Since the dawn of the internet almost 30 years ago consumers can interact with brands in ways previously impossible. And this ever-evolving paradigm shift continues to have a profound influence on consumer behavior. Today consumers do more product research online than ever and a brand's website is often their starting point. In fact when Astound Commerce recently surveyed 1000 online shoppers they found 54% turn to brands over retailers for:
Furthermore 37% said they expect a more engaging experience on a brand website than a retailer's. So brands can't afford a subpar online presence. Basic information is no longer enough. Consumers have very specific questions and a higher expectation for information. And if the website can't answer their question who can?! So with that in mind here are six features you should be using to get the most out of your brand website.
Enhanced customer service was a chief consumer expectation in the aforementioned survey. And while retailers selling your products may have live chat on their site their teams are not as knowledgeable and passionate about your brand as your own. Here are just some of the benefits of chatbots:
For more on how chat bots are revolutionising the consumer experience check out our previous blog here.
Great content keeps consumers coming back as well as attract and retain customers. Here are some of the best types of content to feature on your brand website:
You know your product better than anyone. This means you can anticipate the questions people will ask about it. So deliver them via a dedicated FAQ page. These have several benefits:
Not every consumer who visits your website wants to buy your product directly from your site. Many will want to buy from their favourite retailer for all sorts of reasons (shipping costs delivery options payment options etc.). By utilising 'Where to Buy' on your brand website you allow consumers to purchase your products on their preferred retailer websites quickly and easily.
The 'About Us' page is among the most visited pages of any website. And it's often visited just as the consumer is considering becoming a customer. So use it to tell your brand story. Remember that today's customers don't just care about your products. They're also interested in your vision purpose and what you stand for. So the 'About Us' page is your chance to charm them with all this information!
A fresh subscriber to your email marketing list marks the beginning of a new relationship. It means you can contact your customer more than once and send them longer targeted messages at all stages of their purchase journey. As such an email marketing opt-in form is essential to your brand site. No matter how killer your brand website the fact is that many consumers will still choose to buy off their preferred retailer. To learn how to channel them directly to partner retailers and in doing so see your conversion rates sky rocket contact the ChannelSight team today.
