Newsletter for Ecommerce and Catalog Retailers – Nov 4
November 4, 2011
Industry News
FIFTH GEAR Choice of the Week
Ecommerce may be recession-proof
Even with high unemployment and low stock prices, ecommerce continues to offer hope. With better-than-expected Q3 figures and a projected year-over-year increase for holiday sales, ecommerce is leading the “society of choice” to a new high…
(Source: Forbes.com)
Reducing mispicks in your warehouse
Mispicks are usually a result of distraction or momentary loss of focus. Designing a simple warehouse locator system based on color/number mnemonics, accurate product slotting, and clear signage with a visually attractive locator map can increase picking accuracy…
(Source: Multichannel Merchant)
Is customer service first priority?
The statistics regarding customer dissatisfaction are alarming. 90% of unhappy customers never come back; of those, only 4% complain to the company, while the other 96% complain to their friends. In other words, there’s no time like now to take care of customers in the contact center…
(Source: Retail Customer Experience)
For great customer loyalty
E-retailers know that the key to customer loyalty is to offer great incentives to buy. And by making the entire shopping process easy – price comparisons, instant coupon redemption, personalized product recommendation – it’s possible to create loyal customers even in today’s non-committal marketplace…
(Source: Retail Online Integration)
Planning for an eye-catching catalog
The first step is placing your top-selling products on the front and the back cover. Then sketch out your ideas, discuss it with your photographer, and create bright images around your bestsellers for a catalog that will catch your customer’s eye…
(Source: Retail Online Integration)
Increasing SEO using navigational links
Links pass on relevance and quality that increases your SEO efforts. Simple tips like altering your anchor text and splitting important keywords in your product categories will help run-of-site links increase the navigational optimization for your website…
(Source: Practical Ecommerce)
‘Tis the Season
Retail News for the 2011 Holiday Season
Anyone interested in $465 billion?
That’s the figure that retailers expect to hit this holiday season as consumers and businesses remain cautiously optimistic about the economy. With a projected increase of 2.8% compared to last year, you’ll need these 10 tips to help you win the holiday ecommerce war…
(Source: NRF Blog)
Will 2012 see fewer catalog mailings?
The 2.1% postal rate increase effective January 22, 2012 may see catalogers looking for other marketing channels to offset the reduced mailing. While retailers might understand the need to increase rates, they say a proportionate increase in weight would help to save catalog mailings…
(Source: Multichannel Merchant)
Navigate the holiday web rush
Holiday e-shoppers will flood your site on Cyber Monday. If your site doesn’t make it easy for them to find what they want and buy it quickly, you can count on them making a mad dash to your competitors’ web stores instead…
(Source:eMarketing and Commerce)
Accelerating Commerce
Featured Content from the FIFTH GEAR Blog
• The Secret to Handling Rising Shipping Rates
• Turn Customer Returns into Selling Opportunities
• Making Yourself Multichannel Without Really Trying
