Cover Story: The 50 Best Tips of 2014

31. Be fluid, stay future focused. Iterate, test, learn, roll out. Nothing is stagnant; the world is ever changing in omnichannel retail. Therefore, flexibility and a test-and-roll mind-set are critical to future success. That and strong IT partners!
Jen Sey, Levi Strauss & Co., "Top Women in Omnichannel Retail," March/April, Retail Online Integration

Operations and Fulfillment
32. Geo-mapping effective logistics clusters: The value of close proximity to a strong customer base and a sophisticated workforce may well be worth the higher costs. Moreover, logistics clusters located directly outside city centers can have easy access to customers via highway and public transportation.
Craig Meyer and Kris Bjorson, both of Jones Lang LaSalle, "5 Challenges and Opportunities Facing Retailers Establishing a Global E-Commerce Supply Chain," March 11, ROI Report

Search
33. Weekly or even daily reports on top search phrases can guide your decisions on what products to focus on for merchandising. Reports on "no results" pages can uncover products people want that you may not have, but could start offering in response to demand.
Geoff Brash, SLI Systems, "How Your Search Box Can Inform Marketing Strategy," Feb. 6, ROI Report

34. Don't listen to Google. A Google consultant may call you, but don't answer the phone. You'll also get "recommendations" when you log into Google AdWords; do not click accept. Why? Because while it may appear that Google is trying to help your business grow, you know more about your business than it does.
Sara Shikhman, Bedroom Furniture Discounts, "Don't Listen to Google and 9 Other Google AdWords Tips to Increase ROI," March 5, ROI Report

35. Create "floating refinements" paired with infinite scrolling. Infinite scrolling has become commonplace on many websites. Content such as more search results will appear automatically as users scroll to the end of the page, eliminating the need to click on "next page" links. If you're using infinite scrolling for search results, consider adding refinements that float (i.e., remain persistent) as users scroll through results. This feature helps shoppers remember that they can refine search results when needed, which means they can find the right products in less time.
Tim Callan, SLI Systems, "5 Tips for Building a More Relevant Site Search Experience," April 4, ROI Report

Security
36. Use social data as your secret weapon. To get more advanced, you should consider social data. It's easy enough to do a social search based off an email address — you can see whether someone has a Facebook or LinkedIn profile and whether it matches a verified email address they gave you. A long-standing social profile that matches their name and email address is an asset they have that's difficult for a fraudster to synthesize.
John Canfield, WePay, "Don't Let Fraud Losses Surprise You," Jan. 27, ROI Report

37. Implement multifactor authentication. The use of multiple authentication factors (e.g., second password, security image, challenge questions, etc.) can create a digital fingerprint for the customer, making it more difficult for attackers to pose as legitimate users.
Daniel Ingevaldson, Easy Solutions, "EMV Cards Won't Stop a Target-Like Data Breach, But These Tips Will," March 4, ROI Report

Shipping
38. Enable your customers to make a shipping cost decision based upon time of transit, not specific carrier service mode. Use a carrier management system to determine the lowest cost based upon dimensions and weight/zone that includes your negotiated rates with ancillary costs considered.
Gordon Glazer, Shipware, "What the 2014 USPS Pricing Changes for Shipping Services Means to Retailers," Feb. 26, Shipping Insights blog

39. Offer multiple delivery service levels. Retailers should offer, and charge a premium for, options such as one-hour or two-hour delivery windows, or two-person delivery for larger items. A properly executed and priced multiservice offering may well offset the cost of same-day AM/PM service, allowing you to offer it for a fraction of the actual cost. All of these different delivery types require unique technology both on your website (e.g., selecting delivery time windows) and on the part of your carriers, who are your indispensable partners in confirming and scheduling the deliveries.
Rob Howard, Grand Junction, "Same-Day Delivery: From Competitive Advantage to Must-Offer Service," April 11, ROI Report

40. Know up-to-date carrier cutoffs. Keep open lines of communication with your carriers to ensure you know the last possible date and time customers can put in orders to ensure that packages will arrive on time. This is especially important during the months leading up to the holiday shopping season.
Maria Haggerty, Dotcom Distribution, "5 Ways Retailers Can Compete With Amazon's Same-Day Delivery Model," August 12, ROI Report