Direct retail, in the world of interactive multichannel commerce, is ever-changing. Our Ability SmartSite™ -savvy specialized marketing experts stay current with the latest research and training, and work closely with our web developers to maximize profitability for clients using Ability SmartSite™.

Ability SmartSite™ has user-friendly back-end management tools, so our training and implementation staff can teach you to run it yourself. However, we recognize that today's complex online marketing environment makes it time-consuming and costly to maintain the staff required to fully maximize the potential of your Ability SmartSite. Investigate our Ability SmartStaff™ e-commerce agency services as a cost-effective solution.



Ability SmartStaff experts have been instrumental in the development of all our robust Ability SmartSite functionality. We work with clients who sell a wide variety of merchandise, and we leverage the expertise of each staff member to provide best-practice, top-of-the-line marketing solutions for every client. We're dedicated to working with you to understand your clients and products; we then combine your expertise and feedback with our marketing experience to create a cost-effective, custom-tailored marketing strategy.

The Ability SmartStaff organization is engineered to deliver results in three key performance areas. Expert attention to all three areas is critical for staying ahead of the curve in today's competitive marketplace. All Search Engine Optimization and Conversion Optimization services are included and managed together if you contract with us to manage your Ability SmartSite (specific service levels based upon our business analysis during your implementation process and via ongoin g feedback from your executive and purchasing staff).

1. Search Engine Optimization
We view search engine optimization (SEO) as the primary objective in web marketing. Effective SEO eliminates or greatly reduces the need for traditional (and expensive) print prospecting. We'll get customers to your web store via search engine traffic , currently the number-one most efficient and cost-effective way of generating new qualified customers.

• SEO Research
• Taxonomy Research
• Site Content Management
• Metatag Maintenance

2. Conversion Optimization
Make sure all of your traffic is engaged, finding what they’re looking for, and placing orders.

• Data Analysis
• Site Navigation Management
• Best Practice Research and Development (Cart & Checkout, Navigation, Mobile Ordering, etc)
• Inbound Link /Social Networking Management
• Onsite Search Management
• Customer Service Liaison Management
• Rich Media Management
• Web Design & Graphics Management

3. Marketing
*Ability SmartStaff experts also manage a variety of traditional "reach-out" marketing tactics, converted to the web environment. This will again increase your customer base at a cost savings over catalog and traditional channels.

• Amazon Store Set-Up, Maintenance and Relationship Management
• Shopping Portal feed optimizatio n and bid management (Pricegrabber, Yahoo!, etc.)
• Google Search Engine Marketing—Google Pay-Per-Click, Google Pay-Per-Action Campaign Management
• E-Mail Marketing—Comprehensive Services
• Online Advertising Management
• Multichannel Advertising Reporting & Tracking
• Affiliate Marketing Management

*Web Marketing services are optional, and may or may not be negotiated on an individual fee-for-service basis for each service provided, plus additional associated advertising costs. Contract negotiations specific to each client will detail any web marketing services separately and, if not outlined in the contract, are not provided.

Dedicated Client Resources
As a full-service client of Ability Commerce, you'll have all the expertise of the entire Ability SmartStaff organization working hard on your marketing initiatives. Staffing consists of two main components. First, we designate resources exclusively to your marketing program, to work with your team, report back to you, and coordinate all projects. These dedicated resources work directly with the second component of your Ability SmartStaff team, our subject matter experts, who leverage their experience working with all our clients to provide cutting-edge marketing solutions in every aspect of today's complex e-commerce environment.

Account Manager
Every client's marketing program begins with an account manager. Your account manager is responsible for coordinating and directing all Ability SmartStaff resources on your behalf to ensure that your brand image is maintained and that your marketing projects are given priority status. While your staff merchandise experts are always encouraged to interact directly with ours on any specific projects they desire, the account manager is your primary contact point with the Ability SmartStaff team. You choose the level of involvement or input you require; your account manager makes everything happen under your direction.

Account managers will:

• Ensure that your specifications and guidelines are followed for all marketing initiatives;
• Manage Ability SmartStaff resources required to work on your projects;
• Review analytics reporting with you or on your behalf, as you choose;
• Initiate and project-manage appropriate tests or changes, either upon your request or based upon our analysis;
• Ensure that software/site upgrades are carried out and tested correctly per existing IT and client protocols, after reviewing any proposed new functionality changes with you.

Each client's data and marketing programs are confidential within our organization. However, one of the key benefits of using Ability SmartStaff lies in our ability to leverage the knowledge we gain from one client and apply it to others. Your account manager will collaborate with other account managers and report back to you with any new marketing ideas, recommendations or strategies resulting from the success stories of other clients, so that you can analyze such ideas and approve their use for your own business.

Depending upon your sales volume, number of SKUs, and complexity of your existing marketing initiatives, an account manager is either a fulltime Ability SmartStaff resource or a shared resource with other clients. If you choose to maintain marketing projects in-house, you will require an experienced marketer to serve as manager for your own marketing plans and to coordinate site upgrades and changes with your Ability Commerce software support team

Dedicated Merchandisers
Your account manager will work closely with product merchandising experts to determine the best direction for any new marketing initiatives. You have multiple options as to whether your merchandisers will be your own in-house product experts, specially trained Ability SmartStaff resources, or a combination. We typically provide at least one Ability SmartStaff merchandiser to advise all staff; this is dependent upon the complexity and breadth of your product offerings. If you manage your site in-house, you should plan to add web merchandising responsibilities as outlined below to the current responsibilities of your product buyers, for a probable total addition of one to three new staff members in this area.

Dedicated merchandisers are on-staff to ensure appropriate and timely search engine optimization, and to capitalize on marketing opportunities. For example, if you sell snow shovels, and there's a major snowstorm on the way for a large part of the US, it's the dedicated merchandiser's job to check in with the your account manager, find out if you have a lot of customers in the geographical area of the storm, pull together a home-page promotion, a Google AdWord campaign, a geographically targeted e-mail campaign, and check your inventory to make sure you have enough shovels in stock to handle all the sales from your timely snow-shovel promotion!

Similarly, if you sell specialty coffees from Kenya, and a major news story breaks on coffee shortages, your dedicated merchandiser can tap into increased search engine traffic from the news story by adjusting your search-engine ad campaigns. If you sell turkey calls, the dedicated merchandiser plans marketing activities targeted for “turkey season” dates around the country...you get the idea

Dedicated merchandisers will:

• Develop deep understanding of your product line and sales cycle, to capitalize on merchandising opportunities;
• Develop communications with your product buyers to take advantage of their insights and relationships with vendors, with an eye to making special promotions or marketing opportunities available on your web site in a timely manner.
• Coordinate and provide vendor contact information for service area staff;
• Work with SEO researchers to optimize keyword selection;
• Develop and implement well-integrated rich media and informational content;
• Provide timely home page change suggestions and category- and subcategory-level special features based on your sales cycle.

Subject Matter Expert Marketers
Each member of the Ability SmartStaff marketing agency is dedicated to providing best-practice marketing within their area of specialization. Our multiple-client structure allows us to dedicate resources to specialized niches within the e-commerce world, which results not only in a high level of expertise, but also in increased efficiency. Just like a production line, where everyone has a specialized function they’ve been trained to do, our experts have the training and practical on-the-job experience to do their jobs better and faster than anyone else. The subject matter experts in each marketing area work with your account manager to determine proper resource levels and keep your marketing efforts running at peak efficiency.

We add new competencies all the time, staying abreast of the latest developments in the direct-marketing world. Our current competencies are outlined below, with estimates of average staffing resources devoted to each client (staff levels obviously will vary according to the complexity and size of your business—number of unique products is the main determiner in staff hours required).

If you choose to maintain your site yourself, our subject matter experts will provide your staff with advice and training during your implementation process, as well as providing regular updates on the best ways to use any new functionality. You can use the staffing guidelines below as an approximate guide to the level of resources you will need to designate for each task if you choose to manage your site’s content and marketing initiatives within your own organization.