Technology helps catalogers deliver precise online marketing

Garden.com used three simple queries to unearth high-spending, multiple-purchase buyers from its file:

•Identify profitable customers.
•What do they buy?
•What sells with roses?
The e-mail offer resulted in a 33 percent click-through rate, with 41 percent of those customers making their first purchase in 2000.

On target: Williams-Sonoma’s HTML-enhanced e-mails are personally addressed, based on past purchases and are a function of affinity profiling. Customers choose the frequency and type of content they want in their e-mails. The message above reads:

“Easter is a time to enjoy a grand celebration with family and friends. At Williams-Sonoma, we help make the most of this springtime holiday with a festive assortment of cookware, bakeware, specialty foods and gifts that will delight adults and children alike. We invite you to visit us online at www.williams-sonoma.com.”