Online Shopping Version 2.0

Recently, we talked about online players like Flipkart and Snapdeal turning more and more to offline modes of communication like print and television ads to appeal to the online shoppers. With increasing competition, it is not just ads that online retailers are dependent on.

To appeal to online shoppers and give them the differentiating factor, online retailers are mimicking other techniques used by offline retailers to differentiate their products and provide value-adds to customers.

Need for differentiation

Online shopping version 1.0 saw online retailers competing head-on with unbeatable deals and discounts. However, deals and discounts alone will not do the trick today. Just like offline retailers need to differentiate their products to stand out in the sea of choices available to customers, online retailers today also need to provide that differentiating factor to lure customers to their products.

Now, the scenario has been stepped up with version 2.0 aiming to provide a physical store-like shopping experience to customers with maximum customization and value add services like offline retail stores.

Along with service offerings, online retailers are mimicking offline retailers in their marketing efforts also though initially they used to mostly rely on platforms like Facebook and other social media. In tune with this, online portal Myntra recently conducted a treasure hunt on its website to engage customers. This was done to bring more customers to the website and familiarize them with the different products available, like a physical store would organize an event to get customers to the store and engage them in activities involving its products.

Examples of online retailers who have taken the differentiating step

Ecommerce is based on the fact that customers need not visit physical stores for their shopping needs. However, sometimes customers need to see and feel a product so that they can be enticed into feeling the need for it and making a purchase.

• Basics Life (Apparel)– When it comes to clothes, sometimes shoppers need to make the occasional visit to a tailor to get alterations done. Apparel retailer, Basics Life, has taken a step further to solve this problem. In its online shopping portal, customers can mention their measurements for alteration. Once taken care of by tailor, the altered and customised products, without losing the factory finish, are delivered to customers at their doorstep.

• Tulika Books (Children’s books)– In physical bookstores, customers are enticed into buying more than what they may have intended by arranging shelves with books under categories like bestsellers, editor’s picks, top ten of the week etc. Tulika Books tries to replicate this method by making recommendations to customers at the time of check out. Also, while delivering purchases, books are sent to customers (based on similar age, price, preferred authors, illustrations etc.) so they can touch and feel them without any obligation to buy, just like they check out books in a bookstore.

• Tastykhana (Food portal)- Food portals that allow customers to order for take-aways are also catching up with this trend. Tastykhana (based out of Pune) allows customers to customize their meals with personal preferences like less oil, no mushrooms etc. Also, customers can pool in items from different restaurants into a single order like they would do in a food court.

Benefit of online shopping version 2.0 for India Online Seller

Although the online shopping industry has grown manifold the past year, it has not yet reached a level such that offline retail experience has been completely ignored or eliminated. Whether that will ever happen is yet to be seen.

Customers still need to feel and see some products before they buy. It is a known fact that in-store displays and offers affect the shopping behavior of customers. Sometimes they buy more only because of the attractive displays and offers in the store.

Hence, it is good to incorporate differentiating factors for your store or products to entice customers into making purchases. Luxury brands spend millions to do up a store to provide a luxurious and comfortable shopping experience to their customers because shopping is associated with the whole experience also and not just the products and prices.