Practical Ecommerce magazine recently published an article titled Framework for Ecommerce Merchandising written by Armando Roggio. It was a really interesting read because it translates the practice of merchandising for online stores.
Merchandising is a centuries old concept of promoting goods by displaying them in eye-catching and even intricate displays. It’s the shiny fruit piled into a pyramid, the mannequins showcasing the latest styles and the family Christmas scenes that led to the phrase “window shopping.”
What’s interesting about this article is that it uses a different perspective to explain the online sales cycle, something we talk about all the time, but not using the term merchandising. Rather than Prospecting, Qualification, Approach, Presentation/Demonstration, Handling Objections, Closing the Deal, and Follow-Up, Roggio explains the five steps as:
- Inspiration;
- Guidance;
- Persuasion;
- Conversion; and,
- Retention.
These steps make use of tactics that we also recommend, like using images that allow the customer to imagine themselves in the scene, invoking the benefits of a purchase, and removing barriers with a smooth navigational path to the check-out. It also talks about seasonal updates, which are also a great way to refresh a website.
It’s a quick read, and if you sell online, a nice twist on ways to sell more and keep customers coming back.
