Target

What catalog/e-commerce operation couldn't use a little cost-cutting and productivity boost from time to time? While the economy appears more robust than just a few short years ago and consumers seem to be buying in a more consistent fashion, it's still a good idea to ensure that your expenses don't start to creep up and your staff's productivity remains high. To help you with these tasks as they relate to your company's operations and merchandise fulfillment, we've compiled several expert-written articles for this issue. Curt Barry, president of consultancy F. Curtis Barry & Co., outlines 15 ideas that are sure to boost your

By Alan Rimm-Kaufman From this article, you'll learn how to start protecting your Web site and customer data from potential security breaches. A security breach could hit your company without warning. A hacker could bring your firm to its knees with terrifying swiftness. If your Web site is insecure today, hackers could break into it tonight, and tomorrow you could face widespread customer wrath, disastrous publicity and significant legal liability. If your firm hasn't yet taken steps to reduce your Web security risk, now is the time to do so. Following are suggestions to get you started. Yes, You Are a Target

By Alan Rimm-Kaufman From this article, you'll learn how to start protecting your Web site and customer data from potential security breaches. A security breach could hit your company without warning. A hacker could bring your firm to its knees with terrifying swiftness. If your Web site is insecure today, hackers could break into it tonight, and tomorrow you could face widespread customer wrath, disastrous publicity and significant legal liability. If your firm hasn't yet taken steps to reduce your Web security risk, now is the time to do so. Following are suggestions to get you started. Yes, You Are a Target

The Internet certainly has changed since 1993 when I posted my first businesses, which were catalog-based, on the Web. I sold industrial liners for corrosion and environmental protection, and I had a mail-order pond and landscape supply catalog. Each targeted a different clientele, and I learned that marketing strategies have to be directed specifically at target markets. You must determine the effectiveness of any promotional sales program, because it will add to your overhead allocations. Statistical analysis is one such powerful tool. And regression analysis in particular is at the top of my list. Any tool that allows you to determine if your catalogs are

"A ZIP code model is an inexpensive tool you can use to increase the profitability of a mailing list. Best of all, you can create a ZIP model using a spreadsheet. ... This model often reveals that ZIP codes in the top one or two deciles (10 percent to 20 percent) usually have a much better than average performance level, while the bottom one or two deciles often drag down average performance." —-Gary Hennerberg in his book "Direct Marketing Quantified: The Knowledge is in the Numbers," published by Target Marketing, www.targetmarketingmag.com/bookstore

By Gina Valentino Five ways to sabotage your single-product, direct mail campaign. Smart marketers, sales teams and business owners recognize the opportunity to develop a direct mail piece that exclusively promotes a single product — an item with a strong margin and an identifiable target audience. Usually the item has a high price point and specific benefits for the buyer — as well as a surplus of information that necessitates more space than a catalog page realistically can accommodate. If identifying the opportunity is that easy, how quickly do you become a victim of either yours or a colleague's best intentions? If

Send only relevant e-mail to opt-in subscribers. Develop and give people what they wanted and what you promised. Don't send e-mail that's outside the scope of what was promised to people who opted in. Target and segment your subscriber base, and tailor your messages to specific demographic characteristics. —Dan Lok, www.websiteconversionexpert.com

Aggregate. In other words, cross-sell other products and services. It's easy since you already have a relationship with your customers. Offer one-stop shopping, consolidated billing, free shipping and other benefits for giving you more of their business. Everyone's busy, and consumers are looking for service providers who can make their lives easier. It's what they want, so why not give it to them? Case in point: Amazon.com. What started as the "Earth's Biggest Bookstore" in 1995 is now an online powerhouse, offering everything from toys to travel and Target merchandise. Amazon.com took a winning formula and added new product categories and partners. And

When engaging in search engine optimization, don't forget to use targeted keywords in links and URLs. Search engine spiders track these keywords just as well as those in content pages on your Web site. —Cam Balzer, director of search strategy, Performics

This past year has seen a small, niche food purveyor begin its slow rise out of anonymity. Mackenzie Limited, a catalog of primarily high-end imported seafood, has struck two interesting deals. It acquired the consumer mail-order business of a domestic seafood supplier, and it signed a licensing and fulfillment deal with a seafood restaurant chain. Here’s the inside story on a catalog company that’s emerging onto the industry’s radar screen. Baltimore-based Mackenzie Limited today is owned by the father-daughter team of Walter Cederholm and Laura McManus. Cederholm is a retired quality control specialist in the nuclear power industry and works at Mackenzie only