Public companies issue a lot of press releases. Some of them are issued to announce something to the press or to brag but many others are issued simply to comply with the SEC’s public disclosure provision of Regulation FD. What that means effectively is that if you ask the CEO of a public company about her company she can’t tell you anything that isn’t publicly disclosed. That used to mean either an SEC fling or a press release. Welcome to…

...continue to read "Not Just Another Press Release"

Today we (FutureNow, FUTR.OB),  issued a press release where we “sorta kinda” spilled the beans. We’re only accepting alpha clients right now and we’re not disclosing the name yet (hence, its code name: “Dr. Phil”) but we’re psyched. This is the best thing FutureNow has ever done. Check it out:

Customers will be buying subscriptions to a web-based expert software system  for continuous improvement of their online revenue goals. It solves the problem of how to prioritize and project manage online marketing…

...continue to read "Hot Tip! Super Secret “Dr. Phil” Software Release"

Just one year after Google [GOOG] launched Google Website Optimizer, the free A/B split and multivariate testing platform has shed its “beta” status and gone mainstream.

Formerly available only to AdWords users, Google Website Optimizer can now be accessed by anyone with a basic Google account. Even if you only have so much as a Gmail account, you can start testing your website — for free — regardless of whether you’re running a paid search campaign. (No worries, AdWords users, Website…

...continue to read "Google Website Optimizer Opens Up, Sheds Beta"

My Company (Future Now) just released its “2007 Retail Customer Experience Survey,” revealing both good and bad news.

Bad news first. In aggregate, online retailers fall far short of offering good or even adequate customer experiences. A pathetic 4 out of 330 sites would get a passing grade in Customer Experience 101. It’s frightening to consider how much money is being left on the table and how many conversion opportunities are missed.

The good news? Companies show improvement over the last survey,…

...continue to read "Online Retailers Fail Customer Experience 101"

How Much Money Do Retailers Leave on the Table?

Our 2007 study clearly shows that online retailers are not capitalizing on the customer experience and are overly focused on innovation while ignoring the basics.

U.S. online retail sales will more than double over the next six years, reaching $316 billion by 2010, according to a new report from Forrester Research — they expect e-commerce will grow to account for 12 percent of total retail sales in 2010, up from nearly 7…

...continue to read "Future Now’s 2007 Retail Customer Experience Study"

Bryan Eisenberg

…marketing in an era when the customer is in greater control than ever. That businesses can ‘Always Be Testing’ (for free!). And, of course, for Hannah, Sammy & Stacey.

Cinde Johnson

…the fact that more e-tailers are coming to the realization that relevance, scent, and my buying process, are more important than their selling processes, and for making their sites more persuasive. (When you live in the “official” middle-of-nowhere, shopping online isn’t just a convenience, it’s a necessity!)

Holly Buchanan

…companies and…

...continue to read "A Commonly Overlooked Metric: “Thankfulness”"