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The Importance of Bringing the In-Store Experience Online

Regardless of the industry, the retail space has weathered its share of difficult times this past decade. On top of that, the challenges that have emerged from the global pandemic are nothing like we’ve seen before (ecommerce sales surged more than 30% in 2020). And when the pandemic ultimately ends, the shopping behaviors learned during this time will become a part of a more complex relationship with retail.

The path forward lies in the opportunity to think and act differently. That’s why it’s important that both brands and retailers are ready for what’s to come, and they must arm themselves with the tools to create engaging experiences, understand current shopper behavior, optimize current processes and change course quickly.

One way brands and retailers can adapt to this change, is by bringing the in-store experience online. The concept of the digital shelf can go on endlessly, but it’s just that: a shelf. In contrast, unified commerce speaks to more interactive experiences that bring both in-store and online together.

Without the constraints of a physical space, brands and retailers can create more engaging and interactive ways to move items into the cart and through the checkout process. For example, while it’s not possible to hold an item in one’s hand, by viewing items online from multiple angles, shoppers can get a “feel” for the product. And without a floor associate to answer questions, having interactive photos that highlight important benefits can serve as their replacement, ensuring more accurate and consistent information.

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For those who don’t know where to start, here are some simple best practices to keep in mind as you begin to bring the in-store experience online.

Enhanced Content

Just like a physical store, retailer websites and product detail pages (PDPs) are continually measured and optimized to put compelling items front and center to attract more engagement and purchases. And with increased competition for shoppers’ attention, the need for enhanced content is accelerating quickly.

Enhanced content is where products move from simple descriptions to telling a story, creating ways to engage with consumers. From interactive images and demonstration videos to 360-views and product documents, it’s what helps to keep customers on the page longer, learn more and make more emotional connections to a product.

Adding enhanced content to a PDP creates a richer, more engaging shopper experience and improves brand trust, which can in turn drive sales. In fact, we found that PDPs with enhanced content drove more than $1 billion of incremental cart value (compared to those without enhanced content) over Cyber Weekend 2020.

Today’s consumers are mobile and want to engage with products before they purchase. Enhanced content is a crucial element to ensure they understand how your item will support or improve their lives. Both brands and retailers have a vested interest in helping shoppers engage with their product listings in order to find and buy the products they need.

Product Selectors

While consumers are more comfortable with shopping from home, there’s always the challenge of convincing them to actually complete the purchase. It’s beneficial to help shoppers narrow their choices in order to provide information that’s in line with what they’re looking for. In fact, the book The Paradox of Choice shows that scaling down consumer choices can greatly reduce shopper anxiety and ultimately help drive sales. Typically in a brick-and-mortar environment, a good salesperson can help narrow down choices by understanding a shopper’s needs, but that’s difficult to replicate online.

Fortunately, product selectors help simplify a shopper’s decision making with advanced filtering technology, narrowing down the optimal product for a shopper’s specific taste and needs. By building a selection path for shoppers through a series of questions and choices, retailers can suggest a product a shopper is searching for more quickly. Product selectors can help to re-create the engagement and interaction of an in-person visit and purchase of products.

With 2020’s giant shift to ecommerce, it is now the norm — rather than the exception — for brands and retailers to have an online presence, so much so that 74% of our clients said they are trying to re-create their in-store shopping experiences online. We expect this year will show an even greater expansion of online and automated capabilities for shoppers. That’s why it’s important to evaluate your digital tools to ensure you are prepared for the continued growth in ecommerce.


Patrick Niersbach is the SVP of Marketing at Syndigo, a product content management and syndication platform that gives brands and retailers a consistent presence across the retail ecosystem.

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