Is Your Marketing Ready for the E-commerce Surge?

Pandemic lockdowns across the nation have turbocharged e-commerce, with online sales growing by triple-digits. Is your marketing ready? Most marketers are not, according to a recent Profitero and Kantar survey of 200 brand executives, which found that only 17% believe their organizations are leading competitors in e-commerce. E-commerce marketers need to quickly prioritize strategies, advises a recent post by Forbes magazine’s CMO Network contributor Sarah Hofstetter. A problem identified by the Profitero and Kantar survey, for example, is that only 11% of organizations have functional-level e-commerce goals in place. Hofstetter urges making e-commerce a part of everyone’s job, from building e-commerce KPIs into bonuses to content accountability on retail websites to overcoming silos with cross-functional goals. Next, marketers should boost online profiles and product discovery efforts. That includes targeted SEO and SEM, strong ratings and reviews, engaging targeted content, and aligned multichannel outreach. Third, shift from offline to speedier online tactics, such as algorithmic matching of competitor price changes and real-time tailoring of product assortments and promotional strategies by audience. Fourth, boost online agility. Note that 63% of brands do not test and optimize their content to improve sales impact (Profitero and Kantar survey). So brands that digitally test new products, new traffic-generating variables and new marketing messages gain an edge. Janet Balis, a principal of Ernst & Young LLP, recently penned a Harvard Business Journal article offering more advice.The nuances of creative messaging have become more delicate, she notes, warning that while exploitative brands will not fare well, organizations that promote doing good, from food bank donations to repurposed manufacturing, can enhance brand image as long as contributions are seen as material and not solely for commercial benefit. Next, since the mix of preferred media platforms has changed, marketers may want to modify the media mix, for example with more ad-supported premium video streaming for spiking digital entertainment, or ads around peak news consumption. Finally, marketers will want to put a greater emphasis on behavior trends and response tracking to better adapt messaging and targeting. Small, less sophisticated retailers can take advantage of Google tools, such as using Google Trends, Google Alerts  and retail-category metrics for Google Search and Shopping campaigns to spot shifts in demand. They can frequently update Google Ads, customer-facing websites and Buyer Profiles on Google Maps and Search, and can enable automatic item updates in the Google Merchant Center to keep product data current. For more, see https://www.acculist.com/has-your-marketing-adjusted-for-the-current-e-commerce-surge/

Managing Marketing in the Coronavirus Crisis

The global spread of the coronavirus already has caused significant disruptions in supply chains, corporate profits, economic growth and government policy. No one knows how bad things will get before they get better, but marketers need to be prepared. Certain industries are more likely to be significantly affected as people shun travel and large gatherings: airlines, cruises, events of all kinds (perhaps even the Tokyo Olympics), business conferences, hospitality, and even retail venues. Supply disruptions also could affect sectors ranging from auto manufacturing to high tech to promotional products. A general slowdown could cut advertising spend initially, but experts believe it is more likely that there will be a reallocation of dollars to cater to quarantined or self-isolating consumers via mail order, digital marketing and e-commerce product sales; via online video and gaming options; and even via streaming of sports events instead of stadium venues. In a recent blog, AI and data tech company Appier suggested tactics to leverage this rise in online consumption, for example by using online data to identify coronavirus concerns and deliver targeted relevant content and advertising via keyword segmentation, which is especially relevant for health, wellness, medical, and sanitation sectors. Companies can also develop more branded online apps, games, and videos to compete for the expanded online audience. Plus, it will be important to use AI and audience data for contextual targeting and proper placement of advertising to avoid creating a negative brand impression. Because companies may face logistical delays, they need to commit to transparent multichannel communications on product shortages and estimated delivery times, as well as timely response to questions and complaints, advises Appier. At the same time, increased engagement via website, e-mail, social media, push notifications or in-app messaging can bring customers closer and help reduce frustration levels. Appier also stressed that marketers need to set the right messaging tone for an anxious audience, avoiding the hard sell in favor of customer and community support. In a PR Week interview, Priyanka Bajpai, regional head, Southeast Asia, SPAG Group, promoted the company's 3E approach to messaging during the crisis: Empathy to show cautious optimism and trust in the future ability to work together and find solutions; Engagement of internal and external stakeholders to inspire confidence; and Education using multiple channels to outline the criticality of the situation and steps taken by the brand to support stakeholders. Brands may also want to highlight corporate social responsibility efforts such as nonprofit donations to address the pandemic but should avoid marketing around those donations. For more, see our website blog at https://www.acculist.com/managing-marketing-during-the-coronavirus-crisis/

Promotional Products Face Changes, Challenges

Promotional products suppliers and distributors have been able to ride corporate buyers’ profits to an average 1.3% annual growth rate in the last five years through 2019, reaching $17 billion in U.S. revenues this year, per IBISWorld market research. But a number of challenges, requiring innovative solutions, lie ahead. Continuation of the tariffs imposed in the U.S.-China trade war are likely to have a direct impact on the promotional products market, where the vast majority of products come from China, creating rising product prices and uncertainty. One of the options that some companies are already taking is a shift to sourcing from countries outside of China, such as Vietnam, per the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI). Meanwhile, the promotional products market is facing competitive challenges from the entry of big online competitors such as Amazon. Market execs have told ASI that they believe the e-commerce power threatens to potentially cut out suppliers and distributors by positioning itself as the lowest-cost provider from a product and freight perspective. Their worries include Amazon opting to partner with only select suppliers and distributors; selling direct through its platform; and/or using its search presence for rankings that create winners and losers, and force up advertising expenses for all. Finally, the potential of an economic slowdown or even recession has some nervous. ASI recently interviewed 10 leading suppliers and distributors in the promotional products market for their visions on handling such challenges over the next 5-10 years. The good news is that all foresaw continued growth, albeit with increasing consolidation and online dominance. Among their predictions is that technology will be a key driver of every aspect of how buyers select and purchase products, of fulfillment and delivery, and of customer service through the order life cycle. Second, e-commerce will be the standard, benefiting big online players that provide fast, accessible solutions and inexpensive drop-shipping for some clients, as well as a suite of features to meet the complex needs of other more sophisticated clients. In that expanded digital environment, data management and analytics will loom large, tracking orders in production, materials used, items ordered, customer profiles and contacts, etc. Up against Amazon, personalized customer experience will be key to making an e-commerce presence into a true online buying experience. Competition will also drive the growth of creative promotional agencies that are not price-focused but seek to help clients build brand name. For more on leadership predictions, see our website blog post at https://www.acculist.com/promotional-products-market-faces-new-challenges/

These E-mail Tactics Make Holidays Merry for Retail

The holiday buying season is around the corner, and e-mail is more important than ever in the retail marketing mix for both existing customer lists and prospecting lists. Marketers planning for fourth quarter success may want to check plans against the "Ultimate Guide to Holiday E-mail Marketing" post offered by Campaign Monitor for some basic strategies and examples. Targeted e-mail marketing is positioned to capitalize on three big retail marketing trends: online buying, mobile commerce, and personalization. Four out of five Americans are now online shoppers, per Pew Research, so marketers will want to join the 41% of retailers that use “Buy Now” buttons in their e-mail marketing to link shoppers directly and quickly to online purchase pages. Mobile-optimized e-mails (linked to mobile-optimized landing pages) will also deliver more dollars because half of those online buyers make purchases using a mobile device. Sales on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2018 surpassed $2 billion, breaking the previous record set in 2017, and, according to Movable Ink, 76% of Black Friday e-mails and 63% of Cyber Monday e-mails are opened on a mobile device. Finally, now that personalization is demanded by consumers across channels, quality e-mail list data and segmentation can create the personalized e-mail messaging that delivers six times higher e-mail transaction rates, that converts 202% better than default e-mail calls to action (per HubSpot), and that generates a median e-mail ROI of 122% (per Instapage research). And don't forget that personalized e-mail subject lines generate an average of 50% higher open rates (per Oberlo data)! Indeed, the subject line is the first step in getting an e-mail noticed and opened, and Campaign Monitor has distilled some tips. As noted, personalize the subject line to boost open rates, using list data such as first name, for example, as well as purchase history, geography, site actions, etc. Keep the subject line short but pack in "power words" that tap emotions and drive action, including sales-driven words (deal, promotion, discount, savings, free shipping); time-urgency words (order now, limited time, today only, last minute, exclusive); holiday references (12 Deals of Christmas, Season's Greetings); and gratitude expressions (Thank you, appreciation, your support). Try engaging with a question (Need gift ideas?) or an eye-catching emoji. Brands using an emoji in their subject lines report a 45% increase in unique open rates, per Experian. Including an enticing offer in the subject line can help grab opens, too. For example, a mention of free shipping gains the interest of 74% of consumers, per UPS. For more tips and links to e-mail examples, go to our blog post at https://www.acculist.com/the-right-e-mail-marketing-tactics-can-make-holidays-merry-for-retailers/

Shoppers Demand Seamless Omnichannel Retailing

Omnichannel marketing is the rule for today's retailing. While print catalogs continue as a vital merchant tool, with 42% of households reading catalogs per the U.S. Postal Service, integration of multiple channels--including online, mobile and social with direct mail--is now essential to store, catalog and e-commerce marketing. Unfortunately, while the majority of consumers expect to shop seamlessly across all those channels, only 7% of retailers provide the unified "start the sale anywhere, finish the sale anywhere" experience that customers want, per the recent "2018 Customer Experience/Unified Commerce Survey" by BRP Consulting, a retail management consulting firm. Marketers can't afford to ignore that the majority of shoppers interact with promotions and purchase services via multiple channels and devices. According to the same BRP study, three in five (62%) consumers surveyed said they check online reviews/ratings before visiting a store, yet just 61% of retailers offer consumer product reviews for research! Shoppers now rely on mobile to continue a digital buying process in-store, with nearly 60% of shoppers looking up product information and prices while using their mobile phones in stores, per Retail Dive's 2017 Consumer Survey. Merchants can leverage customers' cross-device penchant to optimize acquisition and conversion, argues a Direct Marketing News article by Pierre DeBois. But they must keep in mind that, while the opportunity to boost ad frequency and content across channels is huge, smart management is required to avoid turning it into a bludgeon. As Bill Kee, Google's group product manager for attribution, highlighted at the 2017 Google Marketing Next conference, "If I am on three devices, and if I see your ad five times, it means you've reached me 15 times…believe me I get it." The first place to start is good omnichannel analytics to understand the contribution of each channel to ROI and its place in the customer journey. Only then can merchants cost-effectively tailor targeting and investment to maximize sales. One useful analytics tool is Google's Unique Reach report, which displays digital ad frequency metrics across devices, campaigns, and formats to measure how many times a person views a given ad, and combines attribution influences from AdWords, DoubleClick, and Google Analytics, suggests DeBois. Good omnichannel analytics also can improve use of image and video content to maximize the proven effectiveness of image/video in digital engagement, to answer the customer demand for education, and to direct prospects through the sales funnel. However, quantities of images bombarding customers across multiple channels can overwhelm and confuse, so both media curation and a content mapping strategy aligned to the customer journey are needed. One example of a targeted image strategy is use of an "image story" feature on a social media platform to orchestrate images and/or a short video, notes DeBois. Pinterest Lens, Instagram Stories, and Twitter Moments are all image story features. For more, see http://www.acculistusa.com/shoppers-demand-seamless-omnichannel-retail-strategies/

B2B Trends Spur Mobile-Friendly E-Commerce

With Forrester Research forecasting steady growth in B2B e-commerce, reaching $1.2 trillion in sales, or 13.1% of all B2B sales, by 2021, smart e-commerce marketing is more essential than ever. A recent bigcommerce.com blog post highlighted many important B2B e-commerce trends, but we’ll focus on three marketing-related takeaways. First, acquisition is the new online focus. The days are gone when B2B online strategy could succeed by putting up a website as a customer service portal, a place for existing account re-orders or a passive catalog display. Online selling is becoming a core part of B2B business and sales strategy, argues bigcommerce.com post author Jillian Hufford, marketing analyst at nChannel, a multi-channel integration provider. B2B marketers should start by profiling customers to better target online and offline promotions to find high-ROI traffic. Note that a robust SEO/SEM strategy, coupled with website search tools, is essential given that 74% of B2B buyers report researching at least part of their work purchases online. Easy, seamless cross-channel ordering is another basic of online customer acquisition now. Plus, an investment in online content marketing, coupled with SEO strategy, can leverage educational and expert content on the website to attract searchers and win Google rank. A second takeaway is the trend to online and print catalogs that work in tandem. Five years ago, more than two-thirds of B2B sellers thought they would stop mailing paper catalogs. That hasn’t happened, but many B2B merchants are using an integrated multi-channel effort to balance smaller or less frequent print catalogs with more interactive online catalogs. For success with print-plus-online, the online catalog cannot merely mimic the print version. E-commerce means investing in interactive online tools that allow customizing, sharing, distributing, ordering and tracking, all supported by integrated back-end technology. Finally, and perhaps most important, mobile-friendly means revenue-friendly for today's B2B e-commerce as ever-expanding mobile device use drives marketing changes. Google and BCG research data from 2017 shows why: 80% of B2B buyers are using mobile at work; 60% of B2B buyers report that mobile played a significant role in a recent purchase; and 60% of B2B buyers expect to continue to increase their mobile usage. B2B retailers who are dragging their feet on mobile-friendly adaptation risk dragging down their own revenues; BCG research found that brands that are “mobile leaders” earn more traffic, more leads and more revenue than “mobile laggards.” For more, see http://www.acculistusa.com/b2b-sales-trends-boost-mobile-friendly-online-acquisition/

First E-tail Visit Predicts Future Buying Behavior

Online retailers can judge shoppers by their very first e-tail transactions, according to recent research from Optimove. As reported by Direct Marketing News magazine, Optimove found that one of the best indicators of future transactions is the number of items purchased on the first website visit. Shoppers who buy two or three items are 30% more likely to place a second order than those who bought only one item, per Optimove's two-year study of over a million transactions in varied product categories. In fact, shoppers who purchase more items in their first order are also more likely to join a retailer's top 10% of customers in terms of overall purchases. Wooing more first-time purchases to cultivate repeat customers is especially vital in an online environment where 62% of first-time buyers never place another order, per Optimove data. So how can e-tailers convince new shoppers to buy more? Optimove's research found the follow strategies were the most effective: data-based personalized recommendations before checkout; offers of impulse items during checkout; offers of discounts and promotions for purchase of additional items; encouragement of social sharing about purchases; and gaming mechanics, such as punch cards to earn discounts or freebies on the next order. For more data from the study, go to http://www.dmnews.com/e-commerce/first-transactions-can-predict-future-buying-behaviors/article/447997/

Survey Reveals Shoppers' Favored Holiday Promos

For online and multi-channel merchants planning their holiday shopping blitz, here's some guidance about what promotions are most likely to drive purchase decisions. Marketing Profs recently reported on the promotional preferences revealed in a survey of 1,000 holiday shoppers and 100 major retailers by commerce marketing platform Bronto and market research firm Ipsos. When it comes to online-only shopping, free shipping is a key draw, with 84% of holiday shoppers saying free shipping influences online purchase decisions and over a third (38%) saying they will not shop an e-commerce site that does not offer free shipping. Overall, including in-store sales, customers rate percent-discount promotions as the top inducement to buy (71%), followed by clearance sales (65%), buy-one-get-one (58%), dollar-off sales (52%) and free gift with purchase (47%). The interesting thing about the survey results is that merchants polled don't have the same promotional preferences; while 72% say they plan to use the percentage discounts popular with shoppers, only 38% plan to embrace BOGO sales, for example. And despite the importance of free shipping to online shoppers, only 18% of online-only merchants say they plan to offer it on all purchases; e-tailers prefer (41%) limiting free shipping to certain order values or times. Some holiday promos also differ in appeal according to consumer age. Limited-time "Flash Sales" appeal most to millennial shoppers (54% say they are more likely to buy) but decline as a purchase inducement with age, down to just 15% of those over 65. For more detail. see http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2015/28594/the-holiday-promotions-consumers-like-most

Using Direct Mail to Rev E-Commerce Results

E-commerce marketers who are smart about planting direct mail in their marketing mix can reap healthier results, points out a recent post by Ernan Roman Direct Marketing on CustomerThink.com. Mail has a unique ability to enhance the B2B and B2C customer experience with a physical "shareability" that digital channels lack, for example. The article draws attention to the History Channel's arty photo postcard promotion of its History Asia programming as an example. The channel estimates the mail campaign generated $1.2 million in PR value via professional interest, social media and requests for the actual art pieces featured in the postcards. Catalogs are another example of physical mail's ability to enhance customer engagement. That's why a major national retailer like Anthropologie uses catalogs as their principal form of advertising "to inspire and engage"(and drive sales). Indeed, direct mail can directly guide the e-commerce customer's purchase journey. For example, online men's retailer Bonobos added print catalogs after a series of successful tests, and now 20% of first-time customers place orders after receiving a catalog and spend 1.5 times as much as other new buyers. Plus, direct mail can be used to lengthen and strengthen online brand engagement, the Ernan Roman article notes, citing the example of Homebase, an online UK home and gardening retailer frustrated by the sales limits of its short spring gardening rush. By targeting high-value gardening customers with a well-timed 500,000-piece mail campaign, Homebase hoped to get customers to shop earlier and spend more. The mailing succeeded in getting customers to visit the site 33% more often and spend 20% more. For more details, read http://customerthink.com/myth-busted-how-direct-mail-can-actually-enrich-the-digital-customer-journey/

These Smart Brands Offer E-Mail Success Lessons

We often pass along articles on common mistakes in e-mail marketing, but how about the positive lessons, the success stories? Kevin Ward, recently posted an inspirational piece for Business2Community about tips gleaned from six well-known brands' e-mail campaigns. All are producing e-mails that have personality, easy readability, user-friendliness, and attention-grabbing appeal  -- plus specific, well-executed tactics to stay ahead of the competition. For example, Ralph Lauren wins sales with its clear, targeted call to action. Amazon leads the field with personalization. Betty Crocker's recipe for success is warm Pinterest-style personality. ThinkGeek thinks about conversions with extra coupons and deals. Huckberry revs up the urgency with limited time offers for its deals. Crate & Barrel has lots to peddle but uses e-mail focus, with a single customer-driven product offer, to funnel sales. For e-mail creative examples: https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/six-brands-doing-email-marketing-175149715.html

Social Media Still Lacks E-Commerce Sales Power

Social media, including Facebook and Twitter, face a long uphill battle in the e-commerce space when up against proven solutions such as e-mail and search, concludes a recent Ad Age article by Tim Dunn of the digital agency Isobar. One piece of evidence is global management consultant McKinsey & Company's 2013 survey finding that e-mail is 40 times more effective at acquiring consumers than Facebook and Twitter combined. McKinsey results also showed that the average order value prompted by e-mail is 17% higher than those prompted by social media. Consumers just don't head to social media to buy things; shopping and browsing products didn't even register as reasons for using Facebook in a recent survey by Pew Research. Dunn hastens to add that social interaction still has a place in the sales cycle, especially as consumers break down the distinction between content and commerce, and that the drive to interact can be harnessed by brands. He notes that fashion brand Free People's user-generated fashion showcase (called FPMe) not only drove passion for brand loyalists but also delivered a 42% increase in same-session sales conversion. However, Dunn advises marketers to exercise skepticism about using social to prompt immediate purchase and urges refocus on e-commerce basics, including touchpoint tracking, site experience and e-mail targeting. See the complete online post at http://adage.com/article/digitalnext/twitter-s-buy-button-a-gravy-train-brands/294031/

How Share-Worthy Online Content Wins B2B Buyers

When 88% of business-to-business consumers say online content has played a major to moderate role in vendor selection, B2B marketers need to make sure they are creating compelling online content, and then promoting and targeting effectively. That 88% figure comes from a recent report by The CMO Council and NetLine, as reported by MarketingProfs. The study also found that 94% of B2B buyers, influencers and researchers are not just giving online content a quick look, they are curating and circulating information internally before purchasing B2B goods and services. Targeting and quality of content then should take into account the most common sharing cycles -- led by a from-the-middle-out strategy as execution-level execs use content to educate senior managers about their buying decisions (35%), followed by a from-the-bottom-up pattern as junior execs share with senior management to get buy decisions (30%), and rounded out by a from-the-top-down cycle as senior managers hand content to lower levels for purchase actions (29%). What content is dubbed the most valuable? Research reports and studies (65% of respondents), followed by technical spec sheets and data sheets (50%) and analyst intelligence and insights (46%), according to the survey of 352 B2B buyers (mostly from large companies). Equally important to know for marketers is how potential buyers find online content. The majority (68%) cite search engines and portals, with vendor websites (40%) and trusted sources/peers (25%) rounding out the sourcing. For more on the study, see http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/24769/how-b2b-buyers-consume-vendor-content

E-mail Sign-up at Purchase Is Top List Building Tool

To grow e-mail opt-ins, 63% of marketers found e-mail registration during purchase very effective for list building, yet only 41% of marketers used the tactic to collect e-mails, according to MarketingSherpa's latest E-mail Marketing Benchmark Report survey. Capturing e-mail addresses during purchase involves both online and offline transactions, and appears to be a continuing challenge for marketers. Online issues include required e-mail subscription as a barrier to purchase, communicating the value of joining an e-mail list, location of the e-mail sign-up request (shopping cart or thank-you page), clarifying opt-in options to avoid unsubscribes, and excess e-mail post-purchase. Offline issues include set-up and training for coordinated e-mail collection via stores, call centers and direct mail, and providing incentives for e-mail sign-up, such as contests, coupons, additional discounts and exclusive content. For more detail on the benchmark survey, go tohttp://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/chart/registration-during-purchase-list-building

Smart Remarketing Recaptures Site Abandoners

Research shows that two times to three times more site abandoners will buy when remarketed, but what is the best way to recapture these wayward shoppers? Rushing out a "buy now" call to action is not necessarily the best approach as it turns out. A recent article for Retail Online Integration suggests a three-pronged approach using a combination of e-mail and advertising. The first, immediate step is to REMIND the departed customer of the brand, with a gentle nudge focusing on customer service and reinforcing the brand message. The article cites the example of high-end brand offers of a personal shopper, offers that can get a whopping 80% e-mail open rate. This "we are here to help" rather than "we are here to sell to you" approach can actually have a stronger impact on sales. Next, REASSURE the shopper of the value of the brand by sharing relevant product reviews, images and even alternative products, all with links back to the website for information. Showing shoppers that others have had a positive experience with a product, and/or that there are similar items that could be a better fit, helps validate that the brand provides something worth buying. Finally, PROMOTE to the site abandoners, but take care. Consider testing different promotional offers, such as free or two-day shipping, or even a product discount. Be aware that a promotional offer may decrease order value, but it may also convert the browser into a buyer. So, determine whether your remarketing goal is profitability or customer acquisition when you set up test promotional offers. For the whole article, see http://www.retailonlineintegration.com/article/the-remarketing-triple-play-remind-reassure-promote/1#

Adding Customer Service to a Multi-Channel Equation

While marketers rush to embrace multi-channel marketing and shopping options, they often neglect to back up efforts with equally seamless multi-channel customer service. Common reasons for poor service rankings include being forced to repeat information, having to wait too long for service, and staff lacking knowledge of customer history -- all results common to disjointed multi-channel customer support. A recent Business2Community post by Flavio Martins,VP of Customer Support at DigiCert, Inc., gave advice on how to unite channels for an effective back-end system. Start with mobile. Is a custom app enough? Not if the app offers one-way engagement, allowing for browsing, account checks and purchasing but forcing exit to make a phone call or send an e-mail, argues Martins. Truly customer-centric apps will include an option to call or instant-message directly and will provide the service team with important customer data. Don't forget the traditional call center; a live phone conversation is still considered essential by many, especially in the case of complex issues. It's great to have a website encourage live web chat during checkout, but chat is not always a substitute for a phone conversation, so always offer a phone number for online users. E-mail is a popular communication tool, but customers often complain of delayed or absent response to e-mails. In fact, a study of American small- to medium-sized businesses found that 51% of e-mails never got a response, Martins points out. And if an e-mail requires a phone response, make sure the customer service agent knows the online conversation to avoid a maze of disjointed e-mails and chatter, he urges. How about social media? It's a great place to engage with customers once marketers realize the PR potential: Although complaints are visible to all, so are outstanding support and service! Finally, integration of online and in-store support is a basic, with services like "Click and Collect" and "Buy Online and Return In-Store" promoting channel mixing. For the complete article, see http://www.business2community.com/customer-experience/multi-channel-shopping-means-multi-channel-customer-service-0708071

Retailers Can Use 'Big Data' for Bigger Holiday Sales

OK, retailers, if you've been gathering reams of online and offline data about your prospects and customers, it's time to use it to wrap up a holiday sales gift to yourselves. How? A recent MarketingProfs article suggests three tips for using "big data" to deliver a merrier holiday season to e-commerce and brick-and-mortar merchants. No. 1: Combine customer profiles and buying/shopping histories with real-time situational data (location, time/seasonality, limited-time offers, remaining inventory, etc.) and apply that data across devices and channels for more targeted, personalized and relevant promotions in real time (in-store mobile ads, for example). No. 2: Retarget site abandoners with video ads, which drive more engagement than display ads and e-mails--and use data to make sure videos are relevant and timed to the customers' buying cycle. No. 3: Don't stop with customer acquisition. Deliver multi-channel welcoming experiences to new customers for retention, cross-sell and upsell to keep sales flowing into the New Year. For specific implementation ideas, see the article at http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2013/11924/how-to-harness-big-data-for-better-holiday-shopping-experiences

Catalogs, Direct Mail Attract More E-commerce Fans

E-commerce companies are embracing the marketing power of print catalogs and traditional direct mail in growing numbers these days, according to a recent post on The Huffington Post's business blog. The article by marketing agency execs reports that small, mid-size and premium digital brands are turning to high-impact direct-mail pieces--from full-size catalogs to postcards--as effective acquisition and retention tools. For example, a print catalog can deliver a potent one-two punch strategy via a high-response mail contact followed by cost-effective online order fulfillment, the post argues, which is why the brand roster of direct-mail converts now includes e-commerce heavy hitters like Amazon, eBay, Shutterfly, Zappos, Art.com, JustFab, Snapfish, One King's Lane, Modcloth and Minted. Building incremental sales with direct mail can be challenging in a multi-channel marketing and sales environment, forcing better analytics and systems for database targeting, response tracking and ROI allocation. But, for those e-commerce fans who aren't convinced it's worth the effort, the post shares the attractive math of a typical catalog test campaign in terms of ROI and costs. Check it out at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-ostroy/why-ecommerce-companies-a_b_3983952.html

E-mail Sees Jump in Average Order Value

The average order value from e-mail marketing jumped 14.4% in the first quarter to $182.92, up from $159.93 in the same quarter last year, according to Experian Marketing Services. The findings are based on all e-mails sent by Experian CheetahMail clients. The total volume of e-mail sent also increased 11.6% year over year in the first quarter, with multi-channel retailers and consumer products and goods companies leading the growth. Another sign of the growing power of mobile: Experian found that more than half of all e-mail opens in the first quarter took place on mobile devices. For more on the study, see the internetretailer.com report at http://www.internetretailer.com/2013/06/06/e-mail-average-order-values-increase-14-q1

Social Media Lags Further As Online Sales Driver

Social media is lagging as a direct traffic source to e-commerce websites and as a driver of online retail purchases, despite despite brand investment, according to research by Monetate, an online customer experience engine. Monetate's data from online shoppers in the first quarter of 2013 found that social media represented just 1.55% of all e-commerce traffic, way behind search (31.43%) and trailing e-mail (2.82%). Even more disappointing for marketers, social media traffic numbers in the first quarter of 2013 were actually down from the same quarter of 2012, when they were at 2.36%. The data leads researchers to question brand retailers' approach to social marketing. "We know that social media plays an important role in influencing social purchases. To what degree brands are able to leverage social to build loyalty is the next big question," stated Blair Lyon, vice president of marketing for Monetate, in a PRNewswire release. For more research findings, see the Multichannel Merchant report at http://multichannelmerchant.com/crosschannel/social-media-declining-for-online-purchases-22052013/#_

Mobile Sites Attract More Shoppers Than Buyers

More consumers use mobile to research purchases than make purchases, according to the latest Forrester Research.  Only 13% of U.S. adults with a mobile phone report using it to purchase a product, although the purchase rate jumps to 30% for tablet users. As a result, the conversion rate on the average mobile site is only 1% compared with 2% to 3% for computer access. Marketers should still hone their mobile pitches, however, since 37% of U.S. online adult tablet owners and 14% of online adult mobile phone owners are using their devices to research products and prepare to make a purchase. U.S. online consumers are also using their devices to read customer product reviews (tablet 28%, mobile phone 10%), locate a store and check store hours (tablet 17%, mobile phone 16%), and check product availability online (tablet 16%, mobile phone 7%). If you want to get that mobile conversion rate up, make sure you aren't creating barriers to purchase. Forrester found the main stumbling blocks to more mobile purchasing were web sites not optimized for mobile, concerns over the security of mobile payments, and patchy wireless connections. For a more detailed portrait of mobile consumers, see the internetretailer.com story at http://www.internetretailer.com/2013/05/15/forrester-research-paints-vivid-picture-typical-mobile