New IBM Software Enhances Engagement With Retail Customers

IBM has announced new software that delivers a personalised and more interactive shopping experience for mobile users. The software incorporates new social networking capabilities and the ability for retailers to reach consumers with personalised promotions, coupons and other content, regardless of how or where the customer chooses to shop with them.

Automating the Mobile Shopping Experience

The new release of IBM’s e-commerce software – WebSphere Commerce 7 – improves the shopping experience from start to finish, enabling customers to more easily browse an online store, conduct side-by-side product comparisons, then view store locations, check inventory availability and complete the purchase.

Shoppers can even place orders online and pick up their merchandise at the closest store, which can be automatically mapped out for them on their mobile phone. With the new IBM technology, retailers can also instantly deliver timely, relevant and personalised brand information and promotions, based on past purchases, to a customer’s mobile device through text messages or e-mail.

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Using Online Social Networks to Help Sell

IBM’s new software allows retailers to effectively leverage the growing influence of online social networks, bringing brand and product discussions back to the retailer’s site and converting them into transactions.

For example, with one click, a product review or blog post with a link-back to the retailer’s site can automatically be sent to Facebook or other social networking sites. Online sellers can augment their brand experience further with rich content that includes ratings and reviews and threaded discussions with photo sharing.

The mobile and social commerce aspects are enhanced further through another new IBM capability called Cross-Channel Precision Marketing, which gives retailers the ability to understand customer buying behaviours and respond by delivering targeted promotions or other content instantly. For example, if an online buyer abandons a sale before checkout, a coupon or other incentive could be immediately forwarded to the shopper’s mobile device to help revive the transaction. A shopper, who is using their mobile phone while at a store to research a product, could be similarly targeted, as could someone reviewing a product on the retailer’s site. This lets retailers establish an ongoing and dynamic relationship with their customers and tailor responses as the customer’s behavior changes over time.

WebSphere Commerce 7 also has enhancements that better address the needs of businesses selling to other businesses online, through a new Web 2.0-based B2B store solution. This features a fast product finder, mini shopping cart, ‘drag and drop’ shopping capability and the ability to manage multiple saved orders. Traditional B2B sites are cumbersome to use and often require customer service calls to complete sales.

Availability & Pricing

IBM WebSphere Commerce 7 is immediately available starting at about $30,000 for 100 Processor Value Units (PVUs).