Shopper journey experience

MEDIATIVE SHOPPER JOURNEY EXPERIENCE Presented by:

Measuring the In-Store Experience

A Mediative Lab production in the Dx3 Brain Lab Brick and mortar retail has its advantages.

Specifically, you can’t beat its ability to enable customers to engage with products in real life, but this advantage comes at a cost. The overhead for floor space greatly exceeds that of an online retailer and the sales benefits that can be gleaned through sales optimization. What if there was a way for an in-store retailer to measure and increase conversions in real-life the same way their ecommerce counterparts do so online?

For today’s shoppers, the online and in-store experience is evermore intertwined. So too are the

ways that brands and retailers can monitor and analyze the shopping experience.

This year at Dx3 2016, Mediative showcased ways for brands and retailers to optimize sales and incite purchases by conducting a study on how customers research products they plan to buy while inside a physical store.

Businesses spend a lot of effort driving people into their stores through online and offline advertising.

How can they maximize the chances of a sale once someone is through the doors?

Optimizing Retail: Mediative Lab at Dx3 At Dx3, Mediative showcased Tobii’s eye-tracking glasses – a wearable eye-tracker with wireless live view function for insights into any real-world environment. The ultra-lightweight, user centric design of Tobii’s glasses promotes natural viewing behaviour and ease of use.

With quick price comparisons and buying online through mobile, even in-store shopping now has an online component. Retailers also have numerous

means at their disposal, both in-store and online, to inform shoppers and influence buying decisions.

At Dx3’s Brain Lab, attendees were able to be part of an experiment to determine the impact of phones and tablets in a simulated retail location where shoppers can research prices and products online.

Imagine walking into a department store and seeing 13 laptops in-front of you. Different sizes, prices, brands and models. Each has its screen up with a clean desktop or inviting screensaver. What is running through your mind … are these machines any good, will the one I like fit into my favourite bag, or, can I even afford the computer I want?

You can check online to answer many of these questions – you can compare prices from a store’s competitors or maybe ask a sales associate to help you understand the differences.

Put on Tobii Glasses

This is the experience the Mediative Lab simulated, one where customers were asked to research a laptop with the idea of purchasing it. In this test, the participants wore special eye-tracking glasses, provided by eye control and eye tracking technology company Tobii pro, that connected the researchers to the participants’ field of view and an accurate understanding of their visual focal point wirelessly (see Diagram 1).

Calibrate

Mediative researchers performed tests with 97 participants exploring how they engaged with products in a simulated store experience.

The first test was to evaluate the path that participants took when buying a laptop. Participants were asked to research products and find out as much as they could about a particular laptop.

Rebecca Maynes the Manager of Content Marketing and Research at Mediative explained that these experiments at Dx3 show the true value of on-location eye-tracking technology — that every business and benefit from this type of research.

“It allows marketers to test the online and offline marketing integration and how it impacts consumers what captures their attention or influences them along their path to a purchase, what are the roadblocks to conversions, where are consumers distracted?”

The second test was to see how price comparison was conducted when buying a printer. Participants were asked to find a printer in the store and then find a cheaper one online.

Shop!

$500.00

$900.00

*Diagram 1

Using Tobii Pro’s eye-tracking glasses, Mediative measured where participants looked, what they read, and how they used the Internet to conduct research and price comparisons. By understanding where consumers are looking you can find where they might get lost.

“Ultimately, deeper insights into their consumers’ unique purchase cycle can help businesses identify where consumers are being distracted along the path to purchase, so that they can be steered back on course,” said Maynes.

The researchers gave participants the option to use their own smartphones, tablets and laptops as well as printed materials to conduct their research. The goal is that by testing the information gathering process it will lead to a much better understanding of the in-store purchase decision journey, conversion opportunities and potential pitfalls. This information will help brands and retailers identify the information gaps customers tend to fill with their smartphones and highlight opportunities to increase in-store conversion.

Who is Mediative?

Mediative is one of Canada’s leading integrated advertising and digital marketing companies. We help businesses cut through the digital clutter so they can better perform in an otherwise complex digital landscape. Mediative’s expertise lies in combining smart data with savvy digital marketing to reach, and convert, the precise customers

Want Sales: Get Bigger Signs, Better WiFi, and Price Match Test Scenario 1 Your husband/wife has asked for a new laptop for his/her birthday. You’ve searched online for local stores that sell laptops, and have come across this store. In the store, find a laptop that you think would be suitable.

Using anything at your disposal find out as much as you can about the product.

Signage matters.

The first place laptop buyers look for information is the product’s specification sheet, that being the printed material provided along-side the laptop. Of all 60 participants, 46% used only these sheets as the basis of their research. The other participants used both a combination

Study Highlights 1. 98% of participants viewed the spec sheet that was next to the laptops in the “store”, 46% read only the specs-sheet and didn’t use the Internet.

2. 82% of participants tested the laptops, or picked up the laptops to feel their weight.

3. Only 7% of participants used a QR code in their research of a printer, 4% did the same while researching a laptop.

4. When asked, 71% of participants said they enjoyed the in-store experience as they could touch, feel and try out the product.

5. 86% of participants said they studied laptops online to evaluate prices.

of the spec-sheet and the Internet. About half the participants used their own smartphone or the provided tablet, the others used the laptop they were reviewing itself.

The lesson here is that signs and printed material matter. There are still people who aren’t jumping to Amazon for product information when conducting product research.

Think about how IKEA markets products in-store.

Its big signs draw you in and the detailed product specification sheets fill in the gaps. If you can provide more details at least half of your customers might not check your competitor’s websites online.

Price matters too.

After participants completed the eye-tracking test, Mediative’s research team asked them about the experience and what motivated their actions. One problem for some retailers this test identified, is that when those who used the internet did so, it was often to find a better price; 86% of participants said they went online to find a deal, another 9% said to check ratings and reviews.

When people did visit websites, Mediative’s research team and the Tobii Pro eye-tracking

glasses were able to accurately identify the websites visited 85% of the time. The laptops used in the study were HP and 45% of participants went to HP.com to learn more about the laptops.

Internet access helps with research and some participants turned to YouTube reviews to find the answers they wanted. A participant said this to the research team:

“I like to research online, so if you can show me online comparisons in the store, and do my work for me, for example with YouTube videos in-store, then I'd research in-store and more likely buy now.”

Another outlined that transparency on the pros and cons of a product is valuable:

“If the research was done in-store for me, and there was a clearer way for me to gather information, such as interactive display in-store, review sites easily accessible, pros and cons listed, things real users have said etc.”

What that says is that if a brand’s in-store pricing strategy is being undercut by resellers or its own branded website, more than half of customers will find out immediately. When Mediative asked what

would help someone buy in-store 40% said that an in-store pricing match would help, another 40% said that an exceptional in-store experience or a great sales associate, could sway their purchase decision.

One participant said: “It depends, if it’s exactly what I want and the price is the same as online, I'd buy in-store. I prefer the rewarding experience of buying in-store as I do like immediate gratification.”

Laptops may help access the digital world but they are very tactile physical things — they live on our coffee tables, in our beds and on our laps. How they feel can’t be simulated in an application or on a website. More than 80% of participants touched the laptops, picked them up and got a feel for them.

The key takeaway from this test is that if you give customers enough information up-front they might not go any further. For those that do, if the price aligns with that they find online you are most likely to get a sale when the service and experience is top-notch.

What could contribute to an in-store purchase?

Feel and experience product before purchase 32%

Immediate need for the product 8% Proximity to the store 14%

Nothing 6%

In-store price match 8%

In-store experience/ sales associates 32%

Full results from Test Scenario 1: 1. 54% of participants accessed the internet while conducting their task.

• 54% used a mobile device (phone or tablet).

• 46% used the laptop itself.

2. Of those, 85% went to sites that could be identified.

• 45% went to hp.com.

• 55% went to other sites.

• In total, 41% went to more than one site during their search, including hp.com, bestbuy.com, staples.com, cnet, pcmag.

3. 98% of participants viewed the spec sheet that was next to the laptops in the “store”.

4. 46% only read the spec sheets, and did not access the Internet.

5. Of the 98% who read the spec sheets: • 49% read in some depth, taking in the details, model number and price.

• 15% read it very briefly, for a couple of seconds at the most.

• 32% focused on the model number and price and used this information to search online for more details.

• 4% scanned the QR code.

6. 82% of participants tested the laptops, or picked up the laptops to feel their weight.

7. 18% did not touch the laptops.

Mediative’s researchers conducted interviews with the test participants to dig deeper on their motivations: Would you ultimately buy the item now in-store, or wait and order online? a. 46% said in-store. b. 27% said online. c. 12% said it would entirely depend on their situation at the time. d. 5% said they would look online first, and then buy in-store. e. 10% said they would look in-store first and then buy online.

Why in-store? (multiple answers could be given) a. 71% like to touch, feel and try out the product. b. 40% like having a salesperson to talk to. c. 14% said it would be because they like getting items immediately. d. 11% gave other responses.

Why online? (multiple answers could be given) a. 86% said price. b. 9% said ratings and reviews. c. 5% gave other responses.

Is there anything that would make you change your mind and buy in-store? (multiple answers could be given) a. 10% said if there was a location really close by. b. 40% said if there was an in-store price match. c. 40% said if the in-store experience or sales associates were exceptional. d. 10% said if they had an immediate need for the product. e. 17% said only if they really wanted to touch and feel the product before buying. f. 7% said no.

No One Touches the Printers Commoditized industries get that name from commodities, and printers are certainly a fine example of one. Today we’re much less likely to print anything at home; we get our driving directions through apps like Waze, we have boarding passes on our phones, we email all of the time and look at photos on Facebook — home printing has been disrupted by just about everything.

Still people, buy printers but they have become reliable and inexpensive enough that we don’t think much about the intricacies of Laserjet design.

Maybe that’s why in the second test that the Mediative Lab held none of 37 participants actually touched the printers they were asked to find pricing for.

Printer Pricing Online Pricing Hunt Multiple sites 8%

Test Scenario 2: You need a new printer. Find a printer you like in-store and see if you can find a cheaper one online.

All of the participants took to the Internet to find the best price of a printer, and 93% of them looked at the specs sheets provided to find the exact model number and the price offered. With that information they went online. Close to a third went to HP.com but the same number went to Amazon. If Amazon gets the sale the retailer is out of luck.

When asked about what would help them buy the product in-store, again, 40% said a price match would be of benefit, 18% said an immediate need and another 18% said that nothing would make them buy a printer in-store. Printers are big, one reason people gave is that they didn’t have a car to help transport their purchase.

With limited floor space in-store, retailers need to be strategic on the types of products they showcase.

With research and analysis, brands can increase revenue and ultimately provide better service for customers.

HP.com 31%

Other sites 24%

Amazon 31%

Full results from Test Scenario 2: 1. 100% of participants accessed the Internet while conducting their task, using their mobile phone or the tablet.

• 31% went to hp.com.

• 31% went to amazon.

• 24% went to other sites.

• 14% went to more than one site during their search, including hp.com, bestbuy.com, staples.com, and Costco.

2. 100% of participants viewed the spec sheet that was next to the laptops the “store”.

• 93% used the spec sheet to search for the model number online.

• 7% scanned the QR code.

3. Not one participant touched the printers.

Mediative printer interview analysis: Would you ultimately buy the item now in-store, or wait and order online? a. 28% said in-store. b. 72% said online.

Why in-store? (multiple answers could be given) a. 100% of people said the same thing – to be able to ask questions, and see, touch and feel the actual product.

Why online? (multiple answers could be given) a. 86% said price. b. 14% said another option – e.g. “I don’t have a car so buying in-store is not an option”.

Is there anything that would make you change your mind and buy in-store? (multiple answers could be given) a. 40% said if there was an in-store price match. b. 7% said if they offered free shipping in-store. c. 14% said if the in-store experience or sales associates were exceptional. d. 18% said if they had an immediate need for the product. e. 3% said if there was a warranty offered. f. 18% said no.

Actual footage from Tobii Pro glasses at Dx3 2016

8 Conversion Hacks for Retailers

The team at the Mediatve Lab use research like the Dx3 Brain Lab tests to improve conversions for brands of all types. Here are 8 Conversion Hacks for Retailers that anyone can apply to their in-store experience to benefit sales.

1.

SEO is your friend.

A brand’s site structure is imperative to it being viewed effectively by online shoppers.

Strong organization of product and features pages also helps people research a product in-store. Build out product pages to include specific unit-models — this way when someone is looking for product specifics they will find your brand’s site as opposed to a review or a competitor. This will increase the number of pages and the amount of content on your website and will benefit your search engine relevancy.

2.

Big font leads to big returns.

When the font is too small people look elsewhere.

On in-store specification sheets ensure that the information provided is legible — even for those with visual impairment.

This isn’t just good for business.

It can help brands align with disability and access standards such as Ontario’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Imagine a flat-screen TV, wall-mounted, and consider what information is visible on its spec-sheet from 10, 5, and 1, foot away. From 10-feet away the product name, model and category features should be visible, from 5-feet, include bulleted details on the model itself and from 1-foot, any fine details on things like a stock warranty. By staggering the information as someone draws closer to the TV they illustrate deeper interest.

3.

Advertise and retarget.

While customers are researching your brand in-store they will very often search your brand’s website— but often it is not the only site visited.

By researching the in-store product vetting habits of your customers you can identify sites where you can target ads to shoppers who have a high likelihood to purchase. For online sales that don’t convert, deploy ad retargeting for those who’ve abandoned their cart or left the site without make a purchase.

4.

QR codes need landing pages if you use them at all.

Few customers use QR codes — they are much more likely to visit a brand’s site directly or search for product information on a search engine or review site.

Even so, if you decide to use a QR code, make sure it leads to a product specific landing page that is mobile optimized. Follow best practices by including a call-to-action and a click-through action that leads directly into the sales funnel or a purchase itself.

5.

Feel and try beats show and tell.

6.

Train your sales teams.

One of the most powerful motivators to induce a purchase is to allow people to try and experience a product.

A sales associate who can answer questions confidently and provide excellent service should not be underestimated.

That’s why test-drives are so important to the automobile industry. In your store create a welcoming and exciting environment around the product experience. Wherever possible make the experience tactile and enjoyable.

The insights that an earnest associate can provide can direct customers to products that fit their needs and increase the size of a transaction.

“When asked, 71% of participants said they enjoyed the in-store experience as they could touch, feel and try out the product”

7.

Bring the online experience in-store.

Customers will visit stores to test out a product or gauge its size in-real-life, only to leave the store and purchase it online looking for a deal.

Keep your customers in-store by providing a flawless experience.

Give them full access to the Internet with strong WiFi, or at a terminal where reviews and rating can be viewed easily. A product’s third party referral can make your sales associates’ job easier. Maybe the product has been reviewed by a popular YouTube guru, and if so, consider including this content as part of in-store experience and that way the customers go full-circle and buy now.

8.

Hyper-local offers and advertising.

With advances in the Internet of Things and location data provided through social media, customers can be offered localized and real-time ads that can lead to in-store conversion.

More than half of the customers in Mediative’s study accessed the Internet while conducting research. An offer that is the right message at the right time will push for a purchase today.

Consider including signage asking people to check-in at your business location for a daily-deal or promotion, or, make your store so attractive that people want to share images socially about the experience. Once you’ve determined someone is in the store, an offer can be made through social automation or geo-fencing.

Today, the insights we gain from our customers is almost as valuable as the revenue we can generate from their purchases. Learn more about how to dig deeper into the actions purchasing intent, contact Mediative today.

About Mediative Lab Thought-leadership is part of Mediative’s DNA. Mediative invests in research and technology so that it can provide the best guidance in user experience, helping you to generate more conversions and drive performance. As one of the only Canadian digital agencies with an in-house user experience lab, Mediative is able to gain valuable insights into who an advertiser’s ideal buyers are, what they expect from ads and web properties, and what their propensity is for brand recognition, repeat visits, and repeat purchases. Mediatve’s experts use that precious knowledge to help refine advertisers’ strategies, improve the end-to-end user experience, and drive results.

About Dx3 Canada Dx3 is Canada’s leading technology, digital marketing and retail conference and trade show. Hosted at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, it brings agencies, brands, publishers and retailers together for two days of networking and education.

About Tobii Pro Tobii Pro provides world-leading eye tracking solutions to academic institutions and to commercial companies that want to better understand human behavior. Their solutions consist of hardware, software, training, and support. Ever since the start of the company in 2001, their mission has been to make eye tracking as accessible as possible and to make eye tracking easy to use for everyone.

Eye tracking lets you see how consumers react to different marketing messages and understand their cognitive engagement, in real time. It minimizes recall errors and the social desirability effect while revealing information conventional research methods normally miss.