Back from the Show, the Show Goes on

Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition is a wrap and the squad has returned. I conducted a err… de-briefing / recapping session on Friday to learn what went well, what we were missing, what arrangements could be refined and also, how to effectively follow-up on the stack of business cards, ecommerce surveys and notes collected at the show.

The trick is to let them know what we have to offer and why that may be valuable to them – plus how to get in touch with us should they desire Elastic Path's products and services, without being obnoxious and alienating potential customers AND while trying to focus the list enough so we aren't paying postage straight to the recycling bin.

Additional challenges include tracking the return on investment of the trade show. Of course, some of the investment is for the long-term benefits of building brand awareness and goodwill but at some point, it is nice to justify the work with dollar signs (sigh) whether a "cost per lead" or a "total ROI" based on estimated lifetime value per customer or something in-betwixt.

Either way, I place a high value on generating name recognition and creating a favorable reputation as a cornerstone of successful participation in a volatile industry, and that goal was accomplished in spades.

The squad also returned with some video footage of the contortionist's shows and some snapshots which I hope to post soon (I noticed "contortionist" is a popular search-word to find this humble-blog).

BTW, if you didn't notice, the last post was a podcast (audio program), the first of likely many. To subscribe to the podcasts most easily, copy and paste the feed address into iTunes (Advanced menu > Subscribe to podcast) or use the web-based podcatcher, Odeo.

In other tech industry news, …

Unlike many folks, I wasn't toooo surprised that the notable "enterprise" blogger, Robert Scoble moved on from Microsoft – contrary to his cult-status in the geek-world, the guy is just a regular dude – he is a human with that burning inclination to build something from the ground up and make some real money for his time to facilitate leisurely days ahead. I am no rookie to this industry and know i wanna make some bread this time around ;-)).

Scoble made massive contributions to MS's culture and magnified a positive trend in bringing pragmatic transparency and critical thinking to the corporate animals – see Channel 9 – but money abounds in the high-risk/high-reward start-up world which currently boasts a frenzy which may well eclipse those goofy and heady days of late nineties.

I've met Scoble (as if he remembers) at various conferences (was it Mindcamp, Gnomedex and/or Northern Voice? pardon the namedropping) and he is just one of the geeks but features a disarming charisma and intelligent charm which attracts people, i think because he makes them feel important and smart, as in wise.

Bonus: Here's a snapshot of his mighty Scobleness chatting with the good folks of Mindcamp (photo by the irrepressible tech marketing guru Tara Hunt AKA Miss Rogue).

Podtech (his new gig) made a brilliant decision which already paid off BIG TIME as Scobleizer is all over the major mainstream media along with *every* blog on the planet (see his stats), even his Wikipedia entry was updated the same day. This is an amusing, almost-watershed moment and another instance of blogs and bloggers making the news rather than covering it.

P.S. there is a HUGE difference between blogging and 'citizen' journalism, but that's a whole other post.

Word from the Floor

Well, I finally got an update from our crew at Internet Retailer 2006 in Chicago and seems we're a hit! All the bits and pieces arrived, the booth looks great, collateral looks sharp, the crowds are arriving and the contortionists shows are going off with a bang. Right on (whew, that's just what we needed).

Momma always told you how important first impressions are and we wanted to ensure we looked polished and professional at our (if you'll excuse the term) "debutante ball." With that in mind, along with the positive reports, it seems we can unfurl the Mission Accomplished sign ;-).

Of course, no matter how successful this show went, there are fumbles to remedy and improvements to make. With this in mind, I've prepared a debriefing worksheet to glean critical and fresh info from the exhausted troops when they return. My aim is to create a "master playbook" for trade show so we can track progress and improve both the form and function of the whole routine.

Despite my worthy intentions, I suspect most of the crew (CEO Harry, VP Marketing Jason, Sales Director Mark, VP Product Dev Dave) will be more interested in catching up with the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs (which is captivating most all of Canada) and the forthcoming FIFA World Cup (captivating the rest of the world) and I heard something that NBA basketball is having their playoffs as well – hmmm. The fifth teammate, sales-ringer Suzanne is probably ready to be away from the lads for a few days!

Anyhow, The joint press release from the trade show announcing our integration agreement with Celebros is circulating around the web (though there was a minor URL correction to the couturecandy.com URL).

Here's a snippet:

The partnership offers a key enhancement to Elastic Path's ecommerce solution, which combines low total cost of ownership with unprecedented flexibility to online stores. Mutual clients are already benefiting from the integration of Celebros' Qwiser. For example, CoutureCandy, an online apparel retailer of 'the sweetest fashions on earth', achieved both higher conversion rate and average order size, following the launch of an Elastic Path / Celebros-based site last February.

"Tests have shown that conversion rates can increase up to 300% with Celebros site search," said Harry Chemko, CEO of Elastic Path. "Retailers like CoutureCandy (www.couturecandy.com) and I Want One of Those (www.iwoot.com) are proving that adding Celebros' best-of-breed search and navigation tools to our platform dramatically impacts site performance."

Additionally, I found a few blog entries via Technorati with some comments about the Conference and Exhibition. Some great comments about the increasing industry buzz (yes, I remember the bleak days of empty shows in 2001) from Adam Strong on Domain Editorial who also talks about the challenges of the retail space:

"There were a lot of facts and numbers presented by researchers throughout the show. All of them were very bullish on the future of the space. The growth of online retail is predicted to continue, but what’s amazing is that that the internet retail channel still represents a very small percentage of the whole of the retail world. <snip>… One statistic that amazed me was the low conversion ratios (1-5%) that were cited by some presenters. Remember, I’m new to internet retailing in general, but that number seems like it is very low and in desperate need of improvement."

Speaking of conversion rates (which seems to be the "big" topic ergo: We've got the people coming to the site, how do we get them to actually buy?), Webservices magazine recaps Jeff Schuler of UsabilitySciences.com's speech from Internet Retailer, in a post paraphrasing the two critical bits to increasing conversion:

"Encourage account creation. Don't separate what's most important to you. Your users and their money! Integrating new account creation within the checkout process has been shown to increase the average order value of a client over their user lifetime.

Product images drive conversion. Buyers are seeking functionality to gain a better relationship with products and as such enhanced imaging is a key factor in driving conversion."

I also came across intriguing blog by John Yunker Going Global (part of Corante). John presented at the Internet Retailer show and seems to be dialed into the Globalization of the Internet retail world (in fact, he wrote the report card and guidebook). With baked-in Unicode support, international selling seems right up Elastic Path's alley – I added John to my read list and I'll keep an eye on what he has to say. BTW, the five most common Internet publishing languages after English are: 1. German, 2. French, 3. Japanese, 4. Spanish, 5. Chinese with Hindi is a language on the rise.

I checked Flickr for Internet Retailer 2006 tagged photos, but this doesn't seem to be the hyper-creative set that Gnomedex attracts, though user peyoung from Tokyo (who seems to be eating *very* well on this trip ;-)) posted a pic of the sign and the prize Jaguar (who won this?).

Hopefully, we'll have a bit of media content to post soon so keep an eye out for rich media coming down this RSS wire.

The Squadron Lands in Chicago

Many – perhaps most – of my tasks the past few weeks have been preparation for the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition in Chicago. Well, the materials were created, plans drafted, arrangements arranged and the team sent eastward this past Sunday. Monday was set-up and opening reception and today (Tuesday) is the big day on the trade show floor.

This show is really Elastic Path's chance to introduce the refined brand to the marketplace. The preparations were thorough (I hope) so I am confident the exhibit is bound for success.

In brief, the 10X20ft booth will be visually anchored by two connected exhibit panels featuring the "bendy girl" (contortionist) images. Two contortionists are along for the ride with 3 shows daily which is bound to draw some attention. The show times were announced on a postcard mailed out last week (a bit too close to the wire) and the booth location is near an show entrance, and close to the Jaguar car giveaway, for fortuitous foot traffic.

After booth set up, the 3ft high booth cases are then wrapped in branded vinyl sheaths and used as display pedestals to hold the brochure rack (equipped with the stylin' new brochure) and data sheet (not as stylin' but packed with useful info), plus the "ballot box" for ecommerce survey/contest entry form to win a trip to Las Vegas to see Cirque du Soleil (reinforcing the flexibility and control message – get it?).

Two silver exercise/sitting balls and a clear table for the contortionists' performances fill out the space. Clean, inviting, open, branded. Check, check, check, check. Oh yeah, 450 tins of "thinking putty" were shipped to give away which I suspect will garner a lot attention as people play with it in the sessions (careful it bounces!).

With the show underway, the office here in Vancouver is less hectic than last week (for me anyway) when the booth was staged in the lobby surrounded with collateral and accessories as I checked off the list to make sure no item was missing before packing giant hockey bags. My aim was to sort out the details so the squad of 5 could concentrate on networking with the attendees and spreading the Elastic Path message which is dialed in and delivered throughout our new batch of materials.

A video camera was part of the retinue of gear so hopefully some compelling images and loquacious reporting from the floor will be forthcoming.

Besides the variety of trade show materials, a few press releases are heading out to the world announcing partnerships and integrations with tools like Scene7's dynamic imaging tools, Celebros' site search and merchandising technology, and SiteBrand's personalization platform. A case study is also wrapping up about Aeroplan's great new site which was a great success by Elastic Path's Professional Service department.

Perhaps I'll post some of these materials for hardcore Elastic Path enthusiasts. Interested?

 

Sites in the Wild

Toiling within the office walls – diligently working of code development, strategic decisions and copy writing – one could easily lose sight of the fact that real companies are using Elastic Path on a daily basis (well nightly too) to run their business – the whole deal from selling products, collecting money, shipping to the customer, and dealing with service concerns – in short conducting ecommerce, or to them, livelihood.

"Well duh," you may say but, all cynicism aside, with the myriad tasks required on a day-to-day basis in the workplace, it is easy to lose sight of who is using the platform and how are they using it.

These observations are important at many levels, and astute observation can: 1) help the product development squad improve the core product by co-opting useful modifications made by a third-party; 2) assist the sales folks to see which customers may be ready to upgrade or could benefit from a new component tie-in; and, 3) teach marketing types how customers customize and execute their message using Elastic Path.

While recently producing collateral materials for the aforementioned trade show, I've poked around several real-life customer sites for a bit of learning. Some sites are easy to identify as EP while others are so extensively customized, you must look closely to see if Elastic Path is really running the show behind the scenes.

Here are a few faves:

Aeroplan – This site is intriguing because Aeroplan (a travel rewards program) doesn't use currency per se, but "miles" which customers redeem for goods and (often experiential) services. The site utilizes the multi-language ability allowing user to shop in French or English and the design is fresh and progressive. By the way, a case study about this client is forthcoming.

Couture Candy – A super-stylish clothes retailer with vivid photography and a massive inventory of products coming in many colors and sizes. Contents are sortable by all sorts of parameters including by "fans" of the designer. The client also baked-in a live chat feature for quick customer support from their shopping experts.

My Kids Tunes – This site is designed for a kid-friendly audience (read: bright colors, big buttons) but I am most intrigued that the products (songs) are delivered electronically after an online purchase. The efficient interface makes the shopping experience almost foolproof – even for newbie shoppers.

Random House – This publishing giant has a elegant site sortable and browsable by author, title, ISBN or various categories. Besides being to read excerpts and learn more about the author, you are pointed to a variety of purchasing options. Besides simply adding to the local site cart, you are given info to buy at local bookshops, choose from several online retailers, or directed to a contract purchasing track for libraries and schools.

There are plenty more sites to digest, but these give a nice representation. Do you have any favorite Elastic Path sites?

On Communicating Specifically (and Enjoying Long Weekends)

With impending printer deadlines, I am busily assembling concept and wordsmithing copy for various trade show materials. While at first blush, this may seem simple – add a (neat) picture, write some (fluffy) words and hand off to designers, these tasks do require a series of editing gutchecks and detailed revision during which each element (both 'what we are saying' and 'how we are saying it') must prove to be absolutely essential to the piece.

Then, once the big picture is developed and key points are determined, the words must be streamlined to speak directly to the intended audience. In Elastic Path's case, the audience is sometimes technically-minded programmer types, sometimes marketing (or sales) variety, and sometimes C-level executive/administrative flavored. Each audience segment has their own concerns and desires which certainly come into play when deciding where/when/how to spend/invest in ecommerce (or any other for that matter) software platform.

To effectively combine the copy and visual concept, one must think metaphorically, while managing to keep the message concise and remain emotionally evocative. The words must show the value and benefits of the product but not *really* let on that that's the goal. Subtlety is key but only works on people who "get it."

We have the advantage of knowing that our audience are: a) aware of ecommerce and the nuances of promotion and fulfillment; b) desirous to increase revenue (they *are* retailers after-all), and; c) technically astute to the point of general knowledge at a minimum as they are likely migrating away from some platform or another. However, each of three audience "types" needs something a little different to speak to them.

With that in mind, we (meaning our uhhh.. *massive* marketing department) are producing a multi-page, booklet-style brochure geared primarily towards marketing minded folks which briefly identifies the key attributes, and emphasizes the critical benefits of, using Elastic Path to remedy the challenges affecting eretailers. Next up, a data sheet designed more towards technically-savvy people who are in on the decision making process. This sheet will include a "laundry list" of the features and technology chunks used to make the software. Along with those is a new case study which the executives enjoy since it speaks to real life projects and how problems were sorted out and goals achieved.

Further, a postcard is almost out the door to mail out in advance to encourage the conference attendees to stop by booth 842 (win a trip to Vegas and all that). Finally, a "playbook" to provide advance scouting info, stratgey scenarios and travel logistics to the crew of 5 heading to Chicago. Whew, I'd best get to typing. Oh yeah, did in mention the mini-survey and contest entry form? I am thinking of a perforated piece for that but we'll see how that works out.

In other news, Harry Chemko (CEO) showed me the additional office space in progress downstairs which will allow space for 17-24 more worker bees. Walls need painted and Ethernet wired but the spacious space is coming along just in time as new hires are coming aboard regularly around here. Also, Harry hosted an enjoyably fun, long-weekend-kick-off-party Friday night. Ahhh long weekends, everyone likes them, shouldn't there be more?

This is a whole other blog post waiting to happen but … as rumored Sun has "officially" open sourced Java. The concern is "forking" in which the code base would fragment into two divergent, non-compatible paths but alas, one must carry on and accept an element of risk to fervently explore innovation. And really, in the hyper-competition for developer buy-in and community building, this was the sensible choice from my (rather limited) viewpoint.

By open-sourcing, Sun is inviting the developer community to the conversation and handing the proverbial conch shell to anyone who wants a turn to speak. We Elastic Pathers should/will find a way to start conversations with our erstwhile tech evangelists for the benefit of the software, the end user (and us).

We'll start by saying, "Hello World."