This is what a web store must look like

More and more often, users can view products in a 3D animation or even try them on virtually.The speed at which Swiss web stores are changing is impressive. Whether you are a leading retailer or a small niche provider: Anyone who wants to be financially successful in e-commerce must regularly adapt the latest web findings. Hardly any online retailer's homepage looks the same as it did five years ago. But which innovations promise success or are just decoration? MK asked some experts about the latest findings and they all agree that the innovative strength of Swiss web stores does not differ greatly from that of foreign e-commerce players. Rather, there are differences in Switzerland depending on the sector. "In the retail sector and among brand manufacturers, innovation efforts are moving towards an omni-channel presence," says Sascha Bader, Senior Consultant at Unic. Channel integration is currently a top priority for many companies: "They are investing more and more in strategies in which the online and offline channels are efficiently and profitably interlinked. The need for consulting in this area has been growing noticeably for some time." At the same time, the same companies are also investing in the development of an omni-channel organization in order to prepare for the near future.Additional contentBader has been pursuing efforts to merge the areas of commerce, content and communities more closely for several years: "This formula can be profitable. Additional content, user-generated content and product reviews can help to increase sales and customer loyalty. However, good concepts are the cornerstone of success." For example, the enrichment with third-party or additional information would have to be developed specifically for the respective company. "It's not just suppliers of consumer goods that can benefit from this kind of fusion; such concepts can also provide a competitive advantage for products that require a lot of advice," says Bader.Olivier Kofler, CEO of iBrows, is currently seeing numerous innovations in Swiss web stores: "Mooris.ch, for example, is successfully using content marketing. A story is told around the products and the products can be indirectly showcased." Put to the test: On Mooris.ch, a random click leads to a bed tray. The text here is cheerful and luscious: "The bed tray is a clever thing to ensure that breakfast in bed doesn't end in crumbly chaos. And a simple, beautifully designed one at that! Made from light-colored rubberwood with handles on the sides so that breakfast arrives safely in bed." The text may sound unspectacular, but it's a lot more lively than an old-fashioned product description.As in the Ex Libris exampleKofler calls another trend "mass customer customization": "These are product configurators that help users to find the right product for them. The user doesn't have to search for the product, the product searches for the user." He also refers to same-day delivery: "Short delivery times will become increasingly important in the future and will have a significant influence on a user's purchasing decision". Multi-channel delivery is just as important: "Delivery can be ordered to the workplace, home or to a local branch and picked up there, as in the Ex Libris example." Olivier Kofler also identifies innovations in the customer journey: "The web store is increasingly being used across all channels. For example, the PKZ sales assistant in the store knows what the user bought the day before in the online store and what size clothes they have." This allows the sales assistant to provide the customer with comprehensive advice and respond to their needs in a targeted manner. "There is currently increased investment in cross-channel concepts in order to optimally link stationary points of sale with online presences," says Thomas Lang from e-commerce consultancy Carpathia. "What always looks very simple at first, however, turns out to be complex in many cases. Stumbling blocks include incompatible processes, missing data and no real-time connections." In addition, far-reaching organizational changes are necessary for this integration to become tangible for the customer. "A lot is also currently happening in the areas of product images, videos and texts," notes Lang. He also refers to the exponential mobile growth rates: "No retailer can afford not to present an adequate range of products on mobile devices." When asked about the fusion of content, community and commerce, Thomas Lang confirms: "This formula is extremely important. There are some interesting examples in Switzerland, such as www.fischen.ch or www.reitsport.ch, which also rely on this concept. It's about selling through expertise and not putting the product in the immediate foreground, but rather convincing the customer."Brand manufacturers as pioneersAnd Felix Kaiser, Senior Principal Consultant E-Commerce at Namics, says of the CCC combination: "It is becoming more important, at least the combination of experience and transaction." Looking at the individual sectors, he says: "While home electronics, for example, are primarily sold on price and therefore neither the margin for creating experiences is sufficient nor the expectation is there, high-quality outdoor fashion will certainly be sold more successfully if the quality of the products and the associated nature experiences are communicated in a high-quality way." Brand manufacturers and high-margin sectors are therefore also pioneers here. "If you want to be successful online in the long term, you have to be able to offer customers added value in addition to the classic 'web store'," says Olivier Kofler - for example wine stores with a wine community or shared wine cellar. Fancy.com is certainly one of the leading global providers in this area. Dynamic pricing, on the other hand, is only being used hesitantly compared to other countries. Felix Kaiser is also cautious about this: "Creativity in this area is increasing: More sophisticated analyses and expanded store software options are allowing for more and more new promotions. In general, however, in our experience, only a few participants in the Swiss market are even in a position to use dynamic pricing for themselves." The introduction is progressing rather slowly.Competition as a driver"A dynamic pricing model generally helps companies that work with fixed offer structures and cannot scale them at will," explains Sascha Bader. For example, yield management has long been practiced in the airline and hotel industry: Prices are raised during busy operating periods, while offers are reduced during less busy periods. "However, this development is generally not driven by technology. Rather, increasing price pressure and growing competition, often from abroad, are the driving factors," says Bader, adding that dynamic pricing is a hype and not yet really capable of achieving majority acceptance: "Here, you have to differentiate between dynamic pricing based on the behavior of competitors and dynamic pricing tailored to the individual customer. In the latter case, booking platforms in the travel sector are relatively advanced. Most Swiss online stores have probably not yet progressed beyond the experimental phase." The trend towards visualizing products, whether with 3D representations or virtual try-ons, should also not be underestimated. "Retailers are pursuing two goals with this. On the one hand, of course, to present the products in the 'optimal light'. But no less important in product visualization is to prevent bad purchases," says Lang. Because the better a customer knows the product, the less likely they are to be disappointed when it is delivered. And there is less chance of returns.3D, a gimmickIn principle, visualizations are very important for e-commerce development. However, Sascha Bader says: "Caution is advised. Many products are often not fully developed and do not provide the user with any real added value, but are instead a gimmick. It should be noted that functionalities that do not fulfill their purpose annoy the user and cast a bad image on the respective e-shop." Bader recommends carefully analyzing the evaluation and use of new functionalities. "Thanks to the new technical possibilities, products can be better presented and staged," Kofler is also aware. This can help to positively influence the user's purchasing decision. "However, it is important that it is not just a gimmick, but offers the customer added value and really supports them in their purchase decision."Configured to requirementsAnd when asked about other trends, Kofler says: "In future, purchasing decisions will be influenced more and more online. That's why it's also important for bricks-and-mortar retailers to have an online presence." He cites the automotive industry as a good example. "Customers now often select vehicles at home and configure them to suit their needs. Furthermore, the customer is then better informed about the relevant model during the sales talk than the salesperson himself. The salesperson therefore only has a limited chance of influencing the purchase decision. "And Thomas Lang assumes that many innovations will continue to be the order of the day in e-commerce. "One very interesting development at the moment is how online expertise - such as images, texts, videos, but also recommendations, reviews, comments and ratings - can be used in other channels. Be it in sales talks in the field, where salespeople can be supported with 'swarm intelligence', or quite simply at the POS, where the better recorded and analyzed purchasing behaviour can also be used for better sales." The ideas for successful e-commerce are numerous. Now the cash register just has to ring.Author: Gregor Waser