We may be halfway through the last day of the exhibit hall at the World’s Largest eCommerce Event, but there’s a lot yet to see and learn today for those at IRCE 2013, the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition in Chicago. Here are some of the highlights so far, and a couple opportunities still coming up today.
Al Gore Keynote: Focus on Mobile and Go Global
In his keynote address, Vice President Al Gore showed excitement about the growth of eCommerce. He noted that retail comprises 7% of the U.S. GDP, and presented other facts suggesting that he understands the potential boom in growth of online retail – especially in the mobile area, as there are already 1.5 billion smartphone users in the world.
He also focused on the need to think globally, saying “Your customers are global, your competitors are global. The Internet connects billions of people and smart devices… If you keep on your toes and innovate properly, the opportunities are boundless.”
Success Stories from eTailers
While the show is filled with vendors that promise to optimize one area or another of your online business, one of my favorite parts of conferences like IRCE is hearing from the online retailers themselves.
I have had the opportunity to listen in on success stories from seven different eTailers presenting at the SLI Theater in booth #501. JAM Paper, Samuels Jewelers, PartySuppliesDelivered and Envelopes.com have already presented on how they’ve increased their conversions with better search results and site navigation. One of these businesses, Samuels Jewelers, said in a press release today that by using advanced site search features, they were able to realize three times higher conversion rates and double the per-visit value for search users on their site.
Still on the Schedule Today
The following success story presentations are happening at the SLI Theater, booth #501, today:
1 p.m. ReNew Life
2 p.m. Steiner Tractor
3:30 p.m. Vermont Teddy Bear
If you can’t make it to the above live presentations, take a look at some of the following case studies for ideas on how to improve your online business.
- Snow+Rock Case Study – 11% higher conversion rates, 8% higher revenue per visit
- Lovehoney Case Study – 16% higher average revenue per visit, 15% higher conversions
- Stanfords Case Study – Drive 58% of site revenue, Convert 3.5X more than non-searchers
- Appliances Online Case Study – 30% revenue increase attributed to site search
- American Bridal Case Study – Revenue from searches increased 300% (from 3% to 9%)
