Donna Hoffman and 10 Trends in eCommerce

Donna Hoffman is the Co-Director of the Sloan Center for Internet Retailing. She gave an OK presentation of ten key trends influencing eCommmerce. Her first observation was similar to Kelly Mooney's: that customers are now in control and not just passive participants in eCommerce.

She describes Web 2.0 as the web as an operating system. It allows consumers to control their experience. We've moved from rigid navigation to more free control. Web 2.0 is less about web sites and more about smaller web applications that you don't need to install.

Here are the trends. (These are from my notes, so some of them may not be complete.)

1. Social Networking is the fastest thing growing on the Internet. Web 2.0 will monetize the largest digital marketplaces. It's about bringing the store to the buyers. Which social shopping sites are the most engaging?


2. ABBA: Atoms to Bits and Bits to Atoms


3. User generated content. Consumers are passionate about certain things. Allow them to use tools to express that passion. For example, Google Maps mashups; videopinions; Scion customization


4. Measurable social media optimization. Add Flikr button, RSS feeds, Squidoo, etc. to be more relevant and measure efficacy


5. Limitless content. The paradox is that it's both easier and harder to find things. Paradox of choice. One potential solution is human-filtered search.


6. Addressable personalization. Personalized search based on one's search history is coming. But the user loses serendipity of general search.


7. Control and customization. Why can't a customer be able to hijack a site and manipulate a web site the way they want it? E.g. Greasemonkey allows the Frooglization of Amazon. Believes personalization is more important than customization.


8. Vulnerability. There's an increasing risk that brands are getting hijacked and consumers aren't that good at knowing when they're getting scammed


9. Convergence. Apple is a good example of how to combine different digital tools


10. Augmentable - Convergent augmentation. iTunes impacts iPod; Googlemap street views; social retailing