Make sure that you are delivering a smooth digital experience for consumers.
Some of the smartest marketers of high-end home brands find ideas and inspiration in luxury categories outside of the home, such as fashion, travel and automobiles. In a recent consumer insights article from McKinsey, LVMH’s Group Digital Director, Thomas Romieu, provides some great thinking on how to delight affluent consumers online. I think his insights are completely relevant for home brands, as well.
Mr. Romieu uses a great analogy about high-end brands that insist on suffocating visitors to their websites with brand-heritage marketing-speak, when all the consumer really wants is to easily find the product she is seeking:
Of course, luxury products have a special aura, and a luxury brand’s web presence can and should reflect these dreams and aspirations. But the best place for customers to experience this atmosphere is the product-level page. Imagine a live store visit that follows the pattern of the typical web pitch. The customer comes in and says, “I read about your XYZ bag and I’d like to see it.” The salesperson replies, “We’ve been making quality bags by hand since 1887.” It would be completely frustrating. A good salesman would get the bag, check that it’s really the one the customer wants to see –and then explain what makes it so special.
Regardless of whether you are selling high-end appliances, furniture, fixtures or some other home-related product, it’s a good idea to put yourself in the shoes of your customer or prospect – and think about the digital experience your brand is offering.
- If your prospect arrives at your site seeking a specific product, how easy are you making it for her to find what she is looking for?
- If she is accessing your site from a tablet or smartphone, is her digital experience smooth or confusing?
- Does your site load fast? Mr. Romieu points out that 57 percent of customers will abandon a site if it doesn’t load in three seconds.
- Do you provide pricing? Many manufacturers (especially those with dealer networks) don’t. But not listing prices on your site is a big turn-off for consumers.
As you work to make your digital experience the best it can be, just remember these helpful words to live by: “I read about your (product) and I’d like to see it.”
To read the McKinsey article on LVMH, click here: https://csi.mckinsey.com/knowledge_by_topic/luxury_goods/digital_luxury_customers
