Selling Wine Online

Certain luxury products lend themself to an in-store buying experience. The bricks and mortar emporium is characterful, offering friendly and informative guidance to hand, and a place to create positive emotive experiences.  A real-life retail environment offers atmosphere, expertise, and emotive experiences delivered through multiple human senses. From a sales perspective one can consider each sensory perception - whether it be sight, sound, smell taste or feel - to be a touchpoint, each connection creating a memory or feeling that creates a long lasting impression which in turn will encourage repeat custom.

Our digital world is evolving through AI and VR (which we will be exploring in more detail in future blogs) but for now the internet can manifest as a relatively pedestrian audiovisual experience for online marketing and sales to customers. In the April edition of Wine Merchant Magazine, we - as e-commerce web development specialists - have provided some pointers to retailers in the luxury drinks industry who are keen to enhance their web presence to generate curiosity, value and customer loyalty.

In the article we ask if the virtual journey of the customer is understood. While it is harder to offer a truly personal experience without face-to-face customer interaction, in any sales environment the best results are achieved if the customer is given the best attention, and in e-commerce a successful website will deliver a network of positive brand and customer experiences that lead visitors through to the checkout, helping them shop along the way.

We recommend using the tools and technology available to provide personalisation. For wine sales a 'virtual sommelier' can offer useful pairing advice and tasting notes guidance for customers, as well as recommendations to purchase based on previous shopping visits. A considered checkout experience is really important to ensure the transaction is friction-free: no hidden surprises with positive incentives to complete.

Ultimately retailers that provide a combination of value and good experiences are likely to win customer loyalty. the aim therefore should be to provide online the great service and quality that is delivered in store.

The complete article is available to read in the Wine Merchant Magazine April Edition.