INTELLIGENT CATALOGING(tm) PROVIDES INTERACTIVE CATALOGS TO HELP ALIGN ONLINE AND OFFLINE CHANNELS
New Cost-Effective Merchandising Option for Catalogers is Integrated with MarketLive(tm), Pleases Customers Who Like to Shop Online with Printed Sales Materials in Hand.
Petaluma, CA -- May 22, 2003 -- Multimedia Live (MML) ( http://www.mmlive.com), the leading developer of e-commerce technology and services for Intelligent Selling(tm) on the Web, has announced the launch of Intelligent Cataloging(tm), a new service that places interactive versions of printed catalogs and other sales collateral on client websites. Shoppers can page through catalogs online and click on any product image to view product details. This helps increase sales to customers who prefer catalog browsing, increases merchandising options, and helps promote a unified brand image online and off. It also expands the reach and improves return on investment on catalog photography and written copy. Intelligent Cataloging is seamlessly integrated into Multimedia Live`s MarketLive(tm) Intelligent Selling(tm) System e-commerce software. Taking advantage of existing MarketLive systems and e-commerce assets accelerates and simplifies deployment and helps keep the price lower than competing technologies.
Intelligent Cataloging is an alternative merchandising option that duplicates printed materials exactly and links them with the rich product data and digital assets residing in the client`s MarketLive-powered website. Each product image in the catalog is digitally outlined and linked to the same product detail page available through the primary website. Product descriptions, images, and other product information are the same whether the customer reaches it through the primary website or the Intelligent Cataloging section. The service also uses the same order process and shopping cart, so shoppers can conduct an end-to-end shopping session within the catalog section alone or switch between it and the primary website with ease.
Shoppers can page through the catalog in two ways: two-page spreads or one page at a time. Two-page spreads show the catalog as if it were opened flat on a table, with each product image linked directly to that product`s detail page. The click of a button changes the view to one that combines single catalog pages with enlarged kicker images that are linked to each product`s detail page. A "Buy Now" button adds the product directly to the cart, bypassing the detail page. Both views include "next" and "back" buttons, a drop-down list that allows the customer to jump to a specific page, and a custom-designed interface that matches the rest of the site. The site`s universal navigation is built into each page for ease of use.
The Intelligent Cataloging technology was designed to make catalog administration easy, fast, and cost-effective. Clients can choose between two differing methods of digitally outlining products in order to reduce costs. MML`s production resources mark each product with basic rectangular outlines or with carefully drawn silhouette outlines that clearly distinguish one product from another in group or ensemble shots. The MarketLive product`s administration system has been amended with catalog admin tools that allow quick and easy posting of new catalogs and removal of old ones. Clients can post as many catalogs or other materials as desired. All product information is updated automatically via the same product administration activities and product data uploads that update the primary site. Intelligent Cataloging can be integrated into email campaigns, and reporting tools use source codes to track all Intelligent Cataloging sales activities. No user plug-ins are required.
"According to a March 2003 DoubleClick report, half of the customers who browse a cataloger`s website input catalog product codes to find what they want," said Ken Burke, Multimedia Live President and CEO. "These customers are looking at a catalog for reference as they shop the site, so it makes good strategic sense to provide them the option of using an interface that looks like what`s on the table in front of them. Intelligent Cataloging is the latest of several services and technologies Multimedia Live has created to help put its vision of Intelligent Selling into action. We provide end-to-end e-commerce solutions that optimize all selling opportunities and build great customer relationships."
About Multimedia Live:
Multimedia Live (http://www.mmlive.com ), a pioneer of Intelligent Selling(tm) online, is a nationally recognized Web technology and design company serving the catalog, direct marketing, retail, and manufacturing industries. MarketLive(tm) is Multimedia Live`s enterprise-class, Java(tm)-based, rapid e-commerce development application built from the ground up specifically to address the need for a powerful, effective online e-commerce merchandising engine. The company has over 110 employees working with clients as diverse as General Motors, Electronic Arts, Norm Thompson, and The Swiss Colony. It was founded in 1995 by entrepreneur Ken Burke and is located in Petaluma, California. Burke is the author of the recently-published book Intelligent Selling: The Art and Science of Selling Online.
Contacts:
Multimedia Live:
Peter Loughlin
Marketing Communications Manager
1-707-773-3434
peterl@mmlive.com
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