It's been a tough 12 months for e-tailers, but that's not to say customers aren't spending money online. They areââ,¬"in droves. Online retail sales are expected to reach US$65 million this year, an increase of 45 percent over 2000, according to a Shop.org study conducted by the Boston Consulting Group.
But in the short-term, online sales growth in categories of physical merchandise like books and technology products threatens to level off this year, as consumers throw more money toward sites that hawk travelââ,¬"rated the most lucrative online category at $13.8 billion last year by the Boston Consulting Groupââ,¬"and related services.
For e-tailers, stiffer competitionââ,¬"and leaner timesââ,¬"means you have to step up efforts to bring customers to your site and encourage them to buy. But you don't have to spend a fortune. Web-based services can give your site an instant liftââ,¬"from easy 3D product imaging and personalisation tools to expanded payment options and real-time customer surveys.
Sometimes the only incentive to buy your customers need is a better view of your products. Just ask John Rogers, director of e-commerce for Orvis, a national outdoor outfitter.
Although the company generates $300 million in annual salesââ,¬"mostly through mail orderââ,¬"Rogers suspected that a dynamic online catalog could encourage sales of Orvis's high-end fishing gear. But he didn't want to spend a lot of time and money integrating complex 3D imaging software into his existing site's back end.
Point Cloud, a 3D image-hosting service, offered to take care of that. "They had the technology to shoot the products for us and serve the images up to our customers," Rogers says. "All we had to do was link to their site."
With Point Cloud, Orvis.com shoppers can see selected products from any viewing angle, zooming in and out on fine details. The service offers two options: Photograph the products from several angles yourself, or let Point Cloud take care of it in about five working days. Then add the links for the 3D product shots to your site. Point Cloud charges $8.50 per hosted image per month; it also offers a revenue-sharing pricing model.
Rogers now uses Point Cloud to showcase 70 to 100 Orvis catalog products. Though load times can be slower for shoppers with dial-up connections, Rogers isn't disappointed. "The products with the biggest lift in sales are detailed products like expensive fly reels or specialty waders where people want to see the extra features," he says.
Top five reasons to enhance your e-store
- Give customers convenience. Smart search tools and multiple payment options create a hassle-free shopping experience at your Web site.
- Let products sell themselves. Visual enhancements like 3D imaging make your products pop off the page and give your customers the info they need.
- Avoid tech headaches. Add-ons can cost pennies on the dollar compared with full-featured solutions. Plus, someone else handles installation and maintenance.
- Boost sales. Don't wait for customers to fill their cartsââ,¬"use a personalisation tool to suggest related products.
- Make comptitors jealous. Impress visitors and woo them away from rival businesses by offering unique services and features.
