In successfully transitioning from a TV retailer to a digital, multi-channel retailer, QVC focused less on matching the level of its TV shopping experience and more on complementing and enhancing it.
Speaking this week at the Shop.org 2015 Digital Summit in Philadelphia, Mike George, QVC's CEO, said that companywide, QVC's goal is to do "four things better than anyone else":
- More than search – discover;
- More than information – stories;
- More than social – people;
- More than service – experience.
Online, however, was falling short on all these goals and "felt a little bit flat and a little bit static" compared to its "rich and dynamic" TV shopping experience.
Mike George, QVC - Photo: Shop.org
In upgrading the online experience, the major focus was on better integrating the TV experience and creating relevance throughout the customer's journey, especially the beginning and end.
That journey starts with "Inspiration and Entertainment." With TV shopping, that's created by the "joy of serendipitous discovery," often with exclusive offerings, along with insightful and entertaining hosts and a focus on "real stories and real lives." Onllne, social media is now extensively used to reach new customers and "more richly engage" existing ones. Launches such as Halston are first brought to life through stories online to "build interest and enthusiasts long before it gets on air."
The next step in the journey, "Impulse to Buy," is often accomplished on TV through limited availability and countdown clocks. Online, the focus shifts to "second-screen experiments" designed to add value to the TV offering. As an example, recipes offered online might support a cooking show on TV. Said Mr. George, "All this information and rich storytelling will make them more likely to make a purchase."
The third phase, "Purchase and Receive," has been advanced online by creating a "simple and functional" browsing and purchasing experience.
Finally, "Own and Enjoy," has been significantly upgraded with e-mails regularly sent for any purchase, such as one offering tips on how to use a beauty device or how to set up a new Christmas tree.
Other steps in the digital makeover:
- Optimizing mobile: The focus is not only on ease of browsing and purchase but engagement. Said Mr. George, the shopper wants "mobile to be the best about what's in our brand — not a narrowed experience."
- Social engagement: More than coupons and contests, social has to be organically driven. Said Mr. George, "For 20 years QVC has grown by word of mouth. We tell them stories. We let them tell us stories and let them take us wherever they want to be."
- Feeding the content beast: QVC brought together all its content creators to build "very purposeful content" under one platform with a focus on "creating great assets relevant to all stages of the journey."