Internet Retailer - Customer-centric Ecommerce Platform Release

Internet Retailer picked up the Nov.1, 2006 press release detailing the launch of Elastic Path 5, the newest iteration of the ecommerce platform built with flexibility in mind. Check out the whole release Elastic Path Software Announces Customer-Centric Ecommerce Platform and learn about how new features of Elastic Path 5 will help boost customer conversion and drive revenue for online retailers.

In the meantime, here’s the highlight reel:

The re-engineered platform delivers a powerful promotion rules engine, innovative search engine marketing functionality, faceted in-site search and navigation, and full web services capabilities to mid-sized online retailers. In conjunction with the company’s new AJAX-based checkout, Elastic Path One Page (see October 23, 2006 press release “Elastic Path Software Announces Single Page Checkout for Online Stores“), Elastic Path 5 enables online retailers to attract and convert customers profitably.

But really, this is not just one application we’re talking about. Elastic Path 5 is a full ecommerce platform consisting of a variety of components designed to create business process efficiencies and improve bottom line - both with a relatively TCO

Elastic Path 5 is comprised of several components that empower retailers to deliver a rewarding shopping experience and recognize customer profitability immediately. Using Elastic Path Rules, ecommerce marketers can efficiently create an infinite number of promotions using natural language, maximizing the value of each order. Elastic Path Optimize offers intelligent search engine optimization tools used to connect web searchers with the most relevant products possible, boosting overall conversion rates and minimizing customer acquisition costs. Elastic Path Seek delivers filterable in-site search and navigation, helping shoppers find products fast. Utilizing web services, Elastic Path Connect provides connectivity into alternative data sources such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) to deliver a consistent multi-channel experience to shoppers, all through a highly flexible service-oriented architecture. Additionally, Elastic Path 5 dramatically reduces upfront and ongoing costs with its continued use of proven open source components.

… and finally Alex Fletcher throws down a quote to make it all come together by explaining the big problem of spending too much to acquire customers …

“The high cost of customer acquisition significantly impacts ecommerce margins,” said Alex Fletcher, lead industry analyst at The Entiva Group. “For many online retailers, paid search marketing represents a major part of that cost. Through effective organic search engine optimization, retailers can change the rules of the game, acquiring more customers at a reduced cost.”