Members of the ACRS team attended Day 2 of the eCommerce Conference and Expo. It was a very insightful day, with numerous national and international keynotes discussing prominent current trends and future directions for the eCommerce space. The following presentation highlights key insights.

1. eCommerce Conference and Expo Highlights
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
March 2015

2. 2
Conference Details
eCommerce Conference and Expo
Workshops: 10 March
Conference and Expo: 11-12 March 2015
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
http://www.ecomexpomelbourne.com.au/
ecommerce Conference & Expo is the only event in Australia that unites businesses and thought
leaders confronted by the changes in the ecommerce and digital ecosystem. The event focuses on
the challenges that businesses and brands are facing, and upskills attendees with solutions and
ideas that will help them overcome these challenges. It also provides a platform for learning,
sourcing, sharing, and networking.
Members of the ACRS team attended Day 2 of the eCommerce Conference and Expo. It was a very
insightful day, with numerous national and international keynotes discussing prominent current trends and
future directions for the eCommerce space. The following pages highlight key insights.
eCommerce Conference and Expo Highlights
“

3. 3
eCommerce Conference and Expo Highlights
International Keynotes
Anatomy of a Purchase: Mistakes to Avoid In the Sales Funnel
Tim Ash, CEO, SiteTurners
 Tim gave a very lively presentation on the shortcomings of e-retail practice.
 He spoke about how the path to purchase is the most critical part of a customer’s online shopping journey, and the
key problem areas where a brand can lose a consumer – for example, additional costs (including postage and
credit card fees) that are only disclosed at the point of payment are a major source of shopping cart abandonment.
 Successful e-retail practitioners anticipate those potential trouble spots and try to smooth them over before they trip
up buyers.
The Roadmap to Online Retail Success: from sourcing to payment
Michael Mang, Head of International Business Development and Marketing (APAC & MENA) Alibaba.com
 Michael’s presentation was highly informative on the process of linking businesses with suppliers through
Alibaba.com.
 He explained the quality measures taken by Alibaba.com to ensure the effectiveness of their suppliers; for example,
company representatives visit supplier factories globally on an ongoing basis.
 In addition, Michael identified other supplier verification metrics, including level of membership, assessments, and
length of membership/track record with Alibaba.com. These metrics can help to select the right suppliers who will
fulfill their obligations regarding order delivery and product quality.

4. 4
Presentation from the ACRS
Getting Into The Digital Consumers’ Mind
Dr. Sean Sands, Director of ACRS, Monash Business School
 Sean gave a comprehensive view of the retail space, and how the consumer shift into a digital mindset can produce problems
as well as opportunities for the ‘bricks and mortar’ retailer.
 The digital consumer is well-informed, as the internet provides them with a plethora of information on competing brands,
products and prices.
 Digital consumers have high expectations as they have the ability to source products on demand from anywhere in the world.
They are demanding and unforgiving if a product does not meet their expectations.
 Consumer experience within the retail store is key – Sean shared best practice examples from innovative and creative
retailers across the globe.
eCommerce Conference and Expo Highlights

5. 5
National Keynotes
Understanding the True Value of Your Multi-Channel Website
Nathan Bush, Group Digital Manager, Super Retail Group
 Nathan spoke of the complexity of measuring a website’s ability to push sales, and discussed the step by step actions taken
by the Super Retail Group to collect in-store attributed sales data to further understand the power of their eCommerce.
 Online sales is not the only metric to consider website value, as consumers often browse the website and check for store
locations and then make the purchase in-store.
 The study conducted by the Super Retail Group included eCommerce sales, website visits, and exit surveys with customers
to see if, and to what extent, digital channels influenced their decision making.
 The results found that sales influenced by digital channels are vastly underestimated; both eCommerce and attributed in-
store sales must be considered to reflect the true value of websites and multi-channel strategies.
eCommerce Conference and Expo Highlights

6. 6
Internationals Power Panel
Understanding the True Value of Your Multi-Channel Website
Panelists Daniel Moure Chief Marketing Officer, pureformulas.com
Amy McDowell VP Digital Marketing, BaubleBar
Samantha Kent Director – International, JackThreads
 The panel answered questions from the audience and topics tweeted by delegates at the end of Day 1.
 Topics covered included the future of digital channels versus bricks and mortar stores. The speakers talked about the
advantages for start up organisations in embracing digital channels and the importance of having an innovative internal
culture.
 The panelists brought a variety of perspectives to the discussion, based on the strategies of their own company with
regards to size and structure, as well as their industry.
 E.g. the role of online giants like Amazon, and the pros and cons of collaborating with online retailers.
eCommerce Conference and Expo Highlights

7. 7
User Experience Track Presentations
Building Unique Relationships with the Omni-Channel Customer
Graham Jackson, Senior Vice President Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China SAP hybris
 Graham gave an engaging presentation about creating connections with consumers in the online space and the importance
of software to facilitate this.
 He spoke of the importance of delivering contextual, consistent, and relevant experiences in real-time as the ‘new rules of
customer engagement’.
 Customer journeys are increasingly complex; they use various channels, and have endless information available to make
purchase decisions. An understanding of what information is needed, and where the customer goes to find this information
are the key elements to building relationships with customers.
Leveraging Data and Analytics for Greater User Experiences and Improved Conversion
Gus Balbontin, Advisor and Former Executive Director Lonely Planet
 Gus talked about how Lonely Planet reconnected with their users by emailing customers about what they wanted to see on
the website and what was lacking.
 He also discussed how a startup automated linking customers travel searches with the available flights to sell this b2b
service to airlines for a fraction of the cost of their current model.
 Retailers are recommended to use a select group of customers to understand the journey they take online.
eCommerce Conference and Expo Highlights

8. ACRS
Department of Marketing
Monash Business School
Level 6, Building S
26 Sir John Monash Drive
Caulfield East, VIC 3145
T. +61 3 9903 2455
F. +61 3 9903 2099
E. acrs@monash.edu
W. monash.edu/acrs
eCommerce Conference and Expo Highlights

9. Presentation summaries are sourced from
http://www.ecomexpomelbourne.com.au/en/conference/Day-2/
Cover image sourced from Pixabay, Free for commercial use / No attribution required
(http://pixabay.com/en/ball-about-cable-lan-connected-563972/)
eCommerce Conference and Expo Highlights