Management Center: Create a Web activity

Operate > IBM Management Center for WebSphere Commerce > Marketing tool > Work with Web and Dialog activities

Create a Web activity

Create a Web activity to display marketing information in an e-Marketing Spot on a store page. You can also define targets in Web activities to specify which customers see the marketing information. Creating Web activities ensures that brand and promotional messages are seen by the right customers. function popup_window( url, id, width, height ) { popup = window.open( url, id, 'toolbar=no,scrollbars=no,location=no,statusbar=no,menubar=no,resizable=no,width=' + width + ',height=' + height + ',left=,top=' ); popup.focus(); }
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Before you begin
Make sure a site administrator has the site configured to support Management Center marketing features. See Configure marketing for Management Center.
Before you can create a Web activity, have the following defined for the store:

E-Marketing Spots – Required to display a Web activity on a store page.

Depending on the type of Web activity that you are creating, you might also need the following defined for the store:

Customer segments – Required to target the Web activity to a specific customer segment.

Promotions – Required if the Web activity is related to a promotion that must be specified in the Web activity. An example is a Web activity that use the Recommend Promotion action.

Marketing content – Required if the Web activity displays an advertisement or another marketing message on a store page. Web activities that display catalog entries or categories from the store catalog do not require marketing content.

Merchandising associations – Required if you are using the Display Merchandising Association action in a Web activity.

Procedure

Open the Marketing tool.

From the toolbar, click the arrow on the right side of New; then select Web Activity. The New Activity From Template window opens.

In the left pane, click the name of the folder containing the template to use. The Custom Templates folder contains any templates you have created. The Standard Templates folder contains the following templates that are shipped with the software:

Option Description
Blank Web Activity Contains only the e-Marketing Spot element; you choose what the e-Marketing Spot displays from the Action section of the Activity Builder palette.
Catalog Entry Recommendation Displays a recommended catalog entry.
Category Recommendation Displays a recommended category.
Content Recommendation Displays content, such as an advertisement or other marketing information.
Display Best Sellers Displays a list of the most sold catalog entries in a category.
Display Promotional Price Displays the discounted price for a catalog entry after a specific promotion is applied.
Display Recently Viewed Categories Displays a list of the categories that a customer has recently viewed while shopping.
Display Recently Viewed Products Displays a list of the catalog entries that a customer has recently viewed while shopping.
Display Top Browsed Displays a list of the most browsed catalog entries in a category.
Merchandising Association Recommendation Displays a predefined merchandising association.
Promotion Recommendation Displays content associated with a promotion, such as a promotion advertisement.

In the right pane, click the name of the template; then click OK. The Activity Builder opens. The top half of the page is the work area. The bottom half of the page is the properties view.

In the properties view, set the following properties for the activity:

Option Description
Name Enter a meaningful name in the field. This name displays in the Activities - List page, and identifies the activity.
Description Enter a meaningful description in the field. This description displays in the Activities - List page, and it should explain what the activity is intended to do. This description helps business users understand the activity at a glance without having to open the Activity Builder.
Priority Optionally, assign the activity a priority using this list. The priority can be assigned using a number between zero and one thousand. The higher the number, the higher the priority. When multiple activities are scheduled for the same e-Marketing Spot, they are evaluated in priority sequence.
Start date Define a start date and time for the activity. If you do not specify a start date, the activity will be applicable as soon as it is activated.
End date Define an end date and time for the activity. If you do not specify an end date, the activity will run indefinitely.
Repeatable Specify whether the activity is repeatable. A repeatable activity allows the activity rules to be evaluated for a customer more than once. This means that a customer who views an e-Marketing Spot multiple times might have content displayed each time. This behavior is generally desirable for Web activities.
Campaign Select the campaign to which this activity belongs.

Select the e-Marketing Spot in which to display the content.

Click the E-Marketing Spot element in the work area. The properties view for the e-Marketing Spot displays in the lower half of the page.

Specify one or more e-Marketing Spots in which to display the marketing information. When you specify an e-Marketing Spot, the marketing information is effectively scheduled to display in that e-Marketing Spot for any qualified customer. It displays the next time that the e-Marketing Spot is rendered, and each subsequent time until some other activity with a higher priority is scheduled for the same e-Marketing Spot, or the Web activity ends.

If you chose the Blank Web Activity template, from the Actions section of the palette, drag an action element onto a flow connector in the work area. The action element defines what to show in the e-Marketing Spot.

In the work area, click the action element (for example Recommend Promotion or Recommend Content) to display its properties.

In the properties view for the action element, identify what to show in the e-Marketing Spot. Follow the instructions in the row of the following table that corresponds to the action element.

Option Description
Recommend Catalog Entry Specify one or more catalog entries to display.
Recommend Category Specify one or more categories to display.
If the category is part of a sales catalog, use the Advanced Search tab in the utilities view to select the sales catalog, and enter search criteria to find the target category.
Recommend Content Specify one or more pieces of content to display.
Display Best Sellers

In the Categories table, specify one or more categories for which to display the best-selling catalog entries.

From the Display list, specify whether the customer must be browsing the category to see the best-seller list.

In the Maximum number field, specify how many catalog entries to display in the list.

In the Time frame in days field, specify how many days' worth of orders to base the best-seller list on.

Display Promotional Price In the Promotions table, specify one or more promotions. For each promotion, the server calculates and displays the discounted price of the catalog entry a customer is viewing.
Display Recently Viewed

From the Type of list list, specify whether you want the recently viewed list to display categories or catalog entries to the customer in the e-Marketing Spot.

In the Maximum number field, specify the maximum number of recently viewed categories or catalog entries to display in the list.

Display Top Browsed

In the Categories table, specify one or more categories for which to display the top-browsed catalog entries.

From the Display list, choose the option that describes whether the customer must be browsing the category to see the top-browsed list.

In the Maximum number field, specify how many catalog entries to display in the list.

In the Time frame in days field, specify how many days' worth of browsing activity to base the top-browsed list on.

Display Merchandising Association

Select the Action option upon which to base the recommendation.

Select the Association type from the list.

Recommend Promotion

In the Promotion table, specify the promotion that to associate with the content that this Web activity displays.

In the Content table, specify one or more pieces of content to display. Typically, the content is an advertisement for the associated promotion that has a predefined click action for the promotion.

Add To Or Remove From Customer Segment

Choose the appropriate Action option.

In the Customer segment table, specify an existing customer segment. The customer segment must have the following check box selected on its General Properties tab: Use marketing activities to add or remove customers.

Optional: Add target elements to the activity. Targets define what additional criteria a customer must meet before they see what you have defined for this e-Marketing Spot.

From the Targets section in the palette, drag a target element onto a flow connector in the work area to the left of the action element that to target.

Click the target element to display its properties in the properties view.

Complete the properties for the target element.

Optional: Add branch elements to the activity. A branch element splits a single path in the activity into two or more paths. You can then use different target and action elements on each path within the same activity.

From the Branches section in the palette, drag the Branch element onto a flow connector at the point where to split a single path into multiple paths.

If you want more than two paths, right-click the Branch element in the work area; then click Add Path.

Click the Branch element in the work area to display its properties in the properties view.

Complete the properties for the Branch element. For more information, see Use the Branch element in Web and Dialog activities.

Make any changes to elements on the paths extending from the Branch element. This can involve adding or changing targets and actions on each path until you get the result you want.

Optional: Add additional branches, targets and actions to complete the activity. You can right-click on any element to open a context-sensitive menu that has tasks that you can perform. This menu includes an option to Delete unwanted elements.

From the File menu, select Save to save the activity.

Results
The new activity is created in the Inactive state.

What to do next

You must activate the Web activity so that it displays in the storefront.

You can also test the Web activity to make sure it works as expected before moving the changes to the production environment.

Related concepts

Web activities
Activity building blocks: triggers, targets, and actions
Targets in marketing activities
Actions in marketing activities
Activity Builder

Related tasks

Create a Dialog activity
Use the Branch element in Web and Dialog activities
Activating or deactivating an activity
Test Web and Dialog activities
Browse for activities using lists and calendars
Changing a Web activity
Changing the priority of a Web activity
View the Web activities scheduled for an e-Marketing Spot
Changing a Dialog activity
Delete activities

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Search Tips | Advanced Search

Option	Description
Blank Web Activity	Contains only the e-Marketing Spot element; you choose what the e-Marketing Spot displays from the Action section of the Activity Builder palette.
Catalog Entry Recommendation	Displays a recommended catalog entry.
Category Recommendation	Displays a recommended category.
Content Recommendation	Displays content, such as an advertisement or other marketing information.
Display Best Sellers	Displays a list of the most sold catalog entries in a category.
Display Promotional Price	Displays the discounted price for a catalog entry after a specific promotion is applied.
Display Recently Viewed Categories	Displays a list of the categories that a customer has recently viewed while shopping.
Display Recently Viewed Products	Displays a list of the catalog entries that a customer has recently viewed while shopping.
Display Top Browsed	Displays a list of the most browsed catalog entries in a category.
Merchandising Association Recommendation	Displays a predefined merchandising association.
Promotion Recommendation	Displays content associated with a promotion, such as a promotion advertisement.

Option	Description
Name	Enter a meaningful name in the field. This name displays in the Activities - List page, and identifies the activity.
Description	Enter a meaningful description in the field. This description displays in the Activities - List page, and it should explain what the activity is intended to do. This description helps business users understand the activity at a glance without having to open the Activity Builder.
Priority	Optionally, assign the activity a priority using this list. The priority can be assigned using a number between zero and one thousand. The higher the number, the higher the priority. When multiple activities are scheduled for the same e-Marketing Spot, they are evaluated in priority sequence.
Start date	Define a start date and time for the activity. If you do not specify a start date, the activity will be applicable as soon as it is activated.
End date	Define an end date and time for the activity. If you do not specify an end date, the activity will run indefinitely.
Repeatable	Specify whether the activity is repeatable. A repeatable activity allows the activity rules to be evaluated for a customer more than once. This means that a customer who views an e-Marketing Spot multiple times might have content displayed each time. This behavior is generally desirable for Web activities.
Campaign	Select the campaign to which this activity belongs.

Option	Description
Recommend Catalog Entry	Specify one or more catalog entries to display.
Recommend Category	Specify one or more categories to display. If the category is part of a sales catalog, use the Advanced Search tab in the utilities view to select the sales catalog, and enter search criteria to find the target category.
Recommend Content	Specify one or more pieces of content to display.
Display Best Sellers	In the Categories table, specify one or more categories for which to display the best-selling catalog entries. From the Display list, specify whether the customer must be browsing the category to see the best-seller list. In the Maximum number field, specify how many catalog entries to display in the list. In the Time frame in days field, specify how many days' worth of orders to base the best-seller list on.
Display Promotional Price	In the Promotions table, specify one or more promotions. For each promotion, the server calculates and displays the discounted price of the catalog entry a customer is viewing.
Display Recently Viewed	From the Type of list list, specify whether you want the recently viewed list to display categories or catalog entries to the customer in the e-Marketing Spot. In the Maximum number field, specify the maximum number of recently viewed categories or catalog entries to display in the list.
Display Top Browsed	In the Categories table, specify one or more categories for which to display the top-browsed catalog entries. From the Display list, choose the option that describes whether the customer must be browsing the category to see the top-browsed list. In the Maximum number field, specify how many catalog entries to display in the list. In the Time frame in days field, specify how many days' worth of browsing activity to base the top-browsed list on.
Display Merchandising Association	Select the Action option upon which to base the recommendation. Select the Association type from the list.
Recommend Promotion	In the Promotion table, specify the promotion that to associate with the content that this Web activity displays. In the Content table, specify one or more pieces of content to display. Typically, the content is an advertisement for the associated promotion that has a predefined click action for the promotion.
Add To Or Remove From Customer Segment	Choose the appropriate Action option. In the Customer segment table, specify an existing customer segment. The customer segment must have the following check box selected on its General Properties tab: Use marketing activities to add or remove customers.