News from NEMOA
We recently attended the New England Mail Order Association’s Fall 2006 Conference. These semi-annual conferences provide news on the latest trends in multi-channel marketing and relevant information for marketing in all channels (retail, catalog, internet). We would like to share some of the information presented by industry experts.
The Value of the Multi-Channel Buyer
Consumers that shop in all three channels continue to grow and they continue to be the largest spending category. Today’s shopper expects to be able to shop your brand how and where it is convenient for them.
Here are some essentials for providing a complete shopping experience to your online customers.
Based on current research here is a list of features favored by online shoppers:
The Value of the Multi-Channel Buyer
Consumers that shop in all three channels continue to grow and they continue to be the largest spending category. Today’s shopper expects to be able to shop your brand how and where it is convenient for them.
- 33% of American households made an online purchase in 20051
- 66% of online shoppers are women
- 40% of online shoppers have been purchasing online for over 5 years1
- 88% of adult online shoppers often conduct research prior to making a purchase
- 65% of online shoppers rely on the internet to research unfamiliar products2
- 60% of online shoppers rely on the internet for price comparisons2
Here are some essentials for providing a complete shopping experience to your online customers.
- showcase new products and top sellers to keep shoppers coming back
- create strong product pages that tell your product’s story
- incorporate product information to educate your shopper
- show relevant cross-sells to increase average order size
- maintain multi-channel consistency to leverage your brand and make the sale
- use seasonal promotions that reflect retail activities (back to school, holiday, etc)
- provide a gift giving section that inspires purchasing for friends and family
- online can be excellent for liquidating product if done with purpose
- provide online customer service that provides contact info and ordering details
- be sure the store locations page has all store info and contacts
- the store locations page can be a good place to highlight promotions
- use the shopping cart checkout to up-sell and continue brand message
Based on current research here is a list of features favored by online shoppers:
- free shipping
- promotional discounts
- keyword search
- store locator
- zoom/rotate
- product comparison
- customer reviews
- catalog quick order
- shop the catalog