报告：将访客变成买家.pdf

1Turning Browsers into BuyersThe impact product information has on closing sales and minimising returns2inRiver | Turning Browsers into BuyersIntroductionThe exponential growth in online shopping has spurred a wave of sector innovation. However, while there is an exciting retail opportunity, consumers are feeling overwhelmed by the plethora of online shopping options from diverse channels, to varying product information and ways to pay. Specifically, with the introduction of new channel features, such as Instagrams latest in-app shopping option, buyers can be inundated with special sales offers. The competitive nature of the e-commerce sector means brands and retailers must find a way to drive customer preference and loyalty. Managing customer expectations is critical and can be achieved by providing comprehensive, reliable and visually pleasing product information across all e-commerce channels.Nonetheless, it remains a challenge for retailers to cost effectively manage customer product expectations online shopping has also driven a rise in product returns. This suggests there is a consumer disconnect a gap between their product expectations and the reality of the product (often caused by misleading or incomplete product information or specifications). This has a substantial impact on retailers revenues. For some of the UKs largest retailers, the cost of servicing returns has spiraled to almost 60bn a year1 . This figure does not account for the revenue lost when goods are damaged or go missing during the returns process. 1 Financial Times: ft/content/52d26de8-c0e6-11e5-846f-79b0e3d20eaf3The competitive nature of the e-commerce sector means brands and retailers must find a way to drive customer preference and loyalty.nullTo reduce returns, retailers should ensure products and the shopping experience meets customer expectations. Providing a rich and accurate set of product details alongside ample consumer reviews is key to a positive online experience and reassuring customers they are buying the product which best meets their needs. Adding a limited number of pictures to the general product information in an online shop is not enough to create an engaging customer experience. In this situation the customer has to navigate their way around the online shop before they find the engaging product information they are searching for. And, the online shop is not the only channel which should be considered when looking to improve the consumer experience. Consumers are increasingly turning to new sources of media for inspiration and shopping advice and brands also need to seed their product content in these destinations. YouTube, Facebook and Instagram are go-to sources for younger audiences, while shoppers over 65 are still heavily influenced by TV commercials. This has a huge impact on the decision to buy. Effective marketing is vital to attract potential customers, but final purchasing decisions are heavily influenced by product information and consumer reviews.94% of online shoppers say that product information is important or critical to their purchasing decision. This report will cover the impact of product information on the consumers decision to buy and how brands and retailers have to react to avoid lost sales, returns and unsatisfactory customer experiences. IntroductionMethodology: To investigate consumer behaviour while shopping online, inRiver commissioned research among 6,000 online shoppers from the UK, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium. This report covers data from the UK (2,000 respondents)”inRiver | Turning Browsers into Buyers4Consumer behaviour drives up competition onlineConsumers are in control they have the power of choice. There are more products available to them at the click of a button than ever before. New offers and deals are always available, and the consumer has the freedom to decide where to make the purchase. Consumers are searching for product information across multiple channels, multiple timesSome online retailers have positioned themselves as complete destinations for all products. Amazon, for example, has become a go-to source for product information, comparison pricing and consumer reviews. 45% of online shoppers say Amazon is their first resource when looking to buy a specific product online, while 28% percent turn to a search engine first and only 11% visit a brands website as a first source for buying. Interestingly, the first source consumers visit isnt necessarily where they make the purchase. Almost half of respondents (49%) visit at least two different online sources before making a purchase decision to find the best overview of product information. Product information should be consistent across different platforms What does this mean for e-commerce businesses? To engage consumers and convince them to purchase, retailers and online marketplaces are required to provide robust product details, images, reviews and a user interface which makes the purchase transaction simple to execute.Brands, on the other hand, must ensure product information is consistent across different online platforms. Brand owners are obliged to provide each e-commerce retailer with the latest version of pictures, videos and data point about every product. If that information is inconsistent across different sources, there are several risks: a) the consumer might turn to a different online shop, and b) they may turn away from the desired product altogether because they dont have confidence in the information provided. inRiver | Turning Browsers into BuyersResearch online buy offlineA major e-commerce challenge is that consumers are not able to touch, feel and sample products. No direct access to a sales associate means a lack of real time answers to questions. Therefore, product content needs to speak for itself. This is where adding rich media assets, detailed information and features that curate content to show recommended items and how products can complement one another is effective. Online stores act as a virtual shop window to attract consumer attention. However, the next point on the consumer purchasing path is often a visit to a physical store on the high street. Looking at the role of online product information in informing offline purchases; 58% admit to researching products online while browsing in-store; two fifths (41%) of whom are seeking product information. This number rises to 72% among 18-24 year olds and is also higher for women (63%) than for men (50%). The most commonly searched for information is price comparisons (74%), general product information (fabric, ingredients etc.) (41%) and reviews (58%). inRiver | Turning Browsers into Buyers 56The impact of product information, or the lack thereof, on salesConsumers heads are easily turned if the desired information is not found quickly. Although 41% of online shoppers wont even consult another online store to purchase if all the information they need is provided in the first shop they visit, one third (31%) will move to another website within 10 seconds if general product information is lacking. Other data is even more crucial to purchasing decisions: if images are missing (20%), information on availability (25%) or information on pricing (39%), consumers will abandon their virtual shopping cart instantly and turn to another retailer to make the purchase. Audience example: There is a disparity between generations in online purchase intent with some products. 50% of 18-24 year olds purchase cosmetics online as opposed to just 11% of 65 year olds. Marketers should be aware of the various types of information that resonate with different age groups to provide every consumer with the confidence to buy. Seizing on the up-sell opportunityIn addition to purchasing the item the consumer was searching for, online retailers have a unique opportunity to upsell. Almost one fifth (19%) of consumers look at recommendations for related products after adding a product to their basket and nearly half (48%) regularly buy that recommended product. For example, if a customer buys a tennis racket, he or she might also be interested in a set of tennis balls, a grip band, strings or even tennis apparel. By cross-selling relevant products, retailers can potentially turn a sale of one product into a sale of several products. Almost half (44%) of consumers surveyed said a lack of general information about a product such as fit, fabric, ingredients and dimensions would dissuade them from purchasing from an online retailer.nullinRiver | Turning Browsers into Buyers7Rich media adds value to the customer experienceTo engage consumers and encourage purchases, retailers cannot rely on providing a few key details in their product information. Brands need to provide an experience with their product content. Experiences that serve detailed information and use rich media increase buyers brand affinity and give them the confidence to purchase. One fifth of online shoppers will move away from an online shop instantly if there are no pictures of the product. Over half (52%) stay less than 30 seconds before moving on to a competitor. One third (33%) of consumers are more likely to buy a product if there is a video showing the product in different contexts. Brands need to over-perform when it comes to content. This means using the same personalised approach they use in other areas of marketing. While basic product information doesnt change for each shopper, brands should alter how they present products to different audiences to provide better experiences. If the product is made relevant to the buyer through content, the personalised experience can persuade people to purchase.inRiver | Turning Browsers into Buyers8One third of 18-24 year olds will not buy a product because there arent enough images or videos to give an impression of the product. 29% wont buy if there isnt enough context. Providing this type of product information is critical to ensuring the customers expectations of the product are aligned.inRiver | Turning Browsers into Buyers9Misalignment of expectations drives returnsNearly a quarter (22%) of consumers say that the products they buy online rarely meet their expectations. Of this group, nearly half will usually or always return items (48%). This creates huge a financial impact on e-commerce businesses.Certain formats of product information can deliver greater success than others. One third (33%) of respondents say videos that show products in different contexts are most likely to convince them to make a purchase. Video, being the format closest to reality, increases purchase decisions and is a good way of managing the consumer expectations because it can show context more easily. Working with and engaging brand ambassadors, especially for retailers and brands targeting a younger demographic is also critical. Influencer marketing collaborating with social media stars to position products and present them to their followers is increasingly used by marketers. Almost one fifth (18%) of respondents want to see products demonstrated by influencers. The impact of influencer marketing rises to 28% among 18-24-year olds, who often follow social media stars.Only 11% of online shoppers say that the products they order online are always what they expect them to be. nullinRiver | Turning Browsers into Buyers10New tech-kids on the blockWhen it comes to breakthrough technology, consumers are starting to build trust in emerging interfaces. Brands and retailers should evaluate these opportunities to reach consumers. Interestingly, one third of consumers have purchased products through voice-activated devices, however those purchases are usually products the person has purchased previously so they know exactly what the product is.YouTube is the most trusted platform for video information about products (49%) trust the platform the most) followed by Facebook (32%). Marketers should invest in advertising their products through these channels when determining where to place video content. Television is still of paramount importance when it comes to influence. Almost every second (48%) consumer chooses to purchase a product influenced by a TV ad, with advertising on YouTube a distant second (15%).inRiver | Turning Browsers into Buyers