50 Best Tips of 2012
31. Invest in multimedia content. A retailer shouldn't just show a still image of a product in space. Rather, showcase the item "in the wild" being used, thrown, hung, worn or driven. Every product has got a function or purpose; use lifestyle images and video as a way to ignite a conversation about them.
David Sasson, overstockArt.com, "Tips for Capitalizing on Social Media Trends," May 9,ROI Report
32. Separate yourself from the millions of businesses that are hiding from their customers by posting your privacy and return policies. Be fair. For example, if something is on back order, let consumers know before they try to order it.
Jared Gerber, IMAGINE IT Web Design & SEO, "10 Tips to Maximize Your Website Conversion Rate," Oct. 5, ROI Report
Operations & Fulfillment
33. Establish hot-pick zones. Put your best-selling items in the most accessible storage areas (e.g., ends of aisles) without creating traffic jams. As much as 70 percent of a picker's time is spent walking the warehouse floor. Reduce walk distance and time and you increase productivity and reduce costs.
Curt Barry, F. Curtis Barry & Co., "Better Than Santa's Elves," July/August, Retail Online Integration
34. Give your customers deferred delivery choices. Consider adding deferred residential ground shipping alternatives to your website — e.g., UPS SurePost, FedEx SmartPost, Newgistics and EquaShip. These methods may add days in transit, but at significantly lower pricing than FedEx and UPS air and ground services.
Rob Martinez, Shipware, "A How-To Guide to Being a Successful Cross-Channel Retailer in 2012," January/February, Retail Online Integration
35. For those online sellers with a retail presence, consider offering free shipping for pickup in-store. You avoid high-cost residential delivery charges as well as maximize cross-sell and upsell opportunities. As an added benefit, this tactic lowers the cost of returns, too.
Rob Martinez, Shipware, "A How-To Guide to Being a Successful Cross-Channel Retailer in 2012," January/February, Retail Online Integration
Printing
36. The printers you're obtaining bids from need to include a "net" postage estimate, including all fees. Looking at print manufacturing and paper prices only isn't enough. It falls short of the total amount you pay to print and mail catalogs. After all co-mail fees, the net savings should range from three cents to six cents per catalog. There's a fairly wide range of savings due to the quantity mailed.
Stephen R. Lett, Lett Direct, "What Cross-Channel Retailers Need to Know When Getting Print Bids," July/ August, Retail Online Integration
Search
37. Smart suggestions. Google pioneered the autofill technology, and while it's become almost second nature to all internet search boxes, there are plenty of e-commerce retailers that still aren't affording this simple luxury to their visitors. Not only does autofill compensate for the human error of forgetting a full product name or title, it can suggest new, similar items that the consumer never considered before.
Diane Buzzeo, Ability Commerce, "5 Ways to Maximize Your On-Site Search," May 10,ROI Report
38. Enhanced categories. When in doubt, err on the side of specificity. Organizing your online inventory too broadly leaves shoppers with an unnecessary amount of legwork. If you specialize in a certain type of product but carry multiple brands, make sure that visitors can narrow their search by the same criteria. Even providing the ability to search within product categories by price range or customer review rating lends itself to a more consumer-centric experience.
Diane Buzzeo, Ability Commerce, "5 Ways to Maximize Your On-Site Search," May 10,ROI Report
Security
39. To effectively assess the impact fraud is having on their profitability, retailers must measure beyond the loss of the good and include shipping fees, restocking fees and interest — all costs associated with inefficient fraud prevention.
Jim Rice, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, "Fraud Prevention Tips to Help You Save Money and Keep the Bad Guys Away," May 22, ROI Report
40. Frequent software updates can protect businesses from Zeus and other types of malware. Sophisticated malware attacks often gain access to systems by exploiting security vulnerabilities in common software solutions (e.g., Windows, Java, Adobe, etc.). To ensure the integrity of your system, make sure that all devices and access points have been updated with the most recent security patches.
Andreas Baumhof, ThreatMetrix, "The Zeus Trojan: How Online Retailers Can Protect Themselves from the Latest Malware Threat," Oct. 10, ROI Report
