Webinar: How a Retail Order Management System Accelerates Omni-Channel Growth

In September 2013, OrderDynamics® commissioned Forrester Research for a global study on the effect of Retail Order Management Systems on Omni-Channel retail initiatives. The study, entitled The Retail Order Management Imperative, surveyed 337 mid- and large-retailers across 8 countries, seeking out the trends, challenges and obstacles in implementing a successful omni-channel retail strategy.  

The findings of this study indicate a sense of urgency to invest in omni-channel solutions to gain a competitive advantage, with nearly 40% of retailers having designated a C-level executive to align and manage integrated online and offline retail channels. Additionally, research findings show a large focus on cross-channel fulfillment programs as the highest priority omni-channel retail initiative, wherein retailers are already, or are expecting to, fulfill 35% of online orders from in-store stock with initiatives like ship-from-store, buy/reserve online and pickup in-store. Of the retailers currently employing these tactics, 41% indicated a boost in customer loyalty and 47% reported higher online revenue with buy online, pickup in-store and ship-from-store programs, respectively.

The key underpinning of the study’s results is the role order management technology plays in facilitating omni-channel retail initiatives. Currently, 49% of retailers surveyed use an order management system, however, traditional order management systems that are highly focused on online order processing lack the technical sophistication to create a unified cross-channel shopping experience; 85% of the survey sample assert that retail-specific order management solutions are the key to executing a successful and seamless omni-channel strategy.

Date: Tuesday, November 26
Time: 2-3pm EST
Presenters: Peter Sheldon, Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, and Michael Turcsanyi, President of OrderDynamics

Click here to view a replay of the webinar.

eCommera’s DynamicAction to Bolster Holiday Profits for Calendars.com

eCommera, the decision-intelligent commerce company, today announced that the world’s largest calendar retailer, Calendars.com, has selected DynamicAction by eCommera to optimize their business and help drive profits this holiday season.

Calendars.com

While online retailers are typically strongly averse to technology implementations during the holiday shopping season to avoid possible site crashes or errors, Calendars.com made the bold move to employ the DynamicAction decision analytics software to support and grow this season’s sales. As DynamicAction is SaaS-based and does not affect site code, retailers can confidently invest in the low-maintenance platform while also efficiently allocating resources to other profit driving initiatives.

Calendars.com sees over 80% of their annual revenue during November through January, making this an opportune time to utilize decision analytics to make critical decisions to capture the most revenue possible during this period.  DynamicAction will allow Calendars.com to compile and analyze data from current marketing, sales and operational data to understand current customer behaviour and sales trends, as well as obtain detailed recommendations on product merchandising, inventory management, and fulfillment strategies based on customer expectations.

“We knew that DynamicAction is critical technology that can positively affect our holiday season,” said Paul Hoffman, CEO of Calendars.com. Mr. Hoffman credits the DynamicAction and Decision Science Practice Manager Solutions as acting like additional team members that make complex business decisions, allowing actual team members to confidently execute an effective retail action plan.

Read the official press release here.

Eclipse Launches Omni-Channel Commerce Fulfillment Strategy with OrderDynamics eCommerce and Order Management Solutions

NOVEMBER 6, 2013, TORONTO, ON – OrderDynamics™, Canada’s leading on-demand commerce platform provider, today announced Eclipse first eCommerce offering, EclipseStores.com, using the OrderDynamics eCommerce and Order Management Solutions. The recent launch showcases the retailer’s vision to support its 68 stores in Canada with an innovative omni-channel commerce strategy.

The new site expands on its non-transactional predecessor by offering a full catalog of Eclipse-branded apparel, accessories and outerwear, using OrderDynamics dynamic Product Merchandising tools to display vibrant product images with multiple views. Product pages also feature a Shop This Outfit component, which recommends items to build an outfit according to current fashion trends, allowing shoppers to leverage fashion expertise as they would from in-store sales staff. To further support a seamless omni-channel shopping experience, shoppers can check in-store stock of their desired items at a location most convenient to them with a Google Maps-Integrated Store Locator.  

The sophisticated eCommerce launch includes several critical omni-channel features including ship from local stores, enterprise-wide inventory visibility, convenient fulfillment options and more. The combination of the OrderDynamics retail Order Management System, alongside its Epicor ERP system, has enabled efficient inventory distribution to drive a seamless shopping experience for customers. In addition, having full visibility into inventory across all retail stores and distribution centres has enabled Eclipse to intelligently route all web orders based on business rules and stock availability.

The OrderDynamics retail dashboards, in-store tools, and deep integration with Canada Post fulfillment solutions provides Eclipse the opportunity to grow as a national brand by fulfilling web orders across the country where retail outlets are not available, and offers customers the convenience and choice of having their order shipped to either their home or closest Canada Post location. During the first weeks since their omni-channel launch, more than 21% of customers had web orders shipped directly to a Canada Post office, highlighting the need for convenient fulfillment options in Canada.

“We are very proud to provide the same quality shopping experience with our new eCommerce site as found in our stores,” said Genevieve Bulgin, Director of Retail Operations at Eclipse. “Using the tools available to us through OrderDynamics, we’ve been able to greatly expand our business, and extend our commitment to customer service across Canada with our online channel”.

“Eclipse is a great example of a Canadian retailer that is using retail oriented commerce technology to streamline efficiencies and improve customer service,” added Michael Turcsanyi, President at OrderDynamics. “Their drive to create a best-of-breed omni-channel shopping experience puts them in a strong position to leverage its national reach for accelerated cross-channel growth.”

To learn more about Eclipse and their omni-channel commerce launch, click here.

About Eclipse
Eclipse Stores Incorporated is a privately owned Canadian retail chain offering trendy styles and great basics for women. There are over 65 Eclipse stores located in eight provinces across Canada. Each store carries a variety of styles, including dressy, casual, and athletic clothing, as well as outerwear and accessories. Eclipse stores carry styles developed under the company’s private labels, Eclipse and Tattoo, as well as several popular brand name denim collections. Operations for the chain are based out of St. John’s, Newfoundland, and the main distribution center is in Montreal, Quebec. For more information about Eclipse, visit http://www.eclipsestores.com or email eclipse@eclipsestores.com.

Retail West 2013: Recap of the Show

As the 2013 Retail West conference came to a close, it was apparent how true a quote from that morning’s opening Keynote was. The quote came courtesy of Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) CEO, David Labistour, as he depicted the new retail reality of 2013. “This is the end of retail as we know it,” he said, referencing the way retailers are rapidly redefining their shopping experiences to serve evolving consumer expectations.

The OrderDynamics Team at Retail West 2013

The second annual Retail West conference in Vancouver last week supplied no shortage of ecommerce discussions. In fact nearly all of the conference's content was centered on ecommerce – a stark difference between it and the 2012 version of the conference, which encompassed a more general overview of Canadian retail operations as a whole.

Ecommerce is a Top Priority for Canadian Retailers
It was refreshing to hear many of Canada's top retailers focusing operations on their customers, using ecommerce as the lynchpin of the strategy – a concept that a 2013 Forrester Research report, 'The State of Online Retailing In Canada' reinforced earlier this year. Labistour touched on a number of customer-first efforts MEC have put in place over the last 18 months. His thoughts and experience with in-store technologies - such as iPads for customer services reps to engage and better serve shoppers - were fascinating. His views were that the iPads were cumbersome and didn't add enough value to the overall shopping experience. But the iPad test helped MEC identify areas for improvement in its mobile sites and apps to support in-store shopping experiences. Using mobile sites and apps as customer shopping tools is consistent with the approach Lowes Canada have begun to take with mobile commerce as well.

Retail West 2013 Exhibition Room

Labistour also spoke at length about new distribution models for faster, more efficient fulfillment. He stressed the idea that “ship products from anywhere” is a new reality consumers expect, and that Omni-Channel retailing is here to stay. His Keynote presentation made for a seamless transition into the Omni-Channel panel that was hosted and moderated by OrderDynamics CEO Michael Benadiba.

OrderDynamics Omni-Channel Presentation
Michael Benadiba, alongside Josh Johnston (Ecommerce Manager, London Drugs) and Tony Holbrook (Ecommerce Operations Manager, MEC) dug into the Omni-Channel shopping expectations of Canadian consumers and how brick and mortar retailers are leveraging store fulfillment and cross-channel shopping experiences as differentiators over dominant web-only retailers. In the case of London Drugs, Josh Johnston revealed that the prominent Western Canadian retailer actively uses ecommerce tools, promotions and tactics to drive localized store traffic. Much of the discussion was about Ship-From-Store capabilities and the operational efficiencies gained from this strategic fulfillment initiative. Tony Holbrook's view of in-store fulfillment summed up where many feel Omni-Channel commerce is heading when he said, "I see convenient fulfillment methods as one of the most strategic investments Canadian retailers can make in the next few years." As ecommerce continues to grow in Canada and abroad, it’s clear that fulfillment is the next “battleground” for retailers to optimize and take advantage of.

OrderDynamics CEO Michael Benadiba with Josh Johnston of London Drugs and Tony Holbrook of MEC

OrderDynamics would like to thank everyone who came and participated in our Omni-Channel presentation and panel. We would also like to thank Josh and Tony for contributing to one of the day's best presentations.

Certainly the 2013 Retail West conference will be remembered for its digital-heavy content and that's very appropriate given the state of the Canadian retail industry today. While Canadian retailers continue to play catch-up to US retailers who, in some cases, have been operating best of breed Omni-Channel shopping experiences for years, it's clear the gap is closing. Omni-Channel is continuing to capture greater acceptance within the Canadian retail community, although questions of “how” continue to linger. We are already looking forward to the 2014 Retail West conference to see the evolutions between this year and next.
OrderDynamics would also like to thank everyone we had the pleasure of speaking with during the conference and the Retail Council of Canada for hosting the event.

In the meantime, we invite you to visit our website at www.orderdynamics.com to learn more about our ecommerce platform and retail order management system.

OrderDynamics CEO, Michael Benadiba, and President, Michael Turcsanyi

Sincerely,
The OrderDynamics Team
1 (866) 559-8123

OrderDynamics is Getting Ready for Retail West 2013

The Second Annual Retail West Conference is set to take place on October 22, 2013 in Vancouver, Canada, and the OrderDynamics Team is thrilled to be exhibiting once again. For the second year in a row, the Retail Council of Canada will be at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver to share insights on retail and omni-channel trends, best practices for retailers looking to build their customer base while also growing their business, and real-life case studies on winning strategies leading Canadian retailers are leveraging today.

The single-day conference offers a full schedule of 6 concurrent sessions along with 3 super sessions featuring panel discussions with Canadian retail experts examining mobile trends, driving traffic to online and brick stores, retail marketing and more. OrderDynamics CEO, Michael Benadiba, will be moderating a panel on How to Exceed Canadian Omni-Channel Shopping Expectations While Accelerating Growth and Profitability, wherein Josh Johnson of London Drugs and Tony Holbrook of Mountain Equipment Co-op will discuss the current state of omni-channel retail adoption in Canada, what Canadians expect from their omni-channel shopping experiences, and the strategies London Drugs and Mountain Equipment Co-op are employing to accommodate and surpass customer expectations. 

In addition, OrderDynamics will share insights from their global research project conducted in conjunction with Forrester Research regarding retail Order Management Solutions and their impact on facilitating omni-channel shopping experiences. As part of the upcoming global report, OrderDynamics will unveil some of their findings on how well-known Canadian retailers have or plan to strategically invest in implementing retail Order Management Systems to better cater to customer expectations of convenience and flexibility while also accelerating cross-channel growth.

OrderDynamics will also be hosting the Official Retail West Cocktail Party on the eve of the conference, October 21 at 6pm in the Cascades Lounge at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver. The OrderDynamics Team invites all Retail West attendees and exhibitors to stop by for drinks, h’ors d’oeuvres and a great networking opportunity to get acquainted with the various retailers and consultants that will make up what is sure to be a great show.

For more information on Retail West 2013, and the Official Retail West Cocktail Party, visit OrderDynamics.com/RetailWest2013.

OrderDynamics Monthly Google Updates Report - September 2013

Google created a stir with its first algorithm rewrite in 12 years, while Analytics and Adwords were relatively quiet compared to numerous updates and feature additions in August.

Google Search

On September 26, Google announced that they had rewritten the Google Search algorithm for the first time in 12 years, naming the new algorithm Hummingbird. The announcement came after weeks of SEO specialists speculating Panda updates after seeing major fluctuation in search results, especially around September 17-20. Google stated that the rollout of Hummingbird started in late August continuing throughout September, and affected roughly 90% of global Google searches., though it aims to improve speed and precision of search once the rollout is completed.

A big question as a result of Hummingbird is how it is different from Panda and Penguin. Danny Sullivan of Google described Hummingbird as an overall cleanup of the Google Search algorithm as a whole, while Panda and Penguin are simply individual parts of the algorithm. Panda and Penguin are still components of Hummingbird, and as such, best practices in accommodating them to support SEO are still valid.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics announced on the Analytics blog on September 18 that by the end of 2013, Google Analytics will no longer be officially compatible with Internet Explorer 8. The Platform will still be accessible on IE8, however functionality will not be optimal. Google asserted that the deprecation of compatibility “supports a modern browsing experience”, as it will allow them to streamline compatibility with newer browser technologies that will enable them to add new features faster.

On September 30, Google launched a new Google Analytics mobile app for Android devices. The refreshed app offers a new look and responsive design so it renders well on all Android devices, no matter the device’s orientation, better real-time reporting, and advanced segment dimensions that allow for deeper analysis.

Google Adwords

Adwords introduced new Conversion Reports for Offline Campaigns, which enables Adwords advertisers to import and compile offline conversion data with that of online campaigns. The feature became necessary after Adwords created Offline Campaigns, wherein Adwords generates a unique “Google” phone number to be used in ads in place of a business’ actual phone number which tracks user engagement, but not conversions. However, Adwords now allows this data to be imported, and can be integrated with Marketo, Mongoose Metrics, SugarCRM, Salesforce and more.

On September 25, Adwords introduced the Ready Creatives feature to facilitate easy creation of high quality ads. Ready Creatives offers two components: Ready Image Ads and Ready Ad Gallery. Ready Image Ads draw from images on a website by simply inputting its URL. Advertisers can then select the image to use for their ad, and edit the creative with specific messaging in a variety of styles. Ready Image Ads provide advertisers with a repertoire of prebuilt templates for static, dynamic and video ads, which they can customize according to their needs and desired messaging. Ads made in Ready Creatives are in HTML5 format, ensuring the ads render well across all browsing devices.

Canadian Retail Shines at the 2013 Canada Post eCommerce Innovation Awards Dinner & Gala

On Wednesday night, Canada Post hosted the second annual Ecommerce Innovation Awards Dinner & Gala in Toronto. The event saw Gemini award winner James Duthie and his witty banter return to the ceremony for a second straight year.

This year's edition of the Ecommerce Innovation awards just about doubled the size of the inaugural Award show of 2012, with more than 600 ecommerce and retail enthusiasts attending the event. While the growth is significant, what truly stood out was the increase in attendee engagement. It was clear this event was heavily anticipated and slotted on many calendars months in advance.

Just as Canada Post went bigger with the 2013 Awards, so did OrderDynamics®. We were proud to be a Platinum sponsor of the 2013 Canada Post Ecommerce Innovation Awards and to associate ourselves with retail excellence in Canada. OrderDynamics President, Michael Turcsanyi, even presented the award for the Most Innovative Retailer category (a list of award winners can be found below). 

OrderDynamics President Michael Turcsanyi presenting the award for Most Innovative Retailer

The atmosphere throughout the night was electric and inspiring. Themes of innovation and out-of-the-box thinking repeatedly surfaced too. In many ways this event stood as a reflection of the Canadian retail industry and the evolution it has undergone in recent years. Nowhere was that more apparent than with Canada Post themselves. The long-time mail delivery company now calls itself a "parcel delivery company" and is completely entrenched into the ecommerce and omni-channel world – and subsequent omni-channel fulfillment expectations – we're all living in today.

The evolution doesn’t end there, though. Nimble and relatively new web-only retailers (like Jewlr and Snakes and Lattes) and longstanding national brick-and-mortar retailers (like Lowes and Hudson’s Bay) are increasingly participating in high profile events like this. We are no longer seeing the same few names as in years past – Canadian retailers of all sizes clearly recognize the importance of ecommerce and are giving it the focus it rightfully deserves.

Tanbir Grover and Martin Priest of Lowe's Canada accepting the Best Multi-Channel Retailer Award

Canada has long been seen as an ecommerce straggler, but the 2013 Award nominees suggest something different: while there is a lot of work to be done within Canada to meet the high expectations of Canadian shoppers, the gap is closing at a considerable pace. Ecommerce in Canada has quietly shifted to the forefront of retail strategies and we’re witnessing the integration and alignment of web and other retail channels.

It will be interesting to see how Canadian brick and mortar retailers respond to the growing surge of web-only retailers entering the Canadian market (both Canadian and US-based e-retailers who see Canada as a strategic opportunity). Recent data from Forrester Research and Canada Post suggest Canadian consumers prefer shopping in and/or using retail stores as part of their shopping experience. We expect Canadian retailers to continue building a tighter cross-channel experience to leverage its stores, staff, inventory and more through omni-channel strategies. See what web-only retailers do to steer around this preference will be fascinating.

OrderDynamics' Steven Berkovitz with Glenn Burton of Neatfreak and David McPherson of Henry's Camera

Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the Awards show itself. It was a first-class event through and through. The event appropriately put the spotlight on cutting edge Canadian retailers who are pushing the retailing envelope in order to better service its customers. The amount of quality nominees and efforts that were on display suggest only great things are to come for this industry and ultimately for Canadian consumers. Hats off to Canada Post, all of the nominees and of course, the award winners on a fantastic evening and event! And speaking of award winners, here they are:

OrderDynamics' Michael Turcsanyi, Kevin Butler and Steven Berkovitz

Consumer Champion Award (fan voted)
Nail Polish Canada

Most Innovative Retailer (small), Presented by OrderDynamics
Ten Tree International

Most Innovative Retailer (large)
Jewlr

Best Multi-Channel Retailer (small)

Snakes and Lattes

Best Multi-Channel Retailer (large)

Lowes Canada

Best E-Tailer (small)
Build.ca

Best E-Tailer (large)
Well.ca

The 2013 Canada Post eCommerce Innovation Awards Winners

Eclipse Stores Moves into Omni-Channel Commerce with OrderDynamics

OrderDynamics® would like to congratulate Eclipse Stores on the launch of their first online store and move into omni-channel commerce with the OrderDynamics On-Demand eCommerce Platform and Order Management Solutions.  The rapidly-growing women’s apparel brand operates 68 stores in Canada, and is able to expand its business beyond store logistics to create a truly national brand.

The new EclipseStores.com builds on the original site by now offering a full catalog of Eclipse merchandise. Utilizing OrderDynamics dynamic Product Merchandising applications, Eclipse offers customers the Shop This Outfit tool, which allows them to leverage product recommendations to create their perfect look. Additionally, shoppers can compile a Wish List of desired items and email to a friend, which is ideal for the upcoming holiday shopping season.

Eclipse Stores' Shop This Outfit Feature

Eclipse’s online store also leverages OrderDynamics retail Order Management Solution to provide their customers with the most convenient fulfillment options.  Using OrderDynamics distributed inventory-based Shipping Centre Module, Eclipse fulfills many online orders from local stores where possible, in addition to their distribution warehouse, which helps to minimize shipping costs for customers while also letting shoppers in cities where Eclipse does not currently have store locations to experience the Eclipse brand.  OrderDynamics Canada Post Integration also enables Eclipse to provide customers with the flexibility of having their online order shipped to their home or at a Canada Post location of their choice.

Eclipse' Check Store Stock tool

Also leveraging the Omni-Channel retail capabilities of the OrderDynamics Platform, Eclipse is able to provide a seamless cross-channel shopping experience. Each product page is synched with OrderDynamics’ Inventory Management System which supports the Check In-store Stock tool, allowing customers to quickly find nearby locations with their favourite items. Eclipse goes a step further with their Google Maps-Integrated Store Locator Module, which lists all locations according to a customer-specified distance from their postal code.

Eclipse's Google Maps-Integrated Store Locator Module

 The new EclipseStores.com is a great example of a leading omni-channel retailer, providing exceptional customer service both on- and offline.

OrderDynamics to Present Most Innovative Retailer Award at the 2013 Canada Post eCommerce Innovation Awards

September 9, 2013, Toronto, ON - OrderDynamics®, Canada’s leading On-Demand eCommerce and Order Management Solutions Provider, today announced their sponsorship of the Second Annual Canada Post eCommerce Innovation Awards Dinner and Gala, to take place September 25, 2013 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto.

The Canada Post eCommerce Innovation Awards seek to recognize and honour Canadian retailers who leverage leading technologies to create bold, innovative eCommerce strategies that are reshaping the Canadian retail landscape. This year, OrderDynamics will be proudly presenting the Most Innovative Retailer Award , which reveres retailers who exhibit ingenuity in utilizing the technologies available in their eCommerce solution to provide customers with a unique and dynamic online shopping experience. The event will also recognize large and small businesses in the Best Multi-Channel Retailer and Best E-Tailer Categories, as well Consumer Champion Award based on Canadian consumer votes.

“eCommerce adoption in Canada has really taken off in the last year, and consumers are increasingly turning to eCommerce to make more informed decisions and to make shopping more convenient. The Canada Post eCommerce Innovation Awards is a great way to recognize and reward those retailers who are innovating the way they serve customers and ultimately drive quality experiences,” said Michael Turcsanyi, President at OrderDynamics, and presenter of the Most Innovative Retailer Award. “We are honoured to present the Most Innovative Retailer Award and put the spotlight on leading Canadian retailers and encourage growth in Canadian online retail”.

Nominees for the Canada Post eCommerceInnovation Awards are based on applications submitted on behalf of retailers acknowledging their novel and ground-breaking use of their technology toolset. Canada Post will then select a list of finalists to be recognized during the Awards Dinner and Gala before presenting the Awards in each category. 

View our recap of the 2013 Canada Post eCommerce Innovation Awards Dinner and Gala here.

OrderDynamics Monthly Google Updates Report - August 2013

Throughout August, the various Google Platforms introduced new features and tools to help to enhance and simplify  creating, implementing and measuring both organic and paid search campaigns.

Google Search

Google Search remained relatively quiet in August, as has been seen over the last few months. On August 6, Google announced an addition to the Rich Snippets markup: In-Depth Search Snippets. The new Snippet aims to help users identify reference articles that provide detailed information on a subject rather than a quick answer by presenting the publisher name and logo within search results. For example, an article published by OrderDynamics would have “OrderDynamics Corporation” appended to its search result, along with a logo thumbnail. Google stated that this Snippet is currently only resonating on Google.com for English – which saw a 3% search rank fluctuation upon launch - and will gradually phase into other versions of Google.

There was a speculated algorithm update in late August, however feedback from SEO specialists is inconsistent . Google did not confirm or deny any such update.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics announced new reporting tools in August that seek to enable more automated reporting.  The Real Time API, launched in beta on August 1, acts as an extension to the traditional Real Time analytics tool, allowing users to not only view current traffic in real time, but to also query the tool to report on specific pages and URLs to better understand customer behaviour.

On August 19, Google introduced Google Tag Manager for Mobile Apps. The Tag Manager for Mobile Apps is implemented the same way as the desktop version, and enables developers to push updates to the app, configure changes, and insert tracking tags that will resonate to already downloaded versions of the app in addition to newer versions.  

August 20 saw the first update to the Attribution Model Comparison Tool that was launched in June. The Data Driven Attribution tool – available in Google Analytics Premium – is a more automated version of the Attribution Model Comparison Tool, wherein algorithms based on a user’s specific goals measure the differences between various conversion paths and their respective conversion probability. Google then applies values to highly weighted touchpoints in the conversion path so that users can optimize these areas to increase potential conversions.

Google Adwords

Google Adwords saw heavy updates throughout August, especially in the early part of the month. The updates are convenience-based, refining the number of steps and accounts needed to acquire certain campaign metrics and information. On August 2, the Adwords blog reported that 3 Adwords tools – Contextual Targeting tool, Placement tool, and Google Ad Planner – had been consolidated into one platform called the Google Display Planner.  A few days later, Google Adwords announced that advertisers could now compare ad performance week-to-week, similar to how weekly traffic comparisons can be viewed in Google Analytics. Comparisons can be viewed by clicking the ‘+’ sign now present above the ‘Clicks’ column in Adwords reports.  

On August 8, Adwords launched an improved Adwords for Video tool, that acts like a wizard to take advertisers through a campaign creation workflow, ensuring all the necessary steps are taken to create an effective video ad campaign. The same day, the Google Adwords integration into the Google Maps App was also announced. This can be implemented using the Location Extensions tool, and shows local business information for areas being viewed in the Google Maps App.

Later in the month, the Paid and Organic Search Report was introduced, which allows advertisers to compare how their organic and paid listings show up in search results according to specific queries. This tool is beneficial as many advertisers struggle to understand whether to allocate more resources to paid or organic search, as well as how either initiative affects the other. The report identifies keywords that a business ranks for organically, but does not currently pay for so that they may decide to, as well as measure changes in paid and organic search ranking that may result from website updates as opposed to specific SEO or SEM initiatives.

On August 26, Adwords implemented very useful cross-account tools to remedy the issue of a single conversion being reported as many if the conversion path touched multiple ads from different campaigns. Cross-Account Conversion Tracking utilizes a single tag to monitor conversions across all campaigns/accounts so they are not double-counted, while the Cross-Account Search Funnels shows the specific conversion path for each purchase.

Google also phased out their Google Adwords Keyword Tool in August, transitioning to the Google Adwords Keyword Planner. As with the old Keyword Tool, the new Keyword Planner generates keyword recommendations for specific URLs with their respective average monthly searches and level of competition, but also provides information on average cost per click and ad impression share. The additional features help to optimize keyword bids by providing a visual estimate of potential ad costs depending on the keyword used.