'Net Features : online retail

Online Retail Search Spend - Holiday 2011

Pete Prestipino — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:30:00 GMT

Digital marketing software provider Kenshoo released some interesting data from its annual Online Retail Holiday Shopping Report.

The findings, which focus on the week before Christmas, were based on more than 25 billion total search advertising impressions, nearly 300 million clicks and over 7 million online sales transactions. That's quite the data set, people.

According to Kenshoo, online retail revenue drive by search advertising increased 24 percent year-over-year, with online retail search ad spend increasing at 39 percent year-over-year.

"The pace of online shopping in the U.S. continued to surge all the way through Christmas this year,” said Aaron Goldman, chief marketing officer at Kenshoo. "By and large, retailers anticipated the demand and increased paid search budgets while consumers responded in kind with their clicks and their cash.”

DealPulp Brings Daily Deals to Online Retailers

Mike Phillips — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:11:00 GMT

With the explosion of Groupon, LivingSocial and others in the daily deal space, it's kind of amazing it took this long for DealPulp to come around. But DealPulp has arrived and it offers the same daily deal mania to pure-play online retailers. As one might imagine, it works by promoting one daily deal for one online retailer per day, that users can purchase and use on the retailer's website. Once the user purchases the discount, a unique promo code is generated that is used at checkout to get the discount.

While discounts to local businesses (and sometimes national stores) have seen great success, DealPulp director of brand strategy Jess Swain sees a hole in the market. "It looks like the trend is to expand into hyper-localized deals," Swain says. "That is great if you like local, but maybe it is a little bit of tunnel vision."

DealPulp can also be used by brick-and-mortar stores to drive online sales. And that makes perfect sense. It also could be a very good way to drive awareness of a store's online presence, apart from the discount alone.

Another attractive element of DealPulp is that they offer an affiliate program for website owners. It pays a healthy 25 percent commission of the cash value of purchases, post-discount. Once enrolled in the affiliate program, widgets are available to embed on websites, in varying sizes.

To date, DealPulp.com shows more than 90,000 members.

Online Spending Up, Patience Down

Mike Phillips — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 14:45:00 GMT

Consumers are spending more time online shopping than ever before, and spending more money, too. That, according to a survey from Tealeaf Technology (an analytics provider) and conducted by Harris Interactive, of 2,104 U.S. consumers.

The survey found that consumers shop online an average of 3.4 times per month (up from 3.1 times per month in 2009) and that 16 percent of consumers shop online four or five times per month, up from 14 percent last year. What might be most impressive is that just 29 percent of consumers shop online once per month - last year 37 percent shopped online just once a month. Maybe this is three different ways to say the same thing, but the message is clear: online shopping continues to grow as consumers become more comfortable with the practice.

There's more good news: shoppers spend an average of $123.20 per transaction. That's up from $101.60 in 2009 - a 21 percent increase, even during a continued economic lull. Whether that means people are spending more money or just shifting their spend online, it doesn't really matter. As long as they are spending online.

One other important note from the study shows that, while spending more time and money online, consumers are becoming less willing to endure delays while shopping. Just 18 percent of consumers will try to complete a transaction again after a failed first attempt, down from 23 percent who said the same last year.

Top 10 Reasons Consumers Will Shop Online

Mike Phillips — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:26:00 GMT

In a recent Shop.org eHoliday '09 survey, consumers were asked to give their top 10 reasons they would shop online this holiday season rather than head to brick-and-mortar stores. Many of the responses are expected, but a few stand out as good opportunities - and potential pitfalls - for online retailers. First, have a look at the top 10:

24-hour shopping convenience
Ability to compare prices
Free shipping offers
Convenience
Not wanting to fight crowds
Ease of finding wanted items
Variety
E-mail promotions
Not having to pay sales tax
Wanting to avoid checkout line

Reasons like convenience, price comparisons and not wanting to fight crowds are expected. A little unexpected is #8, e-mail promotions. This is a great opportunity for online retailers to grow their e-mail subscriber list for this holiday season and beyond. Of course, only those e-mail campaigns that provide real value to the consumer will be successful - be it e-mailed coupons, discount codes or special (and meaningful) product announcements.

Free shipping is high on the list, at #3. This is unsurprising and, for online retailers, almost expected at this point. However, when asked about return shipping, more than half of respondents stated that free shipping for returns is "very important" to them. This is an area where merchants can offer value over their competitors. According to Shop.org, Davis Sasson, CEO of overstockArt.com and Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh believe that offering free return shipping "removes many of the fears, uncertainties and doubts of online shopping."

Finally, note #6 from the survey - ease of finding wanted items - bears watching. Make sure your site's search function is easy to locate and functions properly. Consumers expect online shopping to be fast and accurate when they are searching for what they want. Make it cumbersome and they will find another website to shop.

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Beating Big Retailers at their Own Game

Mike Phillips — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:30:00 GMT

Beginning Black Friday, November 27, brick-and-mortar retailers will see a deluge of consumers, ready and willing to buy merchandise. Beginning Cyber Monday, November 30, online retailers will enjoy a similar spike in visits and purchases. Most of those consumers will make purchases through large online retailers, like Amazon.com, Overstock.com or BestBuy.com. But, smaller online retailers and affiliates don't need to get left behind. Let's look at a page optimization tip to help turn browsers into buyers this year.

Large retailers (like the three mentioned above) have thousands of products to sell and countless pages that a user can browse to find what they want. Your site (and products) might be slightly more limited in scope. But the big retailers also share a common strategy that any Web property can employ - product and user recommendations.

Take advantage of the fact that, at this time, users are shopping. They are likely not quite sure what they want to buy yet. Help them get there. Overstock.com's home page prominently features navigation and browsing based on "Buyers' Picks," "5 Star Reviews," "Top Sellers" and "Clearance Items." BestBuy.com's page is featuring "Door Busters," "Featured Offers" and "Outlet Center," where users can find new arrivals, reduced cost items and deals of the week. Amazon.com's page (while dedicated to the Kindle) also features personalized recommendations, "Most Wished For" items, and "Bestselling" items.

It's your job to steer consumers in the right direction - and you can do it on one page. Look into your data and optimize your landing page based on your products. Instead of a giant "featured item," consider breaking your page into easy-to-view sections like "best sellers," "highest rated," "clearance," or "online bargains." Find out what your consumers are recommending to each other - both on your site and industry-wide - and get those items front and center. You might be featuring fewer items per category, and some consumers might see fewer items overall. But, you are also increasing the chance that particular items are purchased - and that's the bottom line. By giving browsers a look into immediate benefits (popular and highly-rated items, best bargains, etc.) and providing a way to shop with minimal effort you can accomplish the most important task to online retail success - shortening the distance to a sale. A strategy like this reduces clicks - therefore reducing the chance the consumer gets lost on your site or becomes distracted. This becomes particularly important when designing your PPC creative for searching shoppers. Give the shopper a reason to click, then an immediate reason to purchase without any further searching or dawdling.

For example, let's say the following is a PPC ad (click the link):
"Give the best keyboard for your busy Web professional this holiday!"

What do you notice after clicking? Limited but good choices, with clear explanations and benefits - making a quick decision easy. The consumer is immediately presented with clear choices, and not too many of them that could potentially become distracting or overwhelming. What that means to you is a better chance at an immediate sale.

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Off-Site Development Tops Holiday Retail Objectives

Mike Phillips — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:30:00 GMT

Shop.org's annual eHoliday Study points to a growing trend among merchants this holiday season - off-site Web development. According to the study, retailers are taking social media seriously. They are developing their presence outside of their own websites to help attract consumers. Or - more to the point - to help consumers find their businesses.

Over 60 percent of retailers reported making enhancements to their Facebook presence this year, and over 58 percent have done the same for their Twitter profiles. In addition, more than 65 percent have updated their blogs and RSS feeds.

So what can you do enhance your off-site presence for consumers? Below are five places to develop your brand this holiday (and beyond) and a few pointers to get the most out of your efforts:

Discount sites: Consumers are quite adept at finding discounts online. One trend with staying power is coupon sites. RetailMeNot.com attracts more than 6 million visitors per month and that number will rise sharply over the next 45 days or so, just like it did in 2008. Consumers come here to find coupons to your products - give it to them. Other sites to consider are Groupon.com, FatWallet.com and CouponCabin.com.
Facebook and Twitter: Millions of Facebook users update their statuses with news or offerings from brands. But you can't just announce products on Facebook; you have to give people a reason to share. That means special offers and discounts. Also, make sure your Facebook presence is customized to your brand - with your logo and special sections of the page specific to your brand and industry. Don't limit yourself to your own page - there are plenty of special interest organizations and other "clubs" on Facebook where you can make your presence known. Want to make friends on Facebook? Try a paid ad - they are highly targeted. Search Facebook advertising coupon code and you can likely find a $100 or so voucher.

Twitter is an excellent place to connect with users who are accustomed to spreading messages. This is where you want to "tweet" a special promotion - as long as you can handle a possible influx of interest. One of the nice things about Twitter is the prolific use of small URLs. They are non-descript and people click them without too much thought. So, you can direct them to your Facebook Page, a product page on your website, a YouTube video ... just about anywhere. Like Facebook, make sure your Twitter ID is representative of your brand, your logo is consistent and identifiable and that your messages provide true value. Also, with the recent announcement of Twitter lists, your tweets can extend far, far beyond Twitter itself and onto blogs, websites and other social profiles and networks.
YouTube: Online video is appearing in search results more these days and easily shared through channels like Facebook, Twitter, e-mail and more. And the main stage is YouTube. Create videos for your products and services. They can be video instruction manuals, product feature explanations, or even ways to use your product that might not be immediately apparent to a consumer (how many packs of Mentos and liters of Diet Coke do you think were sold from that one YouTube video?) Make sure to optimize your videos with keywords in the title and links to your website or product page in the video description.
Q&A sites: The Internet provides one of the easiest places to research products or services. Take a hard look at your industry and your products and think about the questions consumers might have before purchasing. Check out Q&A sites like Yahoo! Answers and industry forums. Be sure to include your brand message (tactfully) in answers to your target audiences' questions. Also consider guest-blogging on an industry leader website - it positions you and your brand as a trusted authority figure.
Blogs: A blogger's lifeblood is his or her network. Catch the attention of just a few highly-regarded bloggers and your brand will end up on Facebook, Twitter, Digg, and possibly thousands of other blogs and websites. Identify top bloggers in your industry and send them some free products. Of course, you must follow-up relentlessly (preferably without badgering.)

Your website is the most important touch point for consumers this holiday season and every other season of the year. But more and more, consumers seek out and expect to find your brand at their convenience, wherever they might be spending time online. Be sure they can find you, that you deliver an experience worthy of their attention, and - more importantly - the attention of their friends.

Also read: Get Your Brand on Every Social Network with KnowEm.

Stay up to date on the latest Internet trends:
Request a professional subscription to Website Magazine,
the most popular print publication on Web success.

Google Commerce Search for Your Retail Site

Mike Phillips — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:51:00 GMT

Google has launched a new product just in time for the holiday retail rush. Google Commerce Search is a retail-focused search utility that retailers can put on their sites to help customers find what they want faster and more efficiently. The interface is customizable to fit the look and feel of the website and - best of all - results can be tracked with Google analytics. It's also entirely hosted in Google's cloud, so should a website get a sudden rush of activity, it is not in danger of crashing. Another nice feature is the ability to promote certain products at the top of results - of course, your analytics should be used to tell you what products are selling best and therefore should be featured. Products can be uploaded via data feeds, direct uploads or by using the Google API.

This is an important step for Google to get more in-line with the retail sector. But the real winners here are retailers. Site search is imperative for any online retail shop - it's the most common and fastest way consumers find products to buy and, without question, it improves conversion rates. If you're not currently using site search, this is a no-brainer. Even if you have your own site search, Google's system might be worth a look. After all, when it comes to search nobody does it better.

Finally, there's the issue of pricing. Here's the limited information given by Google: The pricing model for Google Commerce Search is based on the number of products/items (SKUs) in your data feed and the number of search queries entered on your site each year. If you want real specifics, you need to contact a Google representative. See the video below for a quick overview of Google Commerce Search features.

Bing Cashback: 6 Reasons to Get Started Now

Mike Phillips — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:01:00 GMT

Cashback started as a Microsoft Live Search offering in 2008. It gained some attention, but didn't really catch on with consumers like Microsoft (and retailers) had hoped. That attitude looks to be changing.

Several weeks ago, Bing offered to double their cashback rewards for consumers - if a retailer offered a $10 discount, Bing would throw in another $10. And it was successful. So much, they ended the program three days early after burning through their allotted budget for the promotion.

With Bing's strong focus on shopping and being a "decision engine," now might be the time for retailers and affiliates to get serious with Bing and their cashback program. Consumers look for deals - particularly online, where it's expected. Using cashback, retailers can set their purchase rewards amounts for items, and everything is on a cost=per-acquisition (CPA) basis - what Bing calls a guaranteed ROI. Below are a six more reasons to think about Bing cashback for your business.

Bing is up: The search engine itself is gaining in marketshare every day. Early returns from users are positive and with the overwhelming response of Bing's double cashback promotion, it's a clear indication Bing shopping is catching on. Click the "shopping" link on Bing's home page and the first thing you see is information on Bing cashback.
Yahoo!: When Bing takes over Yahoo! search properties, cashback is going to get even more exposure. It's not a bad idea to start now, so you can get familiar with the system and test what's working best with the Bing audience.
Cashback's new TV ad: It just started airing. Simply put, whenever you see a major advertising push on television, it will get attention. You can see it below.
Facebook and Twitter: Cashback has a presence on Facebook (more than 13,000 fans) and Twitter (over 4,500 followers). As you've been hearing for some time now, Facebook and Twitter are no joke. Expect those fans and followers to mushroom in the very near future.
eBay: Bing cashback is integrated with eBay. Although declining, eBay still sees 70 million uniques per month, according to Compete.com.
'Tis the season: Search for just about any product (toys, watches, etc.) on Google Trends and you'll see that the online shopping season is rapidly approaching. I can't think of a better time to get accustomed with Bing and cashback - the calm before the storm.

Learn more and get started with Bing cashback.

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State of E-Commerce Is... Strong?

Pete Prestipino — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:20:00 GMT

How did your gross online sales for the period April 1 through June 30, 2009 perform relative to the same period last year (April 1 through June 30, 2008)?

The National Retail Foundation's digital divsision Shop.org asked that question of its members and the results might surprise you:

- Fully 59% of retailers surveyed reported that their gross online sales had indeed grown for the quarter compared to the same quarter in 2008. Another 9% reported flat sales (in this economy, nothing to sneeze at), while one third (32%) reported sales decreases.

- Average YOY quarterly growth across all retailers surveyed was 11.8%

- Close to two-thirds of large retailers ($100+ million in annual Web sales) reported revenue increases for Q2 2009 vs. Q2 2008. Ditto for mid-sized retailers (defined as between $10 million and $100 million in annual Web sales). Smaller retailers (under $10 million) struggled somewhat more, but half of those surveyed in this segment did in fact realize sales growth.

Not too bad considering the near pervasive amount of negative economic news, right? Are you experiencing this type of growth with your e-commerce enterprise or is this some sort of statistical anomaly?

Baynote to Power E-Commerce Recommendations with Endeca

Mike Phillips — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Baynote, a well-known recommendation and social search engine, has partnered with Endeca through Endeca Extend to provide a deeper user experience for e-commerce sites and publishers.

Those participating in the Endeca Extend partner program will have the ability to leverage Baynote to provide product and content recommendations to site visitors. Baynote's Collective Intelligence Platform (CIP) uses the collective intelligence of site visitors to engage future site visitors, based on past behaviors and/or transactions. Baynote claims that e-commerce sites using product recommendations, e-mail recommendations and social search through CIP see an average of 20-30 percent increase in revenues.

Endeca touts some of the largest websites and retailers on the Web using their systems for both customer-facing functions and internal management. Endeca Extend helps websites build a total experience through the use of "cartridges," using tools and data from partners like Coremetrics, Omniture, Webtrends, Bazaarvoice and more, including now Baynote. The result is the ability for merchants and publishers to customize their customer-facing offerings based on their user's preferences and behaviors.

"Baynote is thrilled to add Endeca to our growing list of prestigious technology partners," said Kaushik Ghate, Baynote Product Manager. "By joining the Endeca Extend partner program we are able to combine Baynote's technology, which taps into the collective wisdom of the silent majority of site visitors, with the efficiency, speed and ease of Endeca's Commerce and Publishing Suites. It's a winning combination that we are excited to offer our joint customers who want to maximize their online revenues and overall customer experience."

2008 Online Retailer Holiday Strategies

Mike Phillips — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:38:00 GMT

Shopzilla's 2008 eHoliday study, conducted for Shop.org, reveals some strategies that online retailers are taking this year to beat a sagging economy. The study surveyed 60 online retailers from October 1-20, as well as 2,040 online buyers from September 29-October 3. And while many fear a slow holiday shopping season, apparently online retailers feel differently. More than half (56.1%) expect holiday sales to increase at least 15% over last year. So how do retailers plan on boosting profits?

Many retailers will deploy improved website features to lure and maintain customers. Improved or added site search is cited as a popular strategy this year (42.9%) as are functionalities for consumers to evaluate offerings - product video (42.6%) and customer reviews (32.7%) - that are designed to drive conversions.

One of the more prominent offerings for consumers will be free shipping, or reduced shipping costs. More than three quarters of retailers (78%) plan on offering free shipping, with conditions, during the holiday season, by renegotiating terms with shipping providers and reducing other promotions.

Many retailers will also focus on promotion this year. Social networking comes into play, with a full 25% of survey respondents adding a Facebook page this year to attract consumers. Brick-and-mortar retailers plan on offering email registration in stores (74.3%), advertise their website in stores (71.4%) and offer the ability for store employees to place online orders for customers (51.4%).

And there's good reason for heavy promotion this year. Of the more than 2,000 consumers surveyed, 20.1% say they have less money to spend this year, while 10.6% cited a poor economy. One in ten plans to spend less this year online due to high shipping charges, while 33% cite free shipping as a top reason to buy online.

Looking at these results, there are few surprises. Consumers are focused on saving money, while retailers are focused on increasing conversions. What are you doing this year to attract consumers and drive sales?