Many retailers loose a big edge online because they don’t create a pleasurable shopping experience, a place where the customer can enjoy the essence of the brand and even do a little “window shopping.”
If you have never visited Ikea.com you don’t know what you’re missing. Perhaps one of the best shopping experiences found online, Ikea’s Web site is considered to be a “best of breed” by the “Web Globalization Report Card,” placing 23rd out of 200 Web sites.
More amazing than their online store is the fun experience provided through their online kitchen showroom. Ikea has developed this online showroom to inspire their customers with ideas for their kitchens. Check out the experience for yourself!
Ikea has set up an online experience that can’t even be matched in a real life scenario. With great music, photography, and a lot of imagination, Ikea allows their shoppers to look through their products and get a feel of what it can do for their home. Although there are many products displayed with their price, Ikea wants you to take in the full experience and doesn’t even offer any kind of shopping cart to distract you from the experience.
Ikea creates an online showroom that sparks anyone’s imagination. By inventing different scenarios, music, and different atmospheres, Ikea allows everyone to find something they love about Ikeas design.
So what can we learn from Ikea’s online experience?
Ikea shows us that great brands extend past the physical world. Making sure their online space reflects their physical locations and atmosphere, Ikea makes sure they give their customers an enjoyable shopping experience?even if they’re just browsing.
Don’t be afraid to show who and what your brand is throughout all touch points. Give your customers and those interested in becoming your customers a unique experience no matter what aspect of your brand they encounter.
Happy Brand Building.