Web Retailers Who Try to Improve the Performance of Their Sites

One way that online retailers are improving the functionality of their Web sites is to syndicate content from retail manufacturers, instead of embedding it into their own sites. Below I try to put this in context:

According to the executive director of Shop.org, Scott Silverman, “The idea that the growth of new online shoppers is slowing down is beginning to sink in and retailers are beginning to make adjustments. Primarily they are shifting their investment from customer acquisition to customer retention.”

In a joint study Shop.org conducted with Forrester Research, they found that

“… One of the most neglected yet critical elements of a customer web experience is the information and robust detail on product detail pages. Retailers rely on the accuracy of data in content management systems, which is often uploaded in bulk by merchandising teams or sometimes even by vendor partners. This leads to incomplete, inconsistent, and at times inaccurate information on key data points such as sizing charts, and has historically held sales back or created unnecessarily high return rates. To this end, retailers will focus on better managing this information by pulling data directly from manufacturers where possible, and incorporating more robust information such as images onto product detail pages. Retailers will also help customers save time by incorporating rich internet features like Flash to expose more information earlier in the shopping process without having to force cumbersome page refreshes.”

In this environment, providing rich educational content proved to be a critical differentiator for retailers, whose Web sites drive customers to their offline locations. For retailers, creating rich product marketing across hundreds of thousands of SKUs for each of their vendors is both costly and prohibitive. Manufacturers, on the other hand, have already invested large sums of money on developing product marketing content for their Web site. The challenge these manufacturers face: how to get this Web-based product marketing content into the hands of consumers researching products online. WebCollage is helping prominent retail manufacturers such as Casio, Kodak, Olympus, Palm, Sony and many others syndicate their rich online marketing content onto the Web sites of prominent retailers, including Best Buy, Circuit City, EB Games, Office Depot, Ritz Camera, Macy's, Nordstrom's, Sears and many others. Using WebCollage, manufacturers syndicate their rich Web product marketing content (interactive demos, buying guides, educational content, etc.) directly onto a retailer's existing Web site.
Customers are more likely to stay and browse a retail site when comprehensive product information is readily available. That's why many online retailers are focusing on providing rich online educational content such as interactive videos, online demos and other informational tools, not focused on product specific information, but may be educational in a related area of customer interest (such as tips for taking better photos). Retailers want customers to visit their sites frequently and avoid going to their competitors for valuable information. The goal of showcase content, therefore, is to create a complete shopping and research experience.

The ultimate objective of WebCollage's solutions are to cause prospective buyers to associate valuable information with specific brands when researching retail web sites. As customers of WebCollage, manufacturers leverage the branded showcase design for its integration into online retail sites; they can thus be certain that their messaging is consistent across all outlets. WebCollage allows retailers to embed and customize manufacturer-developed content directly into the retailer's Website with only a single line of HTML code. This saves retailers significant time and money because they do not have to develop or maintain the content on their own. Utilizing expert Information Architecture advice, WebCollage now allows for greater per-retailer customization, including hyperlinks, spacing, and ad tiles.