Online sales: Digital success concepts along the customer journey

Website only was once upon a time. If you talk to Swiss SMEs today about their goals on the Internet, generating leads as well as increasing sales are at the top of the priority list. Direct sales via the company's own online store - which can also lead to tension with stationary sales intermediaries - is not the only way to increase sales figures. In indirect sales, too, the establishment of digital value networks offers opportunities to influence purchasing decisions in the company's own favor and to prepare or generate sales. However, success can only be achieved on the basis of a mature digital concept, the appropriate technologies and their mutual integration. However, most companies lack the skills to harmonize sales strategy and technological concepts and implement them accordingly. This is also due to a lack of knowledge about the technological possibilities. Digital sales potential then too often remains untapped.Initiation: Emotional differentiation through content commerceThe content commerce concept is a successful strategy for presenting products and services. It offers companies, especially in the early purchase decision phases, the opportunity to move away from pure product presentation and to inspire potential customers with storytelling and emotional shopping experiences.It is not only search engines that are happy about additional content: With emotional activation, relevant content and interactive product advice, potential customers can be guided through various stages of the sales cycle in a targeted manner. The whole idea of content marketing is based on this principle. However, corresponding concepts cannot be adequately implemented with the very specialized store systems. Although these offer professional management of product data and numerous functions for handling the purchasing process - and are thus inevitably necessary in eCommerce scenarios - they very quickly reach their limits when it comes to the supplementary integration of multimedia content and the creation of emotional product worlds. Only the integration of the store system with a powerful content management system opens up completely new possibilities for creating digital shopping experiences.Comparison and selection: Conversion optimization through interactive consultingNot only for online retailers, but also for manufacturers - even without direct online sales - high-quality online advice is becoming increasingly important. Today, more than eighty percent of consumers obtain information on the Internet before making a purchase. For companies, numerous options exist for preparing the purchase decision now. The possibilities range from powerful search and filter systems, configurators and recommendation systems to interactive communication systems such as chat boxes, call-back buttons or even bot systems. Which of the consulting systems presented should be used in individual cases depends on various factors such as the objective, product range, company size, budget and backend technologies. While static filters are already integrated in common store solutions, complex advisory systems require extensive preparation. They must be strategically designed and require both sales and technological know-how. However, the right tool then significantly increases the probability of purchase.Processing: Integration of eCommerce and brick-and-mortar retailHandling the purchase process is the core functionality of store systems. Accordingly, all common store systems provide corresponding functions out of the box. However, not every customer wants to order online after researching online - the keyword is research online, purchase offline (ROPO). Likewise, not every manufacturer wants to sell directly to the end customer. However, a coherent linking of online and offline can still be useful for sales and promote sales. One of the best-known scenarios for linking online and offline is the store or dealer locator. If required, this can be linked with common store functions such as wish lists, callback buttons, and much more, as well as with location-dependent information. The offer can thus be tailored specifically to the location and preferences of the potential customer. For example, users could add products to a wish list, select a nearby retailer using the search function - or have the system suggest a retailer based on location recognition - and then receive an individual offer from that retailer. It would also be possible to place the entire order in the store, with the goods being made available by a partner in the customer's vicinity. This creates digital value networks from which both manufacturers and affiliated retailers benefit and which generate a consistently positive shopping experience for the customer.

Richard SahliThe Bern-based agency BizNet helps companies in the DACH region define digital strategies and translate them into operational measures. Based on its international experience in strategic and operational marketing, it accompanies its clients from conception to implementation.

Andreas ÖttlResponsible for marketing at contentXXL GmbH, the producer of the certified CMS and web business software of the same name. contentXXL is a subsidiary of Widnau-based CURRY Software AG, which specializes in digitization.