Datalicious Blog - Data Driven Marketing

eMarketer: Online shoppers want recommendations and act on them but complain about relevance

Online shoppers notice product recommendations more and more and have almost come to expect them which is great news. However, it seems that marketers are not actually doing a good job when it comes to relevance of the recommendations. Especially interesting is the fact that most don't seem to use internal and external searches as additional targeting parameters.


Different forms of targeting can significantly improve your media return on investment but it needs a solid strategy and technology platform. 

Check out our earlier blog post on direct marketing in the digital age and the power of effective targeting strategies if you want to find out more about the subject or email Chris at cbartens@datalicious.com. 

Read the full eMarketer article here

Google launches new special search engine designed to enhance user experience on retail sites

Google Commerce Search is a search solution designed to optimise the on-site search experience on retail sites but interestingly this product is not for free this time, pricing starts at $50,000 (pretty hefty for Google). 

Google has been offering on-site search services for a while now so this isn't an unexpected move but I'm surprised the pricing model is not the usual cost per click or cost per conversion. Please comment on this post if you know what the underlying platform is (is this another acquisition?).

Google Commerce Search offers the following features
  • Enable visitors to find the right products faster
  • Filter results by category, price, brand or other attributes
  • Provide user-friendly spelling options and synonyms
  • Increase website conversions and sales
  • Boost or promote chosen products within search results
  • Deploy search solution in days, and scale effortlessly
  • Customize, track, and optimize performance
Find out more on the official Google website here

15 Common Mistakes in E-Commerce Design

And while we're at it here's also a list of what not to do if you're selling stuff online.

1. A lack of detailed product information
2. Hiding contact Information
3. A long or confusing checkout process
4. Requiring an account to order
5. An inadequate site search engine
6. Poor customer service options
7. Tiny product images
8. Only one product image
9. A poor shopping cart design
10. Lack of payment options
11. Not including related products
12. Confusing navigation
13. Not including shipping rates
14. Not including store policies
15. Not putting focus on the products

Read the full article with visual examples here
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/10/08/15-common-mistakes-in-e-commerce-design-and-how-to-avoid-them/

Other great ecommerce usability resources
Ecommerce Website Design’s 6 Common Mistakes
5 Ecommerce Design Mistakes
3 Common Mistakes of the Ecommerce Company
5 Big eCommerce Design Mistakes
Top 10 E-Commerce Mistakes to Avoid
How to Avoid 7 Fatal Ecommerce Mistakes
5 Common Ecommerce Mistakes

eMarketer: online shoppers want human help

via emarketer.com

Human support for online shoppers can be delivered quite cost effectively if you set some clear parameters around what visitors to offer the support to, i.e. use web analytics and site/campaign behavior to decide who are the high value prospects and show them additional support options or even proactively start an online chat with them. Email Chris at cbartens@datalicious.com if you'd like to know more.