Ecommerce Software UK - eTail Europe

Our European team is busy getting ready for eTail Europe in June. The event attracts over 280 leading e-retailing executives so we look forward to the opportunity to share ideas on the obstacles and opportunities of creating ecommerce websites.

We plan to give retailers some ecommerce consulting around online communities because we have found that many of them want to do more in the area of community, but lack the clarity in both ROI and specific implementation ideas.

One community concept we will be discussing is private event retailing. Private events are invitation-only, limited-time sales that enable a retailer to build viral excitement and a sense of urgency. Check out this recent BusinessWeek article about the concept's booming success.

The other ecommerce strategy gaining traction is fan networks which are social networks for a retailer's most passionate and influential customers - its fans. This sort of community approach, if executed well, can create reinforcing behavior that drives customers repeatedly back to a retailer's site for community interactions and transactions without requiring a constant push from intrusive email campaigns.

Leading retailers are beginning to successfully deploy both private event retailing and fan networks with positive economic outcomes. See you at eTail!