We’ve all heard the arguments for and against online shopping versus ‘the real thing’. Many consumers lack the time to spend walking round shops; the money to risk impulse buying; and the patience to deal with the never ending crowds and queues. For those people, the internet has provided a convenient route to the high street, allowing them to browse websites in the comfort of their own home and having their purchases delivered to their door. Or using the internet as a stepping stone to ‘the real thing’; a browsing tool to help find exactly what they need before heading directly to the actual shop and buying that item there and then, as they don’t completely trust the website’s product description or image.

However for a number of consumers, online shopping just can’t compare to ‘the real thing’. As convenient as it may be, it is impossible for online retailers to offer that all important shopping experience. A day spent in good company, browsing shops and getting a feel for their atmosphere and their style. Being able to try on the clothes and instantly know whether the colour, the fit and the fabric, make it the perfect item for you. And if not, you leave the item behind and move on to the next shop full of different and wonderful creations. No harm done. And this is where some online retailers are falling short, while others are taking the lead.

One particular online-only fashion retailer (ASOS – www.asos.com) has gone from strength to strength over the past few years, despite not having the luxury of a bricks and mortar shop to build up a client base, create a strong brand identity, and offer customers that security of having people they can physically see and speak to. Their success is partly down to an inspired and on-trend product range and a great PR team, but the thought that has gone into their website gives it that extra edge and clearly shows that they are trying to make up for what they lack in the shopping experience.

Multiple product angles, model shots, a zoom feature to offer that essential close up on the details, and most importantly, video footage of each item of clothing being modelled on a catwalk. That video allows us to imagine ourselves wearing that item; understanding how the fabric falls, the proportions, the colours, everything we would look for if we were trying it on for real in a changing room. Obviously it can’t guarantee it will fit like a glove, or make you look as good as the model in the video, but these advanced features arm the customer with as much information about a product as is possible for an online store, reducing the uncertainty over whether a product is suitable and giving them the confidence to go ahead and make the purchase.

It is strange then, that despite how helpful and influential these features are, this company is in a minority of online retailers who have gone to these lengths to give their customers that extra confidence to make a purchase. Surely the larger retailers, who rely on their already strong reputation to attract online custom, are missing a trick that could increase their online sales even further. From personal experience, there is nothing more annoying than buying what I think is a full length top from the website of a leading brand, only to receive it 3 days later and discover it doesn’t even cover my belly button. Then finding myself doing exactly what I was trying to avoid in the first place; searching through the rails on my lunch break for something more suitable, as I no longer trust the online product descriptions or my judgement of online images. This could all be prevented if these retailers took on board some of the functionality used by their online competitor; advancing their websites to truly cater for their online market and improving the quality of their website to match the quality of their actual stores.

I suppose the moral of the story for retailers, is not to get over confident and just assume that their popularity and success will transfer to the online market; they have to work hard at attracting and maintaining their online customers just as much as their offline customers. The use of advanced features and functionality in their websites is a key factor in this, as when used correctly, it can go a long way to providing that missing link between the online experience and ‘the real thing’. I think we have established that, for the majority, online shopping will never be quite as popular as ‘the real thing’, but it is clearly going strong and will continue to do so, as long as the retailers make the effort to provide a good service and understand that the needs of their online customers are different to the needs of their offline customers. If this isn’t understood, then the most successful offline retailers will find themselves losing the online battle to those companies who are putting some serious thought into their online market, and more specifically into the continuous improvement and development of their websites.

Sarah Gomery

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