DIGITAL RIVER GLOBAL COMMERCE Strategies to support ...

[Pages:4]DIGITAL RIVER GLOBAL COMMERCETM

Strategies to support customer centricity and reduce channel conflict

Evolve from channel-centric to customer-centric

Brands need to create an omnichannel experience that keeps customers coming back to their various sales channels. Shoppers are more informed, more selective and more demanding than ever--and they are willing to spend the time and effort to get what they are looking for. While it can be said that many people equate online shopping with saving money, a large proportion of online shoppers think of online shopping as a crucial information gathering part of their purchase journey. In fact, 30 percent of online shoppers spend 30+ minutes researching before making a purchasing decision.1

Customers want a great experience with your brand and have high expectations of brand sites--it's up to you to deliver what they are looking for and build the brand loyalty you want to achieve. The best way to optimize a cohesive experience for your customers is through a dedicated direct-to-consumer brand store. It is in that environment that you can control the relationship with your customers, offer value added content and resources, and market your brand exactly the way you want. Your site should have rich content, your full product assortment and be the go-to source for your product information.

Optimize every step of the customer journey

Progression from discovery to purchase should be seamless. Delivering a disjointed experience can affect a buyers purchasing decision. When they are on your online brand store, immerse shoppers in your brand experience with value-added content, information and opportunities. Keep your customers engaged throughout the purchasing process? introduce promotions and product updates, real-time product and pricing updates, and automated catalog integration and management.

Customers gravitate to businesses with an omnichannel approach with a variety of purchasing options.

Purchase online or in-store Check inventory in real-time Order in-store for home delivery Store individual customer preferences Create a tailored experience



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Create the right customer experience

1. Regularly engage your customers and drive them to your brand webstore--run interactive marketing campaigns and deliver meaningful content to build brand loyalty.

2. Reserve special product SKUs for your brand store--unique colors, styles and limited offer products.

3. Segment your audience and offer a personalized experience-- execute a fully integrated experience-driven marketing approach that will traverse all touchpoints.

4. Localize the experience for your global online store locales--fully translated with local content, focused on most popular merchandise for the region, regionally-appropriate pricing, offering preferred local payment methods and localized marketing campaigns.

5. Provide a forum for product ratings and reviews on your brand store to build trust and brand accessibility--shoppers are more likely to purchase when backed by the confidence of other satisfied buyers.

6. Provide online chat for quick and easy access to customer service-- customers want to have their questions answered promptly (or you may lose the sale).

7. Target specific user audiences with Global Commerce Private Stores-- create a unique shopping experience for certain target audiences with tailored merchandising.

Have an experience-driven marketing approach

If the first phase in the evolution of the customer relationship is messaging and media, the future is product research, selection and payment. For the educated consumer, it is important to provide plenty of engaging, insightful information that evokes emotion, and guides the shopper to their end purchasing conclusion. Leverage personal preference data to offer an experience that will have a positive overall effect on both your retail and direct-to-consumer business. Omnichannel solutions make your business function more like a complex ecosystem rather than a set of burdensome but necessary decisions. Customers will choose their path to you--it's up to you to offer them the right access to and experience with your brand.

Strategies for your D2C store

Offer a full assortment of products, including exclusive products (unique model or color) with competitive pricing for your brand store Differentiate by adding value that enhances the experience Sell at MSRP "everyday" pricing that will not undercut the channels Match direct channel with broadly visible in-market promotions Target pilots to strategic segments (i.e. students)



?2016 Digital River, Inc. | Digital River is a registered trademark of Digital River, Inc.

Find the right use for Channel Lead Management (CLM)

Channel Lead Management (CLM) and a "Where to Buy" feature on your store is a good way to offer your customers the purchasing options they want--not to mention help manage channel conflict by stimulating your retail channel to generate leads for your retail partners. If your online store sells out of a certain item, CLM can provide accurate, real-time updates about where it is in stock--a smart way to show customers that they can always find the information they need on your site.

However, it is important to understand some potential negative impacts when customers are directed away from your site and be cognizant of when and where you utilize Channel Lead Management (CLM).2

Customers who are sent to retailers to complete their purchase convert poorly. Customers convert 3-5% better on brand stores versus retail sites. Traffic sent to retailer sites to purchase actually purchase a competitor or unrelated product over 50% of the time.

CLM can offer the tools needed to help you track shoppers after they left your site and collect data about their purchasing behavior. Where did they go? Did they buy? What did they buy? Having this information can dramatically affect your overall online strategy--and your revenue.

Real-time inventory: Access online inventory information and automatically replace "out of stock" messages with preferred reseller links. Minimize channel conflict: List your trusted retail partners and their product information. You control rankings and what data to show, such as pricing, shipping and handling, rebates, stock status, a buy button and more. Close the loop: Track shoppers after they have left your site and collect data about purchasing behavior. Where did they go? What did they buy? Knowing this information can dramatically affect your overall online and offline strategy. Geographical heat maps: View breakdown of purchasing information and trends by geographical region. Mobile: Mobile optimization ensures that customers can find where to buy your product while on the move. Online data, offline sales: Allow customers to use a store locator to find brick-andmortar stores that carry your products. Competitive market analysis: Compare your product pricing with competitive products. Review pricing, price history, ratings and reviews, stock status and manage and enforce minimum advertised price (MAP) violations. Analytics: Measure campaign effectiveness and return on investment (ROI) across all channels. Track public and private pricing tiers: Protect your brand and product value by tightly monitoring how partners set prices relative to your MAP.

Avoid channel conflict-- fuel your channel, don't compete with them.

Use both the retail channel and your brand site to test pricing and product promotions for thorough analysis Focus sales of your top product SKUs through your retail partners--protect their inventory and pricing Keep their employees informed about your products and your brand top of mind Strategically support Where to Buy functionality for retail partners



?2016 Digital River, Inc. | Digital River is a registered trademark of Digital River, Inc.

1. Source:. 2. Source: Compiled 2015 data from Digital River client webstore performance, PriceSpider and client data (confidential).

About Digital River

Digital River, the revenue growth experts in global cloud commerce, helps companies of all sizes build and manage their online businesses, maximize online revenue, reduce costs and minimize risk. Founded in 1994, the company is headquartered in Minneapolis, with offices across the United States, Asia and Europe.

Unlock the value of Digital River to grow your business.

E: info@ US: +1 800 598 7450 UK: +44 (0) 845 603 5070 TW: + 886 2 8173 1711 W: contact-us



?2016 Digital River, Inc. | Digital River is a registered trademark of Digital River, Inc.

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