Check out the latest installment of the Interactive Content Spotlight, a monthly roundup of the coolest and most cutting edge eCommerce content from around the web. Enjoy!
Lululemon – This is Yoga
Why we love it: Lululemon’s experience uses embedded video to tell a rich brand story. Featuring three brand ambassadors, shoppers can click to explore each one's personal journey with Lululemon. Then, they can “discover the gear,” and peruse the corresponding product line. By associating the clothing with a real person, and a distinct Lululemon “personality,” customers can connect and form a relationship to the brand; it’s digital storytelling at its best.
What it’s missing: When shoppers click to discover the gear, they are brought away from the experience to a product grid. Any inspiration the experience created is instantly lost, and they are less likely to return to the page to continue shopping. It’s a content dead-end. By making the original experience shoppable, whether through a product carousel or quickviews, customers can complete their purchases without ever leaving the page.
Tarte – Nude Lips
Why we love it: This is a great example of a cosmetics buying guide done right. Shopping for makeup online is hard, so a how-to experience that breaks the process down for customers is perfect. Shoppers simply select their skin tone, the “lip look” they want, and are then presented with three products personalized for them. And a step-by-step application guide shows customers just how to create the look for themselves. It's fun, on-brand, and interactive - a content home run.
What it’s missing: A user-generated content element pulling directly from Instagram would take this experience to the next level. It can be hard to trust images that are highly edited – seeing what a lip gloss or lipstick looks like on a real person (unfiltered) makes it easier to buy.
Pottery Barn – Nursery Quiz
Why we love it: Quizzes are one of the best ways to increase engagement metrics – they keep shoppers on the page, interacting with your content. Pottery Barn created a fun, entertaining quiz that guides customers to their perfect nursery style, complete with product recommendations. This is a great example of a brand knowing exactly what their customers need. New parents might not know where to start when it comes to decorating their baby’s room, so Pottery Barn makes it easy for them.
What it’s missing: Upon completion, users are given their style personality, complete with a snapshot of the corresponding baby’s room. But to get to the featured products, shoppers are brought to a simple product grid. Instead, we recommend a shop-the-room feature, allowing customers to simply purchase directly from the room image. It will shorten the path to purchase, and allow customers to add everything they’ll need to their cart seamlessly.
Tiffany – New York Flagship
Why we love it: The Tiffany & Co. New York store is iconic and instantly recognizable. It’s as much a part of the brand’s story as the actual jewelry. This visual experience brings the magic of the store to life, with lightbox videos sharing the history of the store. For loyal Tiffany fans, it’s an engaging experience that strengthens that connection to their favorite brand. And for new customers, it introduces them to the company's story. The purpose of the experience isn’t to sell jewelry, it’s to celebrate an integral part of the brand’s history.
What it’s missing: Offering more opportunities for interaction – such as clickable carousels or animations – would add an extra layer of richness to this experience. The purpose of this content is to allow shoppers to explore, so providing more clickable content would deliver this sort of interactive digital content and keep them on the page.