Webinar preview: Optimizing on-site search

July 24, 2012 by 1 Comment

For the third installment in our optimization series, after analytics and content, we’re taking a deep dive into on-site search. The topic may seem a bit staid; after all, site search is the workhorse of eCommerce site features, so commonplace it doesn’t grab headlines or generate hype. But on-site search does have the potential to drive serious revenue, especially during the upcoming holiday season.

Consumers increasingly expect speed and relevance when they shop online. Fully 73% of shoppers will exit a site if they don’t locate what they seek within two minutes, according to search specialists SLI Systems.  Site search can meet and exceed this high standard, delivering a tailored results set that allows shoppers to sort through products according to their priorities.

Moreover, site search can act as a vital link to a brand’s product offering as shoppers roam across channels and devices. Industry researcher Forrester estimates that 36% of all purchases  – not just eCommerce site purchases – are now influenced by online activity, whether through eCommerce orders, in-store purchases influenced by Web research, mobile shopping activity, or social networks. A robust search toolset can deliver relevant information tailored to the touchpoint.

Survey data from industry researcher Forrester indicates that merchants are aware of this potential gold mine – and their need for improvement. The majority of businesses reported their on-site search initiatives were only moderately successful, with just 1 in 5 rating their efforts 8 or higher on a 10-point scale.

Site search data from Forrester Research

The Forrester survey found that the top area businesses identified for improvement with on-site search was improving relevance – connecting shoppers more efficiently to the products that meet their needs. Tomorrow’s Webinar will provide merchants with essential strategies for optimizing on-site search across touchpoints, including:

  • How to decide whether faceted search is a fit. It’s now commonplace for Web users to parse through extensive search results sets with a few clicks of the mouse, selecting for those attributes that matter to them. This type of dynamic search results display – called “faceted search” – enables shoppers to define their personal path to purchase by filtering the results and in essence creating a personalized, targeted category custom-built for their needs. Implementing such a tool to make it as powerful as possible requires an investment in time and resources – but given the potential revenue gains, every merchant should consider whether faceted search is a fit for their business.

  • Best practices for mobile site search. Tailoring search functionality for mobile users is now a merchant must. Not only does industry researcher Forrester predict shoppers will transact purchases worth $10 billion via mobile devices this year, but mobile is becoming an essential research tool for shoppers who go on to buy either at physical locations or via the eCommerce Web site. During last year’s peak holiday season, for example, more than one in 10 shoppers used a mobile device to visit a merchant’s Web site on Cyber Monday, compared to 3.9% of shoppers in 2010 — a more than 175% increase – and the numbers are only expected to climb this year.

Register for the Webinar now and tune in tomorrow at 10 a.m. Pacific to hear about these topics and more. Meantime, what on-site search strategies have worked for your business?

Filed under Acquire, Convert & Retain, Connected Commerce, Mobile Commerce Tagged with Business Optimization, On-site search

Performance Index update: The social imperative

July 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment

In last week’s post, we discussed the need for merchants to fine-tune their holiday strategies now to set the stage for success during the crucial final weeks of the year. Based on new data from the MarketLive Performance Index, it appears that merchants are in a good position to generate sales growth.

Second-quarter Index data shows strong year-over-year revenue growth of more than 15%. Traffic is on the upswing, surging 8.53% compared with a year ago, and merchants took advantage of the opportunity, improving conversion by nearly 5%, abandonment by just over 3%, and the add-to-cart or engagement rate by 2.5%.

But the “1-and-out” or bounce rate continued to lag, rising for the sixth straight quarter and signaling that merchants stand to reap even greater gains if they can better match the right products with their targeted audience.

Social media data from the MarketLive Performance Index One key area of weakness continues to be social networking. The percentage of shoppers linking to eCommerce sites from social networks has stayed nearly flat from a year ago – rising to 1.04% this year compared with 1.00% in Q2 of 2011. Moreover, retailers and brand manufacturers are flagging in their efforts to drive social traffic, while catalogers – the weakest segment in this regard – are improving, but can still only attribute less than a percent of their visits to social networks. The stagnant performance suggests merchants must continue to find new ways to engage this audience, which is a potential source of not only lucrative sales but also powerful word-of-mouth clout during the holidays.

In response to the Index numbers, we suggest adding social as a holiday priority. Consider these tactics:

Give Facebook followers the ability to browse and buy. Unless you’ve enabled a Facebook shopping cart which allows followers to make purchases without leaving the social environment, your fan page should actively be directing traffic to products and categories on the eCommerce site. Consider creating displays targeted to the social audience that showcase the latest seasonal items, sought-after gifts and exclusive deals — and use deep links to the eCommerce site so that shoppers connect directly with the relevant content. Women’s recreational clothier Title Nine features a “Shop T9” link at the top of its page, and offers followers a selection of popular tops and shorts for summer. Shoppers who click on a product image are taken directly to the product page on the eCommerce site.

Facebook shopping example from Title Nine

Facebook shopping example from Title Nine

 

Develop a social discount strategy. Social followers are on the lookout for deals, so develop a plan for offering exclusive discounts that synchs with your other campaigns. The Twitter audience is especially deal-hungry; according to data from eMarketer, 48% of Twitter users who follow brands do so expressly to receive discounts.

Plan a Pinterest contest. As noted in an earlier post, Pinterest is now the third-largest social network. During the holiday season, look for this image-rich site to be full of wish list pinboards; encourage shoppers to showcase your products by running a “win your wish list” or other sweepstakes contest — and cross-promote it via email and other social networks. Last year, Land’s End invited Facebook users to create Pinterest boards featuring its products, and picked 10 winners to receive  $250 gift cards.
Pinterest example from Lands End

Download the full Index report to view more holiday tips plus data by industry and business type. Meantime, what social strategies are you planning for the holiday season?

Filed under Analytics, Social Commerce Tagged with MarketLive Performance Index

Christmas in July: What to do now for holiday success

July 12, 2012 by 1 Comment

Now that the Fourth of July is in the rearview mirror, the end-of-year holiday season looms on the horizon — and for merchants, the stakes couldn’t be higher.  Industry researcher Forrester estimates that from 2005 to 2011, online purchases have increased from 5% to 12% of total retail holiday sales — a 140% increase — and the growth trend is set to continue.

With so much at stake, merchants have been developing their fourth-quarter strategies all year and implementing the technology upgrades they need to remain competitive. While now is probably already too late to add to the list of major new features to devise, deploy and test before the holiday kickoff, there are a variety of site tweaks and marketing strategies merchants can undertake to maximize their chances of holiday success. Top priorities:

Run the numbers on season-long free shipping with no threshold — or formulate alternatives. Painful as its impact on the bottom line is for merchants to contemplate, free shipping with no threshold is a consumer favorite. In the 2011 MarketLive Consumer Shopping Survey, conducted just prior to the holiday season, 45% of participants said high shipping costs prevented them from buying more gifts online, and unconditional free shipping was the top-rated promotion shoppers said would influence their purchase decision.

Because of its popularity, a handful of large brands now offer free shipping with no threshold year-round — upping consumers’ expectations still further. For most merchants, even offering it for the duration of the holiday season is an expensive proposition — but it’s worth contemplating for the competitive advantage it could afford your brand.

If you can’t offer free unconditional shipping for the duration of the season, consider offering it in small doses, such as:

  • On red-letter shopping days. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, “Green Monday” (the second Monday in December) and Free Shipping Day to start.
  • For limited time frames within a single day, such as night-owl, early-bird or lunch-hour specials.
  • For loyalty club members only, or for customers with a high lifetime value.

Bedding company Cuddledown put a wry spin on a weekend-long shipping discount last year, saying “just please don’t tell our boss” that free shipping with no threshold was on offer.

Holiday offer example from MarketLive merchant Cuddledown

Beef up content. Offering holiday shoppers deep, relevant content can instill trust and help guide their gift purchases. In particular, in preparation for the peak season merchants should beef up content that helps shoppers:

  • Research. Forrester estimates that in 2011, fully 36% of all purchases – not just online purchases – were influenced by the Web in some way, with product and brand research leading the list of online shopping behaviors. Merchants should provide a robust content toolset to assist potential gift buyers with their research.
  • Find gifts. Buying guides, product demonstration videos, and categories for top-rated items all help shoppers connect with the products that are just right for recipients on their list.
  • Get help. Building comprehensive information to assist shoppers with their purchase decision demonstrates the credibility of the brand. And during the frantic holiday season, when shipping costs and delivery deadlines take center stage, robust customer service content is more important than ever.
  • Discover new pathways to purchase. In addition to providing fodder for consumers conducting product research, lifestyle content such as blog posts and articles can help boost merchants’ SEO rankings for non-branded terms, potentially bringing new audiences to the brand, as the graphic below illustrates.

MarketLive chart showing new pathways to purchase via lifestyle content

Add as much cross-channel mobile capability as you can support. Mobile research is likely to be prevalent this holiday season; last year, according to IBM Coremetrics, more than one in 10 shoppers used a mobile device to visit a merchant’s Web site on Cyber Monday, compared to 3.9% of shoppers in 2010 — a more than 175% increase.

To cater to such behaviors, merchants should amp up their mobile offerings to include as much information about in-store activities as possible. In-store inventory integration is the ideal, but information that’s simpler to provide is also helpful to shoppers. Be sure to feature:

  • A robust, up-to-date store locator. Make sure your store locator is set to display holiday hours, local phone numbers and integrated mapping for easy access to turn-by-turn directions.
  • The skinny on store events and services. Special sales, in-store demos and gift wrap services are all relevant for holiday shoppers on the go.
  • Information on in-store pickup. Help connect online and offline touchpoints with prominent links to information about store delivery of items purchased online.

What holiday strategies are priorities for your business?

Filed under Acquire, Convert & Retain, Client Innovations, Mobile Commerce, Seasonal Selling Tagged with 2012 Holidays

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