How to market products online with a lesser visual appeal?

The known proverb, “First Impression is the last impression’ is true when it comes to eCommerce. While brick and mortar stores can use visual merchandising to increase sales, with online selling, the privilege to touch and feel is not present.

Hence, the only option that remains with the seller is to attract buyers with its aesthetic design. Because of this visual appeal is the primary factor to attract buyers.

However, when you do not have the advantage of the visually appealing product, in order to attract audiences, the wise thing would be focusing on other aspects that help the buyers coming to a decision.

You can focus on secondary factors which are more important in such cases and grab their attention. By explaining all the benefits, providing unique packaging, better website, app functionalities and understanding the buyer involvement, you can successfully sell your ‘not so visually appealing product’ online.

Conceptualize a unique packaging-

One of the best examples of a concept based packaging is “art of appreciation” baskets. Apart from selling chocolates and wines, sellers on Amazon also sell fruit baskets that are packaged beautifully. These are certainly eye-catching and has got the potential to drive sales.

Hiring an expert/artist who can package your product in an artistic way could be very helpful while marketing for a lesser visually appealing product.

Packaging not only gives aesthetic appeal but also protects the product. So, if the packaging is done smartly, you will have more chances of attracting the buyers.

Understand the buyer involvement-

Motorbike and car accessories used to be mundane things. They were considered as necessities. Instead of being necessities, they have turned into elements of comfort and style.

However, one of the things that make these accessories special in the high involvement they generate from the target consumers.

Tires are expensive and a lot of thoughts go behind buying one. The car type, the driving habits, the type of terrains that the driver/buyer would mostly take—all these are taken into account.

These create a demand for long and detailed descriptions. Along with that, if user reviews are present for the product, it further helps the buyers to make a decision.

This is why despite your product having a low visual appeal or lesser scope of attractive packaging, you can exploit the involvement or deep intent to sell your product. This is visible on Flipkart.

When packaging and visual appeal are the first steps towards grabbing their attention, a list of reviews plays an important role while making a final decision of buying a particular product.

Nowadays, while shopping online, buyers are highly depended on reviews. A research conducted by Vendasta proves that 92 % read online reviews and 40% consumers form an opinion by reading only a few interviews.

But the difficulty comes when it is a software, anti-virus or any digital product which is intangible. In such cases, website design, product details, description, and reviews are your leading points.

The seller on Amazon has explained all the features of Norton antivirus in detail. In addition to features, reviews further help in purchasing the item and building the trust in your product.

Focus on Website/app functionalities-

An interactive experience gives a personal touch. When it comes to health, people tend to make their decisions very seriously. They tend to put a lot of thoughts before coming to a decision. So, when it comes to medicines and a majority of healthcare products, making it appealing is hardly possible.

An online pharmacy, Netmeds provides the facility to talk to them directly through the ‘Chat with us’ option. An interaction can allow you to convince the consumer and earn their trust as well as clear their doubts. It can also help you build a positive image in the buyer’s mind.

Other than that, the use of software like Algolia and Elasticsearch can provide a smoother process of searching on the website.

SaaS-based software such as Algolia or Elasticsearch offers speed search results to search your website. In such cases where there are more product options and lesser visual appeal of the product, these applications can give instant search suggestions with keystrokes in the same way as Google does.

Since majority buyers are using mobile phones to make online orders, it is necessary for the sellers to have a mobile friendly website and a mobile app to reach to larger the audience.

Apart from these, you can employ a recommendation plug-in as well. A website with product recommendations can increase sales for items that are not eye catching or come with a lesser visual appeal.

Highlight the perks-

Before taking a decision, it is natural for any buyer to have gone through similar available websites. So knowing your product and competitors is necessary.

When you cannot attract the user by visual appeal, a question arises on how to attract the buyers? How can you make it better in terms of quality, price and other services?

Better quality, lesser price, and services such as faster delivery and product replacement options go a long way. Also, perks like guarantee and refund, in the case of dissatisfied experience will be an addition in the process of marketing products that are not visually attractive.

Flexible return policies, guarantee, discount offers often do wonders while marketing such products. One can definitely nail at marketing lesser visually appealing product successfully by executing intelligent strategies.

There is no particular strategy that can lead you to success if you are selling something which is visually dull. But, the execution of smart strategies according to the type of product you want to sell will definitely help you successfully market products that do not come with the visual factor.