You monitor conversion and retention rates on a daily basis, and like most, you’re looking for a way to optimize these key performance metrics to attract more advertisers. This is no easy task, but Trader Media, the company that charges the CycleTrader.com and BoatTrader.com websites, has discovered an innovative, effective solution for making this happen.

On Tuesday, July 27, at 1 p.m. EST, join ATG and Trader Media for the webinar, “Three Steps to Attract Advertisers, Decrease Costs, and Prove Value; A Case Study with Trader Media,” and learn how Trader Media leveraged ATG Lead Performance and ATG Live Help solutions to convert and retain more advertisers, grow revenue, and increase profits.

The webinar will highlight:

• How to increase leads and prove your value to advertisers using Call Tracking and Click to Call
• Best practices to improve advertiser retention and up-sell using Email Response and Click to Chat
• Tips to improve service efficiency by enabling distributed service agents to handle calls, emails and chats from remote locations

Analyst BIA/Kelsey, a resource to the media, mobile advertising, telecommunications, Yellow Pages and electronic directory markets, will also be in attendance to reveal the current investments and future trends of the industry.

Register today for this free webinar.

There’s no doubt about it. American Express (AMEX) is an outstanding leader in customer service and customer relationship management (CRM).

Just last month, the company, which is an ATG Live Help customer, was named a winner of the coveted 2010 Forrester Research Voice Of The Customer Awards. Harley Manning, vice president and research director of Forrester Research, said, “The quality of this year’s nominees is evidence that voice of the customer programs are advancing rapidly … The best VoC programs demonstrate that executive involvement, measurement, and insights that are tied directly to action are critical to customer experience success.”

In addition, AMEX today unveiled the results of its American Express Global Customer Service Barometer. The study surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers in April and its findings were just shared in 1to1 Media’s “Think Customers: The 1to1 Blog.”

Here are some of the highlights:

• 28 percent of respondents said that companies are now paying less attention to good service, even though 61 percent of those consumers said quality customer service is more important to them than ever
• 91 percent of Americans consider the level of customer service important when deciding to do business with a company
• The three most influential factors that help consumers decide which companies they do business with include personal service (98 percent), a company’s reputation or brand (92 percent), and recommendations from family and friends (88 percent)
• 81 percent have decided never to do business again with a company because of poor service

Jim Bush, executive vice president of world service at American Express, said, “Many consumers say companies haven’t done enough to improve their approach to service in this economy, and yet it’s clear they’re willing to spend more with those that deliver excellent service, suggesting substantial growth opportunities for businesses that get customer service right.”

We couldn’t agree more, Mr. Bush. Congrats to you and your team on receiving one of this year’s Voice Of The Customer Awards and thank you for sharing the results of this insightful study!

With the proliferation of smart phone usage, more and more consumers are using their mobile devices to browse product and pricing information to inform in-store purchase decisions – while they’re standing in the aisles.

According to new research from eMarketer, smart phones are enhancing consumers’ in-store shopping experiences by giving them a vehicle to price compare with other nearby retailers, scout out online discounts, and read product reviews, among other activities.

We all have faced the mental “I wonder if” trivia game when shopping in-store: “I wonder if this shirt comes in a different color,” “I wonder if there is a coupon for this retailer,” or “I wonder if this product has gotten good reviews.”

Mobile in-store shopping provides immediate answers to the “I wonder ifs” and can instantaneously influence purchase decisions.

When developing your cross-channel strategy, think broadly and incorporate in-store mobile marketing into the mix. Remember, each shopping channel isn’t siloed. Customers are integrating them and using them all to assist their buying process.

Online retailers without an m-commerce strategy are in the minority.

That’s according to the new study released today by Forrester Research and Shop.org.

“The State of Retailing Online: Marketing, Social Commerce and Mobile Report,” states that nearly three-quarters of online retailers either already have or are developing a mobile strategy. A good example of a retailer leading this trend is Neiman Marcus, with plans to be completely mobile enabled by fall.

According to “The State of Retailing Online: Marketing, Social Commerce and Mobile Report,” online retailers with mobile strategies:

• Are investing in features that support the cross-channel experience. Product and price information, store information, and coupons to support the in-store experience are among the most popular features that retailers are offering consumers.
• Have varied level of investment. While respondents anticipated spending on average $170,000 on their mobile sites this year, large multichannel retailers are spending several times that amount, while smaller online pure plays on average are investing much less.
• Are experiencing modest gains. Retailers reported that their mobile browsers at this juncture are generating a little less than three percent of overall site traffic and just two percent of revenue.

From the consumer perspective, we uncovered in our latest consumer survey report, “Cross-Channel Commerce: The Consumer View,” that even though mobile commerce in still catching on with consumers, it is already an important part of the cross-channel shopping experience, with nearly a third of consumers using their mobile devices to browse or research products and services periodically.

It is evident the consumer is ready and increasingly interested in using mobile to make purchases, and it is great to see the majority of retailers strategizing and preparing for the tipping point of m-commerce.

“The State of Retailing Online: Marketing, Social Commerce and Mobile Report” is available to Shop.org members and can also be purchased directly at www.shop.org/soro.

I just got back to the ATG offices after a busy trip in Chicago for the Internet Retailer Conference and Expo. If you weren’t able to make the annual event, then you certainly missed out! The show, which garnered more than 6,400 attendees, was jam-packed with informative sessions, and a flurry of announcements on everything from new partnerships to product upgrades (including our own announcement of enhancements to ATG Recommendations).

During the show I led a session with Robert Gilbreath, Director of e-Commerce Marketing & Analytics for Calendars.com, about the top five reasons companies decide to update or change their sites. We went over the process for evaluating commerce platform solutions and for kicking of a replatform project.  We also discussed the expectations companies and each member of the internal team managing a platform need to have once the project begins. In case you missed the session, “Managing a re-platforming: Strategy, people, technology,” you still have an opportunity to learn what issues retailers should cover with vendors before signing a contract for site work.

On this Wednesday, June 16, at 2 p.m. ET, Gilbreath and Robert Farrior from Razor 360 will join me during a webinar called, “e-Commerce Re-platform: Build a Winning Game Plan.” Gilbreath will discuss the recent Calendars.com re-platform project, and the planning that went into it to make it successful. Their new site went live in less than four months, with a significant uplift in online sales. This webinar will help you build a plan to address the common pitfalls and challenges, and ensure that your re-platform is smooth and successful. Join us and learn:

• The top five reasons companies decide to update or change their sites
• How Calendars.com increased online revenue with a successful re-platform
• Best practices for kicking off and running a re-platform project

To register for this free webinar, please go here.

Everyone at the Internet Retailer Conference and Expo (IRCE) has a little kick in their step. The mood is overwhelmingly positive and it casts a pretty clear message that the online retail world is gaining forward momentum. The attendance figures alone even back up this notion: there are over 6,400 attendees – an approximate 20% increase over last year’s showing!

In his opening message, Kurt Peters, Editor in Chief of Internet Retailer, also noted the renewed energy in online retail. His discussed how online revenue has seen a 14.5% increase in Q1 2010 over Q1 2009. As Peters put it, “…it’s the return of double digit growth.” The online retail ecosystem is thriving, and vendors and business alike are seeing growth. It’s an exciting time to be converging with other online retail professionals at IRCE, and even more thrilling to hear how retailers are harnessing new strategies such as mobile and social commerce to grow their brands with confidence.

There’s definitely a new vibe this year, but there’s also another noticeable presence at this year’s show: the iPad. Has anyone else noticed the abundant number of iPad giveaways and raffles? The iPad has taken over IRCE!

The following Q&A was conducted with Greg Wong, CEO of Heiler Software, and Dave Magnoni, director of product marketing at ATG. The two experts will join Forrester’s Principal Analyst Brian Walker during a webinar called “e-Commerce Meets Product Information Management” on June 3 at 2 p.m. ET. To register for free, click here.

Question: We hear it all of the time; companies spend seven to nine months tediously creating a general catalog, not to mention the cost and time it takes to create a targeted one as well. How can companies reduce this time and spend more effort targeting their customers?

Greg Wong: One word: Automation. Using a single repository for all of your data helps the automation process because you are able to create and store customer-specific content and standard product information. Then, you publish it with the click of a button for both creative or structured flyers and catalogs, and only the final touches or pre-press work is done in Desktop Publishing solutions like Adobe InDesign, QuarkXpress, or FrameMaker.

Dave Magnoni: Printed catalog creation is generally done outside of e-commerce, but Web data and User Generated Content available online may be useful for the process. You can capture the right information online and keep this in synch with the product content.

Question: Companies that are growing and increasing their offerings are overwhelmed by all of the data that they have to manage. How do companies with multiple sales channels (i.e. multiple Web sites, catalogs, brick and mortar locations) communicate their product and brand information efficiently?

Greg Wong: Having one central system allows you to have the ability to synchronize your product information across multiple domains, targeted catalogs, and brick and mortar locations in one step, as opposed to updating each one individually. In addition, data is not replicated and data governance policies can be enforced across channels. The whole idea behind the Long-Tail theory is being able to expand your product line and increase revenue. You can do this easily with a PIM.

Dave Magnoni: Yes, having product information in a single master system is very helpful, and it provides a starting point for the commerce process. For example, master product information may be in one place, but different online sites may show brand-specific catalogs, or a single B2B site might show only products authorized in a given customer contract. The commerce engine will pull the product information, add information from other sources (like inventory levels), and provide an environment where the merchant can effectively communicate his or her brand to provide personalized information and offers that will ensure each visitor has the best experience possible.

Question: Why is it important for e-commerce applications to work in-conjunction with a product information management solution?

Greg Wong: Most organizations have either become or are becoming multi-channel resellers. With this in mind, there are many different source systems of data and many different output channels. e-Commerce is one channel in the ecosystem; the job of an e-commerce system is to provide the best shopping experience to end customers, but not to be a data harmonization, data quality, or data management solution. By off-loading this to a PIM, e-commerce systems can focus on doing what they do best, generating revenue for retailers. Businesses will need their e-commerce applications to support their multi-channel initiatives as customers are becoming increasingly demanding.

Dave Magnoni: Online commerce involves selling and supporting many channels: multiple brand and country Web sites, mobile sites, in-store kiosks, agents who provide customer service, feeds to social media sites, etc. The PIM provides strong tools to make sure the information used for multi-channel online commerce is both high-quality and consistent across those many different channels. PIM also supports other channels, like catalog production, which are not usually driven from the online information. This improves the consumer’s experience and, in turn, improves business results.

The importance of e-commerce applications and PIM working in conjunction can be demonstrated in the use of search facets. These are valuable features that help customers filter a wide assortment of products to narrow in on those that they want to consider for purchase. High-quality information is needed in the product feed to ensure those facets turn out correctly on the Web, mobile or other sites that a customer is using. The PIM helps get the information right so the e-commerce experience can be flawless.

We were happy to share the news last week that Gartner Inc. has positioned ATG in the Leaders Quadrant of Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for E-Commerce. Published by Gene Alvarez, vice president of Gartner Research, last Tuesday, the MQ is a focused analysis of vendors based on market share, revenues, number of clients, the type of products or services, and other defining characteristics.   The report makes the case that the economic downturn has spurred investment in online sales technology and that customer experience, Web 2.0 and mobile are driving demand for redesigns.  We see these trends in the market as well and agree that the ultimate end customer benefits via better access in contextually meaningful interactions.

Gartner has positioned ATG in the “Leader” quadrant. Gartner notes that leaders in this quadrant “have demonstrated longevity in the e-commerce market”, as well as “consistent, extensive and durable execution in delivering e-commerce Web sites at the enterprise level.” After a thorough research process with extensive customer surveys and technology evaluation, we are honored to take the industry’s top spot in Vision.

The report makes the compelling point that online shoppers are looking for Web sites to “accelerate the processes that perform product search, review and relevant information” to be able to compare products and decide whether to buy. “Moreover, consistent, orchestrated online experiences are required across multiple points of interaction, including smartphones, to enable contextual awareness that matches customers’ browsing, buying and interaction habits.”  

We couldn’t agree more with this statement. We see a growing awareness among online retailers and brands that you can’t look at sales channels as independent silos, but as connected channels to enable more efficient management, merchandising and marketing for the business.

For full access to the Gartner report, visit: http://www.atg.com/gartner-ecommerce-magic-quadrant/

I believe that reporters – at least the good ones – loathe when they, or their situation, become the story.  And that is exactly what happened to Jon Meacham, editor of Newsweek, on a recent visit to The Daily Show (http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-may-5-2010/jon-meacham).  Meacham had been scheduled to discuss “Need to Know”, a new PBS program he was about to debut, (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/).  However, that plan changed the morning of the interview when The Washington Post Co. announced that they were putting Newsweek up for sale after 33 years of ownership – and 77 years of publication.  With that as a backdrop, John (Stewart) and Jon (Meacham) were set for a fascinating conversation about the state of publishing and reporting in general.   

Two elements of the Post’s announcement stood out to me: The main reason given for the sale; “the company can foresee no path to profitability for the money losing magazine,” and the statement by Donald E. Graham that he accepted responsibility “for not seeing early enough and reacting in the right way to the changes that have come to our industry.”  Donald Graham is the son of Phillip & Katherine Graham and their company purchased Newsweek at the urging of Ben Bradlee – an amazing collection of publishing royalty.  If this group is up for sale, is there a future for traditional publishing companies?   

John & Jon engaged in a captivating conversation that touched on the role of reporters in the Internet age, the sad realities of the publishing business model in general and the future of Newsweek specifically.  The most interesting exchange came when Stewart compared the current state of publishing to that of the horse carriage industry at the introduction of the automobile and Meacham responded with a new approach for publishing that centers on a “solely digital focus” during the week and a print recap publication for weekend readers.  While I don’t believe that this model would recoup the full advertising revenue that magazines have relied on, I do believe that this idea has merit.  I would value a publication like Newsweek providing a recap and analysis of the key issues that sparked debate throughout the week.  I believe it would also allow them to reclaim a bit of the voice of authority they held before the explosion of the Internet.

Stewart maintained his usual witty banter throughout the chat and Meacham generally played along, yet I was left with a sense of unease as the conversation ended.  Meacham ended with a good rallying cry – and an offer to bring the for sale papers over for Stewart to sign – but his demeanor was hard to ignore and he appeared a bit defeated.  My career includes a good deal of media buying and planning and I am a voracious reader of both books and magazines.  I am also an early adopter – and I must say, fan – of the iPad, and, I am a huge advocate for the potential of the web for reasons well beyond my current paycheck.  I initially found myself conflicted by the state of media and the potential loss of a publication like Newsweek.  But then I went back and watched the Stewart interview again and I focused on a passage where Meacham discussed his so-called “virtual beltway”, a consumer group that values both digital and traditional media, a consumer segment that heavily uses the Internet yet still values hard covered books and print publications.  I personally relate to this consumer segment and I believe I’m not alone.  I still receive a daily newspaper and I don’t believe I’d enjoy my Sunday morning coffee as much if I were reading the news on my iPad.  But I’m eager to hear your perspectives – do you see a place for a publication like Newsweek in today’s Internet age?

Our recent survey of more than 1,000 consumers offered up some compelling evidence of the mobile commerce market as a budding area of opportunity for online merchants.

The new report, “Cross-Channel Commerce: The Consumer View.”, had two major findings related to mobile commerce: 

• 27% of all consumers 18 and older use their mobile devices to browse or research products and services at least four times a year, with that number jumping to 41% for the 18-34 year-old age group;
• When it comes to making purchases, 13% of all consumers 18 and older are doing this on their mobile devices at least four times a year; 23% of the 18-34 age group are doing this at least four times a year and 8% are doing it weekly.

What does this mean for online merchants? We need to keep in mind that this market is evolving so rapidly that these numbers represent merely the early adopters, which is a very promising set but is really just the tip of the iceberg.

We’ve heard from many of our customers, and browser use statistics confirm, that this past holiday season was a strong one for iPhones, iPods and the Smartphone category in general.  Mobile browser access to retail sites really started to take off in December, jumped the week after Christmas, and has continued to climb throughout 2010. Clearly, all those shiny new devices received during the holiday season are getting a workout – and giving retailers an engaging new way to connect with shoppers. 

The skew toward younger consumers using their phones more often to browse or research products strengthens the notion that merchants can build brand recognition among younger shoppers with mobile commerce capabilities and initiatives.

While the percentage of shoppers making purchases on mobile devices is not overwhelming today, retailers should prepare for the day when mobile sales become widespread. In the meantime, think of the mobile channel as a key enabler of commerce, and that its real measure of success is how it helps to drive sales across other channels.