E-Commerce

Plurk? Twitter? FriendFeed? Utterz? Social networking is all the rage. Everyone seems to want to know more about Web 2.0. That’s especially unfortunate for traditional catalogers and direct marketers whose sites are still at Web .05. Here are the reasons: • These days, most businesses get more than enough Web traffic. • They just don’t know how to convert it effectively. • And to mask their inability to actually enable people to easily add stuff to their carts and check out seamlessly, these companies send more and more traffic to flawed sites. Short term, it can be a great idea. Long term, it’s

In many respects, there’s no such thing as a stand-alone catalog company these days. The value of multiple channels, particularly the Internet, has been readily adopted by most catalogers. So the role of the catalog, while still critical, has changed. It no longer serves as the sole driver of sales, but now also acts as a vehicle to push sales to the Web. Jeff Haggin, president/CEO of the multichannel direct marketing agency Haggin Marketing, offers several tips on how best to convert this consumer traffic into sales when it gets to your site. 1. Limited-quantity specials. Let your customers know your site has deals

Copywriting is often treated like “copy on the go.” That is, it’s treated more like picking up fast food than relaxing over a well-balanced meal. But when you drag copy to a Web site from the original catalog, or use it almost verbatim in an e-mail, there’s bound to be something missing — including lost sales. Consider writing to “fit” the media. The very aspects that make each different selling channel so vital provide clues for writing more powerful copy. The Similarities Regardless of the media, the name of the game is selling. Keep your voice consistent for all media, and remember the

Editor’s Note: This is the third of a three-part series on becoming more adept and adapting to the multichannel world. Parts one and two appeared in our February and June issues. Smart multichannel merchants let customers decide how to order. You can visit a J.Crew store and order a pair of jeans via its in-store Web kiosk while talking to a service rep on the phone. What generated the order? In this case, it was a mailed catalog. Which channel gets the credit? That gets a bit complicated. Our first installment of this multichannel mastery article series detailed the key issues you should focus

A recent webinar from the e-commerce site search, navigation and merchandising solution provider Mercado, led by the company’s director of worldwide merchandising consulting, Michael Klein, provided several tips to help multichannel merchants prepare for their busiest time of the year, the holidays. Here are some takeaway pointers Klein doled out. * Identify your top 20. This includes your top 20 products and keywords and the top 20 percent of your customers, Klein said. Then develop a promotional campaign around that top 20, with targeted e-mails and landing pages. * Test and analyze keywords and null results. For null results, Klein advised offering product alternatives

This week in the second of this two-part series on using cross-selling and upselling techniques to boost online sales, we continue our coverage of Michael Dell’ Arciprete’s presentation from the eTail East 2008 conference in Washington, D.C. This part lists several tactics the vice president of marketing for the online coffee retailer Boca Java advised the audience to avoid when attempting to cross-sell or upsell products online. (For part 1, click here.) 1. Too many cross-sell items. Confusion reigns and placements become random when you try to cross-sell too many products at one time, Dell’ Arciprete warned. 2. Don’t talk over the customer. “Don’t

Holiday Growth Tactics 2008 A successful holiday season starts now, particularly in this tough economy! This informative report by Lauren Freedman of the e-tailing group and MarketLive explores proven tactics for growing holiday sales in key areas: Gifting, Promotions, eMail, Customer Service, and more.

It may be hot outside, but savvy merchants are already contemplating sleighs and snowflakes. With the holiday season comprising fully a third of all online sales, according to Forrester Research, now’s the time to begin building the strategies that will propel year-end success. But we’re not only talking holiday season here. Half of all online buying is for other people at any time of the year, according to Forrester. So multichannel merchants should adapt successful holiday gifting tactics for year-round use during seasonal peaks and special events. To be successful, your gifting strategy must be carefully planned and woven into the fabric of

Do your site’s sign-up forms read like a bungled attempt at getting a date? You: Hi, would you like to get coffee? Visitor: Umm … sure. OK. You: Great! LET’S GET MARRIED! I love kids! I want a big wedding, then a week in Hawaii. Two girls and a boy, (after I make partner). Now Wednesday is poker night; can we spend every other Christmas with my mom? I like to garden, cook and … Visitor: You’re scaring me. Please go away now. Of course, you’re not that clueless about relationships. But your site may be. The No. 1 mistake marketers make

Note: Consistent with the issue’s focus on e-commerce/technology, this month’s Creative Cut focuses on a Web site. Many niche marketers thrive on the Web. If you have a very specialized product or target market, you can build a successful online business that grows by word-of-mouth, search engine marketing, and, at times, small catalogs or print materials. This requires a well-honed site that speaks directly to your market with a clear message that you’re an expert at what you do. The following is a look at ways FlagClothes.com could enhance its Web site to become the true leader in flag-based, patriotic products. Homepage At