Monetate - Test, Target, Personalize

If you’re an online retailer, how excited should you be about today’s launch of Microsoft Windows 7? May I suggest you think of this latest version of Microsoft’s operating system as an exciting marketing opportunity, one that could extend beyond hardware and software sales.

As you probably know, your online store can detect the type of operating system that shoppers are using. With a major new operating system in the mix, why not leverage that data point in your merchandising? I think there are ways to leverage Microsoft Windows 7 even if you are not selling computers.

How might that work? Because it’s a more obvious application, let’s start with those retailers that do sell computer hardware and software. Such companies comprise a significant slice of the Internet Retailer Top 50, from the obvious manufacturer sites like Dell (#3) and Apple (#5) to office stores like Staples (#2), Office Depot (#4), and OfficeMax (#6). Then you have mass merchants and multi-channel retailers like Sears (#7) and QVC (#11) as well as digital specialists CDW (#8), NewEgg (#9), and BestBuy (#10).

Here are some of the ways retailers like this could leverage Windows 7:

1. If a visitor is using an earlier version of Windows: Pitch new computers that come with Windows 7 or offer a deal on upgrades to Windows 7, or hardware to run Windows 7 better.

2. If a visitor is using Windows 7: Pitch Windows 7 software, plus Windows 7 books and training programs, and maybe a new computer bag to go with the new Windows 7 notebook.

3. If your online store sells Apple hardware: Pitch Mac OS X to Windows users who have not yet moved to Windows 7.

4. If you sell both Mac and PC: Start a dialog with users of pre-7 versions along these lines: “Still using an older version of Windows? Which upgrade is best for you: OS X or Windows 7?”

The operating system or OS variable can be used at multiple levels. For example, on the left you can see a campaign being created in Monetate to target shoppers who abandoned their cart on the last visit and are currently looking at notebook computers. The operating system component of the offer is about to be selected.

But what if you don’t sell hardware or software? This is where marketing smarts meet digital marketing and you get to be creative with your use of the data.

What does Windows 7 say about someone? Early adopter? For a certain period of time that will hold true. Consumer with money to spend? One might argue they’ve already spent it on Windows 7, but I think Windows 7 will correlate with willing/able to spend, at least for a while.

With that in mind, the following strategies might be worth investigating:

5. Review your analytics for OS-brand correlation: If you enjoy Apple’s “I’m a Mac/I’m a PC” campaign you won’t need persuading that a shopper’s operating system is worth looking at as a predictor of brand preference. Are you seeing certain brands preferred by users of Windows 7 or Mac OS X? If so, why not test OS-based brand offers to new visitors who have not yet indicated a brand preference?

6. Don’t ignore other technical data and minority OSes: Visitors to your store using Linux could be a very interesting demographic for some retailers (or non-retail sites like university recruiters). Bear in mind that a visitor using Linux with a smaller screen might be a netbook user. Depending on what your store sells, there could be buying patterns worth exploring.

7. Use OS and browser detection to finesse technical challenges: For every cool new interactive web technology you would like to deploy in your online store there’s bound to be at least one subset of visitors for whom it won’t work well. So why not deploy conditionally? You will get less complaints if a cutting edge campaign only displays to visitors who have the operating system and/or browser required to support the feature, whether that means Windows 7 or iPhone or Mac.

I think it’s safe to say that a wide range of companies are hoping today’s release of Windows 7 will unlock a wave of consumer and corporate spending. I also think that a wide range of online retailers can, if they are canny, leverage the adoption of Windows 7, or even the lack thereof, to enhance their marketing, with profitable results.

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