In a previous blog, we briefly mentioned Magento’s Business Intelligence platform and outlined some steps you as a merchant can take to cultivate a data-driven culture. Of course, to take advantage of Magento’s or any business analytics platform, one must first understand how that platform works and how it can be used to make smarter decisions.

So, what is Magento BI and how is it different from other analytics platforms? Magento BI is Magento’s cloud-based platform tuned for ecommerce business intelligence, somewhat like other analytics platforms. However, where Magento BI separates itself from other platforms is the fact that it is seamlessly integrated into Magento stores which allows it to pull data directly from your customer database (of any kind) to leverage their purchase history and behavioral data which allows for more detailed customer segmentation. Other analytics platforms do not pull from your customer database thus you would have to manually import that data (if possible) or be forced to make predictive analysis without said customer data which really limits decision-making. In other words, Magento BI’s competitive advantage is the ability to leverage data directly from your CRM database.

Now let’s discuss how Magento’s BI platform works. We should first note that Magento’s BI platform is not a standalone platform, it’s simply a very intricate data consolidation tool. The platform uses pre-built connectors to link third-party data sources to your store making data transfer seamless and pain-free. Some common third-party data sources that can be connected are QuickBooks, Facebook Ads, Google AdWords, and Salesforce. Merchants also can pull from other ecommerce platforms such as Shopify if need be. Data from third-party sources are then kept in a ‘data warehouse’ and specific data tables are built from that warehouse.

Here are a few examples of unique features of Magento’s BI platform:

• Merchants can utilize one dashboard or utilize a dashboard from each data source.

• Merchants can also grant different permissions to each dashboard limiting who can access what helping to narrow focus within the organization.

• Merchants have the ability to create reoccurring daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual reports.

Here are some of the unique reports you can pull utilizing both your customer’s transaction data and your third-party data sources:

• Predictive Buy Date: Use customer purchase history to predict when their next purchase will be.

• Predictive Customer Value: Max ad spend by knowing which customers to retarget based on predictive data and order history across your channel sources.

Some other capabilities of Magento’s Business Intelligence not mentioned include: the measurement of marketing campaign ROI, the ability to optimize merchandising and inventory optimization by way of integration with the order management solution.

These tools and more are designed to help merchants sell smarter. If you’d like to learn more about Magento Business Intelligence and what it could do for your business, reach out to one of our eCommerce Consultants today!

– Orvin Moore, Analytics Manager

At the most recent Southeast Magento Meetup, discussion focused on this year’s Imagine conference. Most notably, the future of Magento Business Intelligence and why using data to make decisions is important.

To recap, during 3rd quarter 2016 Magento acquired the cloud-based analytics platform RJ Metrics to integrate with Magento stores and provide merchants with ecommerce business intelligence. The goal is to help merchants translate massive amounts of data into insight, which is undoubtedly a problem as per a recent Forrester Research report, only 29% of merchants say they are good at translating data into measurable business outcomes. Meaning about 71% of merchants struggle to make sense of all the data available to them and/or incorporate data-driven decision-making as a part of their culture.

But why is it important to have a data-driven culture in your organization and how can merchants become adept at translating data?

There are numerous reasons that organizations should have a data-driven culture:

• Data allows you to challenge all assumptions.
• Continuous organizational improvement by making smarter decisions.
• Increase efficiency of resource allocation by narrowing focus.
• Empower individuals to confidently manage themselves.

Instituting a data-driven culture does not come without challenges of course, such as:

• Lack of organizational cohesion: some prefer to make decisions with their ‘gut.’
• The belief that more time will be spent gathering data than making decisions.
• Messy and unorganized data – who will spend the time parsing through it?

So how can merchants overcome these common challenges and become proficient at translating data?

First, everyone must be on the same page within the organization – all members must understand the importance of using data to make decisions. It’s also imperative to realize that ‘gut’ decisions and data-driven decisions AREN’T competing concepts. Experience allows managers to use their ‘gut’ to make decisions at times, however, data can help to confirm or contradict that gut feeling which is useful.

Additionally, merchants should realize and accept that too much data can be a bad thing, it is not necessary to have ALL the data that you can possibly have. A useful tip for deciding which data sets you should focus on is to segment your data into macro and micro distinctions and then select a handful of metrics at both the macro and micro level to focus on.

• The macro metrics should provide a big picture view

For example, a clothing store may be concerned with the Average Order Value of their coupon codes.

• The micro metrics should help you unlock decision making at all levels

For example, a merchant may look at the value derived from their different social media platforms.

To increase efficiency you can also assign certain metrics to specific members of the organization to avoid overlap and to narrow focus. Employees in the marketing and order fulfillment departments are concerned with completely different things. So to avoid confusion a dashboard with only marketing-related KPI’s could be created with permissions granted to ONLY those in the marketing department so that those employees can focus only on the metrics that pertain to their job function.

Continued practice following these guidelines will approve the ability to make sense of data over time. By having the right team members using the right data at the right time, the transition to a data-driven culture will feel more natural and helpful than inconvenient and forced.

Our next blog will discuss Magento’s Business Intelligence platform in-depth and outline how you as a merchant can take advantage of the platform to make smarter decisions.

– Orvin Moore, Analytics Manager

With Magento Imagine 2017 under our belts, we came home exhausted, full of knowledge, and toting one very awesome (very heavy) award.

The highlight of our trip would undoubtedly be getting named Magento’s Commercial Partner of the Year for North America, but the team may be just as excited about what we learned while out in Las Vegas.

A breakout session around mobile design changed the way we think of building responsive websites. We’ve long thought that a responsive site was the complete answer to the needs of the mobile consumer. But those who shop on mobile aren’t browsing, they’re doing it out of necessity, and we need to eliminate as many distractions and hurdles in the sales funnel as possible.

For instance, reviews are very important to desktop shoppers, but not nearly as important to mobile shoppers. But the biggest area we need to shift our focus to is the checkout. How can we reduce the number of fields a customer needs to fill out? What can we do to streamline payments? How can we store information for when a customer logs in?

All of these questions gave us a lot to consider in terms of how we handle designing the mobile checkout experience going forward and what tools we use to help us get there.

Perhaps the most exciting thing we learned about at Imagine was the release of Magento EE 2.2 (set for late summer 2017), which promises to be one of the most robust and beneficial versions to date.

Version 2.2 is largely B2B focused and providing the for the B2B client’s unique set of needs, such as:

• Providing information that’s both easily accessible and easily digestible. B2B customers will do most of their research online; they do not want to talk to sales people.
• Personalizing the shopping experience for each customer’s unique set of needs.

Key B2B Features of 2.2 will include:

• Corporate Accounts – This will allow multiple users under the same company umbrella. Different roles can have different permissions, and even different access to catalogs for ordering purposes.
• Payment on Account – Companies will be able to set credit limits, and if they have a good payment history, exceed that credit limit if need be.
• Quick Order Functionality on the Front End – Currently customers have to login to access quick order tools for B2B sites, but 2.2 will have them available on the front end, and they’ll even audit against live inventory quantities before a customer can order.
• Requisition List – This can be described as a “wish list that lasts forever” where customers can come back time and time again and access a list of regularly ordered items, even down to quantities.
• Request a Quote Functionality – This features allows customers to request a quote on items that they need, and even go back and forth with the merchant until they settle on a price.

Other Key Features of 2.2 will include:

• • Magento Social – allows merchants to directly sync their products to Facebook from the Magento admin.
    • Magento Shipping – through a partnership with Temando, Magento will now be offering a multi-carrier shipping solution.

As always, time with the Magento Community has left us energized and excited to bring best in class eCommerce business solutions to our customers.

For more about our trip to Imagine, check out the EY Access Podcast. 

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Meagan Bryson / Marketing Associate

EYStudios Named Commercial Partner of the Year – North America by Magento

Las Vegas, NV – On Sunday, April 2nd, 2017, EYStudios was named by Magento as the Commercial Partner of the Year for North America. Awards were handed out during the Partner Summit of Magento’s annual Imagine Conference by CEO Mark Lavelle. “EYStudios has demonstrated not only a strong commitment to Magento but has consistently delivered on high quality commerce experiences to its clients,” said Ryan Quaye, VP of Global Channel Sales. “Being awarded Commercial Partner of the Year is a well-deserved recognition for all the hard work and passion behind an excellent 2016 for EYStudios.” The privately-owned Atlanta-based agency surprised many when they beat out much larger firms in their category to win the top spot.

With a portfolio that runs the gamut of fashion, sports, tactical, home decor, B2B, and more; EY has proven that there’s no industry they won’t tackle. In their 13 year history, EY has developed hundreds of stores across a number of eCommerce platforms. When the company decided to focus on Magento as one of their core offerings, they began to see increased growth and greater client satisfaction.

One opportunity they seized early on was their early adoption of both Magento 2 Enterprise Edition and Magento Enterprise Cloud Edition. In just a few short years, they’ve gone from developing a few sites to a being major player in the Magento ecosystem. And with the award coming on the heels of announcing their new Enterprise Partner status with the world’s #1 eCommerce platform, they have no plans of slowing down anytime soon.

When asked about becoming Commercial Partner of the Year in North America, CEO Eric Yonge had this to say: “We are very thankful to Magento for being so supportive of our partnership with this award. Whenever we work with Magento, it feels like we’re all one big team pulling together to help our merchants succeed. They put a lot of effort into building a diverse and talented community, and it’s humbling to be part of that. The Magento platform allows us to implement whatever we dream up for EYStudios’ clients, so we’re pretty excited about what the future holds.”

For more information, contact: Meagan Bryson at 888-429-4803 or MeaganB@eystudios.com.

About EYStudios: EYStudios is a full-service branding firm specializing in eCommerce design and development. We are a 13-year-old company with in-house, US-based designers, developers, and account managers. We focus on developing storefronts with a high-end aesthetic and plenty of personality.

Over the past three years we have developed for more Internet Retailer top 1000 merchants than any other private firm. We emphasize proactive merchandising and usability within designs. If you are looking for an energetic, consultative style of customer service, you have found your eCommerce home with EYStudios. For more information, visit us at www.EYStudios.com.

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This month we’d like to put the Partner Spotlight on Red Rook who handled the ERP integration for The Gaudy Boutique, a site of ours that launched earlier this month.

We sat down with Jason Burge, Executive Director, Strategic Partnerships at Red Rook to help us explain what they do, and what sets them apart from their competition.

EYStudios: What does Red Rook specialize in?

Jason: Red Rook solves our clients’ retail commerce challenges by providing unmatched services in consulting, technology, and platform integration. Our strong suit is really Omni-channel Retail Management Systems and integrated eCommerce, as well as platform systems integration. We’ve partnered with industry leaders NCR Counterpoint and Magento to create solutions that transform the way merchants grow their business and connect with their customers.

EYStudios: Is there a certain type of retailer you focus on?

Jason: Over the last decade, we’ve cast a wide net. Whether a client is selling to businesses (B2B) or to individual consumers (B2C) who shop via website, in-store, Amazon, Facebook, or a mobile device, our COMMERCE5 Order & Inventory Management solution ensures efficient order fulfillment, purchasing, real-time inventory, dashboard reporting, point-of-sale, and integration to existing accounting and CRM systems.

EYStudios: How long has Red Rook been around, and how many clients do you have now?

Jason: We were founded in 2001 and currently work with over 300 clients in 42 states and 5 countries, serving retail giants such as Goodwill, Spanx and Fujifilm, as well as non-profit leaders like Carnegie and The Guggenheim.
 

EYStudios: Those are some big names on your roster. How do you win clients like that?

Jason:  Our mission is to bring an innovative spirit and commitment to true win-win partnership in every relationship we forge. It’s not always easy, but when we can truly collaborate with our clients and partners, we find that the output is always greater than the investment. Ultimately, I think that’s what everyone wants in any endeavor. We know that whatever we do alone is nothing compared to what we can achieve together.

That is why we couldn’t have asked for a better partner in the eCommerce world than EYStudios. Not just a team of highly skilled professionals on the cutting edge of the industry, both in function and client branding, they also share our commitment to putting in more than you take out. We look forward to many more successful collaborations with their team in the future.

To learn more about how a partnership between EYStudios and Red Rook could benefit your business, reach out to one of our eCommerce Consultants today. 

EYStudios is pleased to announce the launch of ShopTheGaudy.com on March 3rd, 2017. Prior to working with us, the Gaudy brands were sold at 5 successful retail locations, and a variety of shows and sales. The brands also had a loyal social media following on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.

Our challenge from a design standpoint was to:

1. Consider how to combine the two arms of the Gaudy brand, Gaudy Me (misses sizes) and Dressin’ Gaudy (women’s sizes), into one online experience – The Gaudy Boutique.

2. How to carry over their existing personality to their first ever eCommerce store.

We’re proud to say we’ve created a site that’s not only beautiful, but brings to life their vibrant personality and reflects their sweet southern style.
Features of the site include:

• Magazine style layout homepage to best merchandise their products

• A “Get the Look” section that populates with their latest Instagram Posts

• A “Model Specs” feature that explains the measurements of the specific model who is wearing an item in a selected product image.

Additionally, the completed project included two successful implementations from EY partners Red Rook and ZeroLag.

Gaudy was already using the NCR Counterpoint software at their retail locations, and utilized our local partner Red Rook to do the implementation for their website. The EY team worked closely with Red Rook to help with any developmental needs on the site, and make sure the overall project went smoothly.

ZeroLag is the hosting provider for the new site, which runs on zCloud for Magento to ensure maximum performance and top security – supported 24/7/365. zCloud is a scalable and fully redundant infrastructure supported by Magento experts, to maximize performance, security and growth.

The end result: The successful transition of a well-known retail brand to an online merchant, thus expanding the OmniChannel experience for their customers.

Talk to one of our eCommerce Consultants today about what EY can do for your brand.

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Meagan Bryson / Marketing Associate

EYStudios announces its new status as an Enterprise Level partner with Magento.

Kennesaw, GA – On Saturday, February 25th, EYStudios’ partner status with the Magento platform upgraded from Professional Level to Enterprise Level (formerly known as the Gold level). The new status is reflective of EY’s successful relationship as the #1 mid-market developer with the #1 mid-market eCommerce platform.

As a Professional Partner for the last two years, EYStudios has continued to be a growing presence in the Magento ecosystem.  In 2016, EYStudios had its most successful year yet, by leading 11 merchants to the Magento Enterprise Platform for successful implementations to grow their business and market share.

As an Enterprise partner, EYStudios is looking forward to leveraging the knowledge and skills strengthened in the prior two years to continue to deliver world class designs and implementations to mid-market business owners.  Enterprise Partners are known by Magento for being “equipped to handle the complex implementations of enterprise merchants,” and those kinds of elaborate builds are something EY is no stranger to.

“We’ve really enjoyed working on Magento as one of our primary platforms and becoming a part of their robust community. As far as our clients go, those who utilize Magento have been thrilled with how it has had a positive effect on their day-to-day processes and overall business. We’re proud of all that we’ve been able to accomplish with Magento and look forward to a long partnership with them.” said EYStudios CEO Eric Yonge.

For more information, contact: Meagan Bryson at 888-429-4803 or MeaganB@eystudios.com.

About EYStudios: EYStudios is a full-service branding firm specializing in eCommerce design and development.  We are a 12 year-old company with in-house, US-based designers, developers, and account managers.  We focus on developing storefronts with a high-end aesthetic and plenty of personality.

Over the past three years we have developed for more Internet Retailer top 1000 merchants than any other private firm.  We emphasize pro-active merchandising and usability within designs.  If you are looking for an energetic, consultative style of customer service, you have found your eCommerce home with EYStudios. For more information visit us at www.EYStudios.com.

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Don’t get us wrong—carefully crafted product descriptions are vital to selling your products online, but they aren’t the first thing that is going to grab your customer’s attention.  The first and, arguably, most important things your customer sees are your product images. 

Your images do far more than simply show off your product.  They instill trust in your products and your business, further enticing customers to buy from your online store. With so much at stake with your product photography, you don’t want to waste time and money on images that won’t do anything for your bottom line.

To help you nail your product images, we’ve created an eCommerce guide with helpful tips for engaging product photography.

Professional Photographer or DIY?

One of the first questions that you’ll need ask yourself is whether it’s better to hire a professional photographer or take a DIY approach to your product images.  There are pros and cons to either option that you will need to consider:

Hiring a Professional Photographer

If you know little about photography or don’t feel like you have the time to shoot your own products, hiring a professional may be the way to go.  With a professional, you don’t have to worry about finding the necessary equipment or spending time learning photography best practices.

The downside is that professional photographers aren’t cheap, and you may not even own the rights to your photos.  If you fail to do your research, you could end up with a photographer who isn’t a good fit for your business!

DIY Approach

The DIY approach is common for startups and those working with limited budgets.  Even if you’re new to the industry, you can achieve high-quality photos if you take the time to learn a few tips of the trade. The obvious disadvantage is that you may not want to take time away from other tasks to learn how to properly photograph your products.

Best Tips for Engaging Photography

Engaging photography isn’t guaranteed just because you hire a professional.  The truth is that you know your products and your customers better than anyone else, and it’s up to you to show your products in the best way.

So, whether you do it yourself or use a professional, here are some key tips for getting product images that sell:

Have Different Product Image Types

Every eCommerce retailer has the standard white-background product image shot.  We aren’t knocking this kind of shot necessarily. In fact, it’s important to not have distractions in certain shots and to simply showcase the product on its own.

But, if you want to truly engage customers, you will need to have a variety of product images in your arsenal.  For example, shooting your product from different angles, showing a person using the item in action, or, better yet—get a video of the item being used.

The consumer can’t touch or test your product online, so it’s up to you to answer their questions with your images.  With this in mind, you are on your way to producing product images that sell.

Consider a Product Stylist

For online stores that are selling clothes, hiring a stylist to work with their photographer is a no-brainer.  Stylists know some pretty neat tips and tricks to get products looking amazing for photoshoots.

Stylists aren’t just limited to clothing items.  Local restaurants frequently enlist food stylists to make their food look irresistible to consumers.  So, regardless of what you sell, you may want to consider hiring a stylist because they can take your product images from average to engaging with just a few simple tweaks.

Authenticity Can Win Customers

Most eCommerce merchants know that low-quality images are bad and will end up deterring customers from making a purchase.  However, authentic photos don’t have to mean low-quality, and they can be more engaging to consumers than your professional-looking photos.

For example, check out this photograph that Halo Top Creamery featured on their Instagram page (their vanilla bean ice cream is amazing, by the way).  The product is still the main focus of the image, but the dog adds an air of authenticity and warmth that engages consumers.

Conclusion

Although a professional photographer is convenient, it isn’t necessary to achieve engaging product images that convert shoppers into buyers.  The most engaging photos are those that instill trust in consumers, answer their unasked questions, and entice shoppers to make a purchase.

About Springbot

Springbot delivers an eCommerce marketing platform to small and medium businesses on BigCommerce, Magento, and Shopify to combines the power of marketing automation and marketing analytics. We integrate and make simple the data, content, and multi-channel marketing tools (social, online, email, etc.) you need to drive more traffic, conversions, and revenue. Find out how your store stacks up against your eCommerce peers with Springbot’s new free tool, the eCommerce Scorecard.