IRCE 2008 Session Descriptions

Listed below is the individual session description. To view a speakers' bio simply click the links inside the session description.

Day Three—June 11, 2008
Track D: Web Marketing Techniques that Convert Shoppers To Buyers

As online shopping becomes mainstream, consumers will expect and respond to marketing and merchandising that follows conventions. These sessions will tell retailers where marketing and merchandising are going, when to follow the rules and when to break them.

2:15 - 3:00 p.m.

Personalizing the web experience

Cliff Conneighton, SVP, ATG

Chris Conrad, Senior Director - Direct Channel, American Eagle Outfitters

Almost from the start, retailers perceived that the Internet is an ideal medium for personalizing a shopping experience in ways that can't be done through a catalog or call center or even in the store. But despite that widely held view, the promise is only now beginning to develop. Now, with a greater understanding of the role of both technology and human analysis, some retailers are starting to get personalization right. In fact, the Aberdeen Group reports that already there are best-in-class practitioners of personalization and 91% of them report higher conversion rates and 79% a higher average order value as a result of their personalization efforts. With some leaders documenting success, the pressure on everybody else to improve personalization efforts will only increase. This session will examine the ways that retailers can achieve personalization through cookies, gathering information automatically as the customer shops and through customer registrations, and will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each. It will also help retailers calculate the ROI of each approach and understand what they need from technology and staffing points of view.