion connected devices by 2020. Consumers demand access to products wherever they are, blurring the lines between traditional brick & mortar commerce and ecommerce.
(2) Think mobile’s just a trend? Think again.
Several topics were abuzz at IRCE, but none more than mobile. Mobile is the “must do” on all retailers’ minds. Jeff McKenna, Senior Consultant at Chadwick Martin Bailey, presented several findings from his firm’s latest mobile study:
- 45% of survey respondents own some sort of mobile device defined as a tablet or smartphone. Of those that have them, 41% have shopped via a smartphone and 65% have shopped via a tablet.
- Purchase categories are tied to age. Older audiences tend to purchase travel and reservations. Younger audiences tend to purchase apparel and electronics.
- iPhone owners are twice as likely as Blackberry owners to use their phone for shopping. Two indicators: shopping tends to be easier on the iPhone with its large screen, the Blackberry is mainly used for business purposes while the iPhone is used for both business and personal.
(3) Considering Groupon? The positives, the obstacles, and things to consider.
Rarely do you hear a retailer’s side of the story when it comes to group buying sites like Groupon, Living Social and Facebook Deals. Bob McKeon, CEO of PictureItOnCanvas.com recently ran several nationwide deals on Groupon for his ecommerce site.
What were the pros and cons? Zero cost up front to the retailer. McKeon said that Groupon runs the deal and generally takes half of the profit. Because of this, you must be willing and able to sell your product at a 75% discount. While this might be viewed as a negative to some, the traffic to your site generally doubles or triples. An obstacle for many retailers might be the inability to handle this rapid growth. PictureItOnCanvas.com saw orders increase from 100-150 a month to approximately 250 a day. Obviously, this created needs for extra staff, extra production facilities, and more space to accommodate the growing business.
The most surprising statistic from the presentation? An average of 20% of buyers never redeem their Groupon.
(4) Merchandising: It’s an Art Form.
If we learned anything about merchandising, it is that it’s a little bit of science, but a lot of art. A great merchandiser can change the user experience for the better, increase conversions, and drive sales. We listened to Kevin Churchill, Director of Ecommerce at Patagonia, discuss his findings from years of merchandising fueled by analytics.
Adding reviews resulted in a 300% increase in conversions, but more importantly, Patagonia uses the reviews as market research. They analyze the reviews weekly and see what customers ask to be changed on their favorite products, problems they have with items, or colors they just can’t find. Doing so allows Patagonia to consistently deliver to the customer what they’re searching for and keeps them from visiting an alternative website.
It really is all in the presentation. Patagonia regularly experiments and tests different ways of presenting merchandise. In one test they compared the most effective way to present a best-selling men’s shirt. One version displayed the shirt on a model with small swatches of other available colors. The second showed the shirts, in every available color, laid out. Which presentation increased sales? Surprisingly (to both the audience and Kevin), the second display increased sales of that shirt 9%. The lesson? Test different ideas, track the conversions, and give your users the experience that they prefer.
(5) Customers are Fickle...How to Keep Up
Al Falack, Director of CookieKids.com knows how hard it can be to keep up with the online consumer. Cookie’s Kids unsuccessfully expanded from their brick & mortar store to online in 1997. After one failed attempt, they relaunched several years later and have been able to keep the customer coming back to their site despite the countless competitor sites. Falack shared several of their secrets:
“The customer should immediately see the value of shopping with you when landing on the first page of your site.”
It’s imperative that your front page is illustrative, easy to navigate, offers search options and highlights the best products you offer. One suggestion Falack offered is to include the logos of brands you sell on your homepage. When customers see familiar brands, they often stick around, even if it’s their first visit to your site.
“Don’t underestimate the value of a flash sale hosted on your own site.”
Consumers love a good bargain. You don’t need to be on an exclusive shopping network to induce a frenzy over a great deal. Send your customers an email detailing a flash sale to bring them back to your site. Once on site, not only do customers tend to purchase the special deal, but they add other products to their cart (especially if you offer a free shipping minimum).
“Update your content regularly, even product descriptions shouldn’t remain stagnant.”
Cookie’s Kids regularly changes their product descriptions. Not only does this help with SEO because it provides fresh content for search engines to crawl, but it keeps the site interesting for users.
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