Many Online Shoppers Prefer Image-Based Search to Find Items
When I’m searching online for a specific item to buy and am presented a sea of ads and description results, I quickly turn to image search to hone in on the find. Like many other shoppers, I know exactly what I’m looking for, I just want the ability to see items so it’s easier and faster to click and buy.
An article on mycustomer.com explains how Google has revolutionized the way we search. Consumers now demand image-based search functionalities when shopping online (not just text-based search). In a survey of 1,000 consumers WeSee found that three quarters of consumers (74%) said traditional text-based keyword queries are inefficient in helping them find the right items online. Another 40% would like their online shopping experience to be more visual, image-based and intuitive. (more…)
The Outdoor Industry: Why you need to invest in a multichannel strategy.
Not meeting your customers’ demands can mean the end of your company’s growth. Your competition sells through multiple channels. They offer fast delivery and different options for returns. If you aren’t doing the same, you are losing business to your competition.
This is true in virtually every market, but we’ll dive into some specifics in the outdoor industry to make it more tangible. If you’re not an outdoor retailer, think about how your industry faces similar challenges. They likely apply to you, too.
(more…)
What We’re Reading: Some Inspiration This Holiday Season
The holiday season is officially upon us. Black Friday is one week away, and if you’re one of the many retailers who see that as the biggest day of the year, I’m sure you’re working hard to prepare. (Don’t forget Cyber Monday comes right behind it.) We know the holidays are a stressful time for retailers. How about a few links to some good news?
I hope that these articles are helpful and inspiring to you as you enter one of the most important retail weeks of the year.
Item Returns: How increasing your sales can reduce your profitability.
In retail, your job is to sell products. When you sell products, you generate revenue (and hopefully profit). If you sell more products, you increase revenue. Therefore, the more you sell, the more profitable you are, right?
Not necessarily!
It may seem counterintuitive, but there are reasons increasing sales can actually lead to a reduction in profitability. Reverse logistics (item returns, specifically) is one of the stickiest parts of your retail business. And, it can cause this profitability paradox.
What We’re Reading: Small Business Saturday, Customer Experience, The Golden Age of Retail
Although our software and services are enterprise class and support customers with billions of dollars in transactions, we have a soft spot for our smallest customers. We don’t like to call them “small businesses” though. Because they’ve invested in eCommerce, we believe they are focused and intentional about their future and are aggressively pursuing it. For that reason, we prefer to call them “growing businesses” as we feel that captures the essence of their aspirations.
Frankly, that’s why we’re here, to help them get there. In honor of Small Business Saturday coming up on November 29th, I’ve highlighted a few articles that can help those “small” businesses “grow!”