Forrester

Why Read This Report

Successfully reaching online shoppers during the critical holiday season is crucial to the Q4 success of eCommerce businesses. Forrester collaborated with the eCommerce service provider GSI Commerce to understand how retailers in fact did connect with online buyers. Actual retailer clickstream analysis from 15 online retailers who are GSI Commerce's clients showed that traditional forms of web marketing (e.g., search, marketing) continue to drive online sales while experimental tactics like social continue to be just that, peripheral tactics that have generated buzz but are rarely associated with revenue. This retailer data also showed that some tactics like display advertising may be underrepresented as they are earlier in the purchase funnel. While this data highlights findings from the holiday season of 2010, it is a useful illustration of how retail eBusiness executives can accommodate those findings in their customer acquisition and retention programs throughout the year.