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§ Holiday sales are increasingly important for web retailers and interactive marketers.
§ Planning is starting earlier and earlier.
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Most sales are still in stores but increasingly influenced by the web
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Online holiday sales have become more important to overall retail
Source: NRF Holiday Survival Kit 2011, Forrester historical online holiday forecasts
$27 $52 $60
$404 $401 $406
2005 2010 2011 (est)
Other retail sales
Online sales
Total US Retail Holiday Sales ($B)
Web as % of holiday total 6% 13% 15%
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Key ecommerce metrics are much the same
2.2% 2.9%
0% 2% 4% 6% 8%
10%
2000 2010
Conversion Rates 53% 55%
0%
20%
40%
60%
2000 2010
Cart Abandonment Rates
$3 $3
$0
$1
$2
$3
$4
2000 2010
Customer service $/order
40% 35%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
2000 2010
Repeat Shopper Revenue
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
To grow sales, you need a coordinated effort
§ Channel silos hinder basic, seamless experiences.
§ All teams should know the holiday promotional calendar
§ Communicate value propositions and promotions across all devices, mediums, and marketing channels.
#holidaywebinar
Recommendations § Have a Cyber Monday and key date plan in place; deep discounts and deals
are now a cost of doing business
§ Recognize that it is difficult to put the “offer genie” back in the bottle, unless you are Patagonia and you’re willing to trade off sales for the integrity of your brand
§ Attribution modeling becomes really obvious in light of data like this – The true value of all of your marketing channels becomes more transparent
§ Don’t neglect search, and especially email, around key dates
§ Ensure that key information is optimized for mobile, especially for multichannel retailers; that applies to tablet content too
§ Enable sharing purchases through social networks post-transaction; incentivize shoppers to share their purchases; worry less about “likes”
§ A code freeze is no longer a cost of doing business during the holidays
§ Audit your shipping programs – Are you competitive with other offers for similar products?
– Is a shipping club appropriate?
– Can customers easily track their packages? © 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
This year though, other days were as high as Cyber Monday
Source: Chase Paymentech Pulse Index; http://pulse.chasepaymentech.com
Cyber Monday
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
37%
43%
37%
39%
Shoppers spread their spend over many days
Pre-Thanksgiving (11/18-23)
Source: Bizrate Insights/Forrester Holiday Shopping Flash Surveys, Q4 2011
Thanksgiving Weekend (11/14-27)
Cyber Monday (11/28)
Cyber Week (11/29-12/4)
37% This [period] will be my
biggest online shopping period of the
year
Did you also buy online earlier [in the holiday
season]? NA
41%
37%
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Cyber Monday isn’t always viewed as having “the best deals”
Pre-Thanksgiving (11/18-23)
Source: Bizrate Insights/Forrester Holiday Shopping Flash Surveys, Q4 2011
Thanksgiving Weekend (11/14-27)
Cyber Monday (11/28)
Cyber Week (11/29-12/4)
“Of the following, when do you think are the best online deals during the holidays?
21%
34%
11%
12%
13%
9%
Pre-Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving weekend (including Black Friday)
Cyber Monday
"Cyber Week"
2 weeks before Christmas
A couple of days before Christmas
8%
53%
11%
10%
10%
8%
4%
26%
33%
19%
10%
8%
6%
24%
13%
28%
18%
11%
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Shoppers are shifting more of their wallet share online during the holidays
Pre-Thanksgiving (11/18-23)
Source: Bizrate Insights/Forrester Holiday Shopping Flash Surveys, Q4 2011
Thanksgiving Weekend (11/14-27)
Cyber Monday (11/28)
Cyber Week (11/29-12/4)
66%
78%
I shopped in stores less because I shopped online
instead
I shopped online instead of in stores for this purchase
because there were better deals online
72%
73%
76%
81%
59%
72%
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
“Cyber Season”
Holiday shopping season actually starts in Q3.
§ AOV increases by $14.08 from Q2 to Q3.
§ 95% of ecommerce businesses said AOV drops following the implementation of a technology project like a replatforming or redesign.
#holidaywebinar
Recommendations § Have a Cyber Monday and key date plan in place; deep discounts and deals are now a
cost of doing business
§ Recognize that it is difficult to put the “offer genie” back in the bottle, unless you are Patagonia and you’re willing to trade off sales for the integrity of your brand
§ Attribution modeling becomes really obvious in light of data like this – The true value of all of your marketing channels becomes more transparent
§ Don’t neglect search, and especially email, around key dates
§ Ensure that key information is optimized for mobile, especially for multichannel retailers; that applies to tablet content too
§ Enable sharing purchases through social networks post-transaction; incentivize shoppers to share their purchases; worry less about “likes”
§ A code freeze is no longer a cost of doing business during the holidays
§ Audit your shipping programs – Are you competitive with other offers for similar products?
– Is a shipping club appropriate?
– Can customers easily track their packages? © 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Customers Customers during the holidays
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Few shoppers are sick of promotions
Pre-Thanksgiving (11/18-23)
Source: Bizrate Insights/Forrester Holiday Shopping Flash Surveys, Q4 2011
Thanksgiving Weekend (11/14-27)
Cyber Monday (11/28)
Cyber Week (11/29-12/4)
Which of the following best characterizes your feelings about online deals, promotions, and specials around the holidays?
6%
15%
23%
17%
Deals are so frequently offered that it is easy to
always buy with a sale or promotion
Taking advantage of deals is even more
important to me now than in previous years
I love deals! The more, the merrier
I will only buy if I have a deal, sale or promotion
6%
15%
23%
21%
5%
16%
23%
22%
5%
15%
22%
18%
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Race to the bottom, or rising above it all?
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Understand and appeal to different visitor segments
If your website doesn't provide you an opportunity to put a different offer in front of different segments based on user data, you are at a critical disadvantage.
1. New Customer
§ Highlight service differentiators and trust factors. § Test acquisition offers to create long-term value.
2. Holiday Shopper
§ Greet the customer with welcome-back message. § Highlight email signup to keep them engaged all year.
3. High Value
§ Thank and reward high-value customers.
#holidaywebinar
Here’s how…
§ Personalize return trips
based on average cart or lifetime purchase values.
§ Badge products to promote seasonal callouts. Test different badges on different products.
§ Highlight the best gifts of the season, stocking stuffers, limited-time offers.
#holidaywebinar
Recommendations § Have a Cyber Monday and key date plan in place; deep discounts and deals are now
a cost of doing business
§ Recognize that it is difficult to put the “offer genie” back in the bottle, unless you are Patagonia and you’re willing to trade off sales for the integrity of your brand
§ Attribution modeling becomes really obvious in light of data like this – The true value of all of your marketing channels becomes more transparent
§ Don’t neglect search, and especially email, around key dates
§ Ensure that key information is optimized for mobile, especially for multichannel retailers; that applies to tablet content too
§ Enable sharing purchases through social networks post-transaction; incentivize shoppers to share their purchases; worry less about “likes”
§ A code freeze is no longer a cost of doing business during the holidays
§ Audit your shipping programs – Are you competitive with other offers for similar products?
– Is a shipping club appropriate?
– Can customers easily track their packages? © 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
While shoppers “spearfish,” their purchase path isn’t straightforward
One touchpoint
Two+ touchpoints
One touchpoint
Two+ touchpoints
46% 54% 40% 60%
Hard goods Soft goods
Source: Forrester eBusiness Research in collaboration with GSI Commerce Holidays Attribution Research (Q1 2012)
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
What are you trying to measure?
Measure inbound channels by more than just conversion rates.
§ Social is likely an initial touch point that influences behavior and ultimately customer acquisition.
§ Keep customers in a ready-to-buy state.
#holidaywebinar
Recommendations § Have a Cyber Monday and key date plan in place; deep discounts and deals are now
a cost of doing business
§ Recognize that it is difficult to put the “offer genie” back in the bottle, unless you are Patagonia and you’re willing to trade off sales for the integrity of your brand
§ Attribution modeling becomes really obvious in light of data like this – The true value of all of your marketing channels becomes more transparent
§ Don’t neglect search, and especially email, around key dates
§ Ensure that key information is optimized for mobile, especially for multichannel retailers; that applies to tablet content too
§ Enable sharing purchases through social networks post-transaction; incentivize shoppers to share their purchases; worry less about “likes”
§ A code freeze is no longer a cost of doing business during the holidays
§ Audit your shipping programs – Are you competitive with other offers for similar products?
– Is a shipping club appropriate?
– Can customers easily track their packages? © 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
3%
4%
3%
7%
9%
10%
12%
33%
47%
Other social site
Through traditional media (eg TV)
Retailer's social presence
Deals or shopping website
Other email
Someone told me about it
Through search engines
Via email from the retailer
I visited the retail site directly
2%
3%
5%
6%
8%
9%
8%
46%
39%
Other social site
Through traditional media (eg TV)
Retailer's social presence
Deals or shopping website
Other email
Someone told me about it
Through search engines
Via email from the retailer
I visited the retail site directly
3%
6%
3%
7%
9%
10%
10%
39%
44%
Other social site
Through traditional media (eg TV)
Retailer's social presence
Deals or shopping website
Other email
Someone told me about it
Through search engines
Via email from the retailer
I visited the retail site directly
Shoppers frequently find out about holiday deals through email
3%
4%
4%
6%
8%
9%
11%
37%
44%
Other social site
Through traditional media (eg TV)
Retailer's social presence
Deals or shopping website
Other email
Someone told me about it
Through search engines
Via email from the retailer
I visited the retail site directly
How did you learn about these special deals [from today’s purchase]?
Pre-Thanksgiving (11/18-23)
Thanksgiving Weekend (11/14-27)
Cyber Monday (11/28)
Cyber Week (11/29-12/4)
Source: Bizrate Insights/Forrester Holiday Shopping Flash Surveys, Q4 2011
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
This is reflected in clickstream data as well
Touchpoint (s) General holiday season
Thanksgiving weekend Cyber Monday
Paid search alone 17% 17% 17%
Paid search + other 15% 16% 15%
Natural search alone 14% 13% 13%
Email + other 12% 12% 13%
Natural search + other 11% 12% 10%
Email alone 7% 8% 12%
Social alone <1% <1% 1%
Social + other <1% <1% <1%
Others (CSEs, affiliates, display) alone 8% 9% 8%
Others (CSEs, affiliates, display) + others 15% 12% 11%
100% 100% 100%
Percent of total transactions (hard goods)
Source: Forrester eBusiness Research in collaboration with GSI Commerce Holidays Attribution Research (Q1 2012)
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Email matters even more for soft goods
Touchpoint (s) General holiday season
Thanksgiving weekend Cyber Monday
Paid search alone 11% 13% 11%
Paid search + other 8% 8% 8%
Natural search alone 9% 7% 7%
Email + other 26% 24% 27%
Natural search + other 5% 5% 5%
Email alone 15% 15% 18%
Social alone 1% 1% 1%
Social + other <1% <1% <1%
Others (CSEs, affiliates, display) alone 4% 5% 4%
Others (CSEs, affiliates, display) + others 20% 22% 19%
100% 100% 100%
Percent of total transactions (soft goods)
Source: Forrester eBusiness Research in collaboration with GSI Commerce Holidays Attribution Research (Q1 2012)
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Search matters even more than email for hard goods
Touchpoint (s) General holiday season
Thanksgiving weekend Cyber Monday
Paid search alone 17% 17% 17%
Paid search + other 15% 16% 15%
Natural search alone 14% 13% 13%
Email + other 12% 12% 13%
Natural search + other 11% 12% 10%
Email alone 7% 8% 12%
Social alone <1% <1% 1%
Social + other <1% <1% <1%
Others (CSEs, affiliates, display) alone 8% 9% 8%
Others (CSEs, affiliates, display) + others 15% 12% 11%
100% 100% 100%
Percent of total transactions (hard goods)
Source: Forrester eBusiness Research in collaboration with GSI Commerce Holidays Attribution Research (Q1 2012)
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Search has a smaller influence on soft goods
Touchpoint (s) General holiday season
Thanksgiving weekend Cyber Monday
Paid search alone 11% 13% 11%
Paid search + other 8% 8% 8%
Natural search alone 9% 7% 7%
Email + other 26% 24% 27%
Natural search + other 5% 5% 5%
Email alone 15% 15% 18%
Social alone 1% 1% 1%
Social + other <1% <1% <1%
Others (CSEs, affiliates, display) alone 4% 5% 4%
Others (CSEs, affiliates, display) + others 20% 22% 19%
100% 100% 100%
Percent of total transactions (soft goods)
Source: Forrester eBusiness Research in collaboration with GSI Commerce Holidays Attribution Research (Q1 2012)
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Recommendations § Have a Cyber Monday and key date plan in place; deep discounts and deals are now
a cost of doing business
§ Recognize that it is difficult to put the “offer genie” back in the bottle, unless you are Patagonia and you’re willing to trade off sales for the integrity of your brand
§ Attribution modeling becomes really obvious in light of data like this – The true value of all of your marketing channels becomes more transparent
§ Don’t neglect search, and especially email, around key dates
§ Ensure that key information is optimized for mobile, especially for multichannel retailers; that applies to tablet content too
§ Enable sharing purchases through social networks post-transaction; incentivize shoppers to share their purchases; worry less about “likes”
§ A code freeze is no longer a cost of doing business during the holidays
§ Audit your shipping programs – Are you competitive with other offers for similar products?
– Is a shipping club appropriate?
– Can customers easily track their packages? © 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
More mobile shopping during the holidays
Did you shop online with your mobile device over Thanksgiving Weekend (Thursday - Sunday, November 24-27, 2011)?
16%
9%
18%
28%
Cyber Week
Cyber Week 2010
Cyber Monday
Thanksgiving Weekend
Source: Bizrate Insights/Forrester Holiday Shopping Flash Surveys, Q4 2010 and Q4 2011
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
US mobile commerce is expected to grow to $31 billion by 2016
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
US$ (billions)
1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7%
Source: Forrester Research Mobile Commerce Forecast, 2011 To 2016 (US)Note: eCommerce includes mobile media and content, retail, travel, coupons/deals, and services.Does not include mobile ring tones, mobile gaming, or mobile video
% of eCommerce
$31
$25
$19$14
$10$6
$3
Source: June 17, 2011, “Mobile Commerce Forecast: 2011 To 2016” Forrester report © 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Please note which of the following you do with your mobile device(s) with respect to any online retailer.
“Small screen” owners* Tablet owners
Base 1,725 recent online buyers with web-enabled mobile phone
456 recent online buyers with tablets
Read emails from retailers 64% 63%
Receive texts with special offers from retailers
49% 38%
Locate retail store/hours/directions 49% 54%
Browse or research products 47% 70%
Compare prices while shopping in stores
30% 29%
Place orders for physical goods 17% 47%
*”Small screen” includes iPhones, Android-based phones, Blackberries or other phones with web-browsing capabilties Source: Bizrate Insights/Forrester Mobile Commerce Online Flash Survey, Q4 2011
Mobile conversion rates are lower because the phone supports store shopping more
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Social sharing can be promising on mobile devices
Talbot’s incorporates “likes” vs shares on Facebook;
JCPenney also integrates Kaboodle and StyleHive
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Eliminating text and showcasing images is beneficial for mobile browsing
Gap enables browsing of images (without text) and
provides recommendations to support greater time on
site
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Alternative payments are likely to be impactful on mobile devices
PayPal helps to reduce keystrokes at checkout on
mobile devices; PayPal penetration when offered on
mobile devices is higher than penetration on the
desktop site
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Staples opted to change the tablet experience Desktop site Tablet site
Horizontal scroll; collapsed dropdowns
Elimination of units; large buttons to support cross-
channel
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Encourage power mobile users to create a shortcut to your site from the homescreen
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Tablet optimization means tweaks like spacing lines appropriately for a touchscreen
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Recommendations § Have a Cyber Monday and key date plan in place; deep discounts and deals are now
a cost of doing business
§ Recognize that it is difficult to put the “offer genie” back in the bottle, unless you are Patagonia and you’re willing to trade off sales for the integrity of your brand
§ Attribution modeling becomes really obvious in light of data like this – The true value of all of your marketing channels becomes more transparent
§ Don’t neglect search, and especially email, around key dates
§ Ensure that key information is optimized for mobile, especially for multichannel retailers; that applies to tablet content too
§ Enable sharing purchases through social networks post-transaction; incentivize shoppers to share their purchases; worry less about “likes”
§ A code freeze is no longer a cost of doing business during the holidays
§ Audit your shipping programs – Are you competitive with other offers for similar products?
– Is a shipping club appropriate?
– Can customers easily track their packages? © 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Some say “the silence is deafening”
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Unfortunately, social has yet to make a mark on the web marketing funnel
Touchpoint (s) General holiday season
Thanksgiving weekend Cyber Monday
Paid search alone 17% 17% 17%
Paid search + other 15% 16% 15%
Natural search alone 14% 13% 13%
Email + other 12% 12% 13%
Natural search + other 11% 12% 10%
Email alone 7% 8% 12%
Social alone <1% <1% 1%
Social + other <1% <1% <1%
Others (CSEs, affiliates, display) alone 8% 9% 8%
Others (CSEs, affiliates, display) + others 15% 12% 11%
100% 100% 100%
Percent of total transactions (hard goods)
Source: Forrester eBusiness Research in collaboration with GSI Commerce Holidays Attribution Research (Q1 2012) © 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Social has a bigger impact on soft goods
Touchpoint (s) General holiday season
Thanksgiving weekend Cyber Monday
Paid search alone 11% 13% 11%
Paid search + other 8% 8% 8%
Natural search alone 9% 7% 7%
Email + other 26% 24% 27%
Natural search + other 5% 5% 5%
Email alone 15% 15% 18%
Social alone 1% 1% 1%
Social + other <1% <1% <1%
Others (CSEs, affiliates, display) alone 4% 5% 4%
Others (CSEs, affiliates, display) + others 20% 22% 19%
100% 100% 100%
Percent of total transactions (soft goods)
Source: Forrester eBusiness Research in collaboration with GSI Commerce Holidays Attribution Research (Q1 2012) © 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Consumers reinforce this data
3%
4%
3%
7%
9%
10%
12%
33%
47%
Other social site
Through traditional media (eg TV)
Retailer's social presence
Deals or shopping website
Other email
Someone told me about it
Through search engines
Via email from the retailer
I visited the retail site directly
2%
3%
5%
6%
8%
9%
8%
46%
39%
Other social site
Through traditional media (eg TV)
Retailer's social presence
Deals or shopping website
Other email
Someone told me about it
Through search engines
Via email from the retailer
I visited the retail site directly
3%
6%
3%
7%
9%
10%
10%
39%
44%
Other social site
Through traditional media (eg TV)
Retailer's social presence
Deals or shopping website
Other email
Someone told me about it
Through search engines
Via email from the retailer
I visited the retail site directly
3%
4%
4%
6%
8%
9%
11%
37%
44%
Other social site
Through traditional media (eg TV)
Retailer's social presence
Deals or shopping website
Other email
Someone told me about it
Through search engines
Via email from the retailer
I visited the retail site directly
How did you learn about these special deals [from today’s purchase]?
Pre-Thanksgiving (11/18-23)
Thanksgiving Weekend (11/14-27)
Cyber Monday (11/28)
Cyber Week (11/29-12/4)
Source: Bizrate Insights/Forrester Holiday Shopping Flash Surveys, Q4 2011
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Consumers do however report sharing through social networks
I have shared online shopping deals with others through my social network (i.e. Facebook) within the last month.
30%
32%
31%
32%
Cyber Week
Cyber Monday
Thanksgiving Weekend
Pre-Thanksgiving
Source: Bizrate Insights/Forrester Holiday Shopping Flash Surveys, Q4 2011
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Consumers say they like to read what about what their friends recommend
48%
40%
17%
15%
11%
8%
It is a great way to discover new products, brands, trends, or retailers
It is a great way to discover sales and promotions
I have bought something based on a friend's post
No reaction, I usually ignore these types of updates
I notice the post, but generally do not take great interest in it
I don't like these posts
Base: 5,578 recent online shoppers who use social media
Source: Forrester/Bizrate Insights Social Commerce Flash Survey, Q3 2011
Which of the following do you agree with in response to social media posts, "likes," or links to products or retailers made by friends?
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Consider social log-in to increase sharing
#holidaywebinar
monetate.com/infographics
§ 80% of U.S. social network users prefer to connect to brands through Facebook.
§ 40% of consumers prefer social log-ins rather than creating a new/guest account.
§ When consumers can use social log-in, time on site and page view metrics more than double.
Recommendations § Have a Cyber Monday and key date plan in place; deep discounts and deals are now
a cost of doing business
§ Recognize that it is difficult to put the “offer genie” back in the bottle, unless you are Patagonia and you’re willing to trade off sales for the integrity of your brand
§ Attribution modeling becomes really obvious in light of data like this – The true value of all of your marketing channels becomes more transparent
§ Don’t neglect search, and especially email, around key dates
§ Ensure that key information is optimized for mobile, especially for multichannel retailers; that applies to tablet content too
§ Enable sharing purchases through social networks post-transaction; incentivize shoppers to share their purchases; worry less about “likes”
§ A code freeze is no longer a cost of doing business during the holidays
§ Audit your shipping programs – Are you competitive with other offers for similar products?
– Is a shipping club appropriate?
– Can customers easily track their packages? © 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Recommendations § Have a Cyber Monday and key date plan in place; deep discounts and deals are now
a cost of doing business
§ Recognize that it is difficult to put the “offer genie” back in the bottle, unless you are Patagonia and you’re willing to trade off sales for the integrity of your brand
§ Attribution modeling becomes really obvious in light of data like this – The true value of all of your marketing channels becomes more transparent
§ Don’t neglect search, and especially email, around key dates
§ Ensure that key information is optimized for mobile, especially for multichannel retailers; that applies to tablet content too
§ Enable sharing purchases through social networks post-transaction; incentivize shoppers to share their purchases; worry less about “likes”
§ A code freeze is no longer a cost of doing business during the holidays
§ Audit your shipping programs – Are you competitive with other offers for similar products?
– Is a shipping club appropriate?
– Can customers easily track their packages? © 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Consumers now expect free shipping
“Which of the following do you expect from a retailer or brand?”
Base: 4,731 US online adults
Source: Q1 2011 US Retail Online Survey
28%
32%
44%
52%
55%
Physical retailers to price match if I find a price cheaper on my mobile device
Physical stores to be able to place orders online for me
To see the same assortment of products no matter where I shop
Free returns on all my purchases
Free shipping on all my orders
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Free shipping offers were popular this past holiday season
Pre-Thanksgiving (11/18-23)
Source: Bizrate Insights/Forrester Holiday Shopping Flash Surveys, Q4 2011
Thanksgiving Weekend (11/14-27)
Cyber Monday (11/28)
Cyber Week (11/29-12/4)
Which types of special deals did you take advantage of for today's purchase?
20%
25%
30%
Free shipping with no minimum order value
Free shipping with a minimum order value
A discount on my total purchase (% off or $ off)
26%
29%
37%
33%
26%
46%
23%
25%
30%
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Many retailers offered free shipping with no threshold
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Shipping clubs are growing “Are you a member of a shipping club or program (i.e.
Amazon Prime, Shoprunner or Williams-Sonoma Reserve)?” 9%
91%
Source: Bizrate/Forrester Online Retail Holiday Study, Q4 2010 and Q4 2011
N= 10,017 recent online buyers
12%
88%
Yes No
5%
40%
55%
I shop less with the retailer after joining the shipping club
The shipping club has not changed my shopping behavior with that
retailer
I shop more (or plan to shop more) with the retailer(s) whose shipping
club I have joined
N: 714 recent online buyers
“How does your membership in a shipping club or program affect your shopping frequency?”
2010
20
11
N= 15,520 recent online buyers
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited #holidaywebinar
Shipping offers: Test what are you trying to achieve
§ Test to know where to put the thresholds (which offers, based on what costs?).
§ Test to learn quickly. Remember, peak traffic differs from off-peak.
§ Target based on visitor geography to leverage location, logistics for maximum efficiency.
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