I, like most of you, did my fair share of online shopping this holiday season. For me, professionally, these experiences are gold. I get to see a wide variety of online retail marketing plans in action. It also allows me to experience things from the customer’s perspective & see how my clients measure up. This season was pretty easy. I have one gripe though &, in my opinion, it could have been avoided if basic marketing tactics were utilized.
I have been buying my mom these hand-carved wooden Santas over the years (the past couple I actually haven’t because I forgot their name & couldn’t find them…more on that later) from Great American Collectibles. This is the kind of kitschy stuff you see at the mall in places like Things Remembered. Only Great American pays fine attention to detail & their variety of Santas is the best I’ve found. It’s the one gift I know I will nail each time. Buying is simple (as all online shopping should be) – browse through the collections by year, pick what you want, add it to your cart, & check out. I received my confirmation email & then nothing else for a couple weeks. After I contacted them via email, I received the following…
You most certainly cannot control spam filters. However, you can ask recipients (in the order confirmation email) to add your email address to their trusted sender list or Address Book. It’s also possible to monitor email blacklists & your email server &/or web site domain are not on them. Perhaps you should contact someone (like me) to help you with growing your business on the intertubes. You’re impossible to find in search (unless you search exactly for Great American Collectibles) & don’t seem to get the basics of online customer service.
There is nothing more frustrating than a failure to execute the fundamentals. This becomes even more important in the face of difficult financial times (R.I.P. Circuit City). You have to go out of your way to acquire new customers & retain existing. Now is not the time to blame things you think are out of your control.
Published in the February 2008 DMNews Essential Guide to Multi-channel Retail
Most retail executives know that shoppers online and off use multiple pathways to find their desired products or services and that this multi-channel consumer is loyal and spends more, more frequently. So why has multi-channel integration remained elusive for most retailers? Is it really that difficult to plan the groundwork for multi-channel implementation? Organizational dynamics are usually the first barrier to success. The lack of a shared stake in the success of the business leads to separate goals for each channel that are tied directly to an immediate ROI. Growth often takes a backseat because it is expensive with a delayed return. In fact, it is not uncommon to see the portion of the marketing budget allocated for growth dismissed and reallocated to fund existing channels, erroneously expecting the same rate of return. So what exactly is breaking the ties that bind?
- The C-level is uncomfortable with the investment because they are overlooking the intangible factors that growth in a new channel presents.
- They want cross-channel data analysis; without it, they are less likely to spend more now for the sake of future growth.
- They want the ability to interact with data supporting their investment, especially in the online space, before they can take a more customer-centric view of profit and loss.
- A disconnect exists between management and staff on how goals should be set and the allocation of budgets/ resources.
Retailers are also plagued by increasing demands on personnel coupled with scarce staffing and technology resources. Senior management may recognize the importance of a successful ecommerce business, but may not understand how that channel compares to more traditional sales channels. Consequently…
- Those executing the day-to-day operations of the business are placed under heavy scrutiny and are often pressured to squeeze as much out of marketing budgets as possible.
- Their duties and responsibilities become reactive and the goal of growth through finding the multi-channel customers and effectively communicating with them is lost.
More often than not, mid-managers recognize the need for a seismic shift, but lack the senior-level management support to be maximally effective. Establishing open communication channels throughout the organization will add the necessary voices to the decision-making process. Some other things to consider:
- Leadership: Essential in helping set internal priorities throughout the company
- Proactive Communication: Mid-management and staff need to push, upstream, productive feedback and potential scenarios with expected outcomes, when faced with challenges.
- Collaboration: Senior management must work with those managing the day-to-day business to create a strategic plan for multi-channel implementation and sustained growth.
- Personnel Management: Clearly defined roles and expectations matching understood goals are a vital foundation for success.
The more traditional methods of marketing need to be eschewed in this dynamic commerce landscape. It’s all about instant gratification; the customer wants what they are looking for now.
- Consumers no longer lack shopping options and if you do not engage them as they move through each channel, you risk losing them.
- The paradigm has shifted; consumers are engaging in longer-term relationships and maintaining greater control over their online experiences.
- Retailers need to embrace technology, and the necessary costs, not only to integrate data and make informed decisions, but to also reach their customers.
People are consuming media at an ever-increasing volume and frequency and they expect you to find them, or make it very easy for them to find you, and satisfy their needs. If you create an integrated experience, your customer seamlessly moves through each channel without any barriers to arriving at the ultimate goal; the sale. Embracing this new dynamic requires an unprecedented level of leadership and collaboration among varying areas of operation, across the enterprise, from merchandising to marketing, IT, sales, finance and so forth. Clearly this is not something that can evolve overnight, but it starts with a focused commitment from senior management combined with a communicated, shared vision and effective planning across the organization.
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