Change happens more quickly than perhaps we might like when it comes to the web.  But one thing remains the same, customers demand the ultimate experience when they interact with your brand, whether on the web, in store, via their mobile phone or iPad.  As a website owner, designer or developer, this has its challenges. Can we continue to support each new device, input mode and browser with its own bespoke design and experience?  Surely this will become unmanageable and impractical as the number of devices increases, requiring endless new designs and resolutions.  So what’s the answer?

Responsive web design is one approach.  It suggests that the design and development need to respond to the user’s behaviour and environment based on screen size, platform and orientation.  By designing responsively you also take into consideration what might be just around the corner and let’s face it, there are  bound to be a number of new gadgets we need to cater for over the next few years without compromising on experience.

Practice responsive web design – Although responsive web design has been around for some years it is now coming into its own as the number of devices and different browsers are on the increase.  In the next few years it will become increasingly expensive if websites aren’t designed responsively.  How many different sites are you prepared to pay for?  For those retailers that want a distinctly different experience on the website or mobile then this may still be the answer, but not everybody will be able to afford this. 

So what is responsive web design? Not to be confused with “fluid” designs, it’s when the layout and design of the website “responds” to the user’s device.  Instead of tailoring disconnected designs to the web, mobile or any other device, designs are treated as facets of the same experience.  If they are designed optimally using standards-based technologies like HTML5 and CSS3 they will be flexible enough and adaptable enough to cope with any device that renders them, be that a PC, iPhone, iPad, iPod or TV.

As a case in point, Salmon have introduced Halfords to this on their mobile site.  www.halfords.com.  When you view the product details page in both landscape and portrait on an iPhone or Android phone the components move around to make use of the available space, optimising the layout to changes in window size and device resolution.

Halfords also cleverly uses HTML5 - when customers enter personal information like an email, postal address or telephone number, the keypad automatically changes to provide customers with the relevant data needed such as an @ sign, full stop, letters or numbers, without being prompted.  To really see the benefits of responsive web design you need to view the same content on different devices, another good example is the website of designer Simon Collison.

Although designing responsively has huge possibilities allowing you to target devices and serve different crisper sites to each device, it is still in its infancy and isn’t without its challenges.  Take testing as an example.  No longer will you simply test the design on Internet Explorer or Firefox, but the iPhone, iPad, TV and whatever device is next will all need to be considered.

Designers will need to write much cleaner code and retailers will need to buy into the fact that some small compromise on design when viewing the site on Internet Explorer will in fact be worthwhile as they will be getting a future-proof design across all devices.

For more information on the concept of responsive web design, Ethan Marcotte wrote an article about the approach for A List Apart and another book worth reading is Hard-boiled Web Design by Andy Clarke.

We have just announced a deal with DUAL International (part of the Hyperion Insurance Group), to develop and implement a new pan-European web-based underwriting platform.

Having successfully completed an initial strategic consulting phase, Salmon will now configure and implement SAFI™ (the Salmon Application Framework for Insurance) to support DUAL International’s multi-lingual and multi-company operations in Spain, Germany and Italy, on a single instance of the web- based solution.

To read more about the project and Dual, as well as see our other clients in the Insurance sector click here.

As many of you know, Halfords have been a Salmon customer since 2005. We have worked with the brand and their in-house teams on establishing a strategic eCommerce platform, and subsequently on helping them execute against their sophisticated multi-channel strategies.

In light of all this activity, we finally created a couple of video’s to capture what a successful client / supplier partnership this has been. Enjoy.

Short Video

Long Video

We were delighted to announce recently the successful implementation of “Free Delivery To Store” functionality on Halfords.com.  This innovative new service means customers can order any item available on the Halfords website, then pick the item up from their local store, free of delivery charge.

This type of eCommerce offering dramatically extends the breadth of range that customers can access, and saves them the cost of delivery.  It can also make it easier and more enjoyable for customers to shop online.

Building on the success of Halfords’ “Reserve and Collect” offer, the service complements Halfords’ fitting services because for many, it is often more convenient than waiting in for a delivery.

Altogether, Halfords.com customers can choose between 4 different delivery services  (a UK eCommerce first);

1. Free Delivery to Store
2. Reserve and Collect [More about this here - Halfords surpassed 1M Reserve and Collect Transactions in September 2009]
3. Text and Reserve [More about this here - Halfords reported 90% growth in multi-channel revenues in July 2009]
4. Home Delivery

Halfords are able to offer this complex but unique offering due to their combination of best in breed IT solutions including IBM WebSphere Commerce, DataCash, SAP, PKMS and BTE Store6, which make it possible for them to keep track of orders and most importantly keep customers up to date with the progress of their order.  Customers can also track their purchases online and will be updated by text and email as orders are dispatched and arrive in store.

To deliver “Free Delivery To Store” Salmon have leveraged Halfords existing architecture that supports “Reserve and Collect”, “Home/Work Delivery” and more recently “Text and Reserve” services.

Salmon’s integration skills have enabled the Halfords eCommerce platform (IBM WebSphere Commerce) to determine the delivery times from the distribution centres to the stores, take payment using DataCash, pass the order information to SAP which then forwards the information to the store system (Store6).  To complete the circle, status updates “ready for collect” are sent from the stores, via Store6 and SAP to WebSphere Commerce, which then sends text alerts and emails to the customers.

Wow.  For the 2nd year in-a-row Salmon have been named Rackspace EMEAs [Europe, Middle East and Africa] Partner of the Year.

The EMEA region sure is big, and to get the accolade for a second time is simply great news.  But to be fair, we do feel we are achieving great things.  Rackspace’s ‘fanatical support’ for hosting solutions, combined with our insatiable desire to continue building the very best eCommerce sites in the World, combines beautifully to provide merchants of all kinds with a unique opportunity to forget about infrastructure and not have their focus or attentions diverted by eCommerce technology issues.

Instead they get to focus on what they do best: retailing & merchandising.  And to use a horrendous, but appropriate, phrase – that’s a win-win-win.

Hat tip to the eCommerce delivery teams at Salmon – they have just received a well deserved shortlisting for “IT Team of the Year” at the Retail Systems Awards.

Now in their fourth year the Retail Systems Awards look to recognise excellence and innovation in the field of information technology within the UK retail sector. The primary criteria for judging are the delivery of definable and significant business benefits, innovation and originality of application, ROI and project management issues such as delivery on time and within budget.

Salmon’s entry demonstrated excellent technical expertise and foresight in delivering eCommerce solutions for retailers, as a result of using our Application Framework for eCommerce (SAFE™) – a repeatable eCommerce solution which extends IBM WebSphere Commerce and can be implemented in just 35 days.

In the last 12 months Salmon has successfully implemented and supported the launch of 25 branded eCommerce websites for leading brands including:  Barratts Priceless Limited, Ben Sherman, Boots, Hotter Comfort Concept Shoes, Scotts & Co, Sleepy’s and the Regatta Group.

At a time when stories of doom, gloom and fudged expenses continue to provide the basis for newspaper and web editorial, it was great to see The Retail Bulletin cover the news that Halfords is continuing to employ a disciplined focus on its growth drivers – with excellent results.

Speaking at the Marketing Society Retail Forum in London, David Wild, the chief executive of Halfords stated; “Reserve & Collect has helped increase non-store sales by two-and-a-half times since the website was re-launched.”

A key part of Halfords’ multi-channel strategy is the forthcoming launch of ‘Order & Collect’ that will enable Halfords to extend its assortment by allowing the ordering of products that are only available online and which can then be collected in-store. This provides the capability for the company to massively expand its range beyond even that available in its largest superstores.  Since non-store turnover is still only five per cent of total group sales Wild suggests more growth is on the cards: “We’ve now got a clear and coherent strategy… and there will be growth online, and in store.”

You can read more about Salmon’s work with Halfords here, here and here.

A heads up on two events that Salmon will be presenting at, in the second half of April.

First up is e-consultancy.com’s eCommerce Supplier Showcase. This is on the 22 April, 2009 and is at 76 Portland Place, London.  You can view the agenda and register.

The second is Internet World 2009 where we will share a slot with mydeco.com and Rackspace.  This event is on the 28th-30th April, 2009 (our presentation is on the 29th) at Earls Court London.  We will be discussing how to maximise your online potential with social networking.

If you are attending either of these events and would like to meet up on a 1-to-1 basis, drop us a line and we can schedule a meeting.

Salmon’s entire event calendar is here.

So what does Web 2.0 mean to Retailers?

Well the term ‘Web 2.0’ means very little.  But what Web 2.0 enables is having significant bearing on retail in 2009 and beyond.   Inventory management, store systems, logistics and CRM will all be affected in one way or another. And in eCommerce, it is already having an impact.

Salmon presented this morning, at a session hosted by Google and sponsored by Rackspace, entitled “The Route to Scalable eCommerce.” It was a best practices seminar on how to build a secure, scalable online business.

As the event was oversubscribed, here is a copy of the presentation to review.  Enjoy.

Any questions do please contact me.  I’d love to hear from you.