The most valuable benefit you can provide to your shoppers is making it easy to buy from you, explains our US correspondent Gordon Hecht, writing for trade magazine Your Source News – so why not throw them a party to prove just how convenient your ecommerce channel can be?
You’ve heard it a thousand times before. It’s right out of the playbook for Retail Selling 101. Explaining a product takes three steps – feature, advantage, benefit.
Here’s a quick refresher: feature, a unique characteristic of a product or service; advantage, what the feature does, in a generic sense; and benefit, how the feature makes the owner’s or user’s life better.
You probably use it every day in your sales presentation: “This refrigerator has a built-in ice maker (feature). It automatically makes ice cubes and senses when the supply is low and will make more ice (advantage). Now you never have to run to the store to get fresh cold ice for your family and guests (benefit).”
Shoppers tend to shop and buy from retailers that demonstrate products and services that provide the greatest number of benefits. The kinds of things that save them time, money, and hassles.
For most of the last century, saving money was the most important benefit. Retailers capitalised on that by offering price match and guaranteed lowest price.
But the times, they are a-changing! As we roll into the second quarter of this century, it’s apparent that the ease of shopping and buying are the major motivation for people making purchases. So easy, in fact, that they can buy the merchandise you sell. In their pyjamas. Sitting on their sofa. At three o’clock on a Sunday morning.
It’s not just those kiddies aged 18-35 that are buying online. Last year, it’s estimated that 288 million Americans made a purchase online. They spent $1.34t (yes, with a ‘t’) dollars last year. It’s going to nearly double in the next four years to $2.5t.
If you want to forge your own path to ‘30 and get your share of the trillions, you gotta make sure that your website is ecomm enabled. We toss that phrase around a lot. You may not understand what it really means for your business.
Here it is rephrased from Retail Selling 101:
Feature: Ecomm enabled. Providing your shoppers with an online experience that goes from showroom to product explanation to sales confirmation, delivery setup, and revenue collection.
Advantage: Shoppers can understand who you are, what you sell, the services you offer, sales incentives, and acquisition options. Any time of the day or night.
Benefits: You provide a pyjama party for them. They shop where they are – work, or at home. Sipping cold iced tea, hot coffee, or a glass of chardonnay. The ultimate expression of you removing all the hassles of traditional 20th century shopping.
You’ll win by giving them the best pyjama party ever. Add in these party faves:
Entertainment: You won’t want to show scary movies like Friday the 13th, but you want to make sure your site has a few short videos to tell your story.
Truth or dare: Be sure that pricing and inventory claims are current. All posted policies need to be clearly written. Be truthful or you’ll dare them to jump off your site (and leave a bad review).
Hide and seek: Don’t make your shoppers scream, “Come out, come out, wherever you are.” Shoppers should be able to find a full array of their desired product in four clicks or fewer. Easy to sort by size, brand, availability, price and promotion.
Mystery Date: The old Milton Bradley board game was a hit at pyjama parties in the 1960s. But giving a misleading delivery day or none at all will drive shoppers away faster than hooking her up with ‘The Dud’.
Dress up: No pyjama party is complete without trying new hairstyles, make-up, and costume jewellery on one of the other kids. After, accessories complete the look. Your pyjama party guests want to see the extra items available to customise their purchase. Pillows and sheets for mattress customers. Rugs and lamps for furniture shoppers. Matching appliance suites for white goods buyers.
Just tie it all together with a world-class customisable website, et voila!
This article was originally published by Your Source News. Gordon can be reached at [email protected].
