E-commerce and content management

If you report regularly on the e-commerce industry, it very soon becomes clear that there's pretty much only one story worth telling: online retail is booming. In fact, we've run out of superlatives to describe the inexorable progress of e-commerce as firms report bigger and bigger profits via their online channels – even the spectre of identity theft and other security concerns, and the constant problems with delivery, have failed to put a dent in the figures.

The latest firm to chart the progress of the channel was Verdict Research, which last week released figures pointing to a year-on-year rise in spending of 35 per cent to £14.7bn last month. Furthermore it predicted that the figure would reach £44.9 billion by 2012, as more people become comfortable with surfing the web, spend more per purchase, and shop more frequently.

A massive opportunity for firms then, and even for public sector organisations to create efficiencies by pushing services online. But badly managed content on many organisations' sites is still proving to be a massive barrier to achieving these goals. How many times have you visited a site and found that the products listed online don't tally with those in the firm's bricks and mortar store, for example? Or that some sales and promotions are still listed on the site when said promotional period has long since expired? Or even that items quoted as in stock on the site are actually not?

It's the kind of thing that will put off most customers, force them to a rival and convince them never to return. Customer expectations are so high in the wonderful world of the web, and brand loyalty so low, that the stakes are raised significantly. Yet many don't give their online strategy the time or resources it deserves, according to Robert Bredlau of web content management vendor e-Spirit. Yes, he would say that, you'd probably think, but that doesn't mean it's not true! Even in the public sector, if it's difficult to find content, or if content hasn't been managed and refreshed so that it's up-to-date and accurate, this could mean citizens picking up the phone, or using other less efficient channels – putting extra strain on staff and resources.

E-Spirit argued that even firms targeting a UK audience should cover all bases by offering multi-language support, and that they could also benefit from buying systems which enable them to integrate their channels more effectively. With mobile commerce on the horizon and slowly gaining ground, this is a complex affair, but a necessary step. Those that get it are making hay, but those that don't need to realise that an effective web content management system is an essential foundation for a successful online strategy.