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Consider Interactive Product Tours To Increase SEO And Sales

In September of 2012, a study released by research and advisory firm the e-tailing group, concluded that 54% of U.S. consumers who regularly shop on the web, research products online before making a purchase, whether they buy in a store, on the web, via a mobile device, or through a catalog call center.

With Google Catalogs and Facebook Gifts, it’s evident the e-Commerce industry is receiving an influx of industry leaders vying for a spot.  It’s clear that a more dynamic, informative and interactive shopping experience is required long before the shopper walks through the retailer’s front door.  Additionally, today’s mobile shopper is not just looking at your offering…once they find something they like; their ability to find the best price is only a few touches away.

Some leading retailers are now integrating dynamic technologies into their brick and mortar store experience to both create a sense of excitement and to provide valuable education to shoppers about products and their feature sets.

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It’s evident as Burberry, the British fashion house, is blending the digital world with the physical shopping experience at their flagship stores.  While associates carry iPads assisting consumers, store features include interactive signage greeting shoppers, live customer service chats, interactive outfit suggestions, and chosen pieces of clothing and accessories with store mirrors displaying videos on its’ craftsmanship.  To add to their technology power, the store has WiFi capability.  It’s a great way to not only add to the digital experience but to leave a lasting impression with new and returning consumers.

Interactive Product Tours (I.P.T.) add excitement and extend session times to your retailer’s site…. and there is a direct correlation between longer session times and a higher conversion rate. This rich media presentation consists of a three-in-one light box demonstrating products in 360º spinning imagery, product video, still image galleries and digital catalogs that look exactly like the printed version that arrives in your mailbox; only they’re fully interactive.

Once engaged with an I.P.T., shoppers can spin products to view them at any angle, activate “i-callouts” which highlight specific features and functionality, zoom and pan over images, watch educational videos about the product and view product image galleries that demonstrate products and apparel on different models or in different settings. When viewing the catalog, shoppers will be able to gather rich media details about every item by simply touching the product or garment depicted. And yes, they can even “add-to-cart.”

Think of these solutions as an interactive media toolkit for your product.  Built entirely from non-flash technologies, Interactive Product Tours require no plug-ins and are platform agnostic. The technology automatically senses the device that is calling the content and formats it for ideal-viewing…desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones — it is easily recognized. Depending on the shopper and their device, they can simply use their mouse or finger to navigate through a variety of dynamic product presentations providing them the information and confidence to buy online.

It’s a helpful tool for those who are tech savvy and make their final purchasing decision based on technical details of the product.

The following link shows a good example of Interactive Product Tours to fully understand how powerful your product presentation can be: Canon.com example.  The online consumer is able to rotate the product 360 degrees in three variable ways, zoom-in capability, i-call out features describing specific component of the product, and as an extra incentive; video testimonial of the product is displayed.

The really good news about this rich media product presentation is that they can be created one-time and then deployed to any and all electronic media including

broadcast, web sites, social networks, mobile devices and even in-store, dynamic signage. The big idea is to create the content once and then deploy it to all of the places your customers want to shop for it and expect to find it.

At the end of the day, price is becoming less and less important. All are hurdling through cyberspace toward what it can be called as “universal pricing.” Every online shopper now possesses the technology to shop and find the lowest price in seconds.

Now, success will still be measured in terms sales, but those sales will be derived from the quality of customer engagement and brand interaction… not price. Simply put, Interactive Product Tours are a great way to delight your customers with a cutting edge presentation that builds brand loyalty and increases sales. This is not a fad; it’s the future.


Jason Arena is VP of Brand Strategy/Marketing for KSC Kreate. Twenty-year design veteran experienced in the three critical phases of Design Management including Creative Development & Innovation, Operational Excellence and Change Management. Specific skills include graphic design and creative direction, ownership and management of a mid-sized design firm, builder and implementer of multi-disciplinary team managing strategic design efforts for the private brand division of a major U.S. retailer. 

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