The Internet and the availability of real-time marketing data have created a fiercely competitive environment for retailers. It’s no longer sufficient to deliver a great product at a great price. To successfully compete online, retailers must strengthen their value propositions by surrounding great products and prices with incredible, engaging customer experiences. Fortunately, technology can assist retailers in building these kind of online experiences.
Here are three innovative ways you can use technology to improve the online experience of your customers:
1. Bridge the Mobile to Desktop Divide
Mobile usage has exploded and continues to grow at an unrelenting pace. As consumers increase online shopping through smartphones and tablets, retailers must ensure they deliver incredible experiences through these mediums that are consistent with (or better than) the desktop experience. The days of a one-size-fits-all website design that looks great on a desktop, but forces customers to pinch, zoom and scroll on their phones doesn’t cut it anymore. Retailers must employ responsive and adaptive design strategies – design techniques that enable sites to leverage the same design across multiple platforms, while maintaining a consistent look and feel. This kinds of design mindset will help you create great experiences that consistently span all form factors, without sacrificing website speed and performance.
But while mobile usage grows, the majority of online purchases are still completed through desktops. Research shows that 90% of online transactions touch two or more devices. This means that consumers are browsing and researching on mobile and tablets, but moving to desktops to checkout and complete the purchase. A great customer experience also means making the transition from mobile/tablet to desktop as seamless as possible. eTailers must use persistent shopping carts – a process where a customer’s cart contents are preserved as they transition from mobile to desktop, or across multiple browser sessions – or email-to-cart technologies that enable consumers to start on mobile and finish on the desktop.
2. Bring In-Store Benefits Online
Shopping online is often faster, cheaper and more convenient for consumers. So why do most retail transactions still happen offline? One key reason is that in-store shopping delivers benefits to consumers that they cannot find online and outweigh the cost savings and convenience provided by shopping online.
In the apparel industry, for example, one of the greatest struggles for consumers is with sizing and fit. Historically, online retailers have solved for this challenge through free shipping and returns, encouraging customers to order the same item in multiple sizes and colors in order to facilitate an in-home try-on and product decision, with the customer then returning the unwanted merchandise at a later point in time. However, this brute-force approach isn’t cost effective for the retailer, nor is it particularly streamlined for the customer. Even with liberal shipping and return policies, returning merchandise is a hassle for customers, thereby eliminating the convenience benefit of online shopping. And it’s a disaster for retailers, adding significant cost to thin operating margins. Now, an emerging category of technology is mitigating this problem. Companies such as Fits.me, VirtuSize, and ClothesHorse enable retailers to help customers understand how their clothes will fit and look on them. Fashion Eyewear retailer Warby Parker enables customers to upload photos of themselves to the website so they can see how various frames will look on their faces prior to ordering. This is a fantastic use of technology to bring the in-store try-on experience online to create an engaging customer experience that benefits both consumers and retailers.
3. Tell Your Story Through Video
Online shopping can be fast, cheap, and convenient, but it can also be impersonal and dry. In physical stores a knowledgeable and engaging sales staff can bring your brand to life, give it personality and help you connect your customers with the products and the experience. Achieving the same kind of positive and fun shopping experience can be challenging for the online retailer. Retailers can combat the bland online shopping experience through the use of digital video. Online videos are also proven to increase on-site conversions. Product videos that describe a product and its features can help customers choose the best product for their needs. For example, Zappos.com features a product video on the product detail page of almost every pair of shoe it offers online. Educational videos that show customers how to use a product successfully can demonstrate your expertise and build trust among new customers. Customer testimonial videos are tremendously powerful and effective in driving customer conversion and loyalty. Don’t forget that shortened versions of each of these videos can be leveraged online for video advertising and retargeting.
How are you using technology to create fantastic customer experiences? Share your story with me in the comments below, and learn more about MediaMath Retail here.