Times have changed. I grew up in a small town, and I remember going to our local department store, CL Carr’s, as a child with my mom to get new clothes for school or that special dress they would have on the 2nd floor – which was always exciting to take the elevator up. The same women worked there for years, would address us by name, would show us items and now looking back they overall gave us an exceptional experience.
Shopping is different now. There seems to be endless ways to purchase anything: company websites, resale websites, in-store, chat box, live streaming, and virtual experiences and I am sure more will be coming with AI and metaverse coming around the corner. The shopper’s journey remains steadfast though – they want an experience.
Getting Comfortable with Virtual Sales
It can get a bit overwhelming when thinking about all the multi-channel options people have for purchasing. However, according to the Business of Fashion 2023 Report, “Today’s customers expect brands and retailers to interweave digital conveniences,” and, “direct sales can be complemented by a diverse channel strategy that attracts new customers and provides a strong foundation for growth.”
All this means is that brands and retailers need to have a mix of offerings for their customers. By offering your products and services just off your website with a simple checkout, will not be enough moving forward. Customers are expecting more, like a virtual experience, live streaming or just adding a live person in a chat box. You need to always go back to the basics – customers want an experience.
Tim Brown, a co-founder of Allbirds says, “When I think about direct-to-consumer, what I think of is really the growth of people’s comfortability with buying things online and the rise of new brands.”
Frustration is Expensive
Virtual sales is new, and with everything that is new there will be a lot of trial and error. Unfortunately, frustration is expensive. According to the 2023 Retail Digital Experience Benchmark Report by Contentsquare, “1 out of 3 online visitors face some sort of frustration during their online shopping journey. Frustration can mean slow page loading, rage clicks (you know when you click on the same thing over and over again), and it uncovers the real human experience that drives every customer journey.”
Virtual Experiences and Live Streaming
The term, “virtual experience,” gets discussed with all the multi-channel options. What exactly does that mean? When you strip it back to the basics it is – the use of technology to create an experience for customers. When brands are live streaming for their customers, they are using technology to create a new experience and that is exciting! You are able to give your customers access to so many other products and services by live streaming, interact with customers that maybe you would not be able to reach, answer questions, and with eStreamly your customers easily purchase while you are live streaming.
How Conversation Couture Can Help
Conversation Couture understands that moving to an e-commerce space in the retail market can seem daunting at first. Indeed, it’s challenging to maintain customer relationships and brand consistency with all the multi-channel options. That is why we offer certification courses for existing sales associates and managers that are designed, tested and proven to drive greater sales, improve customer engagement, and sustain brand loyalty within a virtual shopping experience. Yes, it can be taught!
Check out our Online Learning Center to check out our Certification Courses, or head over to review our Services and Offerings.
What is Live Shopping? Live shopping gives consumers the opportunity to purchase as they watch video streams. With social commerce, retailers can broadcast live video streams and engage with consumers in real time. eStreamly’s video commerce solution enables brands to host live shopping events across multiple channels. From shoppable live shows on social media to hosting video commerce events. Live shopping is the future of retail. Live streaming shopping apps, shoppable videos, these are the tools successful retail brands will need. eStreamly’s white label solution gives brands shoppable videos. As live streaming shopping gains momentum eStreamly is empowering retailers to leverage these Live streaming shopping apps and shoppable videos to drive higher conversion rates and connect with today’s mobile first consumers.
