The practice of selling high end goods online has been debated for some time; some businesses believe that an online store will ruin the image that their customers have of their brand whilst others believe that offering their goods for sale through more than one avenue is a huge positive. In recent years however many of the top luxury brands have begun to develop an online presence and the reason they have been able to do this is due to the invention of luxury e-commerce websites.
So what actually makes up a luxury e-commerce website and why is it any different to a normal website? Let’s take a look.
A Boutique Atmosphere
In order for a luxury e-commerce website to be successful it needs to portray the brand name as effectively as possible. A luxury brick and mortar shop depends on elegant visuals and décor in order to emulate a boutique feel. This is also possible to do online however and is one of the main things that set a luxury e-commerce store aside from a normal e-commerce store. Whilst plush carpeting and elegant wall designs aren’t needed online, an elegant and inviting home page is.
Information
Another aspect that is hugely important when it comes to a luxury brand is the amount of information that is available to customers. When you think of a boutique brick and mortar store you can imagine that the sales staff are incredibly knowledgeable about the items that they are selling, and so the same information needs to be relayed on a luxury e-commerce site. If you are selling expensive products you need to offer the customer as much information about the product as possible in order to make them feel comfortable.
Communication Options
Unlike a normal e-commerce store a simple ‘contact us’ form and an FAQ’s list isn’t enough when you are running a luxury e-commerce store. Instead you will want to think about offering live chat services or even a personal shopper service to make your store more unique. Personalisation and high levels of communication are important to wealthy shoppers so you don’t want to alienate them by ignoring their expectations.
Although there has been some debate as to whether luxury brands should offer goods for sale online, a luxury e-commerce store is the ideal option and so long as it is designed correctly there should be no reason why your business will not thrive in the online world.
