-By Marshall Marcovitz

Words of inspiration:
The future depends on what we do in the present.
– Mahatma Gandhi

What an opportunity exists for Web and e-mail marketing success today with Internet retail sales still experiencing double-digit increases. There are almost two billion Web site visits, 200 million inbound calls and 600 million retail visits on any given day in the U.S.A. This is a total of 2.8 billion consumer contacts per day. That’s twice the number of television programs viewed in a day.

What’s Driving This Phenomenon?
The combination of unlimited choice and the ability to find anything and everything quickly has shifted the power from the marketers to the consumers. Google and Yahoo! shopping comparison sites and peer reviews have all contributed to empowering consumers in the marketing process. Some sites give customers a voice with feature ratings and reviews, creating a consistent customer experience through every channel possible. The result? The opportunity for increased bottom line profits and a loyal customer base.

Forrester Research reports that less than half of e-commerce revenue comes from repeat customers, while every year the percentage of shoppers who buy based on price rather than brand name increases. To compound that challenge, the rise of social networks like YouTube (user-submitted content) and multimedia means the Web is a more crowded and confusing place to shop than in the past.

You gourmet retailers are going to have to sharpen your skills, develop new ideas and improve your ability to lead a multichannel business. I’m informing you of the valuable tools you need to engage your customers across all sales channels. Helping you decide on marketing strategies and tactics for battling rising costs, as well as tips for getting better leverage across your entire multichannel marketing program.

The New Rules of Engagement
You need to identify key trends shaping the future of the Web store, from microsites to sweepstakes games, as well as the design challenges they spawn.

Reaping the Benefits of Social Media
Using social media like YouTube to market your company and your products is all the rage, but what are you really gaining? You need to know how to employ different social networking tactics and how to measure the results. How do you manage your blog on your site? How do you utilize associated communities? How do you engage with YouTube? How do you create a widget? How do you bring your brand to customers who normally wouldn’t interact with you? How do you develop a budget and follow-up measurement devices for community development programs? Experimentation is vital to future success. TEST, TEST, TEST!

Consistent Branding From E-mail to Landing Pages
Think Nike. Think Coke. Think Apple. Then recognize that brand image is critical for success. A Silverpop research study found that online marketers are sending shoppers mixed messages. E-mail campaigns don’t match the landing pages they lead to, and in far too many cases, nothing matches the company’s Web site either. It’s more than just matching the color of backgrounds and using the same typeface. Study the elements that the most successful brand name companies use to maximize their online presence.

Evaluate Shopping Comparison Sites
Do you need to participate in comparison sites in order to compete? Do you need a shopping channel management company to manage your participation to get the best results? What’s the real ROI you’re getting from these sites? Those are the key questions to ask your advisors. I can tell you that, from my experience, comparison sites are important vehicles for bringing in new customers.

Convert Prospects to Customers
What are the latest techniques for increasing your average order size? How do you make navigation easier for your visitors? What can you do on the creative side to improve the customer experience? What’s the most effective way to increase your up-sells?

Is Mobile Marketing for Your Company?
Everyone is talking about mobile marketing, yet very few are actually using it. I know a multichannel merchant who has increased sales with their opt-in text messaging campaign. Is a text messaging program for you? Is your target audience into text messaging? I want to make you aware of the latest trends, some with no quantifiable results to guide you and help you make the right decision.

Develop Landing Pages That Convert Visitors to Buyers
You’ve worked hard putting together a great paid and free search program, and the development of a top-notch e-mail program with the goal of getting the right customers to your Web site. Unfortunately, without effective landing pages that convert visitors to customers, much of that effort will be wasted. What is your strategy for creating effective landing pages that will convert visitors to buyers?

How do you Improve Your E-mail Deliverability?
There is a lot of talk these days about the importance of getting your e-mail into your customer’s inbox. But how can you avoid the spam filters? The reality is that e-mail deliverability is affected by a number of factors, and there are steps you can take immediately to improve your success. Consider how list hygiene, the content of your message and the way you send your messages can all affect your deliverability. Take immediate steps to remove typos and bad e-mail addresses from your list. Look into how you can easily track e-mail deliverability without additional tools or services.

Can Facebook and YouTube Work for you?
Web sites like Facebook, which have become home to personal news feeds in which users receive updates from friends, acquaintances and colleagues, have become very popular for one-way communication. There is also Twitter, a messaging service that lets people send updates of 140 characters about what they are doing or thinking to the mobile phones of people who sign up to receive the constant stream. James Katz, head of the center for mobile communications studies at Rutgers University, said that telephone communiqués had been seen as requiring a sacrifice of time and energy, and a higher level of commitment on the part of the communicator. Not any more! The decision for the gourmet retailer is to decide whether now is the time to test this form of communication. Is your target audience a good prospect?

Marshall’s Top 15 Questions for Successful Web Marketing
I’ve used this column to explore some of the new techniques that are being used by successful Web and e-mail marketers. Here are some key questions the customer-focused marketer needs to ask:

1. Are you analyzing your results effectively?
2. Are you getting the most out of your pay-per-click program?
3. Have you segmented your e-mail list?
4. Do you really understand your Web traffic?
5. Are you getting more and better links for higher search rankings?
6. Are you using testing effectively to create a better customer experience?
7. Is your Web site design appealing?
8. Are you optimizing your search marketing with free Web tools?
9. Are you reaping the benefits of social media?
10. Do you have consistent branding from e-mail to landing pages?
11. Are you using shopping comparison sites?
12. Are you aware of the latest e-mail tactics?
13. Is there a place for mobile marketing in your marketing mix?
14. Are you using analytics to increase ROI?
15. Are you really merchandising your products?


Marshall Marcovitz is the founder and former CEO of the CHEF’S CATALOG, a leading Internet shopping site. Currently, he is a lecturer, a university professor and a marketing consultant. He may be contacted at mmmellow9@yahoo.com.