Posts Tagged online shopping
What will the physical world look like when the need for stores is eliminated?
Clearly an ever increasing number of people shop online which means a decreasing number of people shop and buy at Brick & Mortar stores including Mom and Pop’s. Many people use B&M’s as a place to look and feel before buying online.
As Best Buy is discovering; being the showroom for Amazon is not a viable business model. In addition we’re seeing a greater number of sites that empower the end user to create their own jewelry and shoes at competitive prices with a 30 day return window just in case the consumer doesn’t like their creations.
Right now the consumer has to work from templates but I think we’ll eventually be able to communicate directly with the robots cutting the cloth, sewing the jeans, building the car.
What will the world look like in 50 years? What will be done with all of the buildings that used to house merchandise? Will they be turned into parks? Corn fields?
There will probably always be those who need to touch, see, smell, hear and feel merchandise before buying. Where will they go? Amazon Showrooms? SuperMalls where entertainment is the primary attraction with shopping secondary? The Vegasification of the shopping experience? Will B&M’s stay in business by cutting rev share deals with online entities?
What ever happens, in my opinion, humankind is in the process of making an evolutionary leap forward unlike any other before.
What do you think the world will look like in 50 years?
Posted by Tom Polanski in Trend Tracker on May 6th, 2012
The importance of building trust online with strong, consistent branding and customer-centric practices
By Tom Polanski, EVP, eBrand Media and eBrand Interactive
I’m surprised by the number of companies that lack an understanding of how to improve stickiness on their site. Every end-user approaches a site for the first time with a degree of anxiety. We’re all a little apprehensive about whether the site will be secure, easy to navigate and, ultimately, whether we will actually get what we order.
Over the years we’ve looked at perhaps a hundred thousand sites and we’ve found that the best sites (and best converting sites) have security symbols above the fold, crisp images and convey a feeling of orderliness. Additionally a shopper is made to feel comfortable in other ways too; most importantly, no surprises! The “best practices” site will give the shopper a window view on availability and shipping costs well before they arrive at the check out page.
A real concern for end-users, too, is privacy…the collection and use of personal information. Studies show that 30% of the online population is still wary of giving out their personal information and an astounding 51% don’t trust search engines to keep their search data secret. Additionally, 30 percent of consumers report reducing their overall use of the Web, while 25 percent say they no longer make online purchases, according to WebWatch. The report, “Leap of Faith: Using the Internet Despite the Dangers,” was based on a survey of 1,501 online adults.
Even those who continued to shop online reported taking precautions. Fifty-four percent of online shoppers said they now are more likely to read a site’s privacy policy or user agreement than in the past–while 29 percent say they shop online less frequently than before.
It’s a hot button issue for end-users and marketers too.
Posted by Tom Polanski in Advertising, Customer Centric, Marketing on August 21st, 2008