Vision - January/February 2008 - (Page 60) ers feel connected to a brand and show its human face, to ensuring consumers can find the information they need and giving them more choices in how and where they can buy a product. Handing over Control of the Sale Giving consumers choice about what, when and how they want to buy is critical. Consumers want to be able to buy online or offline, with in-store pickup or home delivery. While they conduct much of their research online, many shoppers still buy offline. For purchases completed online, the prevalence of user-generated content helps level the playing field, because relatively unknown retailers and manufacturers can gain credibility through user ratings. “Small or unknown brands benefit from consumers’ willingness to consider a range of brands beyond just the market leaders, a situation that may not exist without the many product research options readily available to shoppers,” said Tim Herbert in an article titled “Buying CE on the Web,” published in CE Vision last year. But when consumers are left to piece together the information they need, a lack of easy access to complete, objective information can lead to the purchase of a product that falls short of expectations. Left in charge of educating themselves, consumers have no way to know how a higher priced model may actually fit with their lifestyle better. If they don’t buy the right product, regardless of the price, it’s a recipe for dissatisfaction. “Industrywide, product returns are high and 30 percent of the time nothing is found to be wrong with the product,” according to Accenture’s Global Digital Home Study spring 2007. Those companies who can offer the easiest to find, most comprehensive and relevant information can help the consumer best self-qualify for the right product. “If consumers can understand why the $2,300 product is a better choice for their needs than the $1,500 product, they will buy it—and experience a greater level of satisfaction,” says Mathies. A 2006 survey by Channel Intelligence backs this up. Sixty-five percent of survey respondents agreed they would pay more for products that save them time and hassle and better meet their needs. The trouble seems to be that manufacturers and retailers have yet to completely replace the role of those in-store experts with their online information. In the end, those marketers that engage in speaking to the customer in the language they understand through a variety of channels to help empower smart purchase decisions can expect to see their performance metrics soon follow, while those that impede the free flow of relevant information are sure to perish. • http://www.yoggie.com http://www.yoggie.com
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