The other day I had to pay a parking fine online. That’s never going to be fun, and I can’t say I’m incredibly engaged with my local council’s ‘brand’. But I did notice that the actual online experience – where to go, how to pay, confirmation etc - was actually very sound.
When the local council has a fully-functioning e-commerce site, then it’s a pretty good sign that online transactions have come of age. Supermarkets, cinema tickets, downloads or whatever – it’s a lot better than it used to be. And as consumers, this is clearly a good thing.
For online retailers, however, this poses a problem. If everyone’s websites covers the basics – reliability, security, customer service, fulfilment and price - then how can one brand differentiate their shopping experience from another?
In the offline world, retailers have been doing this for years. They know how to use window dressing, point of sale materials, staff on the shop floor and even music to get people through the door and then get them to the till. Visit NikeTown, the Apple Store or even your local Top Shop and you’re getting a branded shopping experience.
In many ways, online retailers have a big advantage. They have access to real-time data on every visitor and every purchase. They can use heat-mapping, conversion tracking, funnel analysis and multi-variate testing to prove that design A is ‘better’ than design B.
Data can provide great insights into customer behaviour. But brands aren’t just about rational behaviour – brands are emotional shortcuts which help consumers navigate a world of almost unlimited choice. So how can brands go about creating unique and memorable online retail experiences?
Online shopping experiences don’t start on the homepage of your website. Chances are there will be a Google search somewhere along the line, and if your site doesn’t rank for the relevant keywords, you’ll fall at the first hurdle. Paid search advertising clearly has a role to play here, but in the long-term, you need content. Invest in high-quality, original content and you’ll get linked to, indexed, bookmarked and shared – which means strong search engine rankings and a reliable source of traffic.
Once a customer finds your site, there are multiple opportunities to deliver branded experiences in a typical online transaction. Is the way your site's organised consistent with your brand values? Do your product descriptions sound the same as the sales assistants on the shop floor? Is the payment process as friendly as the girl who sits on the check out? And most importantly of all, what happens when the product finally arrives on the doorstep? Is a tatty brown paper bag screwed up by the postman the way you want customers to experience your brand?
Just because a transaction takes place online, it doesn’t mean there’s no place for the same brand experience in the real world. You might split your marketing team into online and offline, but customers just see your brand. If a customer needs help with their purchase, the telephone experience has be consistent with the online experience. If a product is called one thing on the website, it should be called the same thing in store. And if I want to research online but then buy in-store, why should I pay a different price?
For retailers who succeed in creating rich and immersive brand experiences, the digital world offers a wealth of opportunities. Customers will review their purchases, create wishlists, subscribe to email newsletters and share your content with their friends. Nurture that relationship and you’ll be rewarded with a stream of data and insight, helping you refine and improve your brand experiences on a daily basis.
But ignore the opportunity, and the competition is just one click away.
Jon Davie
Managing Director, Zone