Archive for the 'E-Commerce' Category

11
May
11

bumps and jumps on the information highway

By Matrix Advertising 1 Comment
Categories: Consumer Relationships, E-Commerce, New York City, Online Media, The Internet and Web Development
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

While the New York subway is a great way for millions of people to get around the city each day, it’s also a great place to have your patience tried to the utmost. People from all walks of life crowded together in a small space for what can sometimes feel like hours, passing time and entertaining themselves in a variety of ways. Singing and dancing to loud music. Falling asleep and drooling on people’s shoulders. Picking a fight just because (yes, I’m talking about you, Bloody Loco). Eating smelly, messy food. Clipping their nails…

Oh, what a city!

It’s not always smooth sailing on the information highway either. And sometimes it can feel like people are deliberately trying to turn you away from their Web site. Here are just some things that can make online surfing frustratingly annoying:

- Sites that hijack your back button, so there’s no easy way for you to leave

- Links that don’t function the way they’re supposed to — when you click “here” nothing happens or you’re taken to the wrong page

- Online forms that refuse to be submitted unless you enter all information exactly as requested — good luck if you live at 5 1/2 First Street

- Sites that automatically subscribe you to their e-newsletters even when you have specifically deselected the sign-up box

Care to add? List your own pet peeves in the comments section below. And let’s all remember to check our own Web sites regularly to ensure we’re not committing any such faux pas ourselves!

Photo credit: Zach Klein

16
Feb
11

full price as the exception rather than the rule

By Matrix Advertising Leave a Comment
Categories: Consumer Relationships, E-Commerce and Mobile Marketing
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Did you know that approximately 20,000 MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) workers in New York currently get unlimited bus and subway rides as part of their retirement package?! Neither did I. And I’m jealous. Since I don’t have a monthly unlimited pass, my stomach sinks each time I swipe my MetroCard — it’s now $2.25 a ride. And, for the same reason, I do a little dance inside whenever I’m granted a free transfer.

It’s the same feeling that shoppers get on Black Friday and the day after Christmas when there are sales taking place all over the country. But then one has to stop and think, would retailers and deal-of-the-day businesses such as LivingSocial, Scoutmob, and Groupon (who probably doesn’t need any more publicity right now) really be offering deals to the consumer if it was simply just to be kind? No. They adopt business models and tactics that are designed to yield profits.

Having noted that, however, I sometimes wonder if the American consumer’s growing fondness for 50%-off deals and BOGO’s (Buy One, Get One Free) will eventually result in seemingly discounted pricing becoming the norm. Will everything from shoes to bread end up always being “on sale”? And, if so, how will this affect the everyday marketer?

Photo credit: Lordcolus

10
Nov
10

when e-commerce merchants waste opportunity

By Matrix Advertising Leave a Comment
Categories: Consumer Relationships, E-Commerce and The Internet
Tags: , , , , , , ,

For those of us who’ve never had the fortune — and misfortune — of running the ING New York City Marathon (or any other marathon for that matter), it may be puzzling to hear of runners who somehow make it through about four-fifths of the 26.2-mile race, only to hit a wall somewhere around Mile 20. Why, surely, with only a few more miles to go, they should be able to just suck it up and finish, right? Well, not quite. Mile 20 is round about where the body typically depletes its glycogen stores and is forced to switch to less efficiently convertible fat for its energy. This results in extreme fatigue, and is the point at which the importance of mental strength becomes most apparent.

Thankfully, things are a little easier when it comes to e-commerce. By the time merchants get to the proverbial 26.1 miles with their potential customer, it’s almost a given that they’ll reach the finish line… or is it? Here are 3 examples of times when retailers were oh so close to getting my business, but didn’t quite manage to do so:

1. After booking an appointment online at my regular salon, I received an e-mail stating that my requested appointment had been rejected and that I was free to call them to find out more. Find out more? I wasted no time in finding a better, more conveniently located replacement. If only my regular salon for the past 2 years had taken the initiative to contact me and offer alternative appointment times…

2. At the end of a free, 60-day computer software trial, I was pleased with my experience and ready to buy the product, but I was too busy (and lazy) to get around to actually making the purchase. Fortunately, the software company sent me follow-up e-mails to make the process of buying this software easier. Unfortunately, they only ever offered it to me as part of a larger package containing software I had absolutely no use for. Needless to say, things never progressed from there.

3. Following a quick try-on session, I realized that the shoes I had recently ordered online would need to be returned. I just wasn’t feeling the 1 pair, and the other 2 were fine but too small. The returns paperwork was pretty straightforward and I was sure to note my reasons for sending the shoes back. Had there been the option to have the 2 pairs of shoes that I liked automatically sent to me in a larger size, I would have gladly checked the box. But alas, there was not. Nor was there any follow-up via e-mail. So there ended that story — and transaction.

Now, I’m not denying that I can be a difficult customer. I know I’m a pain. But it is what it is. So why are online merchants, who have already put considerable time, money, and effort into getting this far with me — and the millions of consumers out there just like me — not taking that one last step to ensure that they close the deal?

Photo credit: thrig

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