An everything guide on how to be a successful omnichannel retailer in 2014

Tips From Our Editorial Advisory Board

"In 2014, the successful omnichannel retailers will be those who can evolve into fully integrated brands. Integrated retailing means going beyond synchronized marketing and synchronized merchandise  assortments across the customer touchpoints. It means integrating the full retail value chain across touchpoints — customer data, marketing programs, assortment, pricing strategy, product data, supply chain, inventory visibility, markdown strategy and customer care. The successful integrated retailers will optimize their businesses by leveraging the digital channels — price and space optimization, personalization, multivariate testing, traffic drivers to the store, and in-store sales associate empowerment  and training." — Richard Last,  chairman of the board  of directors, Shop.org

"Try trust-based pricing. Yes, you heard it right. Let your customer determine the price. Just as money-back guarantees concerned retailers about the chances of getting ripped off when first introduced, trust-based pricing is just as scary, but it results in more customers trying your products and most of them paying the full price and being totally honest with the transaction." — Mike Faith,  CEO and president,  Headsets.com

"Step out of your silos and talk to each other — including your support departments. Don't let these true stories (only a small sample!) happen to you: An offer was printed before asking IT if the system could handle it (it couldn't). Customers called to order an emailed offer that no one had informed the call center about. Web product copy gave different facts than the catalog copy because no one had compared the two or asked the merchandising team to proof. To paraphrase, try 'marketing by walking around.' Better for your department, better for your brand, better for your customer." — Susan J. McIntyre, founder and chief strategist, McIntyre Direct

"Shopper expectations are at an all-time high, so omnichannel success means keeping pace with rapidly evolving technologies, ensuring these technologies are in an easy-to-access, always available, simple-to-use format. Thoughtful execution that allows for shoppers to research and buy requires sharp pricing, relevant promotions, flawless execution and superior customer service. Given the complexity and demands on every retailer, prioritizing and investing accordingly must be their mandate." — Lauren Freedman,  president, the e-tailing group

"Anyone who interacts with customers, retailer or otherwise, must be prepared to engage their market on any device in any channel as the internet of everything accelerates. The internet of everything is going to force us to go far beyond optimized channels to exceed customer expectations. We're going to have to learn how to sell a toaster on a flexible screen stuck to someone's refrigerator!" — Richard Sexton,  founder and president, Carolina Rustica

"Know your customers and what they want, whether they're shopping with you online or at your brick-and-mortar locations. Some may shop through both channels, while others may shop via only one of those outlets, so it's important to make sure programs and promotions complement each other so customers have a similar experience with your brand. Customer service continues to be key. If you aren't helping people get the products they want, when they want them, they're going to find another retailer that will." — Kathy Doyle Thomas,  executive vice president and chief strategy officer, Half Price Books

"Smart CEOs prepare for the next recession when times are good. Focus efforts on shoring up your infrastructure. If your database causes your team headaches, fix it. If your fulfillment operation hasn't been updated in the past decade, invest in an overhaul. Do you carry a large number of SKUs? Consider an asset management system to organize your product images, copy and pricing. You'll be amazed at how it streamlines your workflow. You can afford these large system investments when the economy is strong, and their cost savings will benefit you during good times and especially in bad." — George Hague,  principal,  HAGUEdirect

3 Ways to Generate More Retail Sales Using Email in 2014

Retail e-commerce sales for 2013 were expected to reach $262.3 billion, an increase of 16.4 percent over 2012, according to eMarketer. So what's driving the traffic that generates these sales? Social media may be the darling of online marketing, but email is still the workhorse. Email provides over three-and-a-half times the website traffic of social media and nearly eight times the website traffic of display advertising for retailers, according to the Digital IQ Index: Specialty Retail report from think tank L2.

Here are three ways to teach your old email program new tricks. Before you discount these ideas, remember, the devil is in the details. You may be doing some or all of these things now, but are you testing your execution to optimize performance? If not, take a fresh look and start!

1. Turn new email subscribers into fans with your welcome program. Offer new subscribers more than just a hello. Provide a discount on their next purchase, use what you know about them via interests reported at sign-up and/or items bought if the opt-in was part of the checkout process to personalize the email with images or product offerings. Even better, invite them to share the discount with friends to extend your brand's reach.

2. Take cart abandonment one step further with browse retargeting. Cart abandonment campaigns are good, but consider moving upstream. Smart retailers are identifying serious browsers that don't put items in their cart, and then are using triggered emails to reach out to them as soon as they leave the site with product offerings related to what they were browsing. Automate this process and you have high conversion rates at a low ongoing cost.

3. Use order confirmations to drive future sales. Order confirmations are an underutilized marketing tool. You know what the email subscriber bought, so use this information to recommend other products they might like right in the order confirmation email. Once the rules are in place and the automation set up, it's an ongoing tool for driving additional sales and revenue.

Jeanne Jennings is the vice president of global strategic services at Alchemy Worx, a full-service email marketing agency. Jeanne can be reached at jjennings@alchemyworx.com.

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