Ramblers get better navigation

Outdoor clothing and equipment retailer Cotswold Outdoor has installed a web analytics application from Coremetrics to improve its web marketing.

According to Cotswold online marketing manager Michael Austin, the combination of free Google Analytics and a bespoke analysis package from the retailer's web development agency was no longer sophisticated enough to produce the depth of information the company requires.

silicon.com Retail & Leisure

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"We needed something that is session-based and the applications we had could only tell us about a visitor's last search," he told silicon.com.

Austin said the Coremetrics application allows his team to identify the point where a visitor came into the site, and see which marketing campaigns work best at encouraging browsing on the site.

"Our customers are quite a tight-knit community who see our marketing through a number of channels. The application allows us to have a better picture of which campaigns are most effective at drawing them into the site," he added.

The number of orders per search session on Cotswold's site has doubled since the launch of the application.

The application was launched in mid 2007, but data validation was completed in November.

Coremetrics is also conducting an audit of the site, set to be completed by late February, to make sure navigation is optimised to convert browsers to buyers once customers log on.

Austin is considering adding on an email component that will allow the company to send out more personalised email campaigns based on customer behaviour.