The Content Dilemma - Consumer Insights and Merchant Execution

The e-tailing Group
May 2009
ARS Interactive

Introduction
The Customer Speaks
A Look at the Product Page
5 C's of Consumer Content Demands
The Merchant Perspective
About the Companies

Today's consumers spend significant time learning about product through a combination of copy and corresponding text; relying on robust content to research across channels. It is our contention that the merchant's ability to engender shoppers' confidence results in the initial purchase and optimally to a loyal customer for life.

ARS eCommerce has graciously agreed to sponsor this white paper on "The Content Dilemma" and its impending challenges for the merchant community. We felt it was imperative to bring two perspectives to bear starting with the consumer perspective, followed by a comprehensive look at requisite merchant execution. A holistic look addresses the merchant's responsibility, their challenges, execution, and implementation to achieve exemplary bottom-line results.

II. THE CUSTOMER SPEAKS

Quality of Content Paramount
Over three-quarters (77%) of the 650 women and 350 men surveyed in August 2007 state that their interest in buying from a particular merchant is "very to somewhat" influenced by the quality of content (descriptions, copy, images, and tools) on a particular website. 

 

It is apparent that everyone wants more information. In fact 91 percent of those who completed our online questionnaire responded that they "almost always to frequently" click to learn more when they find a product of interest, going beyond the initial product page.

The product page is a destination for consumers that must incorporate the best in text, imagery and tools, plus customer service information. Ultimately should merchants fail to deliver on these demands, consumer decision-making will be postponed and shoppers will seek alternative channels and competitors, with impact ultimately felt in both lost sales and customers.

Research Fuels Cross-Channel Shopping
Feedback from these consumers, who spend over $500 while shopping online four or more times annually, demonstrates such reliance. Comprehensive content is imperative for cross-channel success as 66 percent of respondents conduct research for products online half the time or more - regardless of the channel in which their purchase is made (web, catalog; store).

Topping the list of categories where having detailed product information available is so important that shoppers feel they would be unable to complete purchases without it are: Clothing and Accessories (64%), Computer Hardware and Software (52%), and Consumer Electronics (49%).

Lacking Content = Lost Sales
Yet 76 percent of those surveyed report that content is insufficient to complete research or purchase online "always, most often or some of the time."

Incomplete content is also a factor as 79 percent "rarely or never" purchase a product without complete product information. Resulting actions for 72 percent are to abandon the site and go to a competitor or research further online, typically finding what they want elsewhere.

The Product Page as Destination
When purchasing online, 52 percent of shoppers spend six minutes or more on the product page. Allocation of time spent on the product page is devoted to reading text/product copy (43%), viewing product images (31%) and using tools (26%).

Interestingly, almost of half of the time is spent on text and product copy so both readability and scan-ability are advisable. Product images receive almost an additional one-third of the mindshare (31%) and the complementary tools (i.e. product compare, consumer reviews, email-a-friend) also see significant attention. This triumvirate of tactics means all must work together and compliment one another in order to be successful.

Product Page Feature Selection
Further exploration of the product page includes ranking, on a 5-point scale, the importance of twenty-six features and functionalities when selecting and ultimately purchasing a product. The "top ten" as ranked "1" or "very important" are shaded on the chart below.

Putting product page elements in context from the consumer perspective can help a merchant prioritize their efforts. I would however caution that there are many elements that must be taken into consideration to put forth a satisfactory effort. Each merchant's category also comes into consideration with regard to specific details or visual components. For example apparel suggests the need for a size chart while sophisticated furniture sellers should assess the value of view in a room functionality.

Ranking of the top five elements includes customer service components as well as text and image-related factors, dictating the robust nature of an exemplary product page. Customer service, an afterthought for many merchants, pervades the entire site and merchants should not be shortsighted when integrating these elements online. One's guarantee should be prominent at this decision-making juncture as can be seen in subsequent examples.

Consumer's desire for in-stock product or ample information about expected delivery suggest placement of such information on both the product and shopping cart pages, a general standard to which merchants should adhere. In fact, our own 2006 Annual Mystery Shopping of 100 merchants found that 83% made stock status available on the home page while 75 percent showed it within the shopping cart.

A. Text
Confirming the need for quality text, the most highly ranked is the product overview (76%), giving the consumer a quick snapshot of the product. They can then decide to pursue additional information, scan the visuals or read further.

A combination of text formats is preferred for product details where 74 percent of surveyed consumers desire a mix of short paragraphs and bullet points. Women typically rank text-related information higher than men. Shuffling between them should be expected when shoppers require greater detail prior to making their purchase.

Category considerations come to light from a text perspective as consumers embrace product specific information. Merchants must understand this dependency and give visibility to these crucial components. Personally, as a mother of a 5-year old and one who purchases many gifts, a quick scan for age appropriateness is an important time saver. Similarly instructions and assembly requirements aid in pre-purchase decision-making as well as post-purchase behavior.

B. Image
There's an old expression, a picture is worth a 1,000 words. First and foremost, the quality of the image has been found to very important to shoppers as it facilitates choice. Following slightly behind overall and ranking fourth in the study, the quality of the image (67%) ensures shoppers can visualize their potential purchase. Again, women also rank all of these tools higher than men with color change, view on a model and view in a room of particular importance.

Supporting rich media tactics, shoppers have come to expect alternative views as well as the universally employed zoom per the chart below. They can be part of the supporting cast where requisite investments should be allocated based on their influence and ability to convert customers, increase average order size or decrease customer returns.

While it may be cost-effective to leverage catalog or vendor-supplied photography, it is challenging for shoppers to gather detailed information from an image that contains a montage of grouped products. Color change, view on a model and view in a room all are category-specific and should be addressed in the context of a merchant's goals and objectives.

C. Tools
Tools are the third dimension and round out the customer experience, often serving as the confidence builders and editors in the decision-making stage. Over the past few years they have gained traction among consumers where innovative execution is solid among sophisticated sellers. As the numbers indicate, while the more static guides can still be valuable, today's consumer gravitates to more engaging elements. Although the differences are minor men and women favor different kinds of tools.

Social networking is top-of-mind since ratings and reviews now guide shoppers in their selection process. Product compare, once the bane of consumer electronics and technology, is now seen across intimate apparel and health/beauty categories, just to cite a few evolving categories.

Product demos can be made available from the manufacturer and are integral for telling customers just how the product will work and whether it's a good fit for their needs; fostering increased conversion. Continued web syndication will likely see an evolution of demos and product tours.

Audio/video is becoming standard fare with sites like YouTube and Facebook part of everyday life, particularly for younger audiences. Their ability to also show a product in use, specifically when reinforcing the merchant presentation, can be the icing on the cake that inspires the customer to hit the buy button and seal the sale.

III. A LOOK AT THE PRODUCT PAGE

A. Sears Selling and Service Starts with their Product Page
Many of the elements we have already discussed can be seen in this example from Sears' front load washer product page. Their layout is comprehensive, including a quick decription, rich media, zooming, and color change. From a tools perspective the virtual laundry room and buying guide are integrated into the shopping experience. The tabbed layout enables Sears to cover all of their bases with an overview, specifications, product options, and reviews. Cross-channel capabilities, unique to a limited number of retailers, also hold important real estate. This well thought out execution enables an excellent customer experience.

B. Category-Centric Product Page
The Pottery Barn takes into account the needs of furniture buyers with a robust yet streamlined layout. The necessary elements are noted below and the customer can be confident that their needs will be met on all three product page dimensions - text, image, and tools.

Product Page Elements

• Several image choices
• Zoom
• View in a room
• Swatches simplify color choices
• Editorially formatted text
• Links to more info offer details, dimensions, care and more persuasive copy
• Side-bar with relevant up-sells and cross-sells

C. eBags Execution
eBags is a merchant who prides themselves on informing their shoppers and their product page supports such a strategy. They pack a plethora of functionality into a clear and comprehensive product page. From customer service links to enriched product content, the customer is sure to be satisfied with the richness of this experience.

Best Practices

• Deferred payment plans, frequent buyer program
• Color change, zoom
• Brand boutiques
• Email-a-friend
• Product comparison and more
• Detailed customer ratings/reviews
• "Worry Free Shopping" links lead to return and guarantee policies
• User can sign-up for brand-specific e-mail updates

IV. 5 C'S OF CONSUMER CONTENT DEMANDS

The research has spoken and the customers' voice has been heard. Merchants must learn from their insights. A look at these demands ensures providing potential buyers with an optimal product page. Heeding the consumer's call requires addressing each of these five issues:

1. Choice-a series of tools and tactics for broad customer appeal
2. Complete-everything you need to buy
3. Customized-selection based on your category and your brand
4. Comprehensive-an array of images and rich media that shows all the essential faces of the product
5. Creative-engaging, visual execution

V. THE MERCHANT PERSPECTIVE

Investing in Product Page Content
The customer has spoken; clearly demanding the merchant community to deliver a comprehensive experience at the product page level. It is our belief that merchants must make an investment in product content. Positive byproducts include trust, confidence, and ultimately a consumer purchase where returns to the merchant are reduced.

Scenario Review
Imagine the following scenarios that face merchants on a daily basis. Many will seem all too familiar and I suspect you will find the content insights of those you relate to important to your organization

• You have just added a hot line of products to your first floor assortment and have two months to sell-through the goods
• Buyers in your organization are spending their time as copywriters and image croppers rather than "minding the store"
• Product information is inconsistent, making it difficult for the shopper to compare across brands
• You often leverage vendor sourced or existing catalog imagery for cost-savings purposes despite the fact that the photography is not always ideal
• You are feeling overwhelmed as you now have an internal photo studio with a significant number of people dedicated to your visual needs and the work seems to be endless

The second half of this paper will focus on three critical components to educate and directly address concerns merchants might have regarding their content:

A. Content Creation Evaluation Questions
B. Build Versus Buy
C. Checklist for Comprehensive E-Commerce Content

Strategic Brand Review

• Who is your customer?
• What are their preferences for learning about products?
• Are there any unique rules of the road relative to your category that might influence product design, layout or content?
• How rich must your product presentation strategy be?
• What are the search drivers that shoppers use to find product on your site?
• What are the influencers to purchasing?
• What percent of buyers purchase cross-sells or up-sells on your site?
• What level of assortment does your customer require (full, partial, strategic?) in order to feel they've received a complete experience?

1. Will you have multiple description fields?
2. Are both short and long descriptions essential?
3. Concerning product images, do you want close-ups, swatches?
4. Should you phase in rich media starting with key products or add to the complete, existing assortment?
5. Will you need to support Scene7 image uploads?
6. Can you post dynamic video? WMV, QT, Flash?
7. How is your text formatted? Bullet, Streaming, HTML?
8. Do you want to link to PDFs? Owners Manuals, Product Guides, Warranties?
9. Do you have existing standards for data transfer Excel files, SQL tables, XML, etc.
10. Are you currently providing data feeds to comparison shopping engines and other third parties?
11. How can you best communicate your needs to your internal team or outsourced vendor partners?
12. Should you create a style guide to ensure brand rules are followed?

• Product selection
• Vendor negotiation
• Allotment
• Inventory
• Drop ship management
• Onsite merchandising (organization dependent)
• Up-sell and cross-sell selection

The following chart should serve as a guide in that evaluation process. As no two merchants are alike, or face the same challenges, we would suggest that there are likely to be grey areas for many of the elements discussed. Merchants should take the time to gauge their image processing needs as it is the "plumbing" of the product page. The associated requirements include the gathering of the image, cleaning, cropping, editing in order to put the best product and related images forward. This aspect of content development is laborious where dedicated human resources are a requirement for success. A strong content strategy will enable standardized and normalized images which will be integral to your success on your site as well as search feeds to comparison engines and partners.

There are certain aspects of this decision-making grid that may suggest outsourcing by their very nature. For example, if you work with drop ship vendors or are looking to extend your assortments through drop ship in the future, that alone may push you in this direction given the complexity of such a multi-vendor model. Another example would be your content management system. Automated systems allow merchants to embrace outsourced business solutions while manual intervention might may suggest an in-house solution. A careful review will point you in the right direction regarding your content needs.

Content Assessment Grid

C. Checklist for Comprehensive E-Commerce Content
We cannot emphasize enough the need for comprehensive content on e-commerce sites and accordingly offer this checklist to merchants as a guideline for excellence.

Execution

• Be consistent in your deployment across all of your products
• Timeliness is of the essence to optimize sales as many categories and merchants have short seasons where significant revenues are garnered
• Allow four weeks to bring on any new product
• Establish a brand tone to ensure clear and accurate differentiation in the marketplace
• Use your resources wisely; fostering a strategy that allows the buyer to truly be a subject matter expert with ample time to effectively do their job

Text/Image

• Start with a clear overview of the product
• Follow-up with a long description for those who seek "more information"
• Bullet text if it gets too long, making it easier to read
• The quality of the image must be crisp and clear to give a true sense of the merchandise, ideally as a stand-alone image

Tools

• User-generated ratings/reviews add a personal dimension to the shopping experience
• Take advantage of rich media to incorporate alternative views, zoom and color change
• Relevant tools can embellish the basics; product compare and video should be assessed on a category basis

Customer Service

• Ensure that your merchant guarantee is placed in a prime location
• Stock status should be shown to address any availability challenges
• Customer service links should be accessible with a toll-free number visible

VI. ABOUT THE COMPANIES

About the e-tailing group, inc.
The e-tailing group, inc. serves as the multi-channel merchant's eye, bringing a merchant's sensibility to evolving the multi-channel shopping experience. A Chicago-based consultancy, they provide practical strategic perspectives and actionable merchandising solutions to merchants selling online as well as to enabling technology firms.

For more background about this proprietary research study or for additional information on the e-tailing group, inc. please contact Lauren Freedman via email to lf@e-tailing.com, by phone at 773-975-7280 or visit the e-tailing group website www.e-tailing.com.

About ARS Interactive
ARS eCommerce LLC partners in content management, efficiently and intelligently assisting clients with attribute architecture and information design. They create an efficient and repeatable process on the back-end that allows clients to do their business – to sell and strategize while their content is managed. Business relationships are built on long-term commitment and partnership. For more information please contact David Viens, Director of Sales and Marketing via email at dheim@thinkars.com by phone at 847.882.9810 or visit their website www.thinkars.com.

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