Let the Battle Commence

In the book trade all the main players including, agents, editors and booksellers are now converting towards e-reading and now some authors are exploring the potential of this new technology. In contrast however many traditional publishers tend to think that printed books will continue to be manufactured, bought and cherished. Publishers face several considerations including understanding the preferences of desired target markets. Some markets desire a physical book and some don’t use the internet that much, so it is necessary to reach them offline. Although this could perhaps form more of a generational argument, many of us in the digital are continuing to buy books.

Ebooks do have a clear value for educational purposes as textbooks are often out of date as soon as they are printed. Digital media makes it possible for content providers to make updates as new information becomes apparent, although a constant review of content is required.  However for those avid readers amongst you, would you even consider that an ebook device would ever replace your book collection? The Observer interviewed Tim Waterstone to find out his take on the ebook revolution.  He remains somewhat sceptical over what the British book buyer wants and indicates that although the reference book market is almost certain to go online, he is unsure about fiction books. I tend to agree with this and think there is room in the current market for both.

E-Readers – Pros and Cons

There are four main devices which can be considered the main challengers for the best choice of a device to read ebooks on, these include the Kindle, the Sony ebook reader, the Que and the iPad. Each of these devices have key characteristics which will be scrutinised for user’s personal preferences including the level of comfort and ease for reading, battery life span, durability, is there a glare and can the text size be adjusted for reading ease etc. The Kindle for instance has all the reading comforts making it a pleasure to use, however it doesn’t have a touch screen and a keyboard is required to add notes or use the search feature. Alternatively the pricy Que, targeted to business users, can handle any e-book in the e-PUB format as well as documents created in Microsoft Office.

Key selling points for e-readers include that they can contain many books but only weigh a few ounces; they have zoom and letter resizing functionality and can also be read in a variety of lighting situations. Despite its convenience most commercial ebooks are sold with strict digital rights management restrictions upon them, preventing owners from lending or selling books and sometimes even transferring a book from one device to another. This has led to complaints that you don’t really own your book, but only lease it from the bookseller for a period of time, even though some titles cost almost as much as a paper version. In addition they are not particularly robust and might not be appropriate in some circumstances, for instance for those of you who like to read in the bath, or on the beach on holiday. Ebooks also tend to be incredibly difficult for publishers to digitise and it is a fairly complex process to create the first pirated copy.

Traditional Books – Pros and Cons

In contrast to ebooks, printed books essentially provide you with a physical, even aesthetic experience. This is something which I’m not sure can be easily be replaced with technology, which is not so good at capturing a sense of time, movement and story. Paper books can be read anywhere, its pages can be marked and folded down and you can flip between them. They don’t cause you significant eye-strain, they look great on your shelves at home and you also have the guarantee that your reading material will not disappear due to technical difficulties. Although they are clearly not the most environmentally friendly alternative for reading, they are yours to keep and you are free to lend them to your friends as you wish.

Predictions for the Future

The top e-readers do tend to appear to be as comfortable as reading an average book, so similar to how news on the internet is replacing print media; does this perhaps indicate the future for reading material? The Oxford English dictionary is conceding that its third edition, 21 years in the making, will be published not on paper but online and Stephen Fry is also thought to be developing an app for his forthcoming autobiography.  Personally I think that regardless of future developments in e-reading technology, the book market will have plenty of room for paper books for some time yet.

Let us know your thoughts!

What is Ping?

Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs has described it as a combination of Facebook and Twitter for music, which allows users to build networks of friends and professional musicians.  Ping provides custom song and album charts as well as 17,000+ concert listings and also integrates with the content of your iTunes library. It is possible to build playlists based on what your friends have been listening to and you are able to comment on and like the activities of others. A further feature planned is the addition of a top 10 list, comprising of the songs and albums your friends and the artists you are following have downloaded from iTunes.  Artists are also permitted to upload photos, videos and text updates, however regular users are limited to activity commenting for now. The addition of Ping seems like a natural extension from where you are buying your music and Apple hopes that by getting people to interact with artists in iTunes, it will help to sell more digital records.

Getting Started

The service is available immediately to iTunes’s 160 million+ users through the desktop, iPhone and iPod Touch. To start using Ping, all you have to do is download the new version of iTunes. Once installed, a new link is available under the iTunes Store tab to the left side of the iTunes interface.  The service is available on an opt-in basis so you need to turn Ping on and sign in with your Apple account, agree to a the Terms of Service and also select from Apple’s simple yet effective privacy options. You will then be presented with a simple profile form that gives you the opportunity to upload an avatar, write the standard social media ‘About Me’ section and add up to three of your favourite music genres.  It is also possible to connect your profile on Ping to your Facebook profile and once your accounts are connected, you can follow your Facebook friends on Ping too.

First Impressions

Early reviews of Ping have not all been positive and some have claimed that it tends to offer the same music recommendations for all users and they don’t seem to be connected in any way to individual users purchasing habits or iTunes library contents.  Apple are hoping that as more artists enable their Ping profiles and start to exhibit certain behaviours based on demographic and psychosocial factors, the recommendation quality for first-timers will also improve. Another key concern is the process of running a social network inside a desktop app, which may inhibit the platform’s growth.

The features currently offered through Ping tend to be fairly basic, yet there are still a number of improvements to be made. For now if is definitely an app worth watching, so let us know your initial thoughts on Ping!

What is Google Voice?

Google Voice is the free internet service that uses VoIP technology to link phone numbers together.  Users of Google Voice are able to select a single U.S. phone number, from various area codes and when a Google number is called, any or all of the user’s phones may be set to ring.  Which phone(s) ring can also be set based on the calling number, based on either contact group, and/or time of the day.  The service includes various additional features, such as centralised voicemail and indexable automated voicemail transcription, accessible by PC or phone.

How does it Work?

After installing the Google Talk plugin for your browser, not only can you make outbound calls, you can also choose to receive calls on your Google Voice number from within Gmail. The feature is integrated fully into Google Voice, meaning that you can set Google Voice to receive calls in Gmail and use your Google Voice contact book.  Dialing a phone number works just like any normal phone; you can either click on the ‘Call Phone’ at the top of your chat list and dial a number or alternatively enter a contacts name. The service is only currently available to US and Canada users and as always Google is planning to gradually roll out the service, so keep an eye out for any updates.  In terms of pricing, calls to the US and Canada are set to be free until at least until the end of the year and are intended to kept free indefinitely, providing that the margins on international calls cover the free US/Canada calls. To promote this new cutting edge calling technology, Google are going retro, placing dozens of phone booths through the nation’s airports and colleges. Although not for show, they actually make phone calls, powered by internet connections.

This all signals great news for those of you who have trouble getting a reception in your home or workplace, because you can make and receive calls anywhere you have Wifi reception.  Compared to Skype the overall call quality is also deemed as very good. Additional useful features include if you are on Google Voice and take a call from within Gmail, it is possible to switch a call over to your mobile phone and continue it on the go without having to hang up and reconnect. Google’s new voice calling service is ultimately a great way to bring even more functionality to your Gmail inbox and forms part of Google’s plan to make sure you never have a reason to leave their page!

Retailers must strive to stay on top of what consumers want and an integrated approach to research is vital in increasingly complex multichannel environments where retailers must maintain a single brand identity. A recent report from the Econsultancy, ‘How we Shop How We Shop in 2010: Habits and Motivations of Consumers’, has also revealed that consumers are increasingly researching online as a means of obtaining information about products and services to find the best deals available even if they select an alternative channel to purchase.  So as consumers are relying on the internet as a research tool as a means of obtaining information, this raises the question are you doing enough research and is it been used to the maximum impact?

Here is a brief overview, covering a few of the basics to highlight how market research can help you; from finding target markets for your products and services, through to identifying market trends and prospects along with other potential opportunities available.

Importance of Market Research in the Digital World

As an essential business tool, both off and online, Market Research includes the collection and analysis of information including existing and potential consumers, competitors, along with the effectiveness of various marketing programs. Market Research can be used to answer vital business questions such as do you know who your competitors are and what they are doing?   The more knowledge you have about your prospective markets and its customers, the more likely it is you will succeed. By staying aware of the latest developments in your target markets, it can help you to select the optimum positioning strategy for your products and services, set business priorities and also get ideas for new product developments.

At WMpS, Market Research allows us look out for potential clients, keep an eye on the competition and it also helps us to pave the way for new products and services in the fast moving digital world. As how can you possibly be innovative if you don’t know what is already out there?  Alternatively Capgemini indicates that customer awareness is set to become even more important in the future and retailers need to anticipate and learn to know their customers.  Therefore ensuring you have an up to date understanding of consumer preferences and customer segments – understanding not just what they buy and who they are, but also why they buy is set to become even more important!

Are you using the information you have collected to maximum impact?

As Market Research requires a commitment in terms of both time and money, any data collected and insight is only as good as how it is used.  Market research is much more than just compiling information, data needs to be analysed in order to be transformed into relevant information and may also raise new questions, perhaps indicating scope for further research.

A study published at the end of 2009, by the Boston Consulting Group claimed that although nearly 90% of blue-chip companies are in fact conducting market research, they are not making the most of the data collected.  Rather than using this valuable information to help set prices, find distribution channels or plan promotional activities, the study indicated that these larger companies need to maximise their research by investing time and effort into analysing the data they have collected.

How you intend to measure your findings should be determined prior to conducting any research initiatives. There are numerous Market Research tools along with analytical methods and techniques available which can be used to help you with this process.  Alternatively you may choose to build up your own structured and categorised information system, which you can continually update.

Top Retailers with Research Programmes

Although several top retailers are conducting Market Research, Marks and Spencer are setting a fine example to the rest. The Independent recently reported that Marks & Spencer have initiated a major market research programme to find out how the tax rises and public spending cuts will affect customers, following the budget revelations.  The retail giant has been conducting extensive market research to make sure they are closer to what the consumer thinks, via a consumer barometer, which they are conducting every month to support decision making processes.

Research should ultimately form an integral part of your Online Marketing Strategy. Although it cannot be expected that research is a guarantee for business success,  it can certainly help prevent you from making the wrong decisions.  The basic principles of Market Research have been covered in this post, the importance of conducting it and making sure your findings can be effectively measured.  Research tools and techniques available will be followed up in blog posts to follow, including conducting your research specifically online along with useful sources for you to be aware of.

What is Facebook Places?

If you access Facebook through the latest update of the iPhone app, you will notice a new Places option in the menu.  Once selected your phone will display a list of your friends who have tagged themselves to indicate they are based in a particular location. When you then select to ‘share where you are with friends’, a list of nearby places will appear and there is also a recent activity section or rather a news feed for that specific page. The Places feature is essentially intended to help you share where you are, see who’s around you and what’s going on nearby.

Will we use it?

I personally feel that the functionality offered via Places might come in useful in some instances but I’m not sure how other users will embrace it. Do we really want to broadcast to our friends where we are and will they really be interested?  I was concerned over privacy, but you are notified whenever you are tagged and you can remove these tags at any time. You can even opt out of having friends tag you at all by hitting the disabled option. Current limitations include that to use Places at the moment you need to live in the U.S and have an iPhone to use it as international launch dates have yet to be released, although you can use the Facebook touch mobile site in the meantime. Only time will tell whether Places will catch on, so keep checking our blog for further updates.

According to ForeSee Results, 69% of online shoppers regularly use Social Media sites. Online Social shopping is definitely developing and sites such as justbought.it link your credit card with your phone, let you make purchases with the click of a button and you also have the option to tell your networks about these purchases. New tools are also letting merchants sell goods directly through Social Media sites, which could become an impressive channel for retailers. Keep checking our blog for the latest developments, but for now here are my findings on what Sososher have to offer.

What is Sososher?

Sososher is an acronym of four words (S) Savvy, (o) Online, (So) Social (Sher) Shopper. Sososher works with over 2,000 online retailers, which spread across 40 different categories including Fashion, Music, Health & Beauty and many more. Well known retailers listed include Next, Oasis, and Karen Millen to name a few, but the chances are that if you’re looking to purchase a product or service online then you will be able to find it on Sososher.  Users can search for products right from the homepage and are immediately shown a number of offers. The site provides the latest voucher codes and discounts and even allows you to earn cash back on everything you buy.  The site also includes an eating out section featuring several offers for many well known high street restaurants.

In terms of the social side of the site, members can upload a photo a profile, just like on any other social networking site and chat to other members. Members can also upload video reviews of the products they have bought so all members can see your opinions before going ahead and buying. Members are free to share their opinions in any way, through a traditional text review or a more interactive video review. According to the Internet Retailer 67% of shoppers are spending more money online after recommendations from a created online community of friends or like-minded people. Econsultancy also indicates that this influence increases to 90% from people they actually know. Sososher essentially attempt to play a fundamental role in helping consumers select the most appropriate items and support this information with impartial recommendations and reviews.

How does it Work?

It is free to sign up to the site, there is no obligation to purchase anything and you can cancel your membership at any point. All you have to do is register on the portal with your email address to get going. If you like the sound of these features but are skeptical over how Sososher is actually able to make money, I have looked into how the site actually works. As online retailers spend a fortune of their marketing budgets advertising online, Sososher claims to share the advertising commission it receives from its retail partners with its members every time they buy something as a result of clicking through to purchase items from a retailer’s site.   The amount of cash back specified is given back to you once you have paid, and collects in your own personal account which can be viewed by selecting the My Account Tab. Once payments have cleared, you can request a withdrawal and your cash back is paid directly into your designated PayPal account.

Will you use it?

You might be thinking why you should check out this particular site when there are so many other shopping social sites out there including Kaboodle, ThisNext and Crowdstorm. As there are a lot of shopping sites currently available, it all comes down to your own personal preferences and whether the offers listed match your own interests.  As the membership is free and it was a quick to sign up to the site, I’ll definitely be back to check what deals are available at a later date as I found that some of the retailers listed are from sites I have purchased from recently.  So if you are a bit of a self confessed shopaholic looking to take advantage of some of the top deals and discounts available and want to make a more informed purchasing decision, it is well worth checking this site out!

Why Video?

A V-Commerce whitepaper recently published by Brightcove indicates that Video commerce is set to become a common element of online marketing strategies in 2010, so any company wanting to connect in a significant way with an audience should be investing in video. At present online video is perceived as a relatively expensive stand-alone piece of content to be inserted into a website.  Videos can be used as an extension of engagement but it goes much further than simply posting to YouTube or having static homepage players. Recent technological developments mean that video already has a range of tools available to marketers and e-commerce professionals, the likes of text overlays, hotspots and tagging all ensure that ecommerce processes can be integrated into video content, therefore creating a new and effective channel for direct selling.

Videos can help retailers to showcase products more effectively so consumers can see how a product works and see how it was made.  According to Brightcove online videos offer retailers the opportunity to improve conversion rates by anything up to 100% and can reduce returns rates by up to 60% by allowing visitors to get a better general idea of it before they buy.  To create a compelling online video a combination of high production values, great ideas and intelligent content are required. To be successful retailers must also take into account what they want the video to do, how they want the viewer to respond and how the outcome can be measured to ensure cost efficiency.

Analytics, Measurement & ROI

As with anything today it is vital that online retailers are able to measure performance metrics to ensure that they are able to generate high value with low profit margins and this is no different with online videos. It is important to identify the most effective initiatives and monitor behaviour towards the video content to essentially provide a better end user experience and drive increased sales.  Specific online video platforms do provide a range of tools to help track interactions, visitor drop-off and usage of calls to action, yet it is also possible to track performance with pre-existing analytics tools to determine what consumers clicked on after viewing a video and if they actually went on to purchase.

The Brightcove V-commerce whitepaper indicates that retailers that have been early to adopt a comprehensive v-commerce strategy and integrate video content into the overall shopping experience are already seeing substantial ROI from their initiatives. In addition to driving conversions and customer engagement, online video also provides a number of other potential benefits including improving the chances that your customers will find you online, decreased merchandising and support costs along with advertising cost savings.

V- Commerce in Practice

As online retailers continue to look for ways to engage consumers online, video offers one way they can do just that. Here are some of the best examples in a fast growing list of retailers that are now beginning to take advantage of V-commerce and the potential results that can be achieved.

Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer ‘M&S TV’ is a great example of a video commerce success story in practice and proof that compelling online video does have the potential to increase sales.  M&S TV is a collection of over 500 films divided into 12 channels which cover various company themes and business initiatives.  In order to maximise engagement and conversion links are carefully weaved throughout the editorial and are displayed alongside the play option. Interaction with the two minute videos is carefully monitored and appropriate changes are made.  More than three million minutes of content has been viewed to date, furthermore three times as many product views have been recorded when supported with video, up to twice as many repeat visits have been recorded by consumers who watched M&S TV as opposed to the site alone and the average uplift in basket size is roughly 23%.

Warehouse

The fashion retailer owned by Aurora Fashions has also expanded their ecommerce initiatives with video rich online shopping experiences.  Working with Brightcove, Warehouse has launched Style Studio TV which in addition to featuring on trend fashion items, shoppable videos are presented throughout their online retail catalogue in an attempt to generate awareness and drive sales.

Main concerns with Price Comparison sites

They are not always easy to use: They are supposed to make our lives easier but many consumers find them really confusing and don’t trust them to find the best deal. In a customer satisfaction survey on price comparison sites conducted by Which?, no single website scored any more than 50%. Webcredible has also identified some usability flaws these sites could improve on. In particular they highlighted that the results pages of many of the sites could be further clarified and greater control regarding the presentation of the results should be passed over to the user. Yet even so more than half the people surveyed had used a price comparison site in the last year, helping the largest sites pocket annual revenues of well over £170 million.

Consumers must pay attention to detail: Although online comparison shopping may allow consumers to compare deals quickly, this speed and convenience can sometimes result in poor attention to detail. For instance by opting for the cheapest insurance price, you need to be absolutely clear on what the deal covers. The cheapest price will not always reflect quality therefore consumers need to understand what they are actually getting for their money.

Pricing information might not always be up to date: A further concern raised by InvisibleHand is that the prices stated might not always be reliable as these sites depend upon the retailers to update their price data meaning that many can be up to a week out of date. Consumers can be lured in by what they think looks like a good deal but they are left disappointed after clicking through and discovering that the real price is completely different.

No site covers the entire market: Research firm Defaqto identifies that no site covers the entire market meaning that the cheapest quote listed may be more expensive than an another site’s cheapest quote. This casts doubts over whether consumers are actually comparing like with like, so people rightly worry about the sites not being comprehensive or competitive enough. In the Which? survey it was also revealed that one in four people chose not go on to buy through these sites because they had been able to find a cheaper quote themselves elsewhere.

What is in it for them?

It is important to be aware that most price comparison sites have commercial arrangements with the companies featuring on their site, thus questioning their overall credibility to an extent. Some sites have a commission fee payable when someone buys through the site and others receive a click through payment every time a consumer clicks from a price comparison site through to a company’s own website. In the survey conducted by Which? more than two thirds of the respondents revealed that they think the sites will just list the products that bring in the most commission and only 30% trust them to find the best price available.

Most Popular Sites

In the survey conducted by Which? the two most popular price comparison sites offering a vast range of deals where identified as Moneysupermarket (used by 36% in the last year) and Confused.com (30%).  Additional frequently used sites include GoCompare (16%), Comparethemarket (14%), uSwitch (11%), TescoCompare (6%) and Moneyextra (3%).   Impact Media have also more recently suggested that Google appear to have cornered another market; with 17.9 million users in the US now using Google product search each year and they are now fast becoming the leaders in shopping comparison services.

Can they be trusted?

In a virtual world where choice is almost limitless, online shopping price comparison websites are a great user friendly tool and provide a good starting point for consumers wanting to check out the various deals available. Consumers must be aware of the concerns with these sites and never just visit one site. If you are careful and look into the finer details of the deals available, there are a number of significant savings out there to take advantage of!

Since it was launched, the e-Retail Sales index has grown by a massive 5,772% and consumers are now more likely to buy goods online than ever. For the Fashion industry in particular developments in rich media and imagery now allow shoppers to see clothes in greater detail. We are now becoming increasingly passionate about shopping online and the combination of ease and convenience are incredibly compelling. The PayPal report also indicates there has been an 11% increase in the number of online shoppers who say buying online does just that.  This relationship is expected to strengthen over the coming decade and by 2020 it is predicted that the internet will account for half of all retail sales and influence most of the other half.

The index also reflects the UK’s wider economy, with growth running at 35% in boom-time 2006, but falling back to 14% during the recession hit 2009. However shoppers are turning to the internet when trying to be thrifty. Two-thirds of online shoppers believe their money goes further online compared to less than half who believed it last year, an increase of 8.5m people.

Bricks and Clicks debate – IMRG / Hitwise Hot Shops List

Ocado’s recent announcement and plan for a £1bn stock exchange; has raised debate from investors regarding whether being an internet only retailer is a blessing or a curse. However the process of making money online is completely different to the physical store model.

At the same time the e-Retail Sales index was published, the IMRG / Hitwise Hot Shops list released its fourth annual top 100, showing Amazon at the top of the list once again, Argos remained in second place and Play.com in third. Apple moved up to fourth place from seventeenth position in May last year, on the back of the much anticipated launch of the iPad. Of the 10 retailers identified for their online efforts in 2006, seven remain which include Amazon UK (1/1), Argos (2/3), Play.com (3/5), Apple Computer (4/10), Tesco.com (5/4), Amazon.com (6/6) and Easy Jet (10/8).  Six of the top ten retailers have physical stores, up from four in May 2009. Thirty three of the fifty Hot Shops have a high street presence, up from twenty three in 2006.  The fastest climbers also included ASOS (15/50) and HP (24/47).

With multichannel retailers now accounting for two thirds of the top one hundred and as some 70% of purchases start online, it turns out that shoppers still need somewhere to go – even if it is just to pick up something they paid for on their home computer the night before. It is clear that those with both physical stores and an online presence are leading the growth in e-retail. The index also revealed that multichannel retailers are consistently outperforming their counterparts in terms of sales growth.  Ocado’s biggest problem may be that they don’t have an existing store network, so it will be interesting to monitor their progress over the coming months.

Future Retail Predictions

The index does go on to indicate that somewhat of a tipping point will be reached around 2020 as the market matures. Therefore the challenge for retailers in the next 10 years will be  to increase their share of the market even further and come up with new ways to extend brand loyalty. The e-Retail Sales Index also predicts that there will be greater cross-border trading in Europe. Mobile commerce is also set to become one of the defining technological advancements of the decade. As always if you need any help or advice with your online retail strategies don’t hesitate to contact us.

The scores and key areas of neglect clearly varied between the vertical sectors. For instance every one of the ten Sports sites featured a blog and community, Travel sites were also not far behind with 60% of sites maintaining a blog in an attempt to engage with their audience. In other sectors the results were not quite as impressive with the Finance and Telecoms sectors failing to provide sufficient sticky content to hold visitor attention and encourage them to return.

Key Findings Include:

Blogging

Blogs are not getting the attention they require yet they tend to be easy to use, implement, update and offer businesses the opportunity to speak directly to visitors in a personable way.  Just less than half of the sites (40%) featured a blog, however too many were not frequently updated, defeating the key objective of a blog as readers quickly lose interest. Only 34% of the blogs were updated on a regular basis, while only 19% of the brands assessed were identified to be advertising the blog across the rest of the website. The results also differed between the eight sectors as every Sports website reviewed featured a blog along with the majority of Travel and Community websites.

The report identifies that the uSwitch blog is an example of how it should be done, although the blog is not promoted prominently enough across the rest of the site. It is also felt that by pulling in the RSS feed on the homepage the blog reference could be made more prominent.

Communities (Forums, Community Blogs & Message Boards)

Communities allow visitors to generate content on the site but they do require ongoing management to really make visitors feel valued and are continually encouraged to contribute constructively. Only a third (34%) of the companies studied featured a community on their site, with Telecoms brands coming out on top, closely followed by charities. In terms of usage only 44% of companies with a community actually attempted to initiate a conversation with visitors, although more do tend to respond to queries or questions from users, with 70% actively engaging with users. However not a single company studied was identified to be regularly uploading content to their community.

The report highlights RSPB community as a best practise example, with plenty of features and content to keep users interested and keep returning on a regular basis.

Multimedia Content & Rich Media (Images, Videos, Podcasts, Presentations)

Multimedia Content is one of the best ways to quickly and instantly grab visitor attention and encourage them to further explore the website. Only 28% of the companies assessed have some sort of multimedia content on their websites. Sports sites came out on top again, yet other brands have a long way to go in this section.  Copy was also assessed to determine how engaging it is to viewers. On average companies assessed were scored around 4.8 out of 7, thus suggesting there is more to be done to capture the attention of web visitors.

Paddy Power is identified as a stand out website in this category, offering a number of videos and live sports streaming is provided for registered members. The use of video is also closely related to the purpose of the Paddy Power site, thus encouraging visitors to remain on the site for longer.

Social Media

The Econsultancy indicate that other studies have found that brands fail to sufficiently advertise their Social Media accounts on their websites and this study is no different. The scores were significantly low with brands failing to encourage online interaction with their visitors and customers or integrate and optimise their online presence. Only 15% of companies were identified as advertising their Twitter account directly on the homepage and only 19% draw attention to their Facebook fan page. In addition 34% of the sites provide links that allow a visitor to share content on a social network, but only 16% allow the visitor to rate and tag content.

The report identifies ASOS as a strong example of a brand with an integrated social media strategy.  It clearly promotes its social media presence on the website and has accounts on the four biggest Social Media channels.

Whilst many companies have taken a number of steps to make their website more engaging for visitors, the study indentifies that there is still more to be done. As the web is continuing to grow in importance, delivering engaging online experiences will become critical for businesses looking to encourage brand loyalty and improve their business online. Online engagement can ultimately bring a number of benefits including increased brand affinity, loyalty along with bottom line results.

EPiServer also suggest that companies can become more efficient by using an online platform to publish information quickly, introduce multimedia content and build and host online communities. Our Redfish ecommerce application has been designed with improving customer engagement in mind, offering the opportunity to refresh the online shopping experience and provide more inspiring imagery.  Don’t hesitate to contact us to find out more.