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Online
advertising, the use of banner adverts and links, has tremendous communication
power. Discover why it is an indispensable advertising vehicle and
not just an over-hyped technological development.
Footwear & Leather Goods Today Magazine June 2000 When was the last time you jumped through a poster and discovered a whole world of information at your fingertips? Internet advertising is just that - it's immediate, dynamic, creative and instant. But many companies are still suspicious of the values of online advertising. Has the web really managed to establish itself as a legitimate marketing forum with both advertisers and the public? Online companies spent £150m on advertising last year. Did it work? Recent research seems to confirm that it did, suggesting that web advertising is no longer an 'either/or' proposition, but a necessary complement to traditional media which should be incorporated into a company's media budget. Research
by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) tested the impact of banner
ads from twelve different advertisers which demonstrated high levels
of banner ad awareness among participants. Based on a classic experimental
design where half of the respondents were exposed to a test ad and
the other half were exposed to a control ad, the study found: "This study conclusively demonstrates that online advertising has the same communication power as traditional media. We found that a single banner ad exposure enhances positive perception of advertised brands and improves the likelihood of consumer purchase," said Richard LeFurgy, IAB chairman and senior vice president of Advertising at ESPN/ABC News Internet Ventures. "Advertisers who are overlooking the enormous brand building power available on the Internet are missing a bet." The very first banner ad on the web was from AT&T that appeared on hotwired.com in 1994. In the six years since then, an entire infrastructure has sprung up to support the advertising industry on the web. There are companies to create ads, companies to buy ads, companies to sell ads, measure ads and manage ads. However, in the early days, web advertisers were more interested in seeming technologically hip than in doing anything with a concrete marketing goal. While there has been tremendous growth in understanding since the days when hits (a count of how many times a web page has been visited) were thought to be meaningful, significant measurement problems still plague the industry. For example, there's still no definite way to compare the results of a web marketing program with results of a traditional marketing program. Industry groups are working towards finding common definitions that will make the web more accountable, but they acknowledge that the Internet is a moving target and that standards may always be one step behind. Fortunately, what is determinable is the number of new users the Internet attracts each day which totals approximately 10,900 in Britain, according to NOP research group in a recent Internet User Profile study. With rising numbers of new users and the launch of new companies on the net, there is a very real urgency to develop online adverting strategies in order to prosper and survive. Companies will be encouraged to spend money on online advertising, but they must be confident in their brand and invest carefully. boo.com spent more than £750,000 in the last two months and failed to show any significant change in awareness according to research by CIA Media Lab. Make sure your brand works. The temptation to launch with a fanfare to the world, without the suitable content, technology or budget to follow it up results in brand awareness that will quickly decay. Is there a way to draw a lot of traffic to your site without investing a lot of time or money? Reciprocal links (where your site links to someone else's and they link back to you) are the life-blood of the Internet. They are the most cost-effective way to build up long-term consistent traffic to your web site. In addition to this, as the Internet is growing at such a phenomenal rate, it is often in a company's best interests to be part of a specific directory, either by paying for a banner ad or a link within appropriate listings. The footwear industry relies on established companies such as shoeworld.com which boasts high search engine listings, well maintained, quality content and user friendly design. Links from a variety of directories including hard to find footwear, appointments in the industry and the cream of shoe-shopping sites, point browsers in the best directions on the web, rather than wading through the thousands of footwear matches on popular search engines. Shoeworld provides serious, effective online advertising from a broad footwear directory that is now nearly five years old. In general, web advertising can positively impact brand perceptions. While television has the advantage of being more intrusive (through the combination of sight, sound and motion), it is still a passive medium where the viewer is not required to be actively engaged. Web and print-based media have the advantage of active involvement, being 30-40cm away from their audience. But the keystone of the Internet is its interactive nature which requires consumers to take action to use the medium. This kind of concentration seems to help provide higher attention to online advertising. Banner ads entertain users and invite them to click over to the web site; even if they don't jump to the marketer site, they still have an interactive experience with a brand. It is clear that traditional advertising needs to adopt new media in today's marketing mix. A half page ad in the Manchester Evening News will now cost you nearly £4000 for one night's exposure, whereas an annual contract link from shoeworld.com will cost only £1200. Links and banner ads are not only economical, they have the ability to reach unlimited numbers of consumers and inform users about products that they were not previously familiar with by clicking through more than one subject. Advertising
not only sustains an audience it also allows companies to survive
competitively. On or off-line, at the end of the day, there is no
point in having a good product if no-one gets the chance to hear
about it. Given that the web's advertising power and cost-effectiveness
is just beginning to be understood, any company looking to build
their brand and increase their sales should utilise online advertising
alongside traditional media to ensure their future success.
As the Internet retailing debate steps up a pace, Footwear and Leather News Today charts the progress of the latest Internet project to revolutionise the shoe industry, Shoe-shop.com. Conceived by Stuart Paver (Pavers Ltd) and Steve Cochrane (Psyche, Middlesborough based fashion retailer), the new shopping website promises to be the footwear category killer on the Internet. The investment by Psyche and Pavers Ltd, together with substantial funding from other partners, will allow them to offer the world's top footwear brands from one virtual shoe shop. The fully transactional website is forecasted to launch with over 10,000 products, with an expected turnover of over £20 million within the first four years of business. Supporting the theory that customers should be able to obtain what they want, whenever they want, Shoe-shop.com guarantees a quick and professional online shopping experience using the latest Intershop 4 technology and a very expensive server. Speed, service, selection and savings will feature most prominently, along with consistent branding, interactive retailing, free delivery and a no quibble money back guarantee. The Shoe-shop.com 24/365 virtual sales assistant will be happy to assist you with any information (she is never too busy discussing her love life to be bothered to look! ). Ask her to find a ladies court shoe in pink, size 2, between £40 and £50 and she will bring a variety of options within seconds. The project already boasts agreements with major footwear manufacturers including Loake, Grenson, Ecco, Padders, Rhode, Base, Jeffrey West, Van-Dal and are on their way to doubling the expected 15 brands available at launch. Talks are currently under way to establish a European distribution facility in either Holland or Germany to service the whole European mail order market. "Conventional retailing is limited to the amount of people that can enter the store," says Cochrane, a confirmed e-commerce disciple with an extensive online product range for his own store, "Traditional mail order requires sometimes lengthy telephone conversations or order filling and posting. Web ordering is much more user-friendly and fun, and has no time constraints. Also a terrestrial shoe store can only stock a limited range and has high running costs, whereas a cyberspace store can carry an unlimited range and is much more effective to run. As more and more consumers log on and appreciate the benefits of e-commerce, there will be a lot of pressure on the accepted model of High Street retail." Experienced in the running of one of the Internet's leading web development companies, Paver's information portal Shoeworld.com will be a key marketing avenue for Shoe-shop.com. Divided into two directories, consumer and trade, Shoeworld.com is Europe's largest online footwear resource centre on the Internet. The consumer directory now concentrates on fashion and shoe-related resources as well as promoting footwear websites. The content changes and increases daily: popular features include current trends, links to virtual shoe galleries, how to find illusive footwear and the 'Site of the Week' award. A commitment to the industry is endorsed by the British Footwear Association who feature regularly in the trade directory along with comprehensive listings of organisations, fairs, factories, appointments in the industry, educational links, financial information and trade-related articles. Shoeworld.com recently won the category of Most Innovative Retailer this year among nominations that included Camper and Agnello & Davide. "…With the potentials of product sales over the Internet only having come to full fruition over the last year, Stuart Paver's Shoeworld.com website was a clear contender for the Most Innovative category. The choice of brands offered - from classic to specialist, Grenson to Birkenstock - is excellent, the site is easy for visitors to navigate and buying couldn't be simpler. Production values are excellent and execution is superb." (Press release taken from the UK Footwear Awards publication.) Shoeworld's invaluable 14,000 weekly visitors will be channeled to the new shopping site, in addition to the audience created by an online and traditional marketing budget of £500,000. Reciprocal links from both sites will encourage greater exposure and an enhanced shopping environment. The
formula that makes for a successful online store not only has to offer
unique attractions, but also brand perception, technology, information
and the professional confidence that is only attained through experience
and conviction. Whilst many retailers are still skeptical of the Internet's
potential, Paver and Cochrane seem determined to provide the most
attractive retail framework the WWW has seen to date. What
makes a website click? Here are some examples that illustrate the point: Shoeworld.com is Europe's leading information directory focusing on footwear and fashion for a complete Internet shoe-shopping experience. Endorsed by the BFA and Footwear and Leather Goods Today magazine, Shoeworld.com holds a certain kudos in the industry as well as on the web. Now nearly five years old, this site boasts established audiences, high search engine listings, well maintained, quality content and user friendly design. Links from a variety of directories including hard to find footwear, appointments in the industry and the cream of shoe-shopping sites, point browsers in the best directions on the web, rather than wading through the thousands of footwear matches on popular search engines. Shoeworld.com provides serious, effective online advertising for independents and large companies alike.
This is a big-budget site which incorporates the current collection, company news and some great interactivity: try the amazing 360-degree animated product view - it's the nearest thing you can do to physically handling a shoe. The design is dynamic and innovative without being too complicated, which demonstrates a real conscience to the needs of the individual browser. Ecco claims that technology and good, old-fashioned craftsmanship has helped take the company where it is today; their website supports this manifesto.
Rainbow Club is the UK's leading bridal footwear company specialising in dyable shoes and accessories. Although it is not in the major league of aesthetic websites, it uses the latest technology effectively and purposefully. Visit the 'Colour Studio' and use your mouse to scale up and down the colour palette: watch the products change shade according to your own personal requirements.
Nike has created a major breakthrough in Internet-innovation. The concept is called Nike ID and the facility is available to anyone with Internet access. Specially written software enables the customer to modify the shoe's base and accent colours and add their own eight-character name. The system is easy to use (providing your fingers aren't quivering too much in anticipation!); the only disadvantage being the long wait as the design program loads up. In spite of this, the new service has been greatly acclaimed as the Internet's latest gimmick and given the rate at which technology races along with consumer demand, no doubt more customised product facilities will follow hot on Nike's heels.
This site is understated functionality at it's best. Focusing on customer needs, the website is a dream to use; straightforward, quick and appealing with clear information, search facility, excellent product images, secure online transactions, free delivery and professional service. If it 'aint broke, why fix it? And the award for the web's worst footwear site goes to:
This site illustrates exactly how wrong a website can go. Enthusiasm for a great product line, searchable database and online shopping has turned into the website equivalent of lost property in a launderette: colours galore, HTML overload, dreadful, slow loading backgrounds and assorted fonts demonstrates absolutely no evidence of composition, design restraint or worse of all, company credibility. Realising
the importance of professional branding and website usability are
the crucial elements that lead to the re-birth of a company as an
e-business. Although many retailers still doggedly rely on the web's
'touch and feel' limitations of shoe buying, technology is rapidly
proving this argument to be outdated and shortsighted. Consumers can
now design their own footwear, alter the colour of a shoe, rotate
products 360-degrees and significantly reduce the chances of sizing
errors and returns through the use of downloadable measuring devices
and committed customer support. As current trends forecast the next
generation of shoppers will consider it the norm to buy by computer,
footwear companies should keep their websites simple, evolve with
technology, remain focused ... and stay online.
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