State of Retailing Online
Frequently Asked Questions
Survey Troubleshooting:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT WILL BE COVERED IN THE 2008 SORO RESEARCH?
In 2008, Shop.org is surveying merchants twice. The first survey, completed in February, covered the areas of marketing, merchandising and multi-channel integration and market-sizing. The second survey (May / June) will cover profitability and operations. From these two surveys, we are publishing three reports:
Marketing Report
Release date: April 7, 2008 (Online Marketing Workshop, April 7-9*) (Members may download their free copy of this report here. Companies who are not Shop.org members may order a copy of the report here.)
The SORO Marketing Report covers areas such as:
- Marketing budgetAllocation and effectiveness of marketing spending (both online and offline)
- Promotions
- Customer acquisition
- Email marketing
- Search
Merchandising Report
Release date: July 2008 (Online Merchandising Workshop, July 14 - 16*) (Members may download their free copy of this report here. Companies who are not Shop.org members may order a copy of the report here.)
The SORO Merchandising Report will cover areas such as:
- Customer experience optimization tactics and investment plans
- Product placement and merchandising initiatives
- Overall site key performance indicators (KPIs)
Profitability Report
Release date: September 2008 (Shop.org Annual Summit , September 15-17*)
The SORO Profitability Report will explore:
- Company organization
- Sales, profitability and metrics
- Operations and fulfillment
- Key Performance Indicators (KPI's)
- Expansion into markets outside the U.S.
WHAT COMPANY INFORMATION WILL I NEED IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY?
Please review this page to print out a complete copy of the survey (you may print it out as either a PDF or Word document). We strongly encourage you to print out the PDF or Word copy of the survey before you start the online survey. By printing the complete survey upfront, you will be able to see exactly what type of information you will need to collect from your company in order to complete the survey.
WILL I NEED ASSISTANCE FROM MY COWORKERS WHEN COMPLETING THE SURVEYS?
For many retailers, you will need to consult with colleagues for some information / data. The information requested in the survey spans multiple functions and business units (marketing, merchandising and multi-channel integration).
WILL IT BE POSSIBLE FOR ME TO PASS THE SURVEYS ONTO COWORKERS TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS?
Yes, you will be able to pause (stop) and re-start the survey as you're completing it. When you restart the survey, it will pick up where you left off. Please note that you will not be able to go back to any answers that you've already completed, so careful upfront planning and data gathering will be key to making the online survey completion process as smooth as possible. If you prefer not to complete the whole survey yourself, you may pass along your unique survey link to individual coworkers to allow them to fill out a portion of the survey. However, please remember that that once you have finished a given survey page, you cannot access that same page again later.
Again, we strongly recommend that you print the survey first and share that with the appropriate colleagues so you can fully prepare the answers to the full set of questions. This initial preparation will help make your survey completion time move along more quickly.
* Please note that you should not use the browser back button while using the online survey, as this may cause data issues.
WILL I BE ABLE TO PRINT OUT THE SURVEY QUESTIONS SO THAT I KNOW WHOM TO ASK FOR WHAT?
Yes. Before you access the survey online, please first print out a complete copy of the survey (you may print it out as either a PDF or Word document). We strongly recommend sharing the questions with appropriate colleagues for completing the survey ahead of time. By printing the complete survey upfront, you will be able to see exactly what type of information you will need to collect within your company in order to complete the survey.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COMPLETE THE SURVEYS?
The amount of time it will take to complete the survey depends on how prepared you are with the materials asked in the survey. By preparing upfront everyone involved in completing the survey, you will streamline the survey process greatly.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING?
Participants in the study receive three reports, the Marketing, Merchandising and Profitability Reports.
Participants who complete the first survey in 2008 will automatically receive the special bonus research: a free copy of the Forrester "US Retail eCommerce Forecast: 2008 to 2012" report (a $279 value), published January 2008.
Prior year SORO survey participants have used the SORO research to:
- Prioritize marketing objectives and investments
- Benchmark their performance against competitors
- Identify key areas for improvement and investment
- Guide financial plans
- Adjust organizational structures
- Design or redesign reporting systems
- Set and update operating targets; and
- Communicate relative performance to investors, executives and others.
HOW MANY COMPANIES PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY?
In 2007, approximately 150 companies submitted detailed data for the two surveys. The more participants who complete the SORO surveys, the richer the resulting data and analysis will be across the spectrum of retailers. See some of the details from 2007, including the table of contents and table of graphs.
ARE MY RESPONSES CONFIDENTIAL?
Absolutely. Only the immediate project team at Forrester Research ever sees individual company responses. All data remain secure and confidential at all times. Findings are reported in aggregate only, and participating companies' names are never disclosed. Forrester Research is a trusted third party and stands behind its commitment to non-disclosure. If you are at all concerned, Forrester will be pleased to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
HOW DOES THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT WORK?
Forrester has invested in a brand new, easy-to-use survey instrument, featuring an improved user interface based on input from past participants. Survey respondents can pause the survey, saving what they have completed and then return to finish the survey when convenient to do so. Survey respondents can also easily pass along the survey to others in their organization as needed (please see above for details).
WHAT ABOUT SECURITY?
We have taken many steps to ensure that your data will be transmitted and stored safely through this process. In the eleven years of the State of Retailing Online study, there has never been a security breach. Only two people can access this data that is secured with 128-bit SSL security. Please email us at retailresearch@forrester.com if you would like more detail on the security measures used to protect participant data.
SURVEY TROUBLESHOOTING QUESTIONS:
How did you determine the timing for each survey in 2008?
Our first survey of 2008 covers Marketing, Merchandising and Multi-Channel Integration issues, and our second survey will cover issues around profitability. This switch from last year has allowed us to release our SORO Marketing research at the April Shop.org Marketing Workshop, and SORO Merchandising and Multi-Channel research at the July Shop.org Merchandising Workshop. We greatly hope you will be able to join us for these events as the research launches! We will release the profitability research at our Annual Summit this September. Check the Shop.org site frequently for information on all of those events.
I don’t have a URL to get to the survey – how do I obtain one? If you didn’t have a URL in your original survey participation email, please contact retailresearch@forrester.com immediately and we will get you your assigned URL.
I want to get some of my colleagues to enter data / information in this survey that is specific to their area – how do I do that?
Your company is assigned one URL. Different people within your organization may enter information, but please note that, once a page has been submitted (especially if in a separate Web session), you will not be able to go to that page to edit any of the data. It may be more streamlined to share the Word or PDF versions of the survey with each person who will be providing data / input, assemble all that data needed from each of those individuals, and then have one person enter all the data online.
Can I finish the survey in multiple sessions?
Yes, you can finish the survey in multiple sessions. The survey will remember where you left off and, when you start your next session, will start you on the next page of the survey.
How do I download a copy of the survey before starting it online?
Please download either the Word or PDF version of the complete survey. We strongly recommend that you make this your very first step in the process, gather all the data and other information upfront, and only then complete the survey online.
I used the browser back button but am experiencing some problems.
If at all possible, please don’t use the browser back button while entering data in the online survey. If you use the browser back button to go to a page that you already submitted in the same session, any data you have entered and submitted on subsequent pages will be lost and need to be re-entered. Again, gathering the data upfront using a paper or Word version of the survey will avoid this situation.
Can I change the data I entered in a previous session?
If you stop the survey mid-way, when you start the next session, the survey will start again on the next page of the survey. You will not be able to go back to any pages in the survey that you completed in a prior session.
What’s the deadline for submitting the profitability survey online?
Please submit all data via the online survey by end of day on Friday, June 27, 2008.
Again, thank you for your participation in SORO 2008!
Click here to see the survey questions.
