E-Commerce

Landing pages are the Rodney Dangerfield of most Web sites — they get no respect. Catalogers agonize over what words to use in a paid-search ad. They work the creative department to the point of rebellion to send out another e-mail. They give away prime, expensive space in their catalogs to promote their Web sites. But when it comes time to direct this precious Web traffic, most simply say, “Find a page on the site that will work.” To quote Rodney again, “It ought to be against the law!” Smart catalogers have figured out that they can double profits by creating targeted landing pages

Microsites focus on a specific product or product line. Unlike landing pages, the navigation and visual look are tailored to support that focus. To see the difference, compare www.positivepromotions.com/breast-cancer-awareness/c/4210 to www.positivebca.com. The first link shows an example of a landing page for breast cancer awareness products. The top navigation shows the entire product line the company sells, from health and wellness to imprintable items. Positivebca.com leads to a microsite on the same topic. The color scheme has changed to pink, and the navigation reflects only breast cancer awareness products. When you click on a top navigation link like Walks & Runs, you

PATIENT: Doc, almost all our orders used to come through the call center. Now 75 percent come via our Web site. We’re ready to give up on our catalog and go Web-only. Is that a good idea? CATALOG DOCTOR: To keep your Web business healthy, I advise keeping your catalog. You’ll be surprised how much the catalog drives both sales and profits. It’s probably the primary driver of Web site orders. PATIENT: But how can I know for sure? I need to be able to justify an ongoing investment in the catalog. CATALOG DOCTOR: Let’s look at four different ways to learn how

It’s not so much what you sell online, it’s how safe you can make that transaction. According to a recent national survey of 2,706 consumers conducted by JupiterResearch for eBillme, an online payment solution provider, 81 percent of credit and debit card users value fraud protection as the most important factor when selecting an online payment option. That’s four times more important to respondents than purchase rewards. Listed below are some more highlights from the survey. * 77 percent of credit card users said they’d accept changes in the online checkout payment process if it would enhance security; * when provided a

As per my headline, for this issue of Catalog Success: The Corner View, I hand my pen — um, keyboard — over to Catalog Success E-Commerce Insights columnist Alan Rimm-Kaufman. Alan heads the Rimm-Kaufman Group, an online agency providing large-scale paid search bid management and Web site testing services, and was formerly a marketing executive with the Crutchfield catalog of consumer electronics. I leave the stage to Alan, who starts with a potential scenario followed by nine predictions for the future of the catalog/multichannel business as it affects you. Scene: A bar at a conference hotel during a marketing trade show. Bill:

Familiarity with the types of products offered by a company or brand has proven to be a key influencer in driving traffic to your Web site. Such was the finding of the 2007 edition of the Top 40 Online Retail Satisfaction Index conducted by ForeSee Results. The survey used the methodologies of the American Customer Satisfaction Index, and is based on the responses of more than 11,000 online shoppers. Here are some of its findings. * 78 percent of respondents said familiarity with the types of products offered by the company or brand led to satisfaction when visiting a Web site; followed by promotional

When preparing their next offers, multichannel marketers may want to take a second look at the value of free shipping. Its appeal to consumers appears to be growing. Such was the finding of the seventh annual Post-Holiday Customer Insight survey conducted by Decision Direct Research, the marketing research division of the list company the Millard Group. Of the 73,000 consumers who completed the recent survey, 61 percent said free shipping spurred them to shop from catalogs, and 53 percent indicated free shipping was the driving force in getting them to shop on a Web site. Here are some more noteworthy findings of the survey:

Many B-to-B catalogers are looking for ways to increase their online businesses. Most are currently spending significantly on some form of paid online advertising, improving their organic search efforts and improving their conversions of site visits to orders.
Another idea you might want to consider is starting a new company online. If you believe every successful endeavor starts with a consideration of your potential market and products, consider examining the following points.
* Take a look at your 10 best-selling products and ask yourself, “Could any of these become a stand-alone business?” Examine how your products might serve a new market if they

This article assumes that insights gained from Web testing lead to effective print catalog presentations. That is our “Big Assumption.” If you disagree, skip to the next article. No hard feelings; see you next month. Still reading? Good. There are two decent reasons to accept this Big Assumption. First, the Web is so prevalent that the demographics of Web shoppers are pretty much the same as the demographics of all direct shoppers, making the Big Assumption reasonable. Second, the Web offers catalogers their first chance to do real testing. While many catalogers think they’ve been testing for years, they really haven’t been

With many Web options available, overseas expansion for multichannel marketers might not be as daunting as it once was. John Lazarchic, vice president of e-commerce for multichannel pet supplies retailer PETCO, laid out a multistep plan to attract business from foreign customers during a Feb. 13 session at the eTail conference in Palm Desert, Calif. 1. Choose a comparison shopping engine and marketplace site, because … * they capture large audiences; * when used effectively, they can significantly impact traffic and sales; * you compete with the many online businesses that compete on price, and they’re all most likely using such search engines; and