You may recall the baseball film from the 1980s in which a divine voice famously whispered to Kevin Costner, "If you build it, he will come." Some marketers may also claim to hear The Voice as it relates to promoting their e-commerce Web site or online shopping mall.
Looking at some robust projections—a Forrester Research/Shop.org study estimates that 2006 online sales increased 20% to $211.4 billion—it would be tempting to think that if you build it, they will come.
Yet marketers must resist that temptation and take a much more strategic approach to e-commerce—one that focuses more on customer experience. The truth is that from a functional and ease-of-use perspective, all e-commerce Web sites and online malls are not created equal. Since the competition is a click away, marketers must make certain of a compelling and secure shopping experience.
For starters, marketers must ignore the temptation to adopt a promotion-only strategy and must instead truly build trust and loyalty with online shoppers.
They'd accomplish that by touting their safe online shopping experiences, focusing loyalty programs on rewarding word-of-mouth behavior, creating segmented and audience-appropriate online store offerings, offering the most compelling awards benefits, and, in sum, creating the best possible online shopping experience.
Merchant-funded online shopping malls have emerged as an ideal way for companies of any consumer industry to provide this kind of additional customer value at no extra cost; build stronger relationships with existing members; attract new customers by offering an easy, free way to earn rewards; and increase revenues as customers shop.
But from the perspective your most important constituency—the consumer—what defines a shopping experience that will drive repeat purchases and build long-term loyalty to your brand, your product, and your service?
Whether you are a marketer for a large or small or medium-sized organization, the top considerations when creating or evaluating an online mall platform will apply. Here is a list of these considerations, which can often make the difference between an optimal and a forgettable experience:
1. Personalization and customization are the top of any consumer's wish list
Personalized recommendations encourage repeat use of the mall by bringing customers' most relevant merchants within easy reach, and by suggesting additional merchants of value to them.
To encourage participation and promote special deals, an online mall must allow merchants to communicate with customers via personalized multichannel marketing programs. The right platform will integrate with the company's existing email system to enable easy and frequent communications with shoppers.
In addition, without sharing PII (personally identifiable information), the portal should recognize customers each time they log on and present them with offers specifically targeted to them based on past purchases.
2. "Look and feel" is an imperative
A clean and attractive design makes it easy for customers to access and navigate. A superior online mall will create an enticing and intuitive user experience that quickly guides customers through the portal into a well-planned mall environment.
Consumers must be able to see merchants in a clean, uncluttered fashion and must have multiple paths to find a given merchant (e.g., search box, navigate by category, and alphabetical listing).
3. Variety is valuable
No shopper likes to wait—whether in a line or online. A first-rate online mall saves the consumer time and maximizes ways to earn rebates by offering a comprehensive range of merchants.
Be selective and limit the merchant offering to the best in every major category so that your brand is not diluted by many unknown or poor-reputation merchants.
4. Promote the mall
To encourage participation and promote special deals, it's important to communicate with customers via personalized multichannel marketing programs. The right platform will integrate with existing email systems to enable easy and frequent communications with shoppers.
5. Back-end accounting must be flawless
This is essential to keeping the customer informed of his or her purchases and rebate status. It is critical to have a flawless back-end accounting system to match purchases with rebates or points, and to ensure that rebates are allocated precisely.
6. Frequently update the site
Like any other Web site, the mall's content should constantly be changed and offer updates to keep the site fresh and relevant to site visitors.
Consider seasonal offers or a "special deals" section to encourage purchasing. Many providers will take care of this as a part of the package.
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Whether you are a loyalty and awards program manager for a bank or airline, club, organization or non-profit, private-label online shopping portals offer a way for your members to shop easily and securely at hundreds of name-brand sites through a single point of entry—your Web site.
With the best technical platform, financial systems, and mix of merchants as part of your online network granting awards, bonuses, and rebate points for purchases, customers and members can shop at the stores they know, love, and trust, all the while earning points and strengthening their ties to your organization.
