Spiegel.com’s enhancements result in higher conversion rates

Spiegel Catalog Inc. has re-launched Spiegel.com to feature greater use of zoom technology, the ability to shop by catalog and enhanced search (click here for related story). The changes, which Spiegel has been testing since September, have resulted in higher conversion rates, the company reports.

Spiegel has implemented RichFX Inc.’s ZoomFX technology on more than 2,000 items, after positive results from a limited implementation a year ago. The company says that items with zoom technology are twice as likely to be purchased than items without.

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Spiegel implemented the Shop by Catalog service because its customer research shows that a third of women like to browse the web just as if they were browsing a catalog. Customers view full product pages and click on individual items for prices and descriptions. In addition to putting its print catalogs online, Spiegel will create special web-only catalogs for timely events such as weddings and holidays, and specific merchandise categories such as jewelry and swimwear. Spiegel says that women who shop by catalog are more than three times as likely to purchase an item than women who simply browse the web site.

Spiegel.com also will feature fashion and trend advice in the "Inside Spiegel Style" section.

Spiegel says it based its changes on observing how its customers shop online, which keywords they use and which graphics they respond to.