On the heels of two announcements from Google, Mercent executives shared their insights on the future of e-Commerce in a recent webinar titled: Are CSEs Dead? The Rise of Shopping Ad Networks In The Age Of Google Shopping.
Recently, Google acquired Channel Intelligence and announced changes to the AdWords program. In response, Eric Best, CEO of Mercent, offered these insights: “We see a real urgency around mobile strategy and the importance of being able to measure and optimize campaigns by device, as well as by geography to inform all characteristics of the campaign, including your bidding strategy.”
The Explosion of Multi-Screen Shopping
Mobile-based transactions are increasing at a significant rate. As many as 16% of transactions tracked through the Mercent Retail Platform were driven through mobile devices in 2012, a 270% increase over 2011, noted Anthony Guarino, Director of Shopping Programs for Mercent. Additionally, he said, Mercent retail clients saw an increase of 27% in same-store sales growth from the “old” Google Shopping.
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Guarino also talked about the influence of Amazon and Google on e-Commerce: “We believe this is an important trend for all retailers to understand as it does represent the bipolar destination of overall eCommerce and the growing influence of both of these partners.”
To manage a successful cross-channel strategy, Guarino suggested that retailers take the following steps:
- Experiment with product assortments;
- Utilize product level bidding to influence network reach;
- Analyze referring site reporting to optimize network partners; and
- Take advantage of exclusive listing opportunities such as Yahoo Shopping, eBay, etc.
“Shopping aggregators were vital in helping promote online growth to the online retailers shopping network model,” Guarino noted. “Amazon is a top sales driver for these retailers and strong conversion channel, but doesn’t allow cross-sell, lower customer loyalty.”
