The Financial Express
By Narinder Mahajan
The last time you walked into a retail store, did you find yourself drawn to specific products? It was because they were at your eye level and you couldn’t resist walking up to them. In a physical store, ‘eye level, buy level’ is about human psychology, and is used to corner the maximum attention of customers. It is believed that products displayed 14.7 inches below and above eye level are the most likely to grab a customer’s attention. The idea is to facilitate both convenience for the customer and conversion of sales.
In the online store, the concept of ‘eye level’ is replaced by enhanced discoverability and searchability, ensuring products are easily found by customers. Unlike physical retail stores with limited shelf space, online stores have virtually unlimited options. With millions of products and brands vying for customers’ attention, the challenge is to help customers find what they want effortlessly. As online shopping surges, Indian brands, sellers, and e-commerce platforms employ tools to align customer preferences with available products. The goal is to provide a seamless and delightful experience amidst an array of choices. These online retail tools and technologies share the same foundation as offline shopping, bridging the virtual and physical worlds.
Above everything else, content is Queen
The most vital of these tools is content. In a physical store, the customer picks up the product to check it out. In the online store, the customer searches for a virtual copy of the product. Hence, the first tool in a brand’s online arsenal of tools is keywords.
Keyword optimisation is a vital strategy to improve the rankings of products and increase visibility in search engine results. When consumers search for products or services online, they use specific words or phrases. By strategically optimising the keywords on the website, e-commerce stores ensure that their products are more likely to appear in relevant search results, making it easier for consumers to discover them and bring them to ‘eye level.’
Value of enriched content
Next, enriched content like infographics and A+ content holds significant value from the perspective of the content score and search algorithms. By incorporating relevant keywords and providing high-quality, informative content, online stores improve their search algorithm rankings, leading to better visibility and discoverability.
Infographics attract attention through their visual appeal and shareability, while A+ content provides key product details and features. By optimizing these types of content, online stores enhance their chances of being prominently featured in search results, ultimately aiding consumers in discovering relevant products.
Optimising Keywords
Another content tool includes optimising titles, bullet points, and descriptions with relevant keywords. This again facilitates product discovery. By using accurate titles and incorporating keywords within these elements, the visibility increases in relevant searches and improves the chances of consumers finding and exploring their products. The optimisation benefits search engine rankings while enhancing the user experience by providing clear and informative content, leading to effective product discovery and potential sales.
Accurate product mapping
Correct product mapping is essential to provide a seamless and efficient product discovery and buying experience. Through the accurate association of products with relevant categories, attributes, and filters, retailers enable consumers to navigate their website or online marketplace more effectively. This allows consumers to narrow down their search results based on their preferences, ensuring they find the desired products or brands quickly and easily.
Personalization and bundling
Personalization and bundling bring products to the forefront of the customer’s attention. Features like “Previously bought,” “Frequently bought together,” “View similar products,” or “Products last viewed” enhance discoverability, searchability, and convenience. By leveraging personalization and bundling techniques, stores anticipate and cater to customers’ needs and preferences. Personalized suggestions also reduce browsing time and offer a convenient and curated buying experience.
Effective product presentation remains vital in both offline and online retail. Understanding the psychology behind consumer behaviour and employing strategies to maximise product visibility and discoverability is key to success in offline and online retail. By embracing the power of online retail and leveraging the opportunities offered, businesses can deliver exceptional customer experiences, expand their reach, and thrive in the new age of retailing.
The author is the CEO and co-founder of ODN
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