E-commerce Insights: Multichannel Planning Is a Complex Endeavor

Conclusion

Multichannel has changed direct marketing’s physics. Search has reduced “customer loyalty via ignorance.” Simple rules of housefile vs. acquisition economics aren’t so simple. Order allocation rules matter, more than you think.

Track sales and marketing costs at the customer level across channels. Differentiate sales from brand vs. nonbrand search phrases. Monitor efficiency just above and below your advertising cut-off, and start hold-out testing to determine your true marketing drivers of behavior.