A How-to-Do-Everything-Great-in-2012 Guide for Cross-Channel Retailers

By Retail Online Integration

“Building and managing your brand across multiple channels is all about streamlining the consumer’s access to it through your product by making it easy to find, research, understand the value proposition and, most importantly, buy. Thanks to both the internet and mobile technology, channel segmentation and geographic limitations play a much lesser role in consumer segmentation. The key is keeping the brand experience and product positioning consistent and relevant for the many places consumers come in contact with your brand. The consumer always comes first. Wherever they shop they hold the brand they love and buy accountable. High engagement on our Facebook page ensures we never forget this all-important fact.” — Tony Ambroza, vice president of marketing, Carhartt

"To be successful in 2012, retailers must make sure they’re optimizing their mobile sites. That said, they also must understand that mobile devices aren’t all used by consumers in the same way. Tablet users, for example, tend to be more sedentary and likely to shop on their device while sitting on the couch, so they’re more likely to take the time to use tablet shopping tools such as video, comparison charts and customer reviews. Smartphone users, on the other hand, tend to be more mobile, so when they use their devices for shopping they want to locate products and check out in a timely manner. In short, retailers need to make sure the shopping experience for tablet and smartphone users are tailored to meet the different needs of both types of shoppers.” — Peter Cobb, co-founder & senior vice president, eBags

"Be flexible and willing to try new things, but be sure to test as you go. Don’t do something because everyone else is doing it; do it because it’s right for your customer and your brand. Staying true to your brand will result in more customer advocates and loyalty than a quick gimmick.” — Catherine Davis,  direct marketing director, The Container Store

"Marketers need to decide in which channels they’re going to be strong, then apply their resources there rather than try everything and not truly come out No. 1 in any channel. Narrowing the focus of activities by going deeper will generally yield stronger results for most cross-channel retailers.” — Mike Faith, CEO and president, Headsets.com

"The convergence of print catalogs and electronic media has arrived. Consumers are taking this convergence for granted, but multichannel marketers need to wake up to the new reality. Specifically, you need to place a linked PDF of your catalog on your website, be featured in one or more of the catalog apps for iPad and Android devices, and, most importantly, have both of these convergence media working for you.” — George Hague, principal, HAGUEdirect

"To be a successful multichannel retailer for each category of merchandise you sell, it’s critical to understand the following: What are my strengths in one channel? How do I leverage those strengths to offset a correponding weakness in another channnel? For example, a product category that supports more SKU intensity than can be accomodated by the confined space of your store would be ideal to sell online as it’s the natural channel to extend that assortment. Similarly, for a product category that supports very high demand at very low price points (a few dollars), online can be unprofitable and limiting due to the cost of pick/pack/ship. Instead, using the online channel to drive store traffic for those items may be the better formula to follow.” — Richard E. Last, Lecturer in Digital Retail, University of North Texas; Chairman of the Board of Directors, Shop.org; Founder, JCPenney.com

"The secret to success is knowing how to use your marketing database across all channels ― i.e., catalog and internet. The right contact strategy is needed and the proper balance between catalog mailings to your customers vs. email communications. Online retailers must start structuring their databases to accommodate tracking of every aspect of an individual customer’s experience. Coupling customer database information with web analytic data should provide some direction as to how to best structure and communicate with customers. Communicate with customers the way they want to communicate with you.” — Stephen R. Lett, president, Lett Direct

"1. Listen to the customer and adapt to their ever-changing demands.
2. Embrace mobile solutions to be accessible everywhere consumers are.
3. Test social strategies that engage and inspire shoppers.
4. Give the lady what she wants through superior service and shoppers will return.” — Lauren Freedman, president, the e-tailing group

"In 2012 you’re up against a world where consumers can instantly compare prices, have a vast array of similar products to choose from and are pressed for time so they want instant answers. Fight back with the following tactics:
1. Within your product offering, have as many of those products as you can  be unique.
2. Tell consumers clearly and quickly WHY each of your unique products are better for them.
3. Tell consumers clearly and quickly why your COMPANY is better for them.

Memorize this: benefit, benefit, benefit; unique, unique, unique." — Susan J. McIntyre, founder and chief strategist, McIntyre Direct

"The key to success begins and ends with the customer! No matter what technology brings, we must keep listening to our customers. Be passionate about who they are and what they want, where they are, and how they want to engage with your brand. Be true to your unique brand proposition and don’t try to be somebody else. Offer relevant content, a superior experience and consistently evaluate what that looks like from the customer’s point of view.” — Margaret Moraskie, senior vice president of marketing, Boston Proper

It’s hard to believe, but 2012 is here and in full swing. Hopefully you had a busy and productive holiday season and are now ready to jump into 2012 no-holds-barred. Before you get started, however, make sure to check out this guide. We’ve assembled a top-notch group of cross-channel retail experts to offer you their best advice for the year ahead. We’re covering everything from how to make the most of your free shipping program to email deliverability, and everything in between. And don’t forget to check out the quotes from our editorial board members in the guide's sidebar. The sage advice from these cross-channel retail veterans is priceless. Take their advice to heart and you’ll undoubtedly have the best year ever.

How to Make Your Buttons Pay
Buttons are often the main visual call to action on a landing page. The following guidelines should help you make them more effective:
Prioritize your buttons. Ideally you should have a single, clear call-to-action button on your page. If you have secondary buttons, change their color or size to something visually less interesting (e.g., make those buttons duller and smaller). If you have two side-by-side buttons, remember that the one on the right is by convention considered the default one, or the one most likely to be clicked on. You may also consider demoting some of your secondary buttons to text links.
Experiment with format. The exact format of a button matters. Experiment and test a wide range of button shape parameters to see what works best. Possible changes to a button include shape (having it be square), dimensionality (adding drop shadows and curves), color (contrasting and ideally unique on the page), visual embellishments (adding small triangles or chevrons to indicate action) and size (try radically smaller or larger versions).
Be specific and manage expectations. Buttons should accurately describe the intended action. Make sure that your buttons describe exactly what will happen when they’re pressed. For example, many e-commerce sites mistakenly put “Buy It Now!” buttons next to products when the actual action is “Add to Cart.” Similarly, don’t use “Order Now” when you really mean “Proceed to Checkout.” This causes unnecessary stress and anxiety for visitors.
Label from the perspective of your visitors. Button text should always be written from the perspective of your visitors. Address their intentions and desires. In many cases you should try to complete the thought in the mind of the visitor: “I want to … .” Examples of possible completions to this sentence include “download the whitepaper,” “start my free trial,” “get details” or “select this plan.” The formulation above is unlikely to work with commonly seen button text such as “Submit,” “Create Account” or “Reset.” — Tim Ash

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Cover Story: A How-to-Do-Everything-Great-in-2012 Guide for Cross-Channel Retailers