How do you improve golf equipment sales in a socially distanced retail environment? Here is the use case for increasing online conversion and average order value via live video shopping.
How does live video shopping for a new set of golf clubs actually work? Well, how does it work in person? It takes extensive research, a visit to the store, and most importantly, reassurance from an expert who understands your game and what would suit you best.
Golf courses might be closed, but people are still in the market for new clubs. Take it from someone who just bought some! Live video shopping provides an opportunity for golf brands to expand beyond their traditional footprint and into another channel.
A use case for Live Video Shopping for Golf
In this article, we bring to life the use case for live video shopping with a consumer searching for a new set of clubs to purchase.
A live video shopping experience in golfing gives the opportunity to Engage and immerse customers in the product experience from a distance. With a video commerce platform, new possibilities open up.The aim is to replicate the retail experience as much as possible from a distance, but also leverage the scale of eCommerce to assist with conversion en masse.
Matching shoppers with golf expertise
Let’s start with irons. Using the wrong set can drastically inhibit your development as a player, but picking the correct type can take your game to the next level. Sounds simple enough, but consider the options. You can select over-sized cavity back, cavity back, muscle back, blade, forged head, and cast head. Doesn’t mean a whole lot without context, does it? Well, the difference all depends on your ability and overall game.
Confer With provides the opportunity for a shopper to talk to an expert who knows the answer to this question. They’ll be able to tell if you’re the type of golfer who is ready to make the jump to blades, or if a more forgiving cavity back will help you stay consistent.
The best experts can be prioritised to high potential customers and importantly, appointments can be made in case someone isn’t available right away.
Engaging with a golf expert
Once the shopper and their golf expert are connected, Confer With sets up a one to one video call between the two. This video call allows the expert to understand their customers needs. What’s their handicap? How often do they golf? How competitive do they want to be? Height and measurements? What kind of clubs do they use know? How far do they hit each club? Talk through why they play or, if they are just starting out, what their expectations are.
Questions can be asked that are relevant to the customer’s needs, which prepares the expert for how they might immerse their erstwhile customers in a product experience that they will appreciate.
Immersing a shopper in an experience relevant to their needs
Because the customers and the golf specialist are face to face, and needs have been understood, the expert can:
- Select clubs based on their needs
- Show them how the clubs look and feel
- Respond immediately to feedback
By immersing the customer in an environment linked to the entire inventory of the eCommerce platform, the golf expert can take the product offering to the next level.
Leveraging the golf equipment buy flow
The purchase of golf clubs is more than just the clubs themselves. There are a huge amount of addons that are relevant to the purchase. What are you going to carry the clubs around in? Need a golf bag for that. How about what you’re going to hit with the clubs? Need some golf balls. Finally, want to look the part? Welcome to the world of golf apparel. Talking to an expert means that each specific product can be shared and reviewed.
- Using the “Alternatives” feature, the expert can select different types of clubs in different price and style categories so that the consumer can be assured that they’ve exhausted the alternatives
- Using the “Additions” feature enables the expert to showcase the additional products the consumer will need to go along with their club purchase
- Show product specifications, images, and pre-recorded videos relating to the product
A full deal flow for each product can be created based on customer interactions and needs identification – leading to a substantial increase in average order value and helps scale high margin products.
Making it easy to buy, then and there
Confer With have developed patent pending virtual shared basket technology that allows both the shopper and the bike expert to add items to the virtual shopping basket. Once the shopper and expert agree on clubs, bag, balls, and apparel, the expert can make out the order. If the customer likes what they see, then they can add it to their bag without the expert’s input.
Last word on the use case for live video shopping
Golf equipment brands and retailers have relied on their own experts to advise customers for decades. But consumer purchasing patterns are changing – they are increasingly going online. Video allows face to face connections between shoppers and golf experts to continue in an online environment leading to conversion rates that approach retail levels.
Would you like a demonstration of the golf use case?
Schedule a demo of live video shopping for golf clubs. Please put in a request and we can book a time to discuss your needs.
