The Web: Powering the Reinvention of Retailing
The Internet is no longer just another channel or just another way of doing business. It is transforming all aspects of retailing. Speakers at the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition will tell how they expect the industry to be changed by one of the most powerful technologies in human history, detailing the social, business and technological revolution that is coming.
Keynote Speakers
Jim McCann, founder & CEO, 1-800-Flowers.com
Keynote Address Day One: The Web: Powering the Re-Invention of Retailing
Taking risks and embracing cutting edge technology is how Jim McCann launched this multimillion dollar floral and gift retailer over 30 years ago. In his keynote address, McCann will discuss what the future will look like for the company, his views on Web 2.0 and how it will affect the industry, and the innovative ideas 1-800-Flowers.com has implemented to reach customers and continue to inspire their loyalty.
Reed Hastings, founder, chairman & CEO, Netflix Inc.
Keynote Address Day Two: The Transformation of the Movie Rental Industry
The Internet is the great equalizer, with content coming from millions of providers. Netflix founder, chairman & CEO Reed Hastings will discuss how Netflix intends to continue to be the leading provider of movies over the Internet to any device consumers want to watch them on. Hastings has a unique and engaging perspective on the forces of freedom and the forces of control that are shaping the future of Internet content delivery.
Featured Speakers
David Schofman, CEO, Callaway Golf Interactive
Manufacturers: How the Web is Changing Their Business Model
In the golfing world, Callaway is a recognized leader among a large number of strong equipment brands. Even used Callaway golf clubs and accessories sell at a premium. David Schofman will explain how Callaway blends an Internet and store strategy to sell used equipment direct to consumers at CallawayGolfPreowned.com and new branded products from its store partners through Shop.CallawayGolf.com.
Brad Brown, vice president of e-commerce and web strategy, Recreational Equipment Inc.
Keeping a Chain Up with the Latest Internet Developments
Multi-channel retailers juggle many balls. In the process, they need to stay abreast of web trends to ensure e-commerce success. "We need to determine how to build a more compelling presence in the emerging world of community, how to interact with customers via mobile phone, what technology changes need to be made to the site," says Brad Brown, who will address these and other issues.
Lunch Address: June 5
Larry Freed, president and CEO, ForeSee Results
ForeSee Results studied the 100 top Internet retailers using the American Customer Satisfaction Index, a technology out of the University of Michigan that measures consumer satisfaction with goods and services. Larry Freed will use those scores to show which sites do a great job of meeting shoppers’ needs. He also will unveil the ForeSee Results/Internet Retailer Purchase Intent Index that show how satisfaction translates into purchases online and offline.'
Susan Aldrich, senior vice president, The Patricia Seybold Group
Site Search: Zero Results Ring Up Zero Sales
"Customers are impatient when presented with too many choices, especially if it takes several seconds to push away the less interesting ones," Susan Aldrich says. "Retailers understand the ideal of delivering the best choices up front." Susan Aldrich will explore how to deliver relevant results and how many to deliver, as well as how customers respond to various site search methods.
Joe Alter, president and CEO, Smooth Fitness
Jay Steinfeld, founder and CEO, Blinds.com
Keeping a Growth Engine on Track
Fast growing e-retailers face special challenges and management considerations to ensure their success, such as employee training, securing temporary turnkey warehousing, IT integration, and adapting to, and even embracing change. Joe Alter and Jay Steinfeld will discuss how they managed their companies through the pain points associated with rapid growth while implementing technological advancements, such as customer self-service tools, without falling short of their performance and profit objectives. E-retailers will learn how to solve such common problems as bandwidth and web site stability, customer service scalability, and managing the inherent conflict between marketing and IT, without expending unnecessary time or resources.
Gene Alvarez, vice president, retail e-commerce, Gartner Inc.
What Technology is Coming and Why You Should Care
Alvarez will address how new technologies such as AJAX and Macromedia Flex will help web sites provide faster and more visual experiences, as consumers demand more convenient and interactive online shopping. Also growing in importance is service oriented web architecture to support true multi-channel retailing, community shopping sites and mobile commerce. "Retailers not up on this will lose out," he says.
Steve Antisdel, chief operating officer, WorkingPerson.com
Selling Your E-business on Your Terms
Steve Antisdel has grown and sold two e-commerce businesses, and has helped clients do the same in many industries. He’ll explain eleven elements that drive the long-term value of an e-business, and share six proven secrets to creating a truly compelling customer experience. He’ll explain how to lower marketing costs, boost conversions, and develop the leverage to sell an e-business on the owner’s terms.
Donny Askin, CEO, OrderMotion Inc.
How to Choose an Integrated Back-end Solution
This session will help retailers understand when they need to integrate their front- and back-end technology systems, how to do it and what benefits they can derive from converting to a single system. With years of expertise in developing software that ties a retailer’s operations together, Donny Askin will outline the ideal system in which all information flows seamlessly up and down the order system.
Geoff Atkinson, director of e-mail and web site marketing, Overstock.com
E-mail marketing: Being Persuasive, Not Offensive
E-mail marketing keeps evolving, and so do the strategies that govern campaign success as retailers learn more and deepen their understanding of this powerful marketing channel. From the perspective of a major online retailer, Geoff Atkinson will talk about how Overstock.com has realized greater campaign success by increasing the personalization factor in its e-mail communication to customers.
Jennifer Bailey, principal, Red Spade, Inc.
Site Usability: Better Navigation Keeps E-shoppers On Board
The cornerstones of a seamless and intuitive online browsing and shopping experience are a site’s organization, labeling, orientation, and navigation. Jennifer Bailey has done hundreds of usability audits, and will provide examples from dozens of top retail sites to show how poor usability, related to all those factors, has driven customers away and slashed online revenues.
F. Curtis Barry, president, F. Curtis Barry & Co.
Creating a Stellar Delivery and Fulfillment Strategy
One of the least glamorous parts of online retailing is getting the package to the customer. But it’s crucial to success and a potential source of cost efficiencies. Curt Barry will discuss efficiency and metrics in providing fulfillment and customer service. "Another important area that we will discuss will be how to reduce inbound and outbound transportation costs," he says.
Alicia Berry, director of operations, DVD Empire
Beyond Credit Cards: E-checks, PayPal, Google Checkout & Much More
Alicia Berry will discuss the benefits of several alternative payment methods, including a cost-benefit analysis of each option. She will cite examples of DVD Empire’s experience with the front- and back-end implementation of alternative payment methods, including Google Checkout, PayPal, Bill Me Later, Pay by Cash, national credit card prepaid gift cards and ACH payment.
Gary Briggs, chief marketing officer, eBay Inc.
How eBay Will Continue Re-Shaping the E-retailing Industry
It wasn’t that long ago when the word "eBay" represented an upstart in retailing that few people understood. But in its first 12 years, eBay has become a major force in online retailing for sellers ranging from small independents to national chains. Gary Briggs will address how all retailers can partake in the power of the eBay.com marketplace, which has more than 200 million registered users.
Georgianne Brown, president, Mainstream E-Commerce, BabyUniverse Inc.
Blending Video and E-Commerce
With the spread of broadband Internet access, online TV-style content has become very popular. BabyUniverse operates BabyTV.com, a web-based TV channel featuring original programming created and controlled by BabyUniverse and aimed at expectant and new parents. Georgianne Brown will reveal why BabyUniverse is taking this approach and what the company expects to get out of its Internet TV channel.
Ken Burke, CEO, MarketLive
What E-Retailers Must Know About How Shoppers Use Their Sites
Most online merchants receive an abundance of traffic to their sites, yet fail to fulfill on their brand promise or meet customer expectations, resulting in loss of sales and reduced customer loyalty. Ken Burke will discuss customer-focused techniques to boost online sales. For the first time, he will divulge cumulative data of success metrics found within the MarketLive community of over 150 active retail sites.
Neil Clemmons, sr. vice president, strategy, Critical Mass
The Latest Concepts in Retail Site Design
Next generation retail sites deliver brand and business impact while still being customer centric. From highly engaging product presentation to community tools and multi-channel shopping, today’s best retail sites delight customers. While the balance of power has shifted, this session will take a look at best practices and next practices in delivering better commerce experiences.
Donald Cohen, president, Tool King
How Retailers Can Fight Commodity Pricing
Some online retailers have found that while they can compete on price, there are ways to get around price competition and not lose market share. Don Cohen will discuss how he obscures prices with such tactics as including bits in a drill price, so a shopper can’t compare drill for drill. But Tool King engages in other tactics that Cohen believes trump price. Among them, surveying customers to learn what they place a premium on.
Tod Cohen, vice president, global government affairs, eBay Inc.
The Face-Off Over Internet Regulation
In the effort by online retailers to keep the Internet wide open for business, Tod Cohen is directly involved in pressing the retailers’ case. Promoting network neutrality along with his colleagues at Amazon, IAC/InteractiveCorp and other companies, Cohen will explain why it’s important to retailers to assure that the Internet remains independent from excessive control by telecommunications providers.
James Connell, director of e-commerce, Roots
Elevating the Retail Chain E-commerce Chief
At Roots, a designer and retailer of sports apparel for Olympic teams as well as general consumers, the e-commerce chief plays a crucial role in managing the brand both online and in stores on web-based kiosks. James Connell will address how he stays on top of technology and merchandising to pull together a multi-channel strategy. "As a brand, we look at innovation as key to our success," he says.
Rahmon Coupe, president & CEO, Your Amigo
Harnessing the Power of Search Engines: Mastering the Complexities of Pay per Click and Optimization
Rahmon Coupe will address next generation for search engine optimization, how technology is changing the way it’s done, how traditional SEO struggles with scalability, inability to manage millions of organic-search keywords, inability to automatically analyze where a site’s revenue gaps are and how to create new content to fill those gaps. He’ll also talk about how to generate new business by optimizing for the long tail.
Tom Cox, president and CEO, Golfballs.com
Needles in Haystacks: The Small E-retailer’s Quest for Talent
"Recruiting is not a one-time event—it’s a never-ending process," says Tom Cox. The president and CEO of a small web-only retailer will offer ten ways to keep a list of qualified job applicants flowing year round. He also will provide tips on how to find solid employees from universities and colleges—"and it’s not through the placement office," he hints. Additionally, Cox will discuss finding help offshore.
Rex Creekmur, director of marketing, Rugs Direct
Site Search: Zero Results Ring Up Zero Sales
The most popular products and the items that best fit the search criteria must be immediately visible so customers quickly can find what they need. This session will show how Rugs Direct identified the best on-site keywords, how it optimized content related to the keywords, and how it took advantage of the site search box. Creekmur also will discuss how to streamline the customer experience.
Bill Cronin, e-commerce manager, Vermont Teddy Bear
Site Usability: Better Navigation Keeps E-Shoppers On Board
Vermont Teddy Bear doesn’t often make feature changes to its site, but when it does, it calls on customers to assist in the redesign. Customer feedback is one of its most important sources of usability information. Bill Cronin will describe how that information is collected through BizRate comments, feedback to call center agents, and analysis of orders that were entered incorrectly.
Maris Daugherty, senior consultant, J.C. Williams Group
Identifying the E-retailing Solutions Shoppers Find Most Useful
Based on J.C. Williams studies of what drives multi-channel shoppers to the web vs. stores and what converts them once on the web, Maris Daugherty will discuss the tools e-retailers need to provide to consumers online. "It’s not good enough simply to have site search any more," she says. "You need to look at new mediums and new technology tools that extend your reach and help you connect with shoppers."
Kelly Day, senior vice president, Discovery Interactive
Beyond Credit Cards: E-checks, PayPal, Google Checkout & Much More
Kelly Day will discuss why Discovery Interactive chose Bill Me Later as its first alternative payment method and that payment method’s impact on DiscoveryStore.com. She will address the resources and personnel involved with its implementation, how DiscoveryStore.com uses Bill Me Later marketing initiatives to drive traffic and sales, and how the partnership affects sales and incremental volume.
Ted Demopoulos, consultant, Demopoulos Associates
E-commerce Blogs: Finding Their Long-Term Value
"People trust companies less and less, especially after the Tyco and Enron disasters," Ted Demopoulos says. "And even if they love your company, there is likely less trust than just a few years ago." While shoppers might not trust companies, they trust people they know, he adds. "Blogging is a simple way to give your company one or more genuine, trustworthy faces of people they can do business with."
Jay DeWitt, partner, Glenbrook Partners
Beyond Credit Cards: E-checks, PayPal, Google Checkout & Much More
Jay DeWitt, a leading payments consultant who has advised numerous clients on the pros and cons of payment types, will talk about how alternative payment options such as e-checks, Google Checkout, Pay Pal and Bill Me Later work. He will also discuss pricing and the value proposition to both merchants and consumers. And he will outline the positives and negatives of each offering from a merchant’s point of view.
Tom Dickson, CEO, Blendtec
Blending Video and E-commerce
Tom Dickson will show how viral marketing and online video generated incredible exposure and recognition for a product and brand via a zany web site, WillItBlend.com. He will discuss campaign results and show how a well-run Internet video campaign can deliver significant results in terms of both brand awareness as well as increased sales. And attendees can count on viewing Dickson’s favorite "extreme blending."
Albert DiPadova, president, Due Maternity
The New Personalization—Making Suggestions Relevant
How do you reach out to shoppers when you have a marketing department of one? Albert DiPadova answers that Due Maternity uses inexpensive or free technology to connect with expectant parents and make its site an interesting place to shop. He will discuss how to coax shoppers into registering with incentives and features such as videos, and build a relationship with product suggestions and offers.
Brian Elliott, chief operating officer, Alibris
E-commerce Blogs: Finding Their Long-Term Value
The most enthusiastic and effective sales associates in a retail store might well tell customers, "I can talk about this all day long." Today, if they can do that in the store, they can do it online as well, through blogs. Blogs now serve several purposes at retail web sites. They establish a retailer’s credentials and engage shoppers in a way retailers hope will turn them into buyers. Brian Elliott will discuss blogging at bookseller Alibris.
Gary Ervin, vice president of customer acquisition, Shopzilla
Getting Better Mileage From the Search Engines
With growing competition for keywords, many e-retailers find the best terms too costly. Gary Ervin, who has become an expert in search engine marketing as a result of his customer acquisition responsibilities with comparison shopping site Shopzilla, will outline the ways in which consumers respond to different keywords and how retailers should refine their search marketing approaches.
Julie Fergerson, vice president, emerging technologies, Debix Inc.
Web Security: Identifying and Avoiding the Scam Artists
Online retailers faced a never-ending barrage of scams from around the world. Julie Fergerson, a leading risk expert and a founder and director of the Merchant Risk Council, will tell retailers about the latest online scams and how to avoid them. She’ll also explain what Internet retailers can do to remain on guard against the ever-evolving fraudulent schemes devised by crooks worldwide.
Stuart Frankel, chief operating officer, Performics Inc.
Affiliate Networks: The New Muscle in Web Marketing
Stuart Frankel will discuss the power of affiliate marketing as an offer-driven channel. Savvy marketers have learned that affiliate marketing provides a fruitful testing ground, allowing them to test the effectiveness of offers as well as gain many other marketing insights. Frankel will provide a detailed view of affiliate marketing’s continued evolution from the perspectives of marketers, publishers and affiliate networks.
Lauren Freedman, president, the e-tailing Group
Assessing the Real E-commerce Opportunity
Thinking site redesign, evolution or startup? Know the questions to ask to set your strategy on the right course and understand the merchandising and service benchmarks that will be essential for success. For online retailers looking to reach the next level and those just starting out, Lauren Freedman will show how to best define the business opportunity and how to make the most of it.
Patti Freeman Evans, analyst, JupiterResearch
Be in the Driver’s Seat When Choosing an EC Engine
In this session, retail analyst Patti Freeman Evans will discuss how retailers are spending their money on e-commerce platforms, which types of platforms they operate, and what they plan to change over the next year. She and e-retailer Diana Nelson of KazooToys.com will identify issues and questions that retailers are asking—or should be asking—as they endeavor to change their e-commerce platforms.
Patti Freeman Evans, analyst, JupiterResearch
Using Customer Product Reviews to Attract Shoppers
Customer product reviews have emerged in recent months as popular content on retail sites, where they provide increased interactivity with shoppers and give shoppers vital information for making purchase decisions. Patti Freeman Evans will address the multiple aspects of providing and managing reviews, such as dealing with negative as well as positive reviews, that can help to boost traffic and sales.
Luke Friang, vice president, CIO, Drugstore.com
David Lonczak vice president and chief marketing officer, Drugstore.com
How to Prioritize Your Technology Budget
Few e-retailers have the financial resources to purchase all the technology at once needed to build and operate their online store, service customers, and fully automate the supply chain. Plus, once the site is built, retailers must continually deploy new technology to support specialized features that differentiate their site. David Lonczak vice president and chief marketing officer, Drugstore.com and Luke Friang, vice president and CIO, will discuss how e-retailers can prioritize their technology spending to ensure they implement key applications without sacrificing site performance. Next, they will examine how Drugstore.com prioritized its technology budget while revamping its site from top to bottom and the reasons behind the retailer’s spending decisions.
David Fry, president, Fry Inc.
What Technology is Coming and Why You Should Care
From the perspective of a design, development and managed services provider with a broad client base in retail, David Fry will address the landscape of Web 2.0 and its practical application in online retailing. He will discuss site design implications of new features and functionality such as AJAX, CSS, RSS and tagging, how they’re being used in online retail already, and what technologies are on the way.
Zhenaa Gallagher, senior director, offline marketing and advertising, VistaPrint
Back to the Future: Going Offline to Drive Sales Online
Zhenaa Gallagher has used offline media extensively to promote the VistaPrint web site. She will outline the benefits of using offline media and discuss how a retailer must craft the offline message to encourage online shopping—not always an easy task. She also will detail how she measures the effectiveness of the offline marketing message.
Robert Garf, vice president, retail strategies, AMR Research Inc.
Making E-retailing Music: When IT and Marketing Harmonize
Effective cross-channel operations require linking marketing strategies and the technology utilized to create timely and relevant consumer interactions. Robert Garf, Vice President, Retail Strategies, AMR Research, Inc. discusses best practices for using data to drive marketing insights, technology utilized to enhance customer interactions, and effective online and cross-channel marketing strategies.
Dave Glaser, vice president, professional services, CyberSource Corp.
Complying with the New Card Company Security Rules
Dave Glaser will disclose how to eliminate 90% of an organization’s payment security risk in as little as 30 days. These solutions support one-click buy, subscription and standard payments, and work with any payment system or processor. He’ll also explain how the planning and revised systems architecture often involved in PCI certification can produce a significant return on investment.
Pinny Gniwisch, executive vice president of marketing, Ice.com
New Age Marketing Tools: Is Today’s Hype Tomorrow’s Help?
The relatively new Internet marketing channel already has tools and technology viewed as traditional as well some that are emerging. Pinny Gniwisch will discuss what Web 2.0 means to marketers, how marketers can make the most of the web, and use the new technologies to break through the clutter. He will share how Ice.com uses blogs and YouTube to help market its brand and provide a service to the end user.
Les Gore, managing partner, Executive Search International
Filling The Pipeline: Recruiting and Retaining Top Online Retail Talent.
An unappealing company culture will prompt potential recruits to go elsewhere and in-house talent to flee, two things e-retailers can not afford with competition for executive talent so fierce. Les Gore will detail how to shape a winning company culture to attract and retain top talent, hiring strategies, and the latest trends in executive search.
Patricia Graca, customer experience and web site production manager, HP Home & Home Office
Site Usability: Better Navigation Keeps E-shoppers On Board
In this session, Patricia Graca will present how the HP Home & Home Office Store (www.hpshopping.com) was able to uncover opportunities to improve the customer experience. She will also discuss how small tweaks in design and a greater focus on personalization increased registered customers’ checkout completion rates.
Peter Hantman, general manager, distribution and fulfillment operations, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Creating a Stellar Delivery and Fulfillment Strategy
The Met’s stores, catalog and web site do a thriving fall business. Hantman will describe how he completed a reorganization of his distribution center staff and implemented a new material handling system 30 days before the start of the fall season, going live just a week before the Fall Gift Catalog went in the mail.
Roger Hardy, president, Coastal Contacts Inc.
E-merger Mania: Making Sure the Acquisition Is Right for You
Roger Hardy has made acquisitions as Coastal Contacts has sought to grow internationally. He will outline how to evaluate companies and the steps to completion. "Transactions take longer than we would like," he says. Keys to success are having extensive company and market data and establishing rapport with the acquisition target executives. "Negotiations occur before during and after the transaction," he adds.
Lee Helman, managing director, Financo Inc.
E-merger Mania: Making Sure the Acquisition Is Right for You
When it comes to acquisitions, it’s a multi-channel world, Lee Helman, who has 12 years of M&A experience, will tell attendees at his session. "I will emphasize a multi-channel approach to the world, not a singular channel for value creation," says Helman, who was involved in the recent merger between BabyUniverse Inc. and eToys Inc. He will provide case studies of mergers and explode some common myths.
Mike Hilts, president & general manager, YesMail
E-mail marketing: Being Persuasive, Not Offensive
Putting the right product in front of the right customer at the right time has long been a basic concept underlying direct marketing—the power of the web is that due to the nature of the medium, online marketers can emphasize the "right time" part of the equation as in no other channel. As a vendor with broad industry experience, Mike Hilts will discuss how to use event-triggered and time-based e-mail.
Michael Hong, director of marketing communications, LG Electronics USA.
The New Must-Have Content: Online Video
Online video is one of the hottest technologies sweeping the web thanks to near ubiquitous broadband deployment, but retailers are still learning how to get their arms around when it comes to marketing. Michael Hong, director of marketing communications for LG Electronics USA, will explore the techniques and strategies retailers can use to make online video an effective marketing and brand building tool.
Craig Horsley, site operations manager, JC Penney
Making Rich Media a Rich Source of Sales
How does a billion dollar retailer go about integrating rich media, including Flash, Flex, and Apex, into its website? With broadband internet connections on the rise, JCP.com has greater opportunity to deploy rich media to the web. Craig Horsley will describe how his staff determines when and where to integrate rich media on JCP.com.
Tari Huddleston, senior manager, e-business, Home Depot
Making Rich Media a Rich Source of Sales
HomeDepot.com uses a host of rich media techniques to enhance customers’ experiences: alternative imagery, interactive product demos, product zoom, interactive catalogs, virtual home, guided selling, assisted buying tools, interactive showrooms, and video. Tari Huddleston will describe how the company decides which techniques to implement and how it assesses their performance.
Timothy Jackson, president, PlumberSurplus.com
How a Small Retailer Handles Customer Service
Apart from the three founding partners, PlumberSurplus.com’s first employee was a customer service agent. "That’s an indication of how much importance we put on customer service," Jackson says. The company now employs eight reps. Jackson will discuss how the company balances people and technology, the way it views site content as a component of customer service and how it staffs up for expected surges in customer inquiries.
Rajiv Jain, SVP & CTO, AG Interactive
Mobile Commerce is Happening—and Retailers Better Get Ready for It
"M-commerce is divided into multiple segments: shopping for pure, non-physical content such as ringtones; using SMS text messaging to purchase digital content or vote for contests such as "American Idol;" and purchasing physical merchandise," says Rajiv Jain. "But shopping for and buying real, physical goods on a routine basis still is a ways out there." Still, it’s happening today, he adds.
Howard Kaplan, vice president of marketing, Future Now
The Latest Concepts in Retail Site Design
A retail site redesign has to please everyone: customers, the boss, the board, the bottom line. Howard Kaplan will present the principles of design with Persuasion Architecture, a process that ensures all stakeholders (including customers) agree in advance on how to measure success. He’ll share a testing and optimizing framework that ensures return on investment and customer satisfaction.
Derek Kleinow, CEO, Tiger GPS.com
Getting a Better Deal: Negotiating Lower Discount Fees
Derek Kleinow will give a merchant’s point of view about the whole process of setting up the best possible merchant account. He will share some of Tiger GPS’s war stories and will offer his opinion on how best to approach negotiating with payment processors He will also discuss the nitty-gritty of discount rates and how different providers may price accounts in completely different ways.
Neil Kugelman, president, GoldSpeed.com
How to Choose an Integrated Back-end Solution
Goldspeed.com has built its reputation on providing excellent service and fast fulfillment. To carry out its strategy, however, it has had to deploy an effective system of managing online orders while addressing customer service and back-end inventory records. Neil Kugelman will provide a real-world example of what it took to make customer-facing and back-office systems work together.
Timothy Laudenbach, credit risk manager, Best Buy
Web Security: Identifying and Avoiding the Scam Artists
Timothy Laudenbach is an expert in online credit risk. He will discuss how companies can identify and prevent fraud, including what e-retailers need to know from the policy, procedures and management perspectives to protect themselves. That includes how to make sure senior-level executives are on board and how to invest in fraud protection without overprotecting.
Mark Layton, chairman, eCost.com
Making E-retailing Music: When IT and Marketing Harmonize
Finger pointing between IT and marketing over reporting inaccuracies or customer service shortfalls at meetings can not only damage morale, but also hinder problem solving by the two staffs and result in lingering operational inefficiencies. Mark Layton will discuss methods retailers can use to overcome such disputes and get IT and marketing working together to achieve company goals.
Fred Lerner, president and CEO, Ritz Interactive Inc.
The Scotch Boutique: The Web Is Made for Niche Retailing
Fred Lerner has built a $100 million company selling niche products online. "A primary niche has been digital single-lens reflex cameras," he says "The challenge has been how to build a company selling those online. I’ll address how we succeeded in niche retailing and how others can, too." The keys: focus, repetition and expertise. "Product availability, knowledge base and 24/7 customer support are all important," he says.
Charlene Li, analyst, Forrester Research
Benefiting From the New Competition Between Search Engines
A recognized search marketing expert, Charlene Li will speak on the multiple marketing opportunities open to online retailers in a market that is expanding beyond giants Google and Yahoo. She’ll address what different search engines have to offer, how they can reach consumers interested in particular product categories, and what retailers must do to deploy a marketing program.
Mitchell Lieberman, CEO and founder, OneWayFurniture.com
Alan Rimm-Kaufmann, president, Rimm-Kaufman Group LLC
Marketing on a Budget—Promoting Your Web Site Without Going Broke
Small e-retailers don’t need a big ad budget to compete with the Goliaths of the industry. Instead, they can use low-cost guerilla tactics to create online ad strategies that really work. Alan Rimm-Kaufmann, president, Rimm-Kaufman Group LLC, and Mitchell Lieberman, CEO and founder, OneWayFurniture.com, share concrete tips and fresh ideas on how to wring the most revenue from every precious ad dollar.
Richard Litofsky, president and CEO, cyScape Inc.
Search and Destroy: Removing Obstacles to Site Effectiveness
Today’s web users demand richer web sites that "just work" regardless of their browsers and settings. Sites that can’t keep pace incur rising support costs, miss out on millions in revenue and lose customers to more agile competitors. Learn about the challenges posed by the profusion of browsers and systems, about the hidden impact on a business, and about highly effective, proven strategies to overcome these challenges.
Jeremy Lockhorn, dirctor of emerging media & video innovation, AvenueA/Razorfish
New Age Marketing Tools: Is Today’s Hype Tomorrow’s Help?
From the agency perspective, Jeremy Lockhorn will discuss the emerging media landscape, covering macro trends affecting the marketplace and resulting implications and opportunities for retail marketers. He’ll suggest a framework for evaluating new channels and technologies, provide tips for separating the hype from the real and show a collection of examples that will inspire new ideas.
Gordon Magee, director, Internet marketing and analysis, Drs. Foster & Smith
Affiliate Networks: The New Muscle in Web Marketing
Many online retailers are finding affiliate marketing one of the best ways to acquire customers. Gordon Magee will lay out the basics of affiliate marketing, including definitions, then move into information on affiliate marketing’s benefits to retailers. He also will describe some of the specific tactics they can use in deploying affiliate programs.
Mark S. Mahaney, director, Citigroup Investment Research
Selling Your E-business on Your Terms
Mark Mahaney will talk about valuation trends in the Internet sector today, how they have trended in the past and how they are likely to trend in the future. He’ll review some of the more interesting companies that are seeking to make acquisitions in the Internet sector and offer strategies on timing a sale and developing reasonable price expectations for selling an online business.
Adrian Martinez, president, DogCatRadio.com
Making the Right Web Hosting Choice
"The chief benefit to streaming audio and video is being able to offer visitors a more vivid presentation of products and services a small business provides," says Adrian Martinez, whose e-commerce site offers robust technology. To do so, a small e-retailer must select the most reliable web hosting service. Martinez will offer tips on how best to go about choosing from among the myriad web hosting companies.
David McClure, president and CEO, U.S. Internet Industry Association
The Face-Off Over Internet Regulation
Dave McClure, who has represented the Internet industry in Washington for 14 years as president of the U.S. Internet Industry Association, takes a candid and insightful look in this address at the renewed calls for regulation of the Internet in the name of "network neutrality." He will also touch on other key issues of the day—from the "Exabyte Internet" to discriminatory Internet taxation.
Kristen Montella, vice president, online, Lillian Vernon
Avoiding Disaster: Managing a Technology Implementation.
In technology implementations, the devil’s in the details, as any online retailer changing platforms or adding new functionalities knows. Kristen Montella will address best practices for scoping and testing new implementations, focusing on regression testing and user acceptance testing of new code. She’ll discuss integration meetings and the right questions to ask, building a timeline and what information documents need to have.
Steve Mott, principal, BetterBuyDesign
Getting a Better Deal: Negotiating Lower Discount Fees
The costs of electronic payment acceptance can devour the bottom lines of Internet merchants. Steve Mott will discuss how merchants can get a fair shake in the payments world by learning the jargon and knowing what questions to ask. He will discuss how retailers can get a better deal by shopping their accounts around to different acquirers, processors and independent sales organizations.
Diana Nelson, CEO, Kazoo & Co.
Be in the Driver’s Seat When Choosing an E-commerce Engine
A former executive with major retailers including Gap Inc., Diana Nelson turned entrepreneur in the late ‘90s and launched KazooToys.com as an online retailer of unusual and educational toys. Over the years she has investigated many e-commerce platform options. In this session, she will discuss what she needs to operate her business successfully, and how she chose an e-commerce platform to serve those needs.
Cory Nielsen, Internet marketing manager, Woodwind & Brasswind
Harnessing the Power of Search Engines: Mastering the Complexities of Pay per Click and Optimization
Search engine marketing offers much, but the path to ROI can be rocky. From the perspective of an online retailer who’s worked with a number of search engine marketing agencies, Cory Nielsen talks about how to work with agencies and make sure they understand the needs of your program. He also will talk about the option of launching and managing an internally-created search marketing program without an agency.
Doug Nielsen, president & CEO, NetShops.com
The Scotch Boutique: The Web Is Made for Niche Retailing
Doug Nielsen represents a mid-sized retailer, No. 120 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, that continually refines its niches, going ever smaller with each iteration. He will discuss how his company identifies, then creates, niche web sites from broader categories. Today, NetShops operates 80 distinct web sites, including Hammocks.com, Dartboards.com, AdirondackChairs.com and DogHouses.com.
Brian Osborn, vice president of marketing, Walmart.com
Wal-Mart: The Giant Uses the Web to Extend its Market Reach
Wal-Mart customers increasingly are using the web to seek information and make purchases. "Of Wal-Mart store shoppers, 75% have Internet access and 74% have purchased online; and of Wal-Mart store shoppers with Internet access, half visit Walmart.com," the company says. "Walmart.com aims to be the leading multi-channel retailer with integrated services that provide online and in-store convenience."
Jeff Parnell, vice president, e-commerce, Blair Corp.
Making E-retailing Music: When IT and Marketing Harmonize
Jeff Parnell will identify must-have web technology initiatives, then detail how retailers can balance resources to remain nimble as market changes occur and then act upon newly identified marketing/technology initiatives that can make them more competitive and boost annual sales, and when to scrap an initiative. He’ll also discuss the ways that marketing and IT must work together to achieve success.
Kurt Peters, editor in chief, Internet Retailer
The Stars of The Top 500
One week before the conference, Internet Retailer will publish the 2007 Edition of the Top 500 Guide, which profiles and ranks America’s 500 largest retail web sites based on 2006 online sales. Kurt Peters will discuss how the Top 500 rankings have changed in the last year, who’s moved up and who’s moved down and how changes in the Top 500 reflect changes in the marketplace.
Matt Poepsel, vice president of performance strategies, Gomez Inc.
Avoiding Disaster: Managing a Technology Implementation.
Today’s online shopping environments are in a constant state of change. How can an online retailer find peace of mind when the stakes are higher than ever? Matt Poepsel will describe how online retail leaders are finding new meaning in customer experience records as they plan implementations. He will discuss how retailers are using customer experience metrics to avoid glitches as they deploy new technologies.
Scott Potter, managing partner, San Francisco Equity Partners
Show Me the Money Without Showing Me the Door
Raising private financing for an e-tailing enterprise can be a scary business riddled with more unknowns than knowns: a lot like getting married. San Francisco Equity Partners recently married The Guild, a multi-channel purveyor of fine and decorative art. Scott Potter will describe the dating process from the investor’s point of view, right up to the wedding and after.
Geoffrey Robertson, vice president e-commerce, J.C. Whitney
Using Customer Product Reviews to Attract Shoppers
In the competitive business of automotive accessories, participating retailers must focus on excellent service as well as products. Geoffrey Robertson will address how J.C. Whitney is using customer product reviews to provide the kind of credible information shoppers need in order to help them decide what to buy. He’ll point out important steps in preparing and managing an effective reviews program.
John Rocco, director of kiosks, Indigo Music and Books.com
Using Kiosks to Bridge the In-store and Online Shopping Experience
In-store kiosks can do more than access the web store, they can provide a search and transaction platform that links key applications, such as inventory management, to deliver effective in-store search and buying processes. John Rocco will detail Indigo’s kiosk program, common pain points for customers and staff, and upgrades retailers can make to their kiosk programs.
Joseph Ryan, US/EMEA e-commerce director, eClerx
How the Internet Creates Commodity Pricing—and What You Can Do About It
Joe Ryan will discuss what e-retailers can do to make sure they are getting the right price for their merchandise, how to conduct price research and how to make sure pricing managers are applying the right analysis to the data they gather. "Near real-time price gathering of competitive prices, discounts, rebates, stock availability, assortment coverage and new bundles leads to quicker and more effective counter-competitive pricing," Ryan says.
Jeff Schueler, president, Usability Sciences Corp.
Making Rich Media a Rich Source of Sales
Jeff Schueler will present the results of a research project that gathered consumer preferences for various types of rich media. He will present tips and design suggestions for the selection and presentation of various types of rich media on a web site. Usability will be a cornerstone of the presentation.
Venky Shankar, professor of marketing, Texas A&M University
What E-retailers Must Know About How Shoppers Use Their Sites
Venky Shankar will draw on original research to identify the metrics retailers must understand to create web sites that harness the power of multi-channel retailing. He will address such issues as: what retailers can learn from consumers’ evolving shopping behavior, how they should they allocate marketing dollars across channels and how they should measure ROI on cross-channel marketing programs.
Levi Shapiro, director, Los Angeles operations, Telephia
Mobile Commerce is Happening—and Retailers Better Get Ready for It
In March more than 28 million Americans navigated the mobile web, the myriad mini-web sites on the Internet, Levi Shapiro reports. This slowly but steadily increasing use has enabled the mobile web to gain more respect from advertisers, who are realizing CPMs of $25 and click-through rates averaging 3%, he says. Shapiro will discuss the use, demographics, top categories and top sites of the mobile web.
Toni Sikes, CEO, The Guild Inc.
Show Me the Money Without Showing Me the Door
The Guild, a multi-channel retailer of art objects, recently brought in San Francisco Equity Partners as an investor. Toni Sikes will give her side of how a company should start courting an investor, what questions to ask while dating, how to structure a pre-nup, the fine points of getting hitched and how to protect against divorce.
Adam Silverman, director, e-commerce, The Wet Seal Inc.
Affiliate Networks: The New Muscle in Web Marketing
Adam Silverman will focus on how to determine the lifetime value of an affiliate so as to judge whether the affiliate is truly a successful partner. He will discuss how to track, measure, and analyze this information. He’ll share how to build strong relationships with top affiliates and reward success. In addition, he’ll address the quality-vs.-quantity question in running an affiliate program as well as other related topics.
Jonathan Steuer, vice president and consumer strategist, Iconoculture
The New Web-Savvy Consumers and What They Mean to Online Retailing
Internet shopping has morphed consumers’ shopping and buying habits by changing their expectations about how shopping should work. Jonathan Steuer will discuss major changes in consumers’ expectations, motivations and behaviors as a result of three major aspects of Internet shopping: the rise of niche e-retailers, the prevalence of social shopping tools and the enhanced transparency provided by online shopping technology.
Scott Sweren, national practice manager, Fortrex Technologies Inc.
Complying with the New Card Company Security Rules
Scott Sweren will provide a thorough overview of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards. Discussions will include how to determine what needs to be assessed, commonly found gaps in compliance and tools and methods to reach and maintain compliance with the standard. He also will discuss how to prepare for an onsite PCI DSS audit and submission of the Report on Compliance.
Alexander Tabibi, president, PetsUnited
Mining the Big Portals Sites for Rich Data Nuggets
PetsUnited didn’t used to carry doghouses on Dog.com because "it never carried its own weight in the catalog," says Alexander Tabibi. "But by looking at the number of searches for doghouses, we discovered it made sense to carry them online." This presentation will focus on how PetsUnited used aggregate search data from Yahoo and Google to better merchandise and conduct search engine optimization.
Bill Tancer, general manager, Global Research, Hitwise
Getting Better Mileage From the Search Engines
Bill Tancer will discuss what e-retailers can do to get more mileage from their search engine marketing at a time when the cost of search keywords is rising. He will discuss new methods of search engine marketing, including developing well-targeted search efforts, how search marketing can affect offline sales and how search terms and the calendar can work together in unexpected ways.
Tom Tsao, senior director, Yahoo! Shopping
Mining the Big Portals Sites for Rich Data Nuggets
Yahoo, eBay and other online entities that are data-driven are making aggregated data available to anyone for the asking. Want to know what consumers are clicking on in Yahoo searches? Yahoo will tell you, if you know where to look and how to ask. Similarly, Yahoo will tell you the relationships among search terms. Tom Tsao will outline the information Yahoo has available and how retailers can use it.
Tom Tweedie, director, consumer direct marketing, Day-Timers
Harnessing the Power of Search Engines: Mastering the Complexities of Pay per Click and Optimization
Tom Tweedie offers the perspective of a long-time direct marketer on how the metrics driving online search investment must match management’s established understanding of the metrics that quantify ROI in offline marketing investment—and how that affects how marketers should go about discussing their needs with and selecting a search marketing agency.
Vicki Updike, vice president, merchandising and marketing, Miles Kimball Co.
E-mail marketing: Being Persuasive, Not Offensive
Vicki Updike will review three different strategies on how Exposures, a brand within the Miles Kimball Company portfolio, is building its customer e-mail list while keeping customers engaged. Among them are the use of incentives to acquire an email address, using e-mails as customer reminders, and tailoring e-mail content based on prior purchase behavior.
Steve Weiskircher, vice president, information technology, Crutchfield
Complying with the New Card Company Security Rules
Steve Weiskircher will discuss the real-world impact of the payment card industry standards compliance process from the view of Crutchfield Corp., a multi-channel retailer of consumer electronics. He will cover the cost associated with meeting the standards, the impact on corporate culture, business processes, and the IT organization, as well as the ultimate benefits of adopting the standard.
Boris Wertz, chief operating officer, Abebooks.com
New Age Marketing Tools: Is Today’s Hype Tomorrow’s Help?
Major online bookseller AbeBooks.com has turned new media hype into retailing reality by turning Web 2.0 data into a valuable online bookselling tool called BookHints. Boris Wertz will provide a retailer’s perspective on how new online vehicles and features such as user-generated content, blogs and social networking data can play strategic roles in everyday e-commerce operations.
Tim Wolfe, web applications manager, FootLocker.com
Search and Destroy: Removing Obstacles to Site Effectiveness
Online retailers often assume that all customers experience their web site the same way. As sales roll in, they are often blissfully unaware of lost sales when customers cannot complete their orders, are confused by vague messages, or find the site inaccessible. By applying a common-sense, customer-off-the-street paradigm, online retailers can design barrier-free websites open to all customers.
Greg Worch, senior vice president, National Accounts, Chase Paymentech
Getting a Better Deal: Negotiating Lower Discount Fees
Retailers often shop their accounts around seeking better deals on their payments processing costs. Greg Worch will outline what online retailers can do to reduce the cost of card acceptance, such as preventing chargebacks and fraud. He also will discuss what payment companies look for when retailers come looking to negotiate lower processing costs.
Daniel Yonts, Internet marketing manager, FirstStreetOnline
Benefiting From the New Search Engine Competition
Increased search engine competition requires that online retailers follow consumers as they explore alternative paths toward their desired content on the web, David Yonts says. In this session, he will address how online marketers can use "intention-based marketing" techniques to make their product offerings and branding messages more relevant to consumers across multiple Internet search platforms.
