Today I received a promotional email from Moores Clothing, a store I visit from time to time. It was titled “Don’t miss your last chance for huge savings during our Year-End Sale!” I clicked and browsed the content for two seconds – literally – and erased it. I’m not planning to buy anything right now, so I just didn’t care.
Just as you’ve probably done, I’ve erased dozens of similar emails throughout the holidays – what a waste. I did spend some time reading three or four promotional emails, however. What actually caught my attention was interesting and useful content, they weren’t promoting anything!
The Internet has changed how people buy things, and it seems the memo hasn’t arrived to everyone’s desk. Most people, once they decide to buy a product or service, go online and do some research. Some may want quality, some may want low prices, but everyone wants information.
How different would I’ve reacted to a Moores email titled, “How to dress for a rainy day” or “Learn how to use a vest”! (I’ve been thinking of buying a vest but don’t really know with what kind of shirt to combine it with and just haven’t gone online and research vests.)
I recently read a good case scenario on this topic that mentioned Cervelo bikes (www.cervelo.com) as a great example of how good information brings customers. You’ll notice their news section is very appealing. Now, if you were into bike racing, even if you’re considering buying a different bike, wouldn’t you want to check what Cervelo has to say?
It’s more likely that your customers are thinking about a future purchase and looking for more information rather than a “now or never” buying scenario. Auto dealers are particularly funny this way. Their promotions last only a few days. Have you ever seen a auto commercial and thought to yourself, “Wow! 0% Financing? I wasn’t planning on buying a car, but what the heck!” What would you prefer? A good “now or never” sale or a reliable and trustworthy dealer?
It’s easy enough to walk into The Bay or Sears and be overwhelmed by “Sale” signs. It’s not easy to find a sales person who really knows what they’re selling. Make your business a provider of quality information and customers will trust you.
And isn’t that a very big first step?
Hear, hear. Why not, in 2009, make it easier for the customer to find what they are loking for online? I have run into this a million times while trying to shop for things while living overseas. It’s almost as if most companies have wesites just because all of the other companies have one, like getting a Wi or and IPod. Having a website is a good first step, but shouldn’t we expect more, especially in 2009?
Nolando – I’m sure a lot of companies actually have a website just because others do. There’s quite a bit of thought that needs to be put into creating a website that actually speaks to the people visiting it. I’m not only talking about design, but also about content quality, where it is displayed, and the options the site has to address your needs.
But not to worry, as the online world grows websites will become better at… everything!
If you want to see how much things have changed already check out the WayBackMachine at (http://www.archive.org/) – there you can enter any web address and check out how the site was way back.