ROPO Goes Both Ways
More than ever before, consumers are using their computers to research items they buy in stores. And they're also using stores to research purchases they make online. The growing power of the ROPO (research online purchase offline) effect is one area covered by Cisco's annual e-commerce survey. The survey found that 65 percent of consumers research on their personal computers before entering a brick-and-mortar store. And 40 percent search in a store...read more >>
eBay Tests New Ways of Selling
The online marketplace eBay has begun testing programs that offer offline help to potential sellers. In one pilot program, eBay will send a van by your house to collect items. These are then handed over to an "expert seller" who lists the items on the site and takes a cut of the sales proceeds. A second test program allows would-be sellers to drop their items off at a shopping mall for resale on eBay. "People make their living on eBay and that feels...read more >>
On the Hunt for Deals, Product Information
A new study shows that shoppers bring smartphones into stores with them not only to check out competitors' prices but also to get additional product information. Slightly more than half of mobile shoppers (51 percent) have used a smartphone to look up a product review, according to a new study from the mobile marketing and technology company Vibes. Additionally, 45 percent say they've scanned a QR code for more information while 33 percent have researched...read more >>
Content Merchandising Roundup #44
Below is a summary of the week's most interesting content merchandising-related posts from Content Ping as well as from other blogs and news sites. Happy reading. Quick Guide to Product Research Our quick guide to ROPO with helpful resources and facts, such as "Customers who research online before buying spend 33% more than those who haven't done online research." Google Is Testing Same-Day Delivery for Shoppers Google is teaming up with retailers...read more >>
Quick Guide to Product Research
A Pew Research Center report found that over half of US adults go online to research products they are considering purchasing. The practice of researching product features and compare prices online has become so common that it's often referred to as ROPO (research online purchase offline) or ROBO (research online buy offline). "Even if (shoppers) end up making their purchase in a store, they start their fact-finding and decision making on the Internet,"...read more >>
Google and Amazon Top Destinations for Product Research
Google tops the list of places online consumers go when making product purchase decisions. Of adults interviewed by Forrester Research, 20 percent said they found the search engine the most helpful when making a decision to purchase a product or service. But Amazon wasn't far behind. The survey shows 19 percent find Amazon most helpful for gathering product information and coming to a decision about purchasing online. Of course, that doesn't mean...read more >>
Cross-Channel Selling Eases Showrooming Worries
Brick-and-mortar retailers have faced an upsurge in showrooming in recent months. This is where a customer will use the store as a showroom to try out a product but go online to make the purchase. The problem for retailers is that consumers often end up on a competitor's website. For example, a shopper might try out a new gadget at a Target store, then buy it on Amazon. A new study from the technology company CrossView offers suggestions to retailers...read more >>
ROPO Resources from Search Muse
For those interested in the Research Online Purchase Offline (ROPO) effect, Paul Morris at the blog Search Muse has assembled a list of case studies, market research, and articles on the topic. While there's general agreement that people rely on online research to make decisions about offline purchases, ROPO statistics are notoriously often difficult to come by. Morris acknowledges that there "is no magic ROPO knowledge bullet." But he does link to...read more >>
Understanding What “Distributed Commerce” Means for Content
In a post on Econsultancy, Jasper Bell explores the notion that successful companies need to take a more "agile" approach to selling that encompasses social media, user-generated content, and content curation. People with smartphones are using their devices to price check, research, and shop. Connected consumers are using social media to discover new products. And companies need to develop strategies for succeeding in this multichannel, "distributed...read more >>
Stick, Drive, Convert: Designing Product Pages That Sell
As I mentioned earlier in this series, it's essential that your company invest in stick and drive content. This is the fun, sexy stuff that nets you 500,000 Facebook fans. But just because you’ve invested $1 million in that content doesn't mean you've closed the deal. Take a look at these examples of ineffective product pages. Let me ask you to put on your consumer hat for a second: Are these pages likely to convert you? We know from the numbers...read more >>