Introduction to dSide

Prepared for:

MITX What’s Next eCommerce SummitJanuary 30, 2014

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• Founded: 2012• Headquarters: Wellesley, MA• Clients:

− Real estate: Rutledge Properties− Specialty foods: Rastelli Direct− Technology recommendation tool: Sophelle (iPad app)

• Team:− Leo Hermacinski, CEO− Rod Kellogg, Founder & VP Product− John Trustman, CTO− Charles Bridge, CFO− Mike Kinkead, VP Sales− Brian Bolton, VP Marketing− Nancy Muckle, VP Business Development

• Overriding business value: Client satisfaction

Introduction Who is dSide Technologies?

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• Today’s eCommerce search starts with product specs…

• …dSide starts with the customer and his or her preferences and matches products to these preferences

• Our technology enables a shopper to compare alternatives and easily make product and price trade-offs based on what is uniquely important to them.

• dSide ranks across all attributes simultaneously so that no relevant choices are missed.

• The net result:− Customer owns the top ranked product alternatives− A broader selection of results− A more engaging, personalized experience− Higher conversion rates− Captured customer preferences available for retargeting

IntroductionWhat is dSide?

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The Problem

Filters & keywords only work well when customers already know what they want

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Customers early in their decision process think about their needs and preferences, not about product specs

Need recognition

Form/ modify product

needs and preferences

Build set of options

Compare tradeoffs Purchase

“I’d like to buy a used car”

“But I don’t want a car with a lot of mileage on it”

“I’d prefer my dealer to be located close to where I live”

“I do a lot of driving in the city so city MPG is very important”

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The dSide Decision Engine dSide’s sliders make it easy for a customer to specify preferences

Looking for a used car

Some filters are needed…

…but most of the matches are based on preferences

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The Solution: The dSide Decision Engine dSide’s approach enables shoppers to explore options and make trade-offs based on their individual needs and preferences

Silver, 4 door, automatic 15,012milesMPG 23/31 Moon roof, premium sound Stock# H15947835

Jack Ness Automotive- 9 miles away(312) 555-1212 Free CARFAX report

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Beige, 4 door, automatic 17,517milesMPG 22/27 Moon roof, premium sound Stock# GD6923F

Duke Boys- 9 miles away(563) 555-1212 Free CARFAX report

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Brown, 4 door, automatic 17,634 milesMPG 21/30 Nav system Stock# A682D

Smith Auto- 12 miles away(520) 555-1212 Free CARFAX report

21 photos

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Blue, 4 door, automatic 15,711 milesMPG 21/30 Stock# YT68923-3

Smith Auto- 21 miles away(312) 555-1212 Free CARFAX report

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dSide’s matching technology complements keyword search and filters

Customer preference matching

Product attributesearch:

keywords & filters

Customer focused Product-centric

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OTHER dSide EXAMPLES

The dSide Decision Engine

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Product Search TodayFaceted search works well when customers already know what they want

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• Customers don’t speak “spec”- they talk about their needs and preferences

dSide’s ApproachStart with the customer, not the product

“I’d like a lightweight camera with a big display”

“I want a camera with good performance that has great optical zoom”

“I need a high quality for both stills and video, and I don’t mind paying for a better performance”

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The dSide Decision EngineCustomers preferences give the best product choices, and trigger highly relevant ads and retargeting promotions

“I’d like a lightweight camera with a big display”

“I want a camera with good performance that has great optical zoom”

“I need a high quality for both stills and video, and I don’t mind paying for a better performance”

Users tell dSide what’s important to them and see the most relevant

product based on their unique set of preferences

Revealed preferences- in the midst of the purchase decision- triggers highly

relevant ads and promotions

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dSide: Shoe SelectorIn a sea of choices how does the consumer find the right shoe?

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The dSide Decision Engine dSide’s sliders make it easy for a customer to specify preferences

For running shoes

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Puma with dSideConcept- desktop and tablet

http://shop.puma.com/shoe_finder/mens

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Puma with dSideEasy implementation, low-risk trial design, on-line and/or in-store

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The dSide Decision EngineChoosing a mutual fund

Faceted product search starts with the specs…

… dSide starts with the client

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The dSide Decision EngineCustomers walk a long path before current search tools become useful (but never intuitive!)

Need recognitionForm product

needs and preferences

Build set of options

Compare tradeoffs Purchase

“I need a house in the million-five range with four bedrooms. I really want spacious rooms, and would like a larger lot.”

?

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The dSide Decision EngineLet customers explore options based on their high-level preferences

“I need a house in the million-five range with four bedrooms. I really want spacious rooms, and would like a larger lot.”

Users tell dSide what’s important to them and see the most relevant product based on their unique set of preferences

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The dSide Decision EnginePreference-based search and decision making

“I need a house in the million-five range with four bedrooms. I really want spacious rooms, and would like a larger lot.”

“A house with more bedrooms for the money is the most important thing to me, and I’d like new construction. Close to school would be a plus”

“The kids are young, so being close to school is really important. A newer home would be nice”

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User Reaction:On-line shoppers find the dSide Decision Engine compelling

Source: dSide end-user survey

91%

70%

82%

of people who tried dSide said searching on their preferences is “useful” of “very useful”

said the dSide results are “better” or “much better” than existing ecommerce sites

said they would use a site with dSide “more often” or “much more often” than current ecommerce sites

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• dSide is compelling in-store− Give the customer more control of their product comparison and education

− Bring the richness of on-line product search into the store

− Give sales associates a clear view of the customer’s preferences

Online, or In-store:dSide gives a uniform search experience across channels

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Product Roadmap --- dSide Marketing EngineCaptured customer preferences for remarketing

1. Customer shops for a camera based on her preferences… 2. But doesn’t complete check-out… for any one of many reasons.

3. dSide-enabled retailer adds a new model (or makes a price change- or adds a manufacturer’s rebate). dSide automatically evaluates all cameras against the customer’s earlier revealed preferences…

4. Customer gets an alert showing the top cameras, according to her preferences- she digs into the details on the new camera… and buys.

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• Greater customer engagement

• Greater probability of accepting a less than perfect match since the customer in control of making product feature and price trade-offs

• Higher conversion rate

• Customer preference data captured for future remarketing purposes

• Augments and works alongside existing eCommerce site search alternatives

The dSide Decision Engine Benefits

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Steps1. Define dSide Decision Engine design elements (sliders and facets)

2. Assign content to design elements and identify sources for attributes and images

3. Define initial state for dSide Decision Engine

4. Determine links from website to/from dSide

5. Define metrics to be collected and determine integration with current performance measurements

6. Agree on high-level database maintenance process, roles, and responsibilities

Time Required for First ReleaseTwo to three week implementation process for an A-B test

Pricing

Implementation Steps and Time Required

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Next Steps

The dSide Decision Engine

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dSide contact info:• http://dsidetechnologies.com

• Leo Hermacinski, CEO• lhermacinski@dsidetech.com• Mobile: 617.308.5645

• Mike Kinkead, VP Sales• mkinkead@dsidetech.com • Mobile: 617.901.1784

• Brian Bolton, VP Marketing• bbolton@dsidetech.com • Mobile: 617.818.8594

• Nancy Muckle, VP Business Development• nmuckle@dsidetech.com • Mobile: 781.258.9050

dSide Contact Information

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Filter <5%

Keywords

Site NavigationYour

eCommercesite

visitors

Some Questions…

…about how customers currently find a retailer’s products

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Filter <5%

Keywords

Site NavigationYour

eCommercesite

visitors

Use dSide customer preference matching here

The Solution

Let customers’ preferences surface the right products for them

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dSide ApplicationsAfter consumer electronics, automobiles is the most desired dSide application

• Question: Please tell us up to three other products or services you like to be able to search with dSide?

Source: dSide end-user survey

Other

Colleges

Apartments and homes

Books/ music/ movies

Hotels and travel

Home goods

Apparel

Appliances

Other electronics

Autos

Televisions

Cell phones

PC/ laptop/ tablets

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

1st choice2nd3rd