New features in SmartCircular boost return visits, page views in beta tests

Internet Retailer - January 29, 2008–

The new version of ShopLocal’s SmartCircular technology for online distribution of advertising circulars produced an average 46% increase in return visits and a 24% increase in the number of page views per visit during beta testing, the company reports. There also was a 30% increase in the average number of circular pages viewed.

SmartCircular 4.0, released this week, is a rich media application that includes a customizable interface that enables a more powerful user experience, a technology platform that can handle high volumes of traffic, and viral and social syndication tools to allow user re-distribution of promotional content.

SmartCircular 4.0 helps preserve retailers’ branding of both their web sites and printed promotions by incorporating the advertisers’ look and feel, but adds enhanced interactive navigation tools and special online-only circular functionality that helps achieve consistent multi-channel messaging.

“Our retail clients want to offer their customers engaging, interactive, timely and easy to use presentations of their localized store promotions and this new solution delivers on all dimensions,” says Bill McCarthy, ShopLocal’s chief operating officer. ShopLocal hosts online circulars for retailers.

Among the new features offered are:

• Dynamic real-time content distribution options via localized RSS 2.0 and Atom 1.0 feeds by category, brand and keyword search terms.

• Inclusion and special presentation of “bonus pages” that appear only within the SmartCircular site.

• The option to send a shopping list or sales item to a friend via e-mail or mobile phone.

• One centralized location for all marketing print promotions such as FSI, ROP, multi-page circulars, flyers, buying guides and catalogs.

• Support of multi-channel options such as buy online, pick up in store, one-click add to cart and in-store inventory availability.

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