Management Center: Action: Display Best Sellers

Action: Display Best Sellers

Use this action in a web activity to display in an e-Marketing Spot a list of the best-selling catalog entries for a category you specify. Best-seller lists can motivate customers to purchase catalog entries that are popular with other customers.
When you activate a web activity with the Display Best Sellers action, the server tracks orders placed for catalog entries in the category you specify. Each day, the server generates a best-seller list based on the current order data. When a customer views the e-Marketing Spot specified in the web activity, the best-seller list displays.
Here is an example of a web activity that uses the Display Best Sellers action:
When a customer views the e-Marketing Spot in the home page, display a list of the 4 best-selling catalog entries from the Apparel category:

When this web activity is activated, the e-Marketing Spot on the home page displays the four best-selling catalog entries:

In the previous example, a customer sees the best-selling catalog entries from the Apparel category regardless of what they are shopping for. To make best-seller lists more relevant, we can:

Choose an e-Marketing Spot for the web activity that is on a category or product details page.
Choose one of the Display options that displays the list only when a customer is viewing the specified category or its subcategories.

Here is an example:
When a customer views the e-Marketing Spot on the category display page, display a list of the 5 best-selling catalog entries from the Coffee Makers category, but only when the customer is browsing the Coffee Makers category or its subcategories:

In the previous example, if a customer is viewing any category other than Coffee Makers, the web activity does not display a best-seller list in the e-Marketing Spot. If we want, we can specify multiple categories for the Display Best Sellers action. As a result, the customer sees a best-seller list on the category display page for each category you specify.

Prerequisites for using the Display Best Sellers action

Make sure a site administrator has the site configured to support Management Center marketing features. See Configure marketing for Management Center.

Guidelines for using the Display Best Sellers action
When setting up this action, we can specify the following options:

Option Description
Categories Specify the category for which we want to display a list of best-selling catalog entries. We can specify more than one category, but only if you choose one of the following Display options:

Display a list for the specified category only when the customer is viewing the category
Display a list for the specified category only when the customer is viewing the category or its subcategories

Display Specify whether the customer must be viewing the category to see the best-seller list. Options are:
Display a list for the specified category

For this option, customers do not need to be viewing the category to see the best-seller list. Therefore, we can use an e-Marketing Spot on any page. The e-Marketing Spot displays the best-seller list for the category you specify.

Display a list for the specified category only when the customer is viewing the category

For this option, we must use an e-Marketing Spot on a category page; otherwise, customers will never see the best-seller list.
The best-seller list displays to customers viewing the category but not its subcategories. For example, if you specify the Furniture category and the Tableware category:

Customers viewing the Furniture category page see a list of the best-selling furniture
Customers viewing the Tableware category page see a list of the best-selling tableware
Customers viewing any other category pages, including subcategories of Furniture and Tableware do not see a best-seller list

Display a list for the specified category only when the customer is viewing the category or its subcategories

For this option, we must use e-Marketing Spots on a category page or the product details page, or both; otherwise, customers will never see the best-seller list.

If you specify an e-Marketing Spot on a category page, the best-seller list displays to customers viewing the category or its subcategories. For example, if you specify the Furniture category, customers viewing either the Furniture category page or any category page within the Furniture category (for example, the Desks category page or Love Seats category page) see a list of best-selling furniture.
If you specify an e-Marketing Spot on the product details page, the best-seller list displays to customers viewing any catalog entries in the category or its subcategories. For example, if you specify the Furniture category, customers viewing customers viewing a specific desk or a chair see a list of best-selling furniture.

Maximum number Specify the maximum number of catalog entries to include in the best-seller list.
Time frame in days Specify how many days' worth of orders to base the best-seller list on. For example, if you specify 3, then the best-seller list is based on orders placed within the last three days.

To determine when a customer is viewing a page related to the categories you specify, the server uses either the categoryId value on the CategoryDisplay URL or the productId value on the ProductDisplay URL. If the store uses page view names or URL parameter names that are different from the default, then the Display Best Sellers action will not work unless a developer performs some customization steps.

Performance considerations
To improve storefront performance, a site administrator can configure JSP caching a certain way so that the e-Marketing Spot JSP snippet is refreshed only once a day. See Setting up JSP snippet caching for best seller and top browsed lists.

Related concepts
Activity building blocks: triggers, targets, and actions
Actions in marketing activities
Action: Display Top Browsed

Related tasks
Creating a web activity
Creating an e-Marketing Spot
Creating marketing content to display on store pages

Related reference
Troubleshooting: Web activity does not display top-browsed or best-seller lists in store preview

Option	Description
Categories	Specify the category for which we want to display a list of best-selling catalog entries. We can specify more than one category, but only if you choose one of the following Display options: Display a list for the specified category only when the customer is viewing the category Display a list for the specified category only when the customer is viewing the category or its subcategories
Display	Specify whether the customer must be viewing the category to see the best-seller list. Options are: Display a list for the specified category For this option, customers do not need to be viewing the category to see the best-seller list. Therefore, we can use an e-Marketing Spot on any page. The e-Marketing Spot displays the best-seller list for the category you specify. Display a list for the specified category only when the customer is viewing the category For this option, we must use an e-Marketing Spot on a category page; otherwise, customers will never see the best-seller list. The best-seller list displays to customers viewing the category but not its subcategories. For example, if you specify the Furniture category and the Tableware category: Customers viewing the Furniture category page see a list of the best-selling furniture Customers viewing the Tableware category page see a list of the best-selling tableware Customers viewing any other category pages, including subcategories of Furniture and Tableware do not see a best-seller list Display a list for the specified category only when the customer is viewing the category or its subcategories For this option, we must use e-Marketing Spots on a category page or the product details page, or both; otherwise, customers will never see the best-seller list. If you specify an e-Marketing Spot on a category page, the best-seller list displays to customers viewing the category or its subcategories. For example, if you specify the Furniture category, customers viewing either the Furniture category page or any category page within the Furniture category (for example, the Desks category page or Love Seats category page) see a list of best-selling furniture. If you specify an e-Marketing Spot on the product details page, the best-seller list displays to customers viewing any catalog entries in the category or its subcategories. For example, if you specify the Furniture category, customers viewing customers viewing a specific desk or a chair see a list of best-selling furniture.
Maximum number	Specify the maximum number of catalog entries to include in the best-seller list.
Time frame in days	Specify how many days' worth of orders to base the best-seller list on. For example, if you specify 3, then the best-seller list is based on orders placed within the last three days.