In-Store Sales Aid Internet Sales
When retail executives get down to calculating the return on investment (ROI) of their Web efforts, they are forgetting to turn their eyes offline.
According to a new report from Forrester Research Inc., retailers investments in online technology will pay off if they take a disciplined approach to site investments and ROI analysis.
"The problem today is that even sophisticated retailers become myopic when it comes to calculating the ROI of selling online," said Evie Black Dykema, senior analyst at Forrester. "Since the returns on Internet investments extend beyond online sales alone, retailers must begin to measure company-wide ROI (cROI), which factors in the Web's impact on offline sales and operational efficiencies."
Retailers that do not consider the effect Web sites have on offline purchases are neglecting the value of the Web as a marketing and service channel. Also, retailers must not forget that sites can improve the efficiency of their operations by reducing costs and boosting margins through self-service, hands-free order taking, inexpensive retention marketing, and the additional yield on liquidation.
One way to damage the cROI of selling online is to either over- or underinvest in a Web site. With the cost of some online stores approaching $52 million, retailers must calibrate spending with the level of site sophistication and class of goods being sold. In another recent report on the cost of selling online, Forrester estimates that a site's expenditures vary depending on its core commerce, merchandising, and service capabilities. For example, implementing an elaborate merchandising system helps to drive the cost of a sophisticated Web site 10 to 17 times more than that of a basic site with no functionality to personalize cross-sells.
In addition, cROI is driven by the role that a site plays in selling a particular class of products: convenience goods, health and beauty aids and researched goods like furniture and electronics.
"Multichannel retailers looking for ROI from their eCommerce investments without taking company-wide returns into consideration are like nomads in the desert hoping to happen upon a lake. Chances are it just won't happen," said Lisa Allen, research director at Forrester. "Retailers have to recognize the cost savings, efficiencies, and incremental revenues that an eCommerce site contributes to the company as a whole."
According to a new report from Forrester Research Inc., retailers investments in online technology will pay off if they take a disciplined approach to site investments and ROI analysis.
"The problem today is that even sophisticated retailers become myopic when it comes to calculating the ROI of selling online," said Evie Black Dykema, senior analyst at Forrester. "Since the returns on Internet investments extend beyond online sales alone, retailers must begin to measure company-wide ROI (cROI), which factors in the Web's impact on offline sales and operational efficiencies."
Retailers that do not consider the effect Web sites have on offline purchases are neglecting the value of the Web as a marketing and service channel. Also, retailers must not forget that sites can improve the efficiency of their operations by reducing costs and boosting margins through self-service, hands-free order taking, inexpensive retention marketing, and the additional yield on liquidation.
One way to damage the cROI of selling online is to either over- or underinvest in a Web site. With the cost of some online stores approaching $52 million, retailers must calibrate spending with the level of site sophistication and class of goods being sold. In another recent report on the cost of selling online, Forrester estimates that a site's expenditures vary depending on its core commerce, merchandising, and service capabilities. For example, implementing an elaborate merchandising system helps to drive the cost of a sophisticated Web site 10 to 17 times more than that of a basic site with no functionality to personalize cross-sells.
In addition, cROI is driven by the role that a site plays in selling a particular class of products: convenience goods, health and beauty aids and researched goods like furniture and electronics.
"Multichannel retailers looking for ROI from their eCommerce investments without taking company-wide returns into consideration are like nomads in the desert hoping to happen upon a lake. Chances are it just won't happen," said Lisa Allen, research director at Forrester. "Retailers have to recognize the cost savings, efficiencies, and incremental revenues that an eCommerce site contributes to the company as a whole."