Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies, 6th Edition

Chapter 2

Managing the Differences between In-Store and Online Commerce

IN THIS CHAPTER

Understanding what your customers want, online and offline

Getting used to the demands of your online customer

Creating online shopping habits

It wasn’t that long ago that we treated online shoppers as if they came from an entirely different planet from that of in-store buyers. And it was true that each group was often put into a marketing silo based on certain characteristics and behaviors. Fast forward just a few years and we realize that these two types of customers are actually the same customer who simply has different preferences based on when, how, and where he or she buys. Today, when preparing how to handle the different types of buying destinations (from a website, from inside a retail store, from a social media application, or from a mobile device), it’s important to focus on customer experience — or the expectations a customer has for each retail location (whether physical or virtual).

Are there still differences between the online and offline customer that you need to consider? The short answer is yes! Your job is to entice customers to buy. To do that, you have to get to know your ...