ACTIVE DECISIONS RELEASES ACTIVE SALES ASSISTANT 6.0
NEW GUIDED SELLING TOOLS INCREASE CONVERSION RATES AS MUCH AS 133 %
BURLINGAME, Calif. - December 18, 2001 - Active Decisions Inc., a leading provider of eCRM guided selling applications, today announced new capabilities for its successful Active Sales AssistantTM product, a guided selling platform that quickly plugs into existing ecommerce web sites. Active Sales Assistant 6.0 makes it easy for businesses to offer a wider variety of automated sales assistance, designed to appeal to a larger audience of online buyers. The core technology has been expanded to specifically help the novice and the time-sensitive buyer.
"The initial release of Active Sales Assistant proved that our approach to guided selling could increase look-to-buy ratios by as much as 133%," commented Jeff Dunn, president and CEO of Active Decisions. "This new release expands the application to attract two additional buyer segments, enabling our clients to convert even more browsers into buyers."
About Active Sales Assistant 6.0
Active Sales Assistant 6.0 is like an automated sales associate delivering accurate, highly personalized product recommendations for every visitor. The technology is the first to combine proven theories about buyer behavior with a wide array of sophisticated personalization and recommendation technologies.
The initial product focused on the needs of one large online buyer segment, the "diligent decision maker". The core recommendation technology behind this earlier product, Active Decisions` Tradeoff Engine, provided shoppers with a set of adaptive questions and simulated tradeoffs that produced the most accurate recommendations available on the Internet.
"The earlier version of their guided selling tools was the best online buyer decision support tool to come to market," said Chris Shipley, technology luminary and Executive Producer of The DEMO Conferences, "Their new engines, however, are even better because they accommodate the needs of a broader array of buyer segments."
"Online shoppers are overwhelmed by too many products and choices and they can`t easily find what is right for their needs," said Jeff Dunn, president and CEO, of Active Decisions, "With Active Sales Assistant, innovative e-tailers like goodguys.com are helping shoppers make correct buying decisions, which reduces the number of abandoned shopping carts, substantially increasing sales, despite the sluggish economy."
Two New Recommendation Engines - Profile Engine and Preference Engine
Active Sales Assistant 6.0 adds two new guided selling methods each focused on the needs of a different type of buyer. The Profile Engine was designed for the novice buyer and the Preference Engine appeals to the needs of the time-sensitive buyer who wants to remain in control of the decision making process.
The Profile Engine addresses the needs of novice shoppers who are unfamiliar with a particular product category and wish to obtain expert advice about which products are best suited to their needs. Shoppers answer questions about how they intend to use the product and get recommendations formulated from Active Decisions` vast database of consumer preferences. Shoppers get accurate, unbiased recommendations in just a few clicks, saving time and avoiding frustration that often leads to abandoned shopping carts.
The Preference Engine targets shoppers who have more familiarity with a particular product category than the novice, and typically wants quick recommendations that best match their price, brand and feature preferences. Using the Preference Engine, shoppers can get results in just two clicks. The system also offers a simple user interface that can be "unfolded" to reveal greater degrees of control over the decision making process. For instance, users have the option of popping-up a dialogue box which offers professional advice about the features that interest them.
All Active Decisions` recommendation engines (Tradeoff Engine, Preference Engine and Profile Engine) come standard as part of the new Active Sales Assistant selling platform. Each engine presents personalized recommendations ranked from best to worst based on the buyers` needs. Users never receive a "no results" page - an all-to-common experience found to be a widespread frustration among Internet buyers.
Active Sales Assistant 6.0 can be fully customized and seamlessly integrated into the "look and feel" of a licensee`s own Web site. The licensee`s latest pricing and product availability information is updated automatically via an XML feed.
Pricing and Availability
The complete Active Sales Assistant 6.0 application and the upgrade package is now available - with prices for the fully integrated, site-specific service beginning at $135,000 a year and $50,000 for the upgrade package.
About Active Decisions
Active Decisions, Inc., is a leading supplier of eCRM guided selling applications. The company`s automated sales assistance products increase customer revenues by driving higher sales conversion rates. Active Decisions products are designed for manufacturers, retailers and service providers of complex consumer products, including consumer electronics, computer equipment, appliances, automobiles, and financial services.
Named a "Hot 100" company by Upside Magazine, more than 80 Fortune 500 companies, leading portals, and ecommerce sites use Active Decisions technology to generate sales and to make critical marketing decisions. Active Decisions customers include Best Buy Co., eBay, E*TRADE, Ford Motor Company, goodguys.com, Hewlett Packard, Intel, Lycos, mySimon, Palm, Sony Electronics, and Yahoo! Shopping. Founded in 1997, Active Decisions (formerly Active Research) is based in Burlingame, Calif. and on the Web at www.ActiveDecisions.com and www.ActiveBuyersGuide.com.
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© 2001 Active Decisions, Inc. All rights reserved. Active Buyer’s Guide is a registered trademark; Active Advisor, Active Sales Assistant, and Active Product Spex are trademarks of Active Decisions, Inc. All other company and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
For Information Contact:
Daniel Greenberg
Active Decisions
650.342.0500
daniel.greenberg@activedecisions.com
Alexis Hamilton
The Hamilton Group
650.843.1265
alexis@hgpr.com
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