LEVERAGING CONTENT TO ADDRESS SHOPPERS’ NEEDS … · LEVERAGING CONTENT TO ADDRESS SHOPPERS’...
Transcript of LEVERAGING CONTENT TO ADDRESS SHOPPERS’ NEEDS … · LEVERAGING CONTENT TO ADDRESS SHOPPERS’...
© 2016 Kibo Software, Inc. kibocommerce.com
LEVERAGING CONTENT TO
ADDRESS SHOPPERS’ NEEDS
THROUGHOUT THE CUSTOMER
LIFECYCLE
Content can be a conundrum for merchants. On the one hand, expanding beyond basic product
information can help merchants articulate their unique value. Without the physical confines of store
aisles or printed catalogs, and with a variety of formats and outlets available, the content possibilities
are endless.
But that opportunity carries with it the risk that content efforts
might spin out of control and become an expensive investment
with little impact on the bottom line. Indeed, merchants report
that even as content proliferates, they remain uncertain as to
its effectiveness. More than three quarters of sellers reported
that they would create more content in 2016 than in 2015, while
employing an average of 12 content tactics, from social media to
in-person events to videos. At the same time, just 38 percent of
merchants rated their content activities as effective.1
The good news is that there are plenty of ways to diversify content offerings without straying from the
core aim of driving commerce. By addressing shoppers’ needs at crucial points in the customer lifecycle,
merchants can not only build credibility, sales, and loyalty, but they can reduce costs in areas such as
customer service and returns processing.
An eCommerce platform that supports a variety of content types, flexibility in presentation and
formatting, and social syndication can support merchants’ core content goals without massive
additional investment in technology. Equipped with the right foundation, merchants can drive revenue
by focusing on content that supports:
• Discovery – showcasing products and expertise to convince new shoppers to engage beyond the
landing page
• Decision – comprehensive content to instill trust and convince shoppers to purchase
• Return – supporting purchase decisions with tailored information and drawing inspiration from
community to spur further engagement
DISCOVERY: CONVEY CREDIBILITY ACROSS TOUCHPOINTS
When it comes to attracting new shoppers, merchants face a steep challenge: three quarters
of purchases are made with merchant brands shoppers already know2, and when searching
for products, some 38 percent of consumers head to Amazon.com first—making it the
Internet’s top starting point for shopping research, outranking even Google.3
MORE THAN THREE QUARTERS OF SELLERS REPORTED THAT THEY WOULD CREATE MORE CONTENT IN 2016 THAN IN 2015
75%
three quarters of purchases
are made with merchant
brands shoppers already know
Kibo White Paper Leveraging Content to Address Shoppers’ Needs Throughout the Customer Lifecycle
© 2016 Kibo Software, Inc. kibocommerce.com
The good news is that social media and mobile shopping have multiplied the pathways shoppers use to
identify products and sites relevant to their needs, creating new opportunities to subvert the dominance
of mass merchants. Content can support these efforts by demonstrating merchants’ expertise and
credibility when it comes to topics related to the core product offering.
To help shoppers discover their offerings, merchants should:
Develop shoppable “value-added” content. As merchants expand content, they should ensure
that commerce is never more than a click or tap away. Content and products should be integrated
both ways: Product assortments and links to related categories should appear alongside expert
buying guides, blog posts, local store pages, and how-to information, and top eCommerce landing
pages – from the home page to category and search results pages – should feature relevant
“value-added” content. When it comes to search, content sections of the merchant site should be
searchable using on-site keyword search as well as optimized for discovery by external search
engines.
Kibo merchant Cost Plus World Market employs a wide range of design templates that fully
integrate content and commerce. Content features spotlight related products, and category and
index pages include slots for relevant content.
Kibo White Paper Leveraging Content to Address Shoppers’ Needs Throughout the Customer Lifecycle
© 2016 Kibo Software, Inc. kibocommerce.com
Give mobile shoppers localized content hubs. The exponential rise in mobile shopping
has created new opportunities for merchants to promote in-store offerings. The number
of Google searches for places “near me” has increased 34 times since 20114. More than 75
percent of those who research shopping near them visit a store within 24 hours, and 28
percent of them make a purchase.5
To boost visibility for these searchers, retailers should enrich localized offerings well
beyond a simple store locator. Individual stores should each have their own content pages
that prominently feature the basics, such as hours, store events, and local discounts.
And given that click-to-chat and click-to-call connections to local store customer service are the
features shoppers would most like to access via local search6, merchants should develop content
highlighting ways to connect to store staff, such as via personal shopping services.
Use reviews prominently as a means of social proof.
When it comes to building credibility, merchants would do
well to spotlight the opinions of customers themselves.
Endorsements from individuals outrank even natural search
engine results as trustworthy sources of information: when
asked what advertising they trusted, two-thirds of shoppers
said they relied on recommendations from friends or family,
55 percent said they turned to professionally-written reviews,
and 48 percent said they consulted customer reviews.7
To maximize word-of-mouth power, merchants should ensure
that customers can easily share reviews they’ve written, and
also establish routines to seek permission for marketing reuse
of review content. Merchants can further boost visibility by
incorporating customer reviews and media mentions on-site,
on social outposts, and in paid search advertising.
DECISION: USE CONTENT TO DRIVE PURCHASES
Once shoppers engage with a merchant site beyond the landing
page and begin to hone in on products, it’s critical for merchants
to deliver robust content that proactively addresses shoppers’
questions and concerns about everything from how items work to
how they’ll be delivered.
To bolster these efforts, merchants’ eCommerce technology
should support rich multi-media product and customer service
information within the immediate selling environment, whether on a computer or a mobile device. At
the same time, given that single-session conversion rates still hover around 4 percent,8 merchants
reinforce initial content consumption with follow-up details and offers in subsequent interactions across
touchpoints.
+75%
More than 75 percent of those
who research shopping near
them visit a store within 24
hours
2/3
When asked what advertising
they trusted
of shoppers said they relied on
recommendations from friends
or family,
percent said they turned to
professionally-written reviews,
and
percent said they consulted
customer reviews.7
55%
48%
Kibo White Paper Leveraging Content to Address Shoppers’ Needs Throughout the Customer Lifecycle
© 2016 Kibo Software, Inc. kibocommerce.com
To convince shoppers to buy, merchants should:
Transform product pages into definitive product guides. Merchants should pull out all the stops
when it comes to presenting in-depth information on the product detail page. In addition to text-
based product descriptions, reviews, customer Q&As, fit guides, and care instructions, merchants
should use the tools provided within their eCommerce platform to present multiple images, zoom,
360-degree viewing tools, and swatching. Furthermore, merchants should enhance these offerings
with video - fully 84 percent of shoppers report watching videos to research products9, and video
viewers are 1.6 times more likely to purchase than those who do not.10
Visual elements are especially important for mobile shopping, given that
video consumption is a popular mobile pastime and image-centric social
networks such as Pinterest and Instagram are “mobile-first.” Kibo merchant
Marc Jacobs Beauty takes advantage of responsive design techniques to
display ample product information on the mobile product page, including
large product images, color swatches, and videos.
Treat fulfillment and service options like top products. While extensive
information about the products themselves is central to convincing
browsers to buy, there’s another category of content that’s almost as
important, but perennially undervalued: customer service information.
Close to two-thirds of shoppers say that order fulfillment options are the
most important factor when making purchase decisions,11 so it’s essential
for merchants to clearly articulate in-store pickup options along with home
delivery costs and speeds. And although promoting returns and exchanges
in advance of purchases may seem counter-intuitive, it’s essential for
merchants to message the options they offer, given that two-thirds of
shoppers review merchant return policies before they click “buy.”12
To give customer service content the visibility it deserves, merchants’
eCommerce platforms should support flexible placement and promotion,
and should enable access via on-site search. Popular and timely information,
such as holiday shipping cutoff dates, should also be syndicated to social
touchpoints and via email campaigns to proactively message merchants’
commitment to delivering stellar service.
Personalize abandonment messaging to include relevant content. Once
merchants have developed the product and service content that drives
purchase decisions, they should maximize its persuasive power by using
it in targeted communications to shoppers who’ve left the site without
purchasing. Given that 75 percent of shoppers who leave items behind in
the shopping cart intend to return and complete purchases13, merchants’
efforts to lure them back can be effective—especially when the content of
reminders is tailored to reflect their prior browsing. For example, merchants
should enrich cart abandonment messaging with how-to videos specific
to the product under consideration, excerpts from top reviews, product
guarantees, and fulfillment options.
Kibo White Paper Leveraging Content to Address Shoppers’ Needs Throughout the Customer Lifecycle
© 2016 Kibo Software, Inc. kibocommerce.com
RETURN: INSPIRE ONGOING RELATIONSHIPS
While content can help convince first-time shoppers to make purchases, it can play an equally important
role after orders are placed: content can keep customers connected to merchants and present
compelling reasons to become loyal buyers. Increasing the percentage of repeat business is crucial
to improving the bottom line: returning buyers account for 38 percent of eCommerce customers, but
generate 45 percent of eCommerce revenue, making them a valuable asset.14
When it comes to earning ongoing engagement, relevance is critical. After all, by the time browsers
become buyers, they’ve created a data trail of on-site behavior and a purchase record that should
inform what kinds of content they encounter in subsequent interactions. Merchants should use
whatever insights their eCommerce and analytics platforms yield to serve content that picks up the
conversation where the customer last left off.
Among the techniques to consider:
Find new life for product content in transactional messaging. Merchants can maximize their
investment in product-related content by serving it to customers again once they have the items
they ordered in hand. Shoppers are receptive to such post-purchase information, with 20 percent
saying they want to better understand the full value of their items, and 14 percent seeking
information on related products or services.15
Merchants should use transactional messaging to deliver (or re-deliver) how-to videos and links
to setup or assembly manuals and product care instructions. In addition, they should encourage
new customers to become active contributors by inviting them to write reviews or answer other
shoppers’ Q and A submissions.
Use content to create community. Beyond addressing customers’ immediate post-purchase needs,
content can help merchants forge an ongoing connection with their audience by spotlighting
shared interests and concerns. This so-called “lifestyle” content can convince customers that
merchants understand their needs and will reliably serve product and discount offers that are
relevant.
To foster this trust, merchants should use social media to spotlight external content of interest
to their audience, highlight charity
contributions to organizations customers are
apt to support, and invite participation on
multiple levels, from simply sharing photos
to providing feedback for future product
development.
Kibo merchant Title Nine, a women’s
recreational apparel outfitter, has
created an active online community that
spotlights women’s fitness, health, and
athletic achievements. The merchant
sponsors footraces with prize categories
such as “fastest mom with a stroller” and
Kibo White Paper Leveraging Content to Address Shoppers’ Needs Throughout the Customer Lifecycle
© 2016 Kibo Software, Inc. kibocommerce.com
features blog posts about how to fit workouts into busy lifestyles, thereby demonstrating a keen
understanding of the audience’s daily lives. Invitations to vote on catalog covers and product
descriptions that feature customer quotes show that the merchant is engaged in a two-way
conversation with the community.
CONCLUSION: FOCUSED CONTENT WINS THE DAY
As merchants grapple with the potential behemoth that is eCommerce content, they should build a
strategy that focuses on proactively addressing shoppers’ needs throughout the customer lifecycle.
By assisting shoppers as they discover new sites and products, reach decisions through research
and comparison, and re-engage to get the most out of their purchases, merchant content can spur
immediate sales, reduce overhead costs, and foster long-term loyalty.
1. Content Marketing Institute, “B2C Content Marketing: 2016 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends – North America,” October 2015,
http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/2016_B2C_Research_Final.pdf
2. Deloitte, “2015 Holiday Survey,” October 2015, http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/consumer-business/
us-2015-holiday-survey-results.pdf
3. PowerReviews, “Mapping the Path to Purchase,” June 2016, http://www.powerreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Path-to-
Purchase-Whitepaper061716.pdf
4. Think with Google, “I-Want-to-Go Moments: From Search to Store,” April 2015, https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/i-want-to-
go-micro-moments.html
5. Think with Google, “I-Want-to-Buy-It Moments,” July 2016, https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/purchase-decision-mobile-
growth.html
6. Forrester Research, “Brief: Attract Customers Through Local Search,” August 2016, https://www.forrester.com/report/Brief+Attract
+Customers+Through+Local+Search/-/E-RES122875#endnote2
7. Forrester Research, “Thriving in a Post-Digital World,” April 2016, https://www.forrester.com/report/
Thriving+In+A+PostDigital+World/-/E-RES128077
8. Forrester Research, “State of Retailing Online,” February 2016, https://www.forrester.com/report/The+State+Of+Retailing+Online+
2016+Key+Metrics+Business+Objectives+And+Mobile/-/E-RES122905
9. Invodo and the E-Tailing Group, “2016 Omnichannel Outlook: Why Online Shoppers Want Video,” May 2016, http://www.invodo.com/
reports/etailing-report-2016/
10. Invodo, “2015 Product Video Benchmarks Report,” February 2016, http://www.invodo.com/reports/2015-product-video-
benchmarks-report/
11. comScore, “State of the U.S. Online Retail Economy in Q3 2015,” https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Presentations-and-
Whitepapers/2015/State-of-the-US-Online-Retail-Economy-in-Q3-2015
12. comScore and UPS, “UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper,” June 2014, http://thenewlogistics.ups.com/retail/comscorestudy/
documents/UPS_comScore_Whitepaper_2014.pdf
13. Business Insider, “ Shopping cart abandonment: online retailers’ biggest headache is actually a huge opportunity,” March 2015,
http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-retailers-can-reduce-shopping-cart-abandonment-and-recoup-billions-of-dollars-in-
lost-sales-2014-4
14. Forrester Research, “State of Retailing Online,” February 2016, https://www.forrester.com/report/The+State+Of+Retailing+Online+
2016+Key+Metrics+Business+Objectives+And+Mobile/-/E-RES122905
15. Forrester Research, “Evolve Your Marketing Strategy to Outpace Consumer Behavior,” March 2015, https://www.forrester.com/Evolv
e+Your+Marketing+Strategy+To+Outpace+Consumers+Behavior/fulltext/-/E-RES93061#AST998055
THE UNIFIED OMNICHANNEL COMMERCE SOLUTIONS OF MARKETLIVE, SHOPATRON AND FIVERUN
Kibo is the strategic merger of industry leaders, Marketlive, Shopatron, and Fiverun. With a combined 40
years of innovations, we’re joining forces to help retailers and branded manufacturers unify the consumer
experience. Kibo is a complete omnichannel commerce platform, delivering the lowest total cost of ownership
and the fastest time to market. With predictive technologies and enterprise performance, we can help you
achieve increased sales. No matter the challenge, Kibo powers your success.
ECOMMERCE ORDER MANAGEMENT MOBILE POINT OF COMMERCE
• Optimized Customer
Experience
• Powerful Merchandising and
Analytics
• B2C and B2B Solutions
• Intelligent Order Routing
• Enterprise Available- to-
Promise Inventory
• Configurable Fulfillment
Workflows
• Save the Sale and Endless Aisle
• Retail Associate Platform
• Complete Retail Management
System
To find out more about Kibo call 877-350-3866
or visit our website at www.kibocommerce.com
© 2016 Kibo Software, Inc. kibocommerce.com
Kibo White Paper Leveraging Content to Address Shoppers’ Needs Throughout the Customer Lifecycle