(Source: MARKETWIRE)
Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS), announced today
the release of a new research report entitled High Definition Retail
e-Commerce: Higher Customer Conversions through Effective Online
Merchandising, which details the business benefits derived from
upgraded retail e-commerce performance and cost optimization. As the
recession is turning focus back toward retail e-commerce efficiency,
the report found that 80% of top performing online retailers are
integrating product brands, categories and other product subsets
online.
According to Aberdeen data, as a means to provide a seamless online
shopping experience, the industry's top performing retailers are
focusing on key online merchandising capabilities, such as
integration of products, brands, and other subsets, utilization of
catalog management solutions to control online product offering data,
and analysis of consumer site search data for a more personalized
shopping experience.
Given the continued growth of web-based e-commerce despite a troubled
economy, and given the potential growth of companion selling channels
such as social media and mobile retailing, it seems logical that top
performing retailers are keen to get the fundamentals of
merchandising in order: promotions, pricing and display.
"Top performing retailers have recognized that the 'if you build it,
they will come' theory behind e-commerce is no longer valid.
Customers expect relevant promotions, accurate content displays and
an overall seamless shopping experience. These retailers are
re-examining the basic building blocks of a solid selling experience
in the form of accurate and relevant merchandising," says Greg
Belkin, chief author and retail analyst, Aberdeen.
Aberdeen has found that 61% of online retailers are making changes to
their web commerce applications on an incremental basis to justify
the TCO behind the next phase of technology improvements. To achieve
this objective, Aberdeen has found that these retailers are utilizing
consumer site search data for more accurate and personalized shopping
experience. This data helps retailers address two major challenges:
merchandising and marketing management. On a merchandising basis,
customer analytics can provide strategic content placement, specific
cross-sell and up-sell data based on previous purchases, and highly
relevant, one-to-one promotions. On a marketing basis, customers'
analytics can provide a window into which specific marketing delivery
tools (email, social selling, banners etc.) are the most effective on
a customer-by-customer basis.
"Online merchandising and marketing are inseparably linked," says
Greg Belkin, co-author and research analyst, Aberdeen. "Online
analytics make personalization and segmentation strategies
successful, and provide the catalyst for effective selling both before
and during the shopping experience."
A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part by
the following underwriters: Venda and MyBuys. To obtain a
complimentary copy of the report,
visit:
http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=6038.
For additional access to complimentary Retail Research, please visit
http://research.aberdeen.com/index.php/-retail
About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company
Aberdeen provides fact-based research and market intelligence that
delivers demonstrable results. Having queried more than 30,000
companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is positioned to educate
users to action: driving market awareness, creating demand, enabling
sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment analysis. As
the trusted advisor to the global technology markets, corporations
turn to Aberdeen for insights that drive decisions.
As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting
content in context for the global direct and targeted marketing
company. Aberdeen's analytical and independent view of the "customer
optimization" process of Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity -
Insight - Engagement - Interaction) extends the client value and
accentuates the strategic role Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For
additional information, visit Aberdeen or call (617) 723-7890, or to
learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748.
Copyright 2009 Aberdeen Group, Inc., a Harte-Hanks Company
451 D Street, Suite 710
Boston, Massachusetts 02210-1928
Telephone: (617) 854-5200
Fax: (617) 723-7897
www.aberdeen.com
Media Contact:
Greg Belkin
Research Analyst, Aberdeen Harte-Hanks
(617) 854-5228
greg.belkin@aberdeen.com
SOURCE: Aberdeen Group
A service of YellowBrix, Inc.
