Online Marketing for Retailers

Badar Khushnood

Country Consultant, Google Pakistan

Increasing involvement with technology is one of the biggest changes happening in Pakistan. Almost every house in Pakistan is now equipped with a lot of electronic devices. Technology is fast becoming a lifestyle and has changed our media of consumption drastically. Consider a few statistics. According to the PTA report of 2011, 120 million mobile sms have been sold in Pakistan out of which 75 million are active all the time. This means s that very scientific data about the location and proximity of these 75 million users in known to mobile operators. These statistics also translate into the fact that people now have wider choices regarding how they carry out their daily routines. Technology now goes with us everywhere. And it is with us 24/7, it not only changes the way we think but also impacts how and where conduct our day –to-businesses.

The touch point and paths-to-purchase have changed. This change has given rise to a new kind of consumer who is a frequent visitor of the web space, shop on the move and expects a personalized approach.

So what does the changed scenario means for the current retail market? For one, new paths –to-purchase have made purchasing a Complicated

 According to the PTA report of 2011, 120 million mobile sms have been sold in Pakistan out of which 75 million are active all the time

Activity. Consequently, traditional market strategies are no longer effective because they are geared toward the consumer space which is now empty. For instance, if you are trying to reach your consumers through a newspaper you probably wouldn’t find them. Altered consumptions patterns mean people may not read newspapers or may not read all newspaper, but they are sure to check their mail, sms alters or face book. Second, and more important, it has leveled the playing field for retailers. Any retailer can now sell on line and small retailers have as much opportunity as big retailers. But this involves embracing the change, understanding the new consumption patterns and devising your marketing strategies accordingly.

Research online, purchase offline (ROPO)

People first reach online and then purchase offline and this trend is on the rise. One illustration of the trend is that Google search usage in Pakistan is now more than 6 times its 2008 levels. This means that as retailers the one

Mobile now represents 20 percent of searches in Pakistan

Thing you need to focus upon is your web presence. Sitting in your shop and waiting for the consumer to turn up doesn’t work anymore. The consumer before coming to the shop will have looked online and if you are not there you probably don’t exist for her/him. To give you an example, in one particular month the word dress was searched 1 million times from Pakistan.

If you are in the apparel business and have no web presence, you certainly missed out on a decent opportunity .you have to be there where the consumer is searching for you. Now it is pull versus push.

Campaigns across all screens are 50 percent more effective for brand awareness

The data on ROPO can help you design effective marketing campaigns. For instance, if data points out that people are searching for a white kurta, you advertisement can include the term and that would help you brand figure out in the searches.

Moreover, keeping a track ROPO can also assist you in making other business decision such as selecting a franchise. For example, if you want to acquire a franchise of mobile phone, you can go on line and find out which is the most preferred or least favored brand and then decide accordingly.

All screens are important

From the marketing and selling point of view, all screens are important. Campaigns across all screens are 50 percent more effective for brand awareness. Thus your website and advertisement campaigns should be so configured that they different devices through which internet is accessed. For example, Mobile now represents 20 percent of searches in Pakistan, and your website is not easily accessible through mobile you are losing 20 percent of your potential customers, and the same goes for other screens.

Is Your Digital Shelf Empty?

One important gauge that establishes your web presence is your digital shelf, your share of voice. The top ten Google searches for a Particular

Digital thus is becoming the centre of everything, and this is where the current retail market is heading

Businesses are the premium shelves for the business. And if your website or brand dose not figures out in top ten results then it is something to worry about. It means that your premium shelf is empty and you actually missing out on a massive opportunity.

Generating leads

Once you have established your web presence it is important to generate leads for the customers. Outcomes happen when such leads result in user behavior you deem valuable for your site. Leads like newsletter and signups for future promotions keep the customer engaged and provides her/him a reason for coming back to your site. The idea is to generate enough involvement that keeps your customers from shifting to your competitor’s brand.

Case study – How Asif Hussain did it

While technology has altered the paths to purchase and touch points, it has also opened up space for new opportunities. Asif Hussain is a case in point.

A taxi driver by profession, Asif Hussain embodies the current retail trends. It all started when one of his customers, a foreigner, gave good online feedback regarding the cab service. In order words, favorable customer testimonials were recorded on the web. And the foreigners, who searched for cab service before coming to Pakistan, found his name on the top. As mentioned earlier, the concept of

 Asif Hussain embodies the current retail trends. It all started when one of his customers, a foreigner, gave good online feedback regarding the cab service

ROPO is very important in online marketing, and the online research in this case favored Asif Hussain. To apply the analogy of the digital shelf, his premium shelf was full, and his share of voice was loud and clear. As more researches generated leads to this particular cab service, more testimonials were added and the cab services became widely popular. And since then there has been no looking back for Asif Hussain. Digital thus is becoming the centre of everything and this is where the current retail market is heading, and heading fast. Retail’s future is the digital space. And once you are there, many interesting things can happen; Asif Hussain can vouch for this.

 

Questions?

Question: How can we get access to Google tools? Some key Google tools like key word tool and Google trends are publicly available, and you don’t have to pay Google to use these tools. For more sophisticated researches you can talk to Google certified media agencies that are authorized to carry out such researches. Question: Do you have to pay Google to come on the top in Google Searches? No, you don’t pay Google for the organic result. These results are based on the strength of your website and can be achieved through SEO.