On opening night eTail Boston was already in full swing. Monday’s action began with an Advanced Search Summit, a Social Commerce Summit and an email Marketing and Segmentation Summit. Featured speakers included leaders from Crocs, HP, and CoffeeForLess. But the event kicked into high gear with the evening cocktail party. Retailers and vendors mingled and the event looked to be bigger than the projected 700 attendees.
Tuesday’s agenda will split into three tracks:
(Guess which one we’ll be at!)
Invodo CEO Craig Wax will present on eCommerce Video Innovation during Track C at 2:45p, and Joe Preston from Invodo client Really Good Stuff will speak on a panel as well. Tuesday is shaping up to be a fantastic and very busy day.
We’ll tweet from the show floor as @Invodo, so follow us on Twitter to see what’s happening in real time.
Imagine this….an intimate workshop overlooking Coronado Bay, 300 retailers, and 22 vendors sharing online merchandising best practices and discussing the future of eCommerce. While this might seem like a dream to some, it is the reality for those attending the upcoming Shop.org Merchandising Workshop.
Situated in the beautiful San Diego, the Merchandising Workshop is bringing together the top eCommerce merchandisers and retailers to share and discuss online merchandising tactics.
For those attending, here are the top three must-dos to make the most of your Shop.org Merchandising Workshop.
1. Get a one-on-one website critique. Industry experts are hosting 20 minute website critiques specific to aspects of your website. Take advantage and come prepared with questions and ideas you may have and leave with tactical and practical solutions.
2. Attend a vendor-retailer case study roundtable. Shop.org Merchandising Workshop is hosting roundtable discussions on Tuesday, July 12th from 12-1 in the EXPO Hall. This is a great opportunity to have detailed conversations with peers to discuss their merchandising successes. The highlight is Roundtable 1 featuring Invodo’s Craig Wax and Golfsmith.com’s Eric Mahlstadt who will discuss Video for Retail: A Multi-Channel Approach.
3. Stop by table 5 and say hi to the Invodo crew. This is obviously a must-do but Invodo’s best and brightest will be at Table 5 and throughout the Expo Hall ready to show you eCommerce video examples and best practices in online video merchandising.
If you accomplish these must-dos, you are sure to leave with new ideas, best practices, and tactics to elevate your online merchandising. Safe travels to all and have an excellent workshop!
The 2011 Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition is now wrapped and boy was it huge! This year’s IRCE was the largest ever. With more speakers, exhibitors, and attendees, the energy and information circulating throughout the show was abundant. I had the opportunity to speak with retailers of all sizes to learn their needs, wants, top priorities, and key session learnings. Here are three top takeaways from this year’s IRCE.
1. Social Media is here to stay. As I have blogged before, social media is a top priority for online retailers. With 700 million users, Facebook commerce is on everyone’s mind and dominated the conversation on the first day of IRCE. Retailers such as Levis and Ticketmaster shared their Facebook success stories and best practices on how grow and leverage fans. While there is still some ambiguity around social media, IRCE sessions provided great information that retailers can surely use in their quest to figure out Facebook.
2. Retailers are increasingly thinking Cross-Channel. Creating a consistent online and offline experience is increasingly more important for multi-channel retailers. Bob Cell of MyBuys and Glenn Edelman of The Wine Enthusiast shared survey results from 1,000 consumers’ cross-channel experiences and 20 retailers’ practices to meet customer expectations. At a more detailed level, Nikki Baird of RSR Research covered strategies that retailers can use to ensure that store staff understands and supports web initiatives. From streamlining internal initiatives to meeting high customer expectations, the need for cross-channel consistency is top priority.
3. Video. Video. Video. Increasing customer engagement and site stickiness is a key to online retail success. To beat out the competition, retail sites need a differentiating factor that gives shoppers what they want: a unique, informational, and engaging experience. And nothing does that better than Video. Trailblazing e-retailers such as Walgreens, who has 1,500 videos on their eCommerce site and initiatives to create content for web TV, shared their thoughts on this new age of retailing at IRCE. I predict that the Internet top 100 retailers will all have video on their site by 2012. If they don’t, I predict they won’t be in the IR 100 for too long. Video is the new media for communicating your message. Be it product video, customer service video, or promotional video, retailers are recognizing the need and taking quick action.
Demandware’s Commerce Innovations Blog features a post from Russ Somers, Invodo’s Director of Marketing, this morning on five ways that video helps retailers reach their goals.
Certainly, increased conversion comes out as a front-runner for importance. But, what about all the other ways video helps give shoppers that extra incentive to follow through with their purchases or recommend your brand? According to eMarketer, 73% of online retailers used video on their sites in 2010. That’s up 32% from 2009. As consumers demand video content, retailers are working to supply it to drive business benefits ranging from enhanced customer experience and engagement to increased conversion.
This article discusses the benefits Invodo has seen for our clients using video for products from swimsuits to air conditioners. We’ve uncovered consistent key advantages of eCommerce video that span product categories and video types. What real-world benefits are retailers reporting? Read the full article in Demandware’s Commerce Innovations Blog to learn more.
The sheer plethora of activities, sessions, and events at this year’s IRCE often makes it hard to decide how to allocate your time. From which vendors to visit in the EXPO Hall, to what networking events to attend, to what to see and do in San Diego, the list is long and the choices daunting. In order to get the most out of this year’s Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition, here are 5 Must-Dos to put on the top of your list. 
1. Take a walk through the Gaslamp Quarter
Full of quaint shops, art galleries, and beautiful Victorian architecture, the Gaslamp Quarter is worth checking out. Located in downtown San Diego and steps away from the Convention Center, strolling through the idyllic 16½-block historic area is a must.
2. Stop by booth #220!
Here you can meet the Invodo team and chat about your video strategy. Video is now an expected element for any online retail site. Stop by to see how the Invodo Video Solution delivers the video content you need, the platform to distribute, optimize, and measure results, and the network to reach your customers at every touchpoint.
Did I also mention you can enter to win Austin City Limits Music Festival tickets (airfare and downtown lodging included), play a round of golfketball, and watch some awesome video demos!
3. Hang out with Giant Pandas at the San Diego Zoo.
The San Diego Zoo is home to an array of animals including the very famous and amazing Giant Panda. Take some time to meander through the 100-acre zoo to admire the animal kingdom and reconnect with your inner-child. If you aren’t into walking, the San Diego Zoo offers a guided bus tour of the grounds, and the Skyfari aerial tram gives guests a bird’s-eye view of the 100-acre facility.
4. Attend the session “Are retailers giving cross-channel customer what they want?”
As the wall between online and offline retail continues to crumble, discover ways that you can create a streamlined experienced and ensure you give customers what they want. Bob Cell, CEO of MyBuys and Glenn Edleman, VP of Marketing of Wine Enthusiast, will host this session on Wednesday, June 15 from 1:45-2:30pm, Track B, and share their best practices so don’t miss out.
5. Enjoy the Ocean View while sipping a drink at Bertrand at Mister A’s
The award winning Bertrand at Mister A’s offers a fresh and tantalizing menu enhanced only by the stunning panoramic views outside of the dining room. I have heard from a San Diego insider that Mister A’s has the best views in town accompanied by a great happy hour. Treat yourself and enjoy the beautiful ocean and unwind after a long day at IRCE.
The Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition 2011 is just a week away. Soon, San Diego will be infiltrated with the industries top retailers, influencers, analysts, and solution providers.
So what can attendees expect to learn at the World’s Largest eCommerce Event?
IRCE 2011 will undoubtedly be full of valuable keynotes and presentations, but the exhibit hall is where all the action is. Stop by Invodo booth #220 to discuss your video strategy and ways eCommerce video can extend your reach across retail channels, influence consumer purchase decisions, drive traffic to your site, reduce customer service costs, and increase sales.
But booth #220 activities don’t stop there. Some additional bonuses if you drop by booth #220 include:
If you have any questions or would like to schedule a specific time to discuss video at IRCE, email Invodo info
invodo
com
or call 800-280-4122. See you at IRCE 2011!
What’s cooler than sliced bread? Social networks. Facebook alone has more than 500 million members and its counterparts including YouTube and Twitter are also growing like weeds. With such a large audience ready to be marketed to, I must ask the million dollar question – How you are you leveraging social networks for your business?
Let’s take a step back and look at the nature of social networks. Most people join them so they can get something of value in return. This widget of value varies from person to person. Someone might join Facebook so they can see pictures of their friend’s new baby- others might join to get daily deals from their favorite retailer. The main reason aside, once people are in, they are open marketing game for you.
For businesses, step one is to identify items of value that appeal to your target market. Sure, everyone wants free stuff and that might be something you leverage. But free stuff is boring! And expected. (Disclaimer: This is untrue if you are trying to give me free shoes. Size 7.5) Use the forgiving and well, fun nature of social networks to test new forms of content. That said, not all content is created equal. In order to succeed, you need to provide content worth sharing. And let me tell you, users will share video. With over 27 million pieces of online content shared daily, try promoting your video assets and track sharing. The results could surprise you.
Now you have conquered step one. You have captivated your market and have a huge following on every social network. People can’t stop talking about you and it is great! But wait, you’re giving all these people value, but what are you getting in return? Life’s a two way street so you better know what your social media efforts are doing for you; especially if you’re giving away free stuff. I’m not going to go into different ways to assign a dollar value to a “like” on Facebook, an @mention on Twitter, or a video view on YouTube. My point is, have a solid business objective for your social media strategy that gives you value, direct your efforts towards that objective, and find ways to measure your success.
Lastly, look at your competitors. Be where they are but do it better. Don’t be the guy looking at the wheel going “Oh, this is cool. Wish I would have thought of that!” Be the guy who says “Oh, we could put a few of these together, put something on top, and transport things!” Bad example, yes, but the point is there. What assets do you have that you can use to innovate and outshine your competitors? From a hilarious co-worker who will tweet for you all day to awesome video content to post on Facebook and YouTube, you have something – just find it and leverage it.
Social networks aren’t going away anytime soon. So get in the game today to reap the benefits tomorrow.
Congratulations to the online retailers who made this year’s Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide. Based on annual web sales, the list features North America’s top grossing e-retailers who continue to lead the way in eCommerce. With a continued emphasis on rich media and the customer experience, it is exciting to witness the results generated by the new and innovative technologies being employed by these industry leaders.
Special congrats to the Invodo clients who moved up the IR 500 list and continue to lead the online retail space. Given the competitive nature of eCommerce, it is a high honor to be included on this list and an even bigger accomplishment to move closer to the top.
It’s always a pleasure to see Invodo clients featured in the news for leading the industry with video. Here are three recent pieces of noteworthy coverage.
Internet Retailer featured Invodo client Stacks and Stacks in a piece on how online retailers close what I call “the experience gap”. 40% of shoppers want to see an item first-hand before purchase, and video stands out as a key way to deliver that experience online. As we (and Internet Retailer) have mentioned before with Stacks and Stacks, that results in video viewers being 144% more likely to add to cart than non-viewers. And the type of video matters, as video engineered for ecommerce is 50% more effective than general-purpose video from manufacturers. The story also covers high-resolution zoom and other tools that can help close the gap. Read the full article here.
Multichannel Merchant, a Chief Marketer publication, has a great piece on lessons learned from the 2010 holiday season. In the article they cover Eric Mahlstadt from Golfsmith speaking with Invodo CEO Craig Wax at the National Retail Federation BIG Show. Golfsmith SVP Steve Larkin is quoted in the article as well and credits Invodo’s video solution with contributing to a record fourth quarter. All the tips here are worth considering as it’s not too early to begin planning for the 2011 holiday season, so here’s the full article.
Finally, Nancy Jenkins, SVP Marketing from Invodo client Swimwear Boutique, was interviewed on video after one of her speaking engagements at eTail West in February. The video’s well worth watching as she has countless tips about video for retail, covering the full video value chain from production to implementation to distribution. Watch the video here.
Invodo’s own David Breshears and Amanda Logan are off and running to the 2011 Demandware XChannge Conference in Boston, MA where they will join Demandware clients, fellow partners, and employees for three days of eCommerce collaboration, innovation, and acceleration.
Demandware, the leading on-demand eCommerce solutions provider and Invodo partner, will be presenting new Demandware technologies to attendees as well as hosting compelling keynote presentations and more than 20 eCommerce-focused sessions.
As a Demandware Link Technology Partner, Invodo has the unique opportunity to integrate our eCommerce Video Solution directly with the Demandware Platform. “Our mutual retail clients not only enjoy the ease of integration, but the results they see from Invodo eCommerce Video,” states David Breshears, Invodo Enterprise Sales Director.
For all those attending, make sure to say hi to David and Amanda to learn more about integrating eCommerce video to your site(s) to increase conversion, drive traffic through video SEO, and reduce product returns.
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