Shopping User Experiences
The area of shopping is undergoing a tectonic shift. In the next 5 to 10 years, we will likely see more changes in this space than has cumulatively taken place in decades, even though the last decade has laid a foundation for these future changes. After all, the last decade has marked the rise of eCommerce. But eCommerce is still in its infancy, since the industry has yet to fully address the needs of a multi-channel user, a multi-device user and a social media user.
Here at Artefact, we focus on researching the shopping user experience, envisioning what the future of shopping may look like. In our most recent project, Snowbird Video Ethnography, we explore the experience of shopping for a snowboard in the context of bridging the gaps between the online and offline worlds.
What we find is that the full set of questions a shopper may have (Can I afford it? Does it fit? Does it match? Does it solve my problem? Are others happy with this product?) is not answerable today by either the online or in-store shopping tools and experience. So what’s the poor shopper to do? Many shoppers defer equipment purchases (and likely many other purchases) because they know the information is there, but it’s too hard to get it all.
Our recommendation to retailers of snowboards and just about all other high involvement purchases (“high involvement” meaning purchases that generally require research and are not done purely on impulse):
Help customers compare products in the store. You may not like the fact that they want to do it, but they will do it, and wouldn’t it be great if they could do it in the store? You may actually learn from your customers’ research process and adjust your inventory accordingly.
Help customers identify and evaluate products in store that match/complement/are compatible with their existing equipment and clothing – how might you enable this without requiring them to lug all the stuff they own into the store (which of course they won’t do). But remember, different users evaluate differently. For example, women shop by color, men by brand.
Look for opportunities to sustain excitement level between online and offline. If a user has done research online how can they reuse the information in the store? How can you avoid sending them back to block one when they walk into a retail store? And the other way around.
Help customers understand features and technology. Men hate asking questions and they will often walk out of the store if they can’t find what they need.
Hire people who do what they sell. Expertise is precious, even in these internet heavy times.
For any product category that allows for multiple levels of expertise to develop (like sports), consider treating your beginners differently, but be careful not to talk down to the experts.
You can check out our earlier posts on social media in eCommerce and on creating richer, more inspiring shopping environments. You can also find the PowerPoint deck with detailed findings here.
1 Comment
Jesse Kanclerz says:
I work weekends at a ski shop, and this is really spot on advice.
When showing a customers skis, I nearly always give them 3 options. I relate features with a benefit (i.e. this mod technology dampens vibrations so you can ski longer with the kids, or squeak in that extra run before closing).
If a persons a beginner I'll explain to them what dimensions mean on a ski, how to choose length, and the differences between a starting, intermediate, expert level ski. Or if it's an expert I'll focus more on what type of skiing they prefer to do, and how certain equipment feels different when riding.
People shop online for information, you'll lose them if you don't provide this crucial stuff.
On the other hand, I work full time for an ecommerce outfit that sells packaging like gifts bags, boxes, ribbons, etc. In comparison, these tend to be low involvement products. So I'm having a tough time writing persuasive copy. In this case, I say it's even more crucial for us to differentiate ourselves as a service company.
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