IT integration to define online shopping experience?
Written by James West
Intelligent use of IT will transform the retail experience by creating social hubs which drive sales and customer loyalty.
Retail analyst Verdict says that retailers have been slow to recognise the value of abandoning their traditional web-based catalogues and that IT leaders should build the online shopping experience around social media to create ‘entertainment destinations’.
The research found that most businesses still treat social media and ecommerce as separate entities, and that breaking this silo mentality is vital if they are to capture the attention of online shoppers.
Charlotte Woods, analyst at Verdict insists that websites with embedded YouTube videos with content such as product innovations and interviews with celebrities, would boost brand identity and give customers more reasons to revisit retail sites. Heavy use of and cross-promotion with Twitter and Facebook would help keep communities involved. “Retailers have the ability to create retail theatre online which consumers can get excited about.”
Woods says that with the world economy still in the doldrums, and the ease of which new competitors can emerge online, it is imperative that businesses use IT to differentiate. “This sort of strategy will become increasingly important as competition continues to grow. Retailers will therefore have to work harder to engage customers, and integrating social media with their online stores could prove lucrative to those that get on the front foot,” concludes Woods.