Time to push the bits & bytes and numbers aside
E-retailers have been inundated for some time with concerns about finding and implementing the best technologies that make commerce happen on their web sites. Since most e-commerce sites are functioning well, says one e-retailing CEO, it’s now time for web retailers to push aside behind-the-scenes technologies and concentrate on the reason they still exist: their customers.
Strategically speaking, changing the primary focus from web site construction and infrastructure to developing deeper and richer relationships with customers is a very important goal for Internet retailers in the years ahead, says Anthony Boldin, president and CEO of AtomicPark.com, a pure-play web retailer of software and other computer products. The company is No. 207 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide to Retail Web Sites.
“Most people in the industry still view e-commerce as making efficient transactions. But most e-retailers are pretty competent in this area now that they have had the resources to acquire and implement the fundamental technology they need. The bottom line: Efficiency is not the reason the Internet exists,” Boldin says. “So now that there is a solid technological foundation, to succeed e-retailers must notch up customer service efforts to the point where they can treat online shoppers the same as if they were shopping in a store. When customers are at a web store, they’re not there to rush through a transaction—they want to find the products they’re looking for.”
And to help customers find what they’re looking for, as well as things they may like but were not looking for, e-retailers should be aggressively pursuing as much site personalization as they can, Boldin says.
“Shoppers must have a consistent and focused experience online; personalization is key to this,” he says. “Similarly, e-retailers have to reduce visual clutter. There are many e-commerce sites that throw a lot of information at you, and most people can get lost. People don’t want to be advertised to, they want to shop—and in a personalized way that helps them in their hunt.”
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