January 28, 2018 - NEW article about ActivePoint!
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January, 2018 - NEW GREAT FEATURE! - Create art work quickly and easily
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December, 2017 - ActivePoints D2D APP is now Listed on Etsy too!- Create Stunning PDF Product Catalogs
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November, 2017 - NEW App Listed on Shopify - Create Stunning PDF Product Catalogs
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May, 2017 - ActivePoint D2D (Data 2 Display) New Disruptive Technology Replacing the Designer
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March, 2017 - Chinese Interest in ActivePoint's D2D
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November, 2016 - PR Newswire: Small and Medium Businesses Can Spend Less Money to Make More
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December, 2015 - Unisource Signs Binding Letter of Intent to Merge With ActivePoint
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June, 2015 - ActivePoint announce the D2D
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March, 2015 - ActivePoint announce the BCB
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June, 2009 - United Stationers Launches “United EasyFlip” Digital Web-Based Catalog
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March, 2007 - MensHats Clicks On ActivePoint
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January, 2007 - ActivePoint Forges New US Channel With The Catalog Consultancy
Read More...
November, 2006 - That's Rich Wow customers by adding rich media elements to your website
Read More...
October, 2006 - Watch Your Sales Conversion Rate Soar by Making Online Shopping Easy
Read More...
NEW article about ActivePoint!
NEW YORK, January 28, 2018
PC.co.il - People and PCs - High Tech portal
ActivePoint, the technology leader in automated graphic processes for the creation of product focused PDFs and digital publications, is based in New York, with development facilities in Netanya, Israel and a sales office in the UK. ActivePoint's software is designed to be used by nontechnical individuals. ActivePoint's online customized catalogs service utilizes the latest in rich media functionality and is designed, developed and maintained to answer each industry's specific needs.
http://www.pc.co.il/kehila/258164/
NEW GREAT FEATURE!
NEW YORK, January 16, 2018
Create art work quickly and easily
Now you can easily design your catalog covers from scratch or add design elements and modify existing covers that you already have without having to know anything about design software. Our “Patcher” is a friendly easy to use add-on, with a friendly interface that adds texts, images or patches. The patcher was designed to help non-designers create art work quickly and easily
About ActivePoint
ActivePoint, the technology leader in automated graphic processes for the creation of product focused PDFs and digital publications, is based in New York, with development facilities in Netanya, Israel and a sales office in the UK. ActivePoint's software is designed to be used by nontechnical individuals. ActivePoint's online customized catalogs service utilizes the latest in rich media functionality and is designed, developed and maintained to answer each industry's specific needs.
www.activepoint.com/signup.html
ActivePoints D2D APP is now Listed on Etsy too!- Create Stunning PDF Product Catalogs
NEW YORK, December 17, 2017
Automatically Create Product PDFs | Activepoint D2D
Now you can bring more traffic to your Etsy store and create digital material to send to your customers in order to sell more by using the easy to use ActivePoint D2D APP. With it you will be able to create beautiful product catalogs, flyers with an easy to use ActivePoint App. No designer skills are needed!!!
This is a great way to introduce your NEW products to your visitors and have them focus on them. The catalog or flyer can be downloaded, distributed via email or shared on social media channels and can be turned into electronic flyer/catalog. It can also be printed.
About ActivePoint
ActivePoint, the technology leader in automated graphic processes for the creation of product focused PDFs and digital publications, is based in New York, with development facilities in Netanya, Israel and a sales office in the UK. ActivePoint's software is designed to be used by nontechnical individuals. ActivePoint's online customized catalogs service utilizes the latest in rich media functionality and is designed, developed and maintained to answer each industry's specific needs.
https://www.etsy.com/ca/apps/236834204397/automatically-creating-pdf-product
NEW App Listed on Shopify - Create Stunning PDF Product Catalogs
NEW YORK, November 28, 2017
ActivePoint D2D - Automating Catalog Design
If you need to extend the functionality of your Shopify online store, bring more traffic and sell more, create beautiful product catalogs, flyers with an easy to use ActivePoint App. No designer skills are needed!!!
Push your SPECIAL SALE products in a daily usage or expose your NEW products to your visitors in PDF format, that can be downloaded or sent by email or shared on social media channels and can be turned into electronic flyer/catalog. PDF can be printed.
About ActivePoint
ActivePoint, the technology leader in automated graphic processes for the creation of product focused PDFs and digital publications, is based in New York, with development facilities in Netanya, Israel and a sales office in the UK. ActivePoint's software is designed to be used by nontechnical individuals. ActivePoint's online customized catalogs service utilizes the latest in rich media functionality and is designed, developed and maintained to answer each industry's specific needs.
https://apps.shopify.com/activepoint-d2d-automating-catalog-design
ActivePoint D2D (Data 2 Display) - New Disruptive Technology Replacing the Designer
NEW YORK, May 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Mobile marketing and ad tech technologies, combined with online and offline sales, are hot investment opportunities as the number of smart devices worldwide continues to grow year after year. SMBs (Smaller/Medium businesses) usually don't have in-house designers and the expensive and complicated software or workforce needed to redesign websites and landing pages every month. The challenge, therefore, is to bring customers to the websites and physical stores. Marketing material was and still is very expensive and time consuming to produce. More often than not, the people producing these pieces are themselves the bottle neck.
ActivePoint, using advanced technology created by its Israeli R&D team, developed its D2D system to enable the SMBs to produce their own marketing material like flyers and catalogs "in house"; simply, very quickly and by virtually anybody.
Moshe Ofer, ActivePoint's CEO explains: "Disruptive technologies displace established ones and shake up the industry. This is exactly the essence of D2D. Being a Cloud based SAAS machine, with D2D you no longer have to work with a graphic artist in order to get the job done. This 'smart machine' has been taught the essence of human beings doing the same job."
Small and Medium Businesses can now spend less money to make more
John Guenther, Director of Facility Solutions at Storey Kenworthy, agrees with the above. "I am able to create, produce, and print a catalog displaying key products in a fraction of the time and cost as compared to working with a graphics designer. An added benefit is the ability to email the URL directly to our customers or sales professionals. Customers can then view the catalog on their PC's, or even mobile devices, and place orders online at their convenience. D2D is a driver to sales. Talk about a win-win!"
About ActivePoint
ActivePoint, the technology leader in automated graphic processes for the creation of product focused PDFs and digital publications, is based in New York, with development facilities in Netanya, Israel and a sales office in the UK. ActivePoint's software is designed to be used by nontechnical individuals. ActivePoint's online customized catalogs service utilizes the latest in rich media functionality and is designed, developed and maintained to answer each industry's specific needs.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/activepoint-d2d-data-2-display-130000196.html
Chinese Interest in ActivePoint's D2D - The Revolutionary Graphics Product Aimed to Save Marketing Costs for Small and Medium businesses
NEW YORK, March 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
The company has now entered into serious negotiations with a large Chinese corporation in order to finance the large projected growth of the company. In order to quickly meet this staggering demand, ActivePoint is increasing its infrastructure and account management facilities; and therefore has decided to pursue funds from outside sources.
The expert in automated graphic processes, ActivePoint's unique cloud based SAAS D2D (Data 2 Display) system is a major breakthrough in the creation of product-centered marketing publications. Other solutions have always been targeted for professional graphic designers. With D2D, anyone, without any graphic design knowledge, can easily create product flyers, catalogs and mailers in what was once solely the domain of graphic design experts.
D2D has been used by ActivePoint clients over the past year to enthusiastic acclaim. It reduces expensive graphic designer time and enables the SMB to quickly create well-designed publications such as catalogs and flyers, which are an integral part of the marketing mix. D2D enables every sales person or business owner to easily and quickly produce targeted material for the next sales meeting, contract bid, email campaign or mailer.
About ActivePoint
ActivePoint, the technology leader in automated graphic processes for the creation of product focused PDFs and digital publications, is based in New York, with development facilities in Netanya, Israel, with a sales office in the UK. ActivePoint's software is designed to be used by nontechnical individuals. ActivePoint's online customized catalogs service utilizes the latest in rich media functionality and is designed, developed and maintained to answer each industry's specific needs.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/chinese-interest-activepoints-d2d-revolutionary-140000175.html
Small and Medium Businesses Can Now Spend Less Money to Make More
ActivePoint introduces its D2D revolutionary graphics product aimed to save marketing costs for small and medium businesses
NEW YORK, November 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
The expert in automated graphic processes, ActivePoint is seeing a dramatic increase in new customers who are flocking to D2D, its new and innovative state of the art product. Ofer Moshe, CEO of ActivePoint said that this is a new era for those companies who want to make more money by cutting their graphic design expenses. ActivePoint's unique cloud based SAAS D2D (Data 2 Display) system is a major breakthrough in the creation of product centered marketing publications. Other solutions have always been targeted for professional graphic designers. With D2D, anyone, without any graphic design knowledge, can easily create product flyers, catalogs and mailers in what was once solely the domain of graphic design experts. D2D virtually eliminates the high budget requirements for graphic designer work on these type of pieces. Fortune 500 companies have already benefited from this innovative simple to use system. These cost savings are now available to the millions of small & medium sized businesses (SMB) who are potential customers.
D2D has been used by ActivePoint clients over the past year to enthusiastic acclaim. It reduces expensive graphic designer time and enables the SMB to quickly create well-designed publications such as catalogs and flyers, which are an integral part of the marketing mix. D2D enables every sales person or business owner to easily and quickly produce targeted material for the next sales meeting, contract bid, email campaign or mailer.
In order to quickly meet this staggering demand, ActivePoint is increasing its infrastructure and account management facilities; and therefore has decided to pursue funds from outside sources.
About ActivePoint
ActivePoint, the technology leader in automated graphic processes for the creation of product focused PDFs and digital publications, is based in New York, with development facilities in Netanya, Israel, with a sales office in the UK. ActivePoint's software is designed to be used by nontechnical individuals. ActivePoint's online customized catalogs service utilizes the latest in rich media functionality and is designed, developed and maintained to answer each industry's specific needs.
ActivePoint is a registered trademark of ActivePoint LTD.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/small-and-medium-businesses-can-now-spend-less-money-to-make-more-603579876.html
Unisource Signs Binding Letter of Intent to Merge With ActivePoint
MIAMI, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 12/17/15 -- Unisource Corporate Corporation (OTCQB: USRC) has announced that the Company has signed a binding Letter of Intent to merge with ActivePoint, a global leader in digital marketing and sales solutions including: sales and marketing material automation, digital inventory management and logistics control, as well as e-catalog development and customer targeting. ActivePoint has operations in North America, Europe, the Pacific basin, as well as Israel.
The Letter of Intent paves the way for the Merger to be completed in January 2016, and is subject to the completion of due diligence and regulatory/shareholder approvals. Terms of the Merger, and combined revenue financials will be disclosed via an Information Statement which will be issued upon the ultimate closure of the Merger.
As part of the Merger, Ofer Moshe, Chief Executive Officer of ActivePoint, will be named as the new Chairman and CEO of Unisource. Jordan Serlin, current Chairman and CEO of Unisource, will step into an advisory role reporting directly to Mr. Ofer.
"When I joined Unisource in 2013, I told shareholders that we would rapidly expand the company while achieving annualized profitability within 24 months and we exceeded that goal," stated Jordan Serlin, Chairman of Unisource. "Now, in conjunction with ActivePoint, we will be able to expand internationally in one bold step. The Unisource family is excited and looking forward to working with the entire ActivePoint team on this rapid acceleration, as one company."
"Unisource has done an excellent job in creating a solid foundation for growth, and we couldn't ask for a better partner for our mutual continued expansion," stated Ofer Moshe, Chief Executive Officer of ActivePoint. "Our teams have already started working together for seamless integration, with 2016 set for significant revenue enhancements for the combined company."
For additional information on Unisource please visit www.unisourcecorp.com or call +1 (561) 228-5181.
About Unisource
Unisource, (OTCQB: USRC), a global transportation and logistics management company, aggregates third-party logistics (3PL) service companies as well as cloud-based logistic applicat ions to improve efficiencies and deliver significant cost savings to users worldwide. In November 2012, USRC acquired Visionship, a SaaS-based proactive transportation management system, which delivers predictive, in-transit transportation data to users driving significant cost savings to manufacturers, distributors and carriers. In June 2014, USRC acquired Top Flight Concepts, a market leader in development of innovative customized freight management solutions, as well as TFConnect®, a complete shipping management system designed to directly connect shippers, brokers and carriers to facilitate all facets of shipping and freight data management. Serving all transportation modes, USRC provides core logistics services to users for ALL modes of shipping. With ability to ship anything, USRC currently operates in multiple industries of manufacturing including: automotive, printing, telecommunications, electronics, industrial products, food grade products, packaging, household and consumer goods among others. www.unisourcecorp.com
About ActivePoint
ActivePoint specializes in creating multilingual sales and marketing publications for both print or digital media such as ebooks, ecatalogs and HTML emails. ActivePoint's products are designed to empower any company's marketers, logistics specialists, sales professionals and graphic designers to cost effectively produce these publications without any prerequisite of knowledge of graphic programs in a very timely manner as it is an automated process. Companies can now create new revenue opportunities and build on competitive strengths by managing and communicating targeted and specific information with their existing and potential customers. ActivePoint also offers fully customized solutions and has customers around the world. The company has been in business for over 16 years and is based in New York, NY with development facilities in Netanya, Israel and an office in the UK. ActivePoint is a registered trademark of ActivePoint LTD. For more information please visit www.activepoint.com.
Forward-Looking Statements Disclosure
This release contains forward-looking statements that reflect Unisource Corporate Corporation's and ActivePoint's plans and expectations. In this press release and related comments by Company management, words like "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "forecast", "objective", "plan", "goal", "position", "equate", and similar expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements, representing management's current judgment and expectations about possible future events. Management believes these forward-looking statements and the judgments upon which they are based to be reasonable, but they are not guarantees of future performance and involve numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance, achievements or financial position to be materially different from any future results, performance, achievements or financial position expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
ActivePoint announce the D2D
ActivePoint’s D2D graphics and catalog design maker to produce marketing and sales material, formatted catalogs, flyers or price lists. There is no longer any need for outsourced publications. Simply upload your product data into our wizard and follow the steps. After telling the wizard which columns contain what information you then choose the template you like most, add personalized information like logos and branding and your good to go with either HTML or PDF as the output. Perfect for creating customer specific marketing material. Target your customers and drive them to your website. Highly suitable format for Smartphones. Hyperlinks easily embedded within the publication at no extra cost.The HTML version embeds our behavior tracking technology.
How it works: It really is this simple. Step 1: Select a template. Step 2:Upload your excel - of course the excel has to have the appropriate columns. Sample excels are provided as well. Customize the PDFs with your logo, background page, colors etc. Step 3: Click the create button and download your PDF. You can then digitalize the publication using ActivePoint's BCB system. That's it - it is really that easy.
ActivePoint announce the BCB
ActivePoint’s Best Digital Publications Builder (BCB) – is an online software tool that digitalizes your publications straight from your PDF pages. Unique about it is that it was designed to take into account the special requirements needed to digitalize catalogs. All digital publications are of course viewable on Apple and Android devices. ActivePoint's BCB can also place clickable links/hot spots almost automatically on product codes. This means that your customers will be able to link to the product pages on your site.
Let us do the work for you. The ActiveFlip™ Digital Publications Managed programs can be customized according to your unique specifications. It is the perfect hybrid of print and digital – focusing on customer experience and convenience. We can offer seamless ordering, product usage/installation videos, audio, inventory levels and pricing updates and links to your shopping cart or email shopping. It enables fast and easy shopping for your customers. Be in touch with us to find out more.
How it works: Upload your PDFs into our online BCB Wizard. Our special mechanisms help jumpstart the hyperlink building process on your product SKUs.Customize your look, upload your logo and change your background color. Link to videos.When finished, take your link and share via social media, send out on mailing lists.Get your message out!
United Stationers Launches “United EasyFlip” Digital Web-Based Catalog
DEERFIELD, Ill. May 12, 2009 – United Stationers Supply Co., North America’s largest broad line wholesale distributor of business products, along with ActivePoint, a technology leader in online rich media, has recently launched “United EasyFlip.” This digital web-based catalog allows users to browse, locate and purchase products online by flipping pages electronically. The new technology is available for United’s Green Catalog, the Consumer General Line Catalog, Featured Items Section of the General Line, Time Management Solutions Catalog, and a New Products Piece.
“United EasyFlip is another exciting new option for resellers and reflects the growing trend of shopping for office products online while retaining the user-friendliness of physically flipping through a printed catalog,” said Laura Gale, vice president, marketing for United Stationers. “Many consumers today select items from a printed book or flyer and then place orders online. United EasyFlip gives them the best of both worlds and provides resellers another way to boost customer satisfaction and sales, while complementing their existing marketing strategy.”
United EasyFlip employs best-in-class technology to provide robust features for the consumer:
•Shop page by page, or jump instantly to a desired page or specific product listing
•Zoom in on product images, descriptions and features
•Add “Notes” & “Bookmarks” as personal reminders
•Email a page to a co-worker or friend
•Add products to a shopping cart or email an order
•Print catalog pages
The United EasyFlip program works with the reseller’s eCommerce application, so that when a customer wants to add an item to their shopping cart, the program connects to the reseller’s storefront.
The United EasyFlip application offers another significant benefit: greater flexibility for resellers to manage consumer pricing and margins. Since United EasyFlip is a hosted application, United will support pricing changes on a quarterly basis and will allow resellers the option of updating pricing more frequently in response to changing market conditions. more “There has been limited usage of page-flip technology in our industry, but the potential for greatly increased growth is there,” said Gale. “United Stationers is committed to bringing innovation and new technology to our resellers to help position them for greater business efficiency and growth.”
Details on United EasyFlip are available from United Stationers account managers.
About United Stationers
United Stationers Supply Co. is a subsidiary of United Stationers, Inc., which is North America’s largest broad line wholesale distributor of business products, with net sales for 2008 of $5.0 billion. The company stocks over 100,000 items, including technology products, traditional office products, janitorial and breakroom supplies, office furniture, and industrial supplies. A network of 67 distribution centers allows it to deliver these products to approximately 30,000 reseller customers. This network, combined with United’s depth and breadth of inventory, enables the company to ship most products overnight to more than 90% of the U.S. and major cities in Mexico. United’s focus on fulfillment excellence has given it an average line fill rate of better than 97%, a 99.6% order accuracy rate, and a 99% on-time delivery rate.
For more information, visit www.unitedstationers.com.
About ActivePoint
ActivePoint, the technology leader in smart online catalogs and contextual search, is based in New York, NY, with development facilities in Netanya, Israel. ActivePoint’s online catalogs utilize the latest in rich media functionality and are designed, developed and maintained to answer each industry's specific needs. All of the online catalogs are configurable and can incorporate search operations using ActivePoint’s TX5 proprietary Discovery Engine which emulates the human communications process.
ActivePoint is a registered trademark of ActivePoint LTD.
MensHats Clicks On ActivePoint
NEW YORK-(Business Wire)-March 20, 2007 - ActivePoint, leader in smart online catalogs and contextual search, today announced new customer MensHats.com. Offering an extensive collection of quality headwear since 1924, top apparel site MensHats now uses ActivePoint's EasyFlip E-catalog to broaden its reach and simplify the buying process.
EasyFlip is an intuitive online system that allows customers to browse and easily compare products just like flipping through a paper catalog. It offers the ability to move directly to a buying page by clicking on an image, which increases sales conversions, as well as learn what customers may not be finding within the search feature.
"ActivePoint is a huge leap forward for our company and will make our products available to a much broader audience as well as ease the buying process, " said Roger Harrison, Menshats.com General Manager. "Working with ActivePoint was a pleasant and seamless experience. The catalog was up and running within a matter of weeks, and we are currently evaluating whether or not we want to eliminate the print catalog entirely," Harrison added.
It's estimated that excluding upfront creative and pre-press, a catalog could easily cost 50 cents a copy for paper, printing and postage, with the result that a company could save $500,000 by using EasyFlip in place of the printed version. ActivePoint's complete product line includes EasyFlip and also the TX5 Sales System, a search and guidance solution that provides targeted results based on the human communication process.
"We've seen our customers grow conversion rates from single to double digits using ActivePoint products," said Moshe Ofer, CEO of ActivePoint. "We're very pleased to be working with MensHats, as they pioneer an e-catalog offering for the hat business and help customers find exactly what they're looking for," added Ofer.
ActivePoint Forges New US Channel With The Catalog Consultancy
Consulting Firm Expertise Combines with ActivePoint Solution To Produce Double Digit Conversion Rates
NEW YORK (BUSINESS WIRE) ActivePoint (www.activepoint.com), leader in contextual search and smart online catalogs, is partnering with The Catalog Consultancy, a full service mail order, Internet and direct marketing consulting organization, to forge a new channel in the US, helping retail clients increase their online sales conversion rates to double digit ranges.
The relationship will involve ActivePoint's complete product line including the TX5 Discovery Engine, a search and guidance system that emulates the human communications process, and the EasyFlip E-catalog, an intuitive online system that allows customers to browse and easily compare products just like flipping through a paper catalog.
"If you want to increase your sales conversion rates, you need to deliver the right information at the right moment that will speed buying decisions and make purchasing easy", said Sid Kerber, President of The Catalog Consultancy, of Boca Raton, Florida (www.catalogconsultant.com). "ActivePoint delivers a powerful combination of contextual search and visuals that has proven itself with online retailers of all sizes as the fastest way to significantly increase sales", added Kerber.
"The Catalog Consultancy's range of blue chip retail catalog experience makes them a strong channel partner for ActivePoint", said Moshe Ofer, CEO of ActivePoint. "The company immediately grasps the value that our easy to deploy system has on sales conversions and client profits", added Ofer.
The Catalog Consultancy is a full service mail order, internet and direct marketing consulting organization, founded in 1980, and offering catalog companies a broad range of promotional and operational services. Product areas include apparel, shoes, jewelry, housewares, sporting goods, food, gifts, vitamins, crafts and other consumer products.
That's Rich Wow customers by adding rich media elements to your website.
By Melissa Campanelli Entrepreneur Magazine - November 2006
Now that most of your customers have broadband, your site should offer rich media features such as zoom, virtual e-catalogs and dynamic color-swatching. “It’s basically a must-have for many retailers, especially those where touch and feel are critical to product conversion,” says Sucharita Mulpuru, a senior analyst at Forrester Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “Anyone in this space who doesn’t have features such as zoom and alternative views is seen as being really behind.”
Another company, ActivePoint, offers contextual e-catalogs and reporting tools for e-commerce. The company’s Easy-Flip E-Catalogue starts at $65 per page with links; hosting is charged based on traffic. Meanwhile, ActivePoint’s TX5 system creates interactive online presentations that incorporate rich media elements and guide customers through a website, helping them find the product they want even if they don’t know its exact name. The base price for TX5 is $5,000 per system or about $900 per month, depending on usage.
The TX5 system helped entrepreneur Sebastian Harrison solve a problem: Customers had trouble navigating the hundreds of pages of his website. His Playa del Ray, California, business, Cellular Abroad, sells myriad international phone plans so customers can avoid expensive roaming rates. “Before TX5, consumers would call and ask where to begin on our 800-page site, or they would get frustrated and leave the site,” says Harrison, 41, who expects more than $2.5 million in sales this year.
MelissaCampanelli is a marketing and technology writer in New York City.
Watch Your Sales Conversion Rate Soar by Making Online Shopping Easy
by Moshe Ofer
Online shopping is a frustrating experience for most people. This isn't to say that we don't still do it, but we aren't very happy most of the time when we do. There are key factors at work right now in the socio-economic mix that will have an impact on your online sales conversion rates. Ignore them at your own risk. What are these factors? They are more broadband power, high energy costs, tight consumer wallets and more people experienced in Web purchasing than ever before.
For example, online sales conversion rates are frankly dismal. The conversion rate is the figure that represents what percentage of online visitors make a purchase. Typically online conversion rates hover in the one to five percent range. What does that mean? Well, if you were a brick-and-mortar store it would mean anywhere from 95 to 99 people out of 100 store visitors would leave your premises without spending a dime. In other words, you would go out of business.
So why do so many online shoppers leave your site? The short answer is they didn't see what they wanted fast enough, and went away frustrated. Twenty percent of respondents to a survey reported by Retail Forward say they feel frustrated when they can't find what they are looking for on Web site.
Another survey reported in the news shows 55 percent of consumers said a frustrating online shopping experience negatively impacts their overall opinion of that retailer.
Meanwhile broadband connections in the U.S. have soared. Some 72 percent of homes now connect from high-speed lines, up from 57 percent one year ago, according to new data from Nielsen//NetRatings. Another study issued in May 2006 confirms this. U.S. residents with broadband connections jumped 40 percent to 84 million, from March 2005 to March 2006, says the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Seems to be opposite forces converging here: On the one hand research shows that consumers are frustrated by what they find (or don't find) on the Internet; and on the other side they are eager to use the "high octane" now available to them via high-speed Internet access.
What else do we have in the socio-economic mix that might impact e-tail conversion rates?
Energy prices have soared 30 percent or more in the last year. The high cost of gasoline combined with the desire for pumped-up SUVs is having an impact on the consumer. A Consumer Reports' National Research Center survey found 42 percent of consumers strongly agree with the statement that they will drive less to save gas. Supporting this conclusion is a report out from the Consumer Conference Board stating that more than 50 percent of all consumers plan to make fewer trips to the mall, and 30 percent plan to do more shopping online. In addition, a third of consumers expect to cut back spending overall to combat higher energy costs.
What does all this mean to e-tailers?
Well if I was a betting man, and I admit I occasionally play the odds (especially when the are in my favor), I would say the above scenario - more convenient Web surfing, higher energy prices and more consumer reliance on the Web as a shopping gateway - will mean greater opportunity for online sales at e-tail sites.
But don' t take my word for it alone. Forrester Research believes that online sales in 2006 will increase 20 percent to more than $211 billion compared to 2005. This kind of sales volume represents a doubling of online sales when compared to 2003 figures.
Ever increasing online spending is the silver lining to the cloud. The cloud that hangs over e-tailers' storefronts remains the fact that consumer wallets are being squeezed by high energy prices and, at the same time, their patience for e-tail sites that make shopping difficult is low.
How do you capture the consumer spend and keep them coming back to your site?
Make sure your site gives fast, easy-to-use and easy-to-interact-with information. What do I mean by this? Think of your Web site as a shopping flyer - with a "buy" button. Wouldn't you like to be able to browse a catalog or shopping flyer, see what you like at the price that appeals to you, and then just click to buy? By employing flash catalogs to give the consumer the ability to zoom in, take notes and compare products quickly you give the customer every reason to buy.
Make sure you serve up information in the context that the consumer is asking for. What do I mean by this? If consumer asks for a "large trunk," make sure they get what they expect, not a long grey snout attached to an elephant, but a smartly hinged case to store things in. Nothing is more frustrating to consumers when they search a site and are given arm-loads of results, 99 percent of which are a waste of time and an immediate reason to exit your site.
Make sure that your purchasing function is clear and easy to use. What do I mean by this? When a customer is ready to buy, they are putting their confidence and trust in you. They are giving you money in good faith that you will deliver the goods quickly and easily. Make your pricing very clear, without extra steps for shipping, handling and taxes; have the customer fill out credit information after they have made the decision to purchase and they are satisfied with their choice. No one gives money ahead of a purchase. Do this and it may be why many consumers seem to abandon shopping carts when a site asks for credit details before a buying decision is finalized.
Talk to your customer before they make the final decision. What do I mean by this? Use an automated pop-up to give the consumer the option to say that they are happy with what they are buying, or to ask a question - such as "How long will the item take to ship?" or give them the option of saving their purchase details on your site for easier access and repeat buys in the future.
Get feedback from the customer. What do I mean by this? Give the customer the opportunity to leave feedback about their shopping experience so you can help them better next time. Also, use a reporting tool to determine what the customer was searching for, whether they went on the site, where they spent the most time so you can stock items that they wanted but didn't find, or offer them something similar while they are still on your site.
Take the above steps and I guarantee your online conversion rates will move into the double digits and you will get more mileage out of your buyers.
Moshe Ofer, is CEO of ActivePoint, www.activepoint.com, a maker on contextual e-catalogs and reporting tools for e-commerce.
Specs for Our Products:
1. SEO compatible – we make sure that WEB crawlers can see them.
2. Mobile friendly - fully adapted to enable easy reading. Each product fills one screen and is easily traceable.
3. SAAS – you don’t have to download any software and you are always up to date.
4. Native mobile APPs – our products are designed to run on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers.
5. Cloud – we use the IBM Cloud technology.