BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - September 10, 2009) - The recession is turning focus back toward
retail e-commerce efficiency. Sixty-one percent of top online retailers are
incrementally investing in improved Web commerce functionality, according
to the Aberdeen Group report, "
High Definition Retail e-Commerce: Higher
Customer Conversions through Effective Online Merchandising." The
research from
Aberdeen Group, a
Harte-Hanks Company (
NYSE:
HHS), details the business benefits derived from
upgraded retail e-commerce performance and cost optimization.
According to Aberdeen data, as a means to provide a seamless online
shopping experience, 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will come' theory behind e-commerce is no longer valid.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," comments
Belkin. "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.
© 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
Contact Information: Media Contact:
Greg Belkin
Research Analyst, Aberdeen Harte-Hanks
(617) 854-5228
greg.belkin@aberdeen.com