Newsletter for Ecommerce and Catalog Retailers – Oct 7

October 7, 2011
Industry News
FIFTH GEAR Choice of the Week

Holiday sales expected to inch up
The National Retail Federation expects 2011 holiday sales to increase, although not by the same rate as last year. The estimated 2.8 percent increase is still a positive sign for retail after sales dropped during both the 2008 and 2009 shopping seasons…
(Source: Google News)

Time to move past multi-channel?
With every new sales channel increasing customer expectations, it may be time to move past being a multi-channel retailer. Instead, start focusing on integrating all your channels for a cohesive and seamless customer experience that will build long-term loyalty…
(Source: Retail Online Integration)

Customers want to be educated
The latest About.com study explores what a customer looks for online. What did they find out? In short, they are looking for information, inspiration, or education when searching online…
(Source: Marketingprofs.com)

Tablets taking over smart commerce
Ecommerce merchants are quickly learning that tablet customers convert more quickly and spend more per order compared to customers using PCs or smart phones. Conversion rates via the tablet are 4-5%, while PCs still hover around the 3% range…
(Source: Wall Street Journal)

Customers expect bilateral service

Customer expectations about the responsiveness and transparency of customer service have increased, along with the number of channels of communication. They expect both self-service and full service – are you providing both?…
(Source: Destination CRM)

Turn customers into brand ambassadors
Establishing brand leadership starts with discarding traditional sales lifecycles and adopting an approach that better suits today’s online consumer. That means getting inside his head and understanding him if you want him to become your brand’s biggest fan…
(Source: Fastcompany.com)

Optimizing for all web browsers
Yes, you need to! While IE is the most popular browser out there, others like Google Chrome and Firefox are rapidly catching up. Add the need for mobile compatibility on Safari and you have multiple environments to optimize for on your website…
(Source: ZDnet.com)

Accelerating Commerce
Featured Content from the FIFTH GEAR Blog

• Building and Managing an Online Retail Brand

• Retail Halloween Spending Up for 2011

• Online Customer Behavior Goes Circular

• Fulfilling Expectations and Beyond

• Converting Ecommerce Customers into Brand Ambassadors