Interactive Online Merchandising Provider Experiences Significant Client Growth As Manufacturers Shift to More Measurable, ROI Driven Strategies

Cleveland - As retail sales continue to plummet, marketers are shifting their budgets online as it’s more measurable, more accountable and less expensive. Online merchandising is, of course, not a new concept, but the urgency at which companies are using Web content to move product is rapidly mounting.

Even before the economic downturn, industry statistics showed that 81 percent of people regularly research purchases online and 66 percent had purchased online, leading to a range of 40 to 100 percent conversation rate. And now, because of the tumultuous economic climate, many more factors are driving online sales:

1. Store closings are sweeping all industries and causing a myriad of frustrations and inconveniences for consumers, such as having to travel farther to a different store location or another store altogether.
2. Retailers of all sizes are experiencing reduced inventories, although there continues to be a fight for shelf space as new product launches continue and must be supported. Many of these new product launches may have to prove themselves online first in order to be marked a retail success.

As many traditional brick-and-mortar stores close, more consumers are viewing online components as a convenient way to research and purchase products both online and in-store, and retailers are realizing the importance of online merchandise marketing. Online merchandising applications such as product demos, product selectors, and buying guides are no longer considered an e-tail luxury – they are a must-have.

Even planned advertising spends in 2009 are supporting the claim that there is a significant shift from traditional to Web marketing. In fact, a recent study from e-Marketer shows an average 66.5 percent planned spending increase online, compared to a 3.2 percent increase in increased television spend.

Despite tighter budgets, companies are investing more into their online strategy to support market changes, which can be seen by the growth that companies such as Easy2 Technologies are experiencing.

Easy2 Technologies, a leading full-service provider of online merchandising applications, has added 25 new clients and lined up several new custom projects in the last 90 days with companies such as, Interactive Toy, IO Gear, John Deere, Char-Broil, Plantronics, KitchenAid Canada and Cooper Lighting.

“Because the market is shifting toward online shopping more so than ever before, companies are realizing that in order to remain competitive, and in some cases, in business, they need to shift marketing initiatives to the Web, as opposed to traditional mediums,” said John Bukovnik, Easy2 president and co-founder. “Even in this economy, consumers are still spending; they are just doing it more wisely. Therefore, adding interactive tools that drive consumers to goods that meet their needs and help them make educated decisions, such as product selectors and buying guides, just makes good business sense.”

To further educate manufacturers and retailers on the importance of interactive, online merchandising, Easy2 will be hosting the first session of its upcoming 30 Minute Webinar series, entitled, “Online Merchandising Strategies for Your New Product Launch,” taking place on April 21 at 2 p.m. For more information on the Webinar, please contact George Koenig at george@Easy2.com or visit www.easy2.com.

Easy2 Technologies is a leading provider of “rich retail” content, including its exclusive MYO (Make Your Own) Web-based application allowing non-technical personnel to create interactive product demos. The company also develops buying guides, product selectors and visualization tools for the home improvement, consumer electronics, juvenile, sporting goods and craft industries. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Easy2 specializes in providing creative online merchandising and training solutions to national manufacturing and retail clients, including Lowes, Amazon, Best Buy, Sears, DeWALT, Samsung, Whirlpool, ActionTec, Britax, Step2 and many more. For more information, visit www.easy2.com.