As today's online retailers battle for market share and brand affinity, many are striving to attract shoppers through sophisticated new functionality and services on the Web.
For such offerings to be successful, these companies must structure new Web applications to provide optimal performance and service-while closely managing total cost of ownership (TCO) To do so, many online retailers are turning to the practice of service­level management (SLM), a set of management activities that helps ensure online shoppers receive the best possible experience through online services that perform consistently and outstandingly every time-while helping companies manage critical cost structures.
Keynote Systems-The Mobile and Internet Performance Authority-focuses its SLM philosophy strictly on the end­user experience, taking into account all factors that affect end­user perception of a given Web application.
Leveraging a neutral, trusted third party like Keynote, online retailers can address intra­organizational tensions related to service­level issues.
Consequently, online retailers can:

• Build and protect brand equity through consistent and exceptional performance of Web channels
• Capitalize on investments in marketing campaigns-and the online storefront itself-by ensuring that Web infrastructures are ready to handle expected user loads
• Grow revenue and market share by attracting shoppers with rich, sophisticated value­added online services
• Gain greater insight into customer buying behavior and cater to high­ value clients
• Take advantage of an outsourced service­delivery model to prioritize and resolve issues based on end­user impact, resulting in effective management of operational costs
• Contributing to significant top­line growth through online retail channels

For retailers in recent years, an online presence has grown from "nice to have" into a mission­critical revenue channel and competitive business necessity.
No longer are retail Web sites focused solely on the distribution of content and information about offline stores and merchandise.
Now, retailers rely heavily on their online storefronts as major contributors to top­line revenue.
In fact, in the 2004 holiday season alone, online shoppers rang up holiday retail sales of US$23.
2 billion-25 percent more than the same season in 2003.
The message for retailers is clear: in addition to price, a customer's onlineshopping experience is perhaps one of the most important contributing factors in his or her decision to buying Many retailers today are implementing sophisticated Web functionality such as 3­D models to help customers virtually "try on" clothing, behavior­based shopping assistance to suggest additional purchases, personalized buying guides, and more.
They are implementing speedy "one­click" express­checkout options, rapid transaction times, and other conveniences to improve the online shopping experience.