The buzz at Affiliate Summit West indicates that local marketing will be key to catching clicks in 2011. Amidst discussions of strategies to maximize local traffic, LuckyLocal.com introduced a local shopping application that speaks to the rising market for neighborhood ecommerce.
The technology, called CommissionLocal.com, gives consumers access to product info, price comparisons and real-time inventory availability at shops near them. The idea is that offering online shopping and local pick-up will help bring ecommerce revenue to merchants of all sizes.
Marketers can share detailed information about products and services, as well as exclusive discounts and offers. The company anticipates this will translate into conversions.
"Local shopping is the next frontier of ecommerce. Our affiliate program, CommissionLocal, makes it fast, easy and affordable to have local shopping on your site and earn sizeable commissions from sales,” said Dov Herman, founder of the local consumer shopping site.
LuckyLocal.com is not alone in its belief that rich product info will influence purchase decisions among online shoppers and drive them to nearby businesses. Just this morning, Brafton reported that Google has developed a partnership with Edgenet to enable manufacturers to offer product info. Google’s product pages then point marketers to local merchants who carry the items they research.
Marketers will likely see more local shopping platforms emerge in 2011. At an Affiliate Summit West 2011 session, AdHustler reported that 90 percent of purchases – the majority of which are researched online – are made within 20 miles of buying consumers’ homes.
