The online shopping experience is fully eclipsing brick & mortar in convenience and comfort – and as a result, enhanced content has become king.
“Enhanced content anticipates all the details online shoppers may want to know about a product. Customers know exactly what they’re buying because enhanced pages contain accurate “What’s in the box” lists. Other elements may include video, 360- degree views and comparison charts.”
– Angela Delarmente, Content26
As competition amongst online retailers intensifies daily, only those with the most tangible, vivid descriptions and images will have the necessary edge to stand out.
Enter digital. At the helm of a single dashboard, manufacturers can now quickly explore, analyze, update, and change any and every listing of every online page, both nationally and abroad. Modern day software programs that touch every retail point in a corporations’ infrastructure can not only be used to implement enhanced content in real-time, 24/7, but also monitor third parties for compliance and non-compliance.
Examples of enhanced brand content:
Virtual or three-dimensional imagery: Show what’s inside the box
Humans are visual, and we often count on our eyes to guide our wallets. High definition images that give a 360-degree view of the product, or even simple, animated pictures, can make all the difference in the world. The customer wants to see as much as possible, which is why we are now encountering more products from different angles – oftentimes captured while in use. Links to online demos are also becoming more common.
Compelling Headers: Grab the shopper’s attention
These aren’t dragged out, extremely detailed sentences, but rather brief overviews of what the product is or does. Instead of expecting online shoppers to understand what Bob’s Supreme Fold-Out Couch is, including easy phrases such as “A Four Person Couch that Folds Into a Queen-Sized Bed’ will say almost everything in one fell swoop – without leaving the important stuff up to question.
Fun and Captivating Descriptions: Tell a Story
If customers can’t imagine themselves using the product, it probably won’t sell. A big way to boost the potential shopper’s imagination is to play to their demographic by setting a scene. Explain how the couch will make them feel after a long day, or how it will bring the family together, or how it will be a great way to accommodate out-of-town-guests. Less than 100 words, please!
Simple Colorized Charts & Bullet Points: Why this product reigns supreme
This is taking comparison-shopping to the next level. Easy to follow charts, graphs, and tables can quickly tell shoppers the important stats they need to know. No dissertation necessary:
- Who this product helps i.e. demographics
- Why it is ‘better’ than the competition/leading brands
- Specific functions/features
- Dimensions
- Certifications
- Notable awards
Successful Implementation
Once the carefully designed, enhanced content has been disseminated to all online retail sites and pages, it is vital to make sure the implementation is a success. When dealing with hundreds – or even thousands – of third-party sellers, who often have the ability to list goods and services at their own discretion, compliance can become a major challenge.
With PriceSpider’s Brand Monitor, manufacturers can now ensure that their entire sales chain will put forth the right impression and stay on-brand 100 percent of the time. By pulling direct feedback from consumers and big-data analytics onto one screen, users of Brand Monitor can catch inconsistencies faster than ever to set messaging back on track.
As online retail continues to evolve, one thing is certain. Enhanced content is here to stay.
