SPONSORED ARTICLE
Information Overload:
THE FUTURE OF ECOMMERCE
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a responsive site is likely to encourage users to stay on the site longer as the display immediately shrinks or expands to fit the display screen. Instead of simply clicking and adding to the basket, shoppers can now access an array of information about what they are actually buying. Detailed product specifications, a variety of high quality images and even related products are all great tools that retailers can use to encourage shoppers to buy. In this day and age transparency is key and companies are now increasing customer confidence by adding reviews to their product listings. Both product and merchant reviews have shown to increase conversation rates and increase brand trust. Applications such as Schema.org are also proving to be invaluable to webmasters, giving search engines additional information about pages which are used to improve the display of search results. Further additions to web pages such as social media integration have added another level to online shopping whereupon users can share and save their potential purchases.
n the first article in this series we examined how much the face of eCommerce was changing with more and more shoppers taking to the internet to purchase goods. With new technologies emerging all of the time, retailers are having to think outside of the box when it comes to showcasing their products.
The Curse of the Returns Rate
Although online shopping is on the increase, retailers are having to contend with high returns rates, averaging around 25%. This is due to the fact that it is impossible for shoppers to try on garments without visiting the store. Coupled with the inconsistency between retailers in terms of actual sizing, it is no surprise that many shoppers find themselves returning garments due to size issues. So how do you combat the problem? The answer can be found within the new immersive technologies that are currently being embraced by savvy ecommerce retailers. By making products more tailored to the individual, retailers are able to offer a more personal shopping experience through advancements in technology.
So how will the introduction of a more tailored shopping experience help retailers?
Putting You in the Online Shopping Experience
The fashion industry in particular has had to become even more creative in order to limit the amount of customers returning goods. Leading fashion retailers such as ASOS incorporate features such as multiple product views and virtual catwalks that show how a garment looks when worn by a model. Although this does offer customers a new perspective when choosing clothing, accessories or footwear, the one glaring flaw is that although the clothes may look great on a sample size model, the fit may not translate as well in reality. One of the exciting new additions to a retailer’s arsenal is the virtual changing room. This revolutionary eCommerce concept was first introduced by Total Immersion who created a Multifaceted Augmented Reality tool that allows users to ‘try on’ apparel through digital software. Using a web cam the software creates an image of how a product looks on the individual, whether it is a dress, a pair of glasses or jewellery - the software not only shows how it looks, it also allows users to see the way that it moves in real time. Big name retailers
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such as Adidas, Hugo Boss, Superdry and LK Bennet are all set to introduce virtual changing rooms, with some overseas retailers already embracing the technology.
Shoppers are looking for more than just an image on a web page and to ensure they reach profitability, retailers are looking to reduce their returns rate. The key to both of these is increasing the amount of information shoppers are given about a product, offering a more individual experience that will encourage first time buyers to become return customers. Whether you embrace the new age of virtual changing rooms or give your website a facelift that incorporates these key responsive features, the competition to offer a truly tailored experience is fierce.
Information Overload
More sophisticated eCommerce sites enable retailers to offer customers a more sophisticated shopping experience. Responsive site designs that are created to adapt to whatever device is being used to view the web page, ensures that shoppers get the best possible view of products. With more people using mobile and tablet devices to shop online,
Call our Visualsoft business development team on 01642 633 604 or www.visualsoft.co.uk/
02/12/2013 18:42