Online Self-Service Is Finally Getting Interesting

3. Create content targeting rules (business rules) for specific segments and areas of a site where you want to show different content;

 4. Test. Virtualize each segment before you go live to ensure you don't deliver the wrong content to the wrong customer at the wrong time;

5. Deploy sites and content to the Web;

6. Dynamically deliver targeted content to each customer based on the segmentation analysis;

7. Track behavior to determine which campaign brought them to the site and what they are doing once they arrive. Marketers can track a broad spectrum of data, including conversion rates, the path taken through a site, departure location and more;

8. Analyze customer behavior and campaign performance to determine what is delivering the best results—which sites and content are most effective for each segment, and how well the campaign as a whole is working;

9. Optimize internal sites and content based on analyzed data. Business users can take action immediately and improve the message or the experience without requiring IT; and

10. Continue the process until you achieve maximum results.

In this context, Web analytics provides more than just thought-provoking pie charts; it becomes a dynamic element of a complete, ongoing cycle for optimizing and refining customer experience and revenue growth.

Closed-Loop Optimization in Action

An online sporting goods retailer wants to improve sales in its Northeast region. The marketing department decides to test a new site version in which product shots are larger and a broader selection of related items is shown on each product page. Following the optimization cycle, the new site content is created, tested, deployed and delivered by the content management system. Business rules direct half of all site visitors from the Northeast to the new version of the site, and half to the existing site. By tracking the conversion rates of each group, a business analyst determines that the new site is generating more transactions. In real-time, the marketer makes the new site version the default site for all Northeast customers, creates a slightly improved version of the new site, splits the traffic again and further refines its effectiveness by testing new combinations of related products for different customer profiles. The process continues over and over again to deliver the best results.

An auto insurance company places ad buys on major search engines. As users search for specific terms, they are funneled, based on keywords and other implicit data, to any one of seven versions of a microsite that features a quote registration form. As each customer goes through the form process, the company tracks their behavior and uses the analysis to optimize the messages and quote form to maximize the conversion rates.

A marketer uses a template to create an email newsletter, which is then submitted through a rules-based targeted engine to deliver more relevant offers based on user profiles and preferences. As customers click on links within the newsletter, the marketer can determine which messages have been most effective and make incremental improvements for the following campaigns.

Requirements for Success

Breaking down the optimization cycle, the requirements for an effective solution are:

• Create sites and content easily with a business-user-friendly content management system;
• Describe content richly (with metadata) for automated delivery;
• Push content efficiently through the review and approval process;
• Create customer segments and targeting rules;
• Assign those rules to sites and pages;
• Test the site for each segment;
• Execute the publication process;
• Deliver content dynamically based on visitor identities and associated rules;
• Track and analyze clickstream data and other information on any live Web page; and
• Take action effectively in the content management system to make improvements.

And all of this should be done without needing IT involvement.

Leading companies have already deployed these capabilities, and are growing their profits faster than those who haven't. They see each element as an interlocking part of a holistic process, and ensure that the technologies are properly integrated in a way that facilitates the entire cycle. In this way, they can maximize the return on investment while leveraging the solution as a whole to improve the customer experience and drive revenue growth.

In the true spirit of Web self-service, the closed-loop optimization process transforms online content from a static, one-size-fits-all message to a dynamic and relevant conversation with the customer. By tracking the customer's behavior while targeting content, you can respond with more relevant and appealing sales offers and an online experience that drives revenue growth and strengthens customer loyalty.

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Interwoven is a global leader in content management solutions. Interwoven's software and services enable organizations to effectively leverage content to drive business growth by improving the customer experience, increasing collaboration, and streamlining business processes in dynamic environments. Our unique approach combines user-friendly simplicity with robust IT performance and scalability to unlock the value of content. Today, nearly 3,800 enterprise and professional services organizations worldwide have chosen Interwoven, including: adidas, Airbus, Avaya, Cisco, DLA Piper, the Federal Reserve Bank, FedEx, HSBC, LexisNexis, Microsoft, Samsung, Shell, Samsonite, White & Case, and Yamaha. Over 19,000 developers and over 300 partners enrich and extend Interwoven's offerings. To learn more about Interwoven, please visit www.interwoven.com.

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