The experience that an in-store experience gives is matched
by the convenience of online shop experience. The brands that are very
successful at building a quality retail strategy are the ones that have a
consistent brand across both digital and brick-and-mortar. Whether you are a
retailer looking to virtualize your shopping experience or an e-commerce brand
hoping to open your flagship store, consider how the two avenues work in tandem
together rather than at odds. Consider these seven tips for improving the
online shopping experience.
First impressions do matter. No one will be willing to arrive
at the mismanaged looking website. And more significantly, with the plethora of
competitors across industries at a consumer's disposal, no one has time to
browse a horrendous looking site.
As an online brand, the website is the first impression.
While the shopper can find you through a variety of different channels, once
they arrive, it's about convincing them to linger through the
"racks," rather than to pass by the window. A little mash of pages
with unappealing color combinations, poor navigation, and abundance of Comic
Sans font is probably not going to encourage potential customers to browse.
To create an excellent first impression, start by investing
in the feel and look of the brand as a whole—the color scheme, logo, voice, and
taglines. Emphasize the homepage-appeal with a proper balance of educational
context and visuals for whatever your target audience may be.
When incorporating third-party applications or displays onto
the site, ensure that they do not slow the site down. Live chat functionality ensures that
customers receive answers to any questions or concerns they might have.
Think of it from a customer's viewpoint: would you instead
get free shipping buy more and receive more items, or would you instead pay for
shipping decide against that extra sweater and receive fewer items? For
customers, the choice is more often than not crystal clear.
