Accenture’s survey among American consumers showed the reasons for webrooming are often to avoid high delivery costs and to look and feel at the product before buying it. A lot of people browse the Internet, and most of them go to a physical store after.
Getting the Customer to the Store
But you want the customer to go to your store. Since there are a lot of stores to choose from most of the time, the trick is that the web site is not just used to checking out information before buying the product, but also getting the customer to the store if the order is not completed at the web site. Competitive prices, discounts, a lot of information and easy to find store information are basic things I think. I personally think that stock balance in stores is an important function for everyone with more than one channel. If a product is out of stock at the web shop, or if I for some other reason want to check out the product in a store, I want to be sure that it is available before I go. Calling is not so convenient, I want to do it with a few clicks. The same thing with store shelf if it is a larger department store, it should be available at the site so I don’t have to look or ask someone. The collect at store function is another function I like so I am sure to get it when I go to the store.
Looking Before Buying Online
The opposite, showrooming, where you can look and feel when you see the product in a store, and then searching prices and alternatives on the Internet and finally buying it online, is also popular among consumers. The last TV we bought came with an offer to get a free PlayStation at Dustin.se. We went to Media Markt to check out the picture. When we asked them to offer the same price, we got a big no, so we simply went home to order it online, and a few days later it arrived to our door.
A lot of us have checked out prices and reviews with our smart phone when you are at a store, or simply wanting more product information that isn’t that easy to find or not at all at a store. A lot of people are satisfied having seen the product live and then ordering it online if the web store offers better terms, maybe already at the store.
Offer a Seamless Experience
If the product is out of stock in the store, it should be easy to see if it is available at the e-commerce warehouse. It should be easy to find a product from the store when going online. There is the possibility for example t print a QR code at the price tag with a direct link to the product page. To offer the customer a simple solution for an easy order process, to avoid losing it to another store. Everyone who thinks omnichannel has an advantage.
Traditional window shopping is not common anymore, products and prices have already been checked out online. Then you only have to go to one store, either online or offline. We will have to get used to expressions like showrooming and webrooming and work at solutions to help the customer find the store despite channel.
