multichannel | Internet Marketing Blog

Argos releases Check & Reserve iPhone app

Argos has just launched its first iPhone app, in response to 600% increased in traffic to Argos.co.uk from mobile devices. In December, Argos had 750,000 visits from iPhones and iPods, so the demand is clearly there.

The app, developed in-house, isn't a full mobile commerce offering, though that is something which may follow later. Instead, the app allows customers to browse and check stock levels at their local stores, before making a reservation for in-store collection.

by Graham Charlton 24 May 2010 12:28pm 3 comments

Ten reasons for retailers to use mobile coupons

Mobile coupons offer an excellent opportunity for retailers to appeal to customers on the go, and to drive them in stores with special offers and discounts.

For example, US retailers such as Target are offering coupons which can be downloaded to their phones and scanned at the checkout, while in the UK, apps like Voucher Cloud allow users to search for local businesses offering coupons which can be redeemed in store.

Here are ten reasons why retailers should consider the use of mobile coupons in their marketing strategies...

by Graham Charlton 19 May 2010 13:22pm 4 comments

Email marketers: are you creatively compliant?

Whilst websites adapt every day to be as accessible and usable as possible, email hasn’t quite benefited from the same level of attention in this area. Instead, marketers have frequently chosen to ignore these developments in all other areas online and continue to do things the way they always have.

Email as a marketing channel is being creatively abused like no other, and it is time for change.

by Philip Storey 18 May 2010 09:38am 10 comments

The transformation of brand marketing

No longer is brand marketing likely to remain the prerogative of conventional brand marketing organisations.

Whilst these organisations have great strengths in creativity, planning and campaign delivery, they exhibit fewer strengths online where a host of brand association, experience and conversation takes place.

There are others who are better placed to engage and create influence by blog, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter already thrive online. And they are the digital agencies...

by Richard Walker 14 May 2010 11:22am 2 comments

Breathe new life into email marketing

Whilst social media tends to attract much attention at the moment, the savvy marketing professional understands that success lies in using the best digital marketing mix and not over focusing on one channel.

Email marketing remains an important component, but what can be done to raise our game and generate even better results from this established and proven marketing tool?

by Ed Stivala 12 May 2010 10:08am 1 comment

Multichannel accounts for 43% of Argos sales

Argos is showing other multichannel retailers how it's done, with its multichannel sales reaching £1.9bn in the last financial year.

According to the company's results (pdf), multichannel accounted for 43% of Argos' sales, and justifies the company's investment in services such as reserve and collect.

by Graham Charlton 04 May 2010 09:37am 2 comments

Q&A: David Buckingham on Nectar and Yahoo's ad targeting scheme

Yahoo recently announced a partnership with Nectar for Consumer Connect, a program which aims to use offline purchase data to target online advertising more effectively.

David Buckingham is Commercial Director at Loyalty Management Group, the company which runs the Nectar card scheme. I've been talking to David about how the scheme works, and how he hopes that it will convince more FMCG brands to advertise online.

by Graham Charlton 13 April 2010 11:13am 0 comments

Are UK retailers interested in mobile commerce?

While plenty of US retailers have mobile commerce sites or apps, it seems those in the UK have been slower to move into mobile.

I covered this topic last year, and could only think of three m-commerce sites in the UK, two of which were Amazon and eBay. There are now a few more, but a lot of big names are yet to move into mobile commerce.

Strong growth is predicted for the mobile commerce market, and there are plenty of reasons why a mobile commerce site (or app) can benefit retailers. I've been listing the UK retailers with a mobile presence...

by Graham Charlton 13 April 2010 09:44am 8 comments

78% of shoppers use multiple channels to make a purchase

Customers are increasingly switching between channels when researching and making purchases, with the vast majority using at least two in their purchase decisions.

This is one of the findings of an ATG Cross-Channel Commerce study (registration required), which surveyed 1,054 US consumers...

by Graham Charlton 30 March 2010 08:44am 4 comments

Which retailers have multichannel returns policies?

A recent survey from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) found that more than 60% of shoppers are less likely to return goods bought online.

This is partly due to a lack of awareness from consumers about their rights when shopping online, but could also be the fault of retailers and their returns policies.

This is an area where multichannel retailers can do a lot to reassure customers about buying online by allowing in-store returns, so which retailers are doing this?

by Graham Charlton 19 March 2010 09:33am 4 comments