David Towers, Managing Partner, Avenue A/Razorfisg is doing a session on ”Evolving E-Commerce Strategies and Tactics using Web 2.0.”

David is a former retailer, having previously run e-commerce at J. Crew and Liz Claiborne, so he’s not just an “agency guy” trying to generate fees with the cool new online stuff retailers “have” to do. In fact, he goes to lengths to point out a couple of the “obvious areas” that he recommends most retails NOT get involved yet.

David really had to jam through examples of a lot of tools in action. I believe I’ve captured the categorization correctly (and, if not, I hope he’ll correct me in the comments!)

Must-have today

  • Blogs & evolved user generated content
    • Product reviews are 1.0
    • Retailer POV is 2.0 - David uses Ice.com as an example of what not to do, in this instance - “news” is that there is a sale; the user questions aren’t useful to a general population)
  • Social networking
    • Join MySpace or another existing social network - He says “Why not? it floors me that companies trying to be hip and trendy fail to put up a simple MySpace page.”
    • Make your own – examples include American Eagle Outfitters’ yearbook program and Target’s helping users run their book club
    • Let your customer make their own social network – check out Ning user Marcos’s own Coca-Cola network
  • Rich Media, AJAX, enhanced visualization
    • Guided selling (no page reload; no boxes around products; Target, Coca-cola, Nike, Best Buy)
    • Visual navigation (products jump out at you when you mouse over; Breville, Disney)
    • All that said, nothing beats good photography (Bvlgari)
  • Video
    • Examples include the Engadget “unboxing” and BlendTech’s “Will it blend?” video
  • Widgets and gadgets
    • Lots of potential b/c it helps transcend browser by getting on the desktop; getting in front of consumer before they even open their browsers

    No there, there yet 

     

  • Virtual Worlds
    • Poster child American Apparel ROI is unclear; some backlash because the company failed to engage in the community property
  • Mobile
    • No clear homerun in mobile for e-Retailer selling things online (not talking about ringtones and games); phone is too personal a means of communication; big future in mobile, but aren’t here right now

Finally, David closed with 5 Things Every Dignital Executive Should Know About Web 2.0

  1. Your Web site is like everything and nothing you’ve ever known
  2. Distribution will trump destination – we are about to see the end of channels
  3. Accountability will rule the day – everything is infinitely trackable
  4. Today’s Web is in its “Uncle Milty” stage – it’s Web 2.0, but it’s ONLY Web 2.0
  5. The consumer is not in control – sellers are still in control of their brands; you make the decisions, you are in control, make good use of it

OK, I apologize to making you wait to the end of a long post to bring out the WOW, but read #5 again. Doesn’t that just fly in the face of everything we “know” about Web 2.0?? But, when you think about it, is it really crazy? While it wasn’t intended to be about brands, but maybe that that old saw about letting go of the thing you love holds water here.

What say you?