• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, March 5, 2009

According to the "2009 Online Customer Experience, Next Generation Survey," from Adobe Scene7, to identify what businesses plan to do in 2009 to enhance online customer experience and drive conversions, 92% of all respondents will be conducting customer experience projects within the coming year. Compared to last year, where over 53% were planning new projects within six months, this year, perhaps due to economic climate, these projects have shifted to the latter half of 2009.

29% of North American online companies surveyed by the rich media technology vendor plan to put catalogs and circulars online this year, results showed, making that the most common type of project planned for improving the online customer experience. Then 360-degree product image spin, and quick looks and rollover views, videos, product comparisons, and search landing pages and audio or animation.

Retailers represented over 22% of total respondents of 474 responses from retailers, agencies, media, manufacturers, and high-tech companies worldwide that sell a variety of products and services online. North American respondents had a slightly higher consumer-products manufacturing and high-technology skew, and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) was higher in media and agencies. Europe and North America representd 52% and 39% of all responses, respectively.

Globally, the highest ranking planned rich media features for 2009 were 360-degree spin, online catalogs, podcasts, product comparisons, and videos, each with over 25% of respondents. The greatest adoption of planned versus already deployed rich media features are in the areas of product comparisons, podcasts, 360-degree spin, mix and match, and 3-D visualization.

The survey identified the most popular rich media and merchandising features either deployed or planned for the coming year, along with the effectiveness of each feature. Approximately one-third of all respondents have deployed lifestyle imagery, alternative views, audio/animation, and zoom. Most popular features in use include:

• Lifestyle imagery/photos     38%
• Alternative images     36%
• Audio or animation     31%
• Zoom     27%
• Search landing pages     24%
• Catalogs & circulars     24%
• Microsites/brand boutiques     24%
• Videos     23%
• Color swatching/colorizing     22%
• Quick looks & rollover views     21%

More that one forth of the respondents now plan to add 360-degree spin, online catalogs, podcasts, product comparisons, and videos in 2009 along with the following top-ranking features:

• 360-degree spin     29%
• Catalogs & circulars     28%
• Podcasts or live video feed     28%
• Product comparisons     27%
• Videos      27%
• 3-D visualization     25%
• Quick looks & rollover views     25%
• Audio or animation      25%
• Search landing pages     23%
• Product tours     23%

Of those respondents having deployed or planned these features, and combining effective and very effective ratings, alternate imagery, lifestyle imagery/photography, and zoom were ranked as the most effective features. In addition, with effective ratings above 90%, were visual filtering & advance search, search landing pages, quick looks & rollover views, color swatching, and audio or animation.

Comparing these results to last year's survey, alternative views, lifestyle imagery/photography, and zoom continue to rank in the top three most effective, with rich media deployed in search and browse increasing in effectiveness.

Blogs the most popular social networking feature among those surveyed, with 30% reporting they already use blogs, also was the most popular planned social networking initiative for this year. Consumer ratings and reviews also was cited.

When looking across all features surveyed, and comparing 2008 responses to 2009, social networking features moved up significantly across all questions with respect to deployed, planned and effectiveness.

User ratings/rankings/comments, URL sharing, user generated content, and blogs were ranked as the most effective, while syndicated content ranked lower in effectiveness. More than 30% of respondents plan to add blogs and user ratings in 2009 along with the following top-ranking features:

• Blogs     32%
• User ratings, rankings, comments     31%
• RSS     26%
• Syndicating content to social site     23%
• User-generated visual content     22%
• Desktop widgets     21%
• Live chat/Instant Messaging     20%
• User-generated ratings/contests     20%
• URL & web widget viral sharing     20%
• Wikis     16%
• Collaborative custom product design     16%
• Collaborative shopping online     16%
• Interactive devices     15%

Although personalization features had a low adoption rate, all falling below 15%, the trend remains flat or down for these features year over year. The top two features used are personalized stores and web-to-print applications. Most personalization features continued to earn the highest effective or very effective rates over 80%. North America had a slightly higher deployment rate for personalization tactics than EMEA.

Similar to personalization features, there remains lower adoption of mobile features, which all fall below 11%. However, this is an increase over last year's results of 5% usage rate. Mobile promotions used to drive to store or web was the highest deployed tactic.

Combined results across all areas surveyed identified:

• The top five features deployed across all rich media, social networking, mobile and personalization areas were lifestyle imagery/photos (38%), alternative images (36%), audio/animation (31%), blogs (29%) and zoom (27%).
• Overall, the top five planned features for 2009 were from both the social networking and rich media merchandising areas. Blogs ranked the highest at 32%, followed by user ratings, rankings, comments (31%), then 360-degree spin (29%), followed by catalogs & circulars (28%), podcasts or live video feed (28%), then product comparisons (27%), and videos (27%).
• Survey respondents who have either deployed or plan to deploy the following features gave them the highest ratings for "very effective." These features, ranked in order, were zoom (38%), user ratings, rankings or comments (36%), visual filtering & advanced search (35%), lifestyle imagery/photos (35%), and search landing pages (34%).
• Increased clicks/usage and conversion rates remain the top metrics used for measuring feature effectiveness. Both qualitative feedback and increased revenues metrics have risen in importance (versus last year), along with measuring increases in average order size.

Finally, this year's survey also expanded on the emerging mobile features to identify the top features either deployed or planned for the coming year, along with the effectiveness of each feature. Today there remains low adoption of mobile features, says the report, all falling below 11%, but this is an increase over last year's results, which show a 5% usage rate.

 

Nearly 20% of respondents plan to add mobile promotions to drive to their website or store this year. This feature is followed by m-commerce applications, GPS store locators, price check, and address book order integration. Mobile priorities clearly fall well below other features in this report, such as rich media and social networking:

• Promotions - drive to store or Web     20%
• M-commerce - web site or downloaded application     17%
• GPS mapping/store locator     15%
• Price check - store to Web     13%
• Address book integration for mobile orders     12%

Mobile promotions and GPS were ranked as the most effective features, followed by m-commerce, price check, and address book with effective ratings around 70%. Rated Effective or Very Effective by those who have deployed:

• Promotions - drive to store or Web     81%
• GPS mapping/store locator     78%
• M-commerce - web site or downloaded application     73%
• Price check - store to Web     71%
• Address book integration for mobile orders     68%

For additional information about the Scene7 study, please find the PDF file here.