About the course
Overview
As e-commerce matures and customers are trained by your competitors to expect more, marketing and commercial professionals must be able to satisfy customers whilst also increasing profits.
Ian Jindal, a thought-leader in e-commerce, heads up this course examining online merchandising. This course takes a whole-business approach to the art of selling online, from promises made to customers, right through to post-purchase selling.
Programme
This intensive course covers the entire breadth of online selling - from product selection and presentation, through search, sorting, filtering and promotions, to an introduction of advanced rule-based merchandising. We will also consider product-specific presentation needs and the test-measure-optimise approach to selling.
The day considers selling 'in the round': from the promises made to customers through to post-purchase selling. We also place online selling in the context of offline selling (store, catalogue and telephone) as well as within a performance framework, suggesting some KPIs to assess progress.
The multichannel, commercial approach will allow participants to communicate the benefits of a whole-business approach to selling online, as well as measuring and sharing the success.
Who should attend?
This course is ideal for anyone interested in improving their approach to selling effectiveness online. Examples include: senior marketers responsible for the sales performance of the e-commerce channel; online merchandisers interested in planning for increased sales effectiveness; offline merchandisers looking to understand the capabilities and demands of modern online selling and systems; or heads of e-commerce looking to lead team improvements in selling.
How will I benefit?
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Specify, plan and implement rules-based online selling; testing, measuring and improving performance.
- Understand and be able to apply a KPI/performance-led approach to selling
- Place online selling in the context of multichannel selling, communicating your channel's needs and benefits to colleagues in your business.
What will I learn?
The course covers:
Introduction to Online Merchandising
- The essential problems to solve in online merchandising
- Getting the products to the web - data, planning, ranging, preparation - "ready and available to sell"
- Basic presentation - search, filter, sort orders, promotion - and the opportunities and problems presented
- Data requirements - product information management, imagery, attributes, metadata and the complexities of structured products, selling groups and configuration
- Promotional strategies and their demands on online merchandising systems
- Integration with offline promotional activity
Key Metrics and Performance Indicators
- A review of the traditional metrics for stock and sales performance and their applicability to online
- Online-only metrics
- Key Performance Indicators
Advanced Online Merchandising Techniques and Considerations
- Rule-based or algorithmic systems
- Behavioural profiling to drive rules
- Use of personae
- A:B testing in online merchandising
The Online Merchandising Ecosystem
- Interaction of Online Merchandising with SEO and PPC
- Interaction of Online Merchandising with the affiliate channel
- Interaction of Online Merchandising with behavioural/profiling systems
- Interaction of rules with imaging systems and presentation options
- Cross-channel implications - merchandising rules based on stock availability, store stock, virtual stock and quality of service.
Trainer
Ian Jindal
Ian Jindal is a consultant, publisher, and advisor on eCommerce in integrated retail, publishing, and broadcast. Retail clients include House of Fraser, Austin Reed, Westfield Shopping Towns, Otto UK, and CoutureLab.com. A regular keynote speaker and conference chair, Ian co-founded InternetRetailing, the magazine, portal, and conference for Europe's leading retailers and multichannel retailers.
Previously he was Group E-commerce Director for Littlewoods Shop Direct Group where he grew online revenues to £405m pa. Before that, Ian was Head of Online Operations at the BBC, establishing the team that managed over 400 BBC websites and a non-executive Director of Business Link for London.
Ian co-founded the European eCommerce Forum, a private conference and 'think tank' to advance the art and craft of online selling.
With Econsultancy.com Ian created the UK's first MSc in Internet Retailing.
When not tending his solitary olive tree, Ian can be found at www.innoparticularorder.com
Enquiries
; 020 7269 1470
If you're looking to improve your knowledge of e-commerce and online merchandising, we also run other relevant courses including:
- E-commerce Usability and Best Practice for Online Retailers
- Innovation and Leadership in E-commerce Organisations
- Increasing Conversions Using The Power of Persuasion
- Creating Superior Customer Experiences
We also run Graduate Certificates for more intensive, and academically accredited courses over 12-15 weeks. These include Analytics and Optimization, Integrated Marketing Communications and Online Selling, Merchandising and Promotion.
