By Nicole Millman-Falk
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David R. Bell, author of Location Is (Still) Everything
While mobile devices are smart, clean and efficient and serve as a distribution and payment channel for two billion people on the planet, the real world still matters. The way people shop, the way they use the Internet, depends on where they live. So said David R. Bell, author of Location Is (Still) Everything, Xinmei Zhang and Yongge Dai Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a keynoter at digitalNow 2015, held at the Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin in Orlando, Florida. An expert on consumer shopping behavior, Bell explained how we use the Internet to shop and search and how our shopping experiences are still largely shaped by where we live.
"Location is still relevant in the digital world. The location you choose to live in says something about who you are," he explained. Certainly your location defines your offline options. Online shopping experiences are about reducing the friction between the customer and the product to help them make better purchasing decisions. Consider that many retailers now offer an opportunity to research and decide their products online, yet pick them up in a store. Have you ever ordered online from Best Buy but picked up your new computer down the street? At the same time, if you don’t live near a Best Buy, you now have the opportunity to shop there.
Ecommerce eliminates the need for time and space. You can purchase nearly anything 24/7 from the comfort of your home or wherever you happen to be—even at an association conference!
What does this mean for associations? How do associations alter their customer (member) experiences to an ecommerce framework? If mobile offers us the ability to constantly troll for goodies, "we need to get members to snack on our products and services," said Bell. "While we can't digitize the deep human engagement in our associations, we do have a digital megaphone to share what we have done."
Associations need to recognize that mobile devices are a digital form of show and tell. Said Bell, "75% of all decisions we make are preceded by looking at a review; 30% of reviews are fake." However, he explained, ecommerce is based on the principle of adjaceny—birds of a feather flock together. People who are connected tend to have similar preferences, so if you make one sale in a certain location, you’ll probably make another.
Since members are adjacent or connected to each other by virtue of belonging to the same organization, the question becomes: Who are your organization’s reviewers that will influence other members purchasing or engagement decisions? "Even if only 4% of sales are done online, 40% are digitally influenced. You need to consider how you influence members online," said Bell.
Social and digital marketing become essential. Like for-profits, associations can leverage people our members who have outside influence. Engaging those members to build our social currency then becomes essential.
Content that is humorous or triggers a strong emotion, while simultaneously having practical value is shared most often. In addition, information needs to transparent, authentic, and personalized.
Ultimately, said Bell, "in the digital age, the real value of associations continues to be deep, meaningful human engagement."
Nicole Millman-Falk is President of Millman-Falk Communications, LLC, providing content development and strategic communication services for trade associations, professional societies, and donor-based organizations. In addition to her own company, she serves as Editor for Apogee Publications, which provides turnkey association newsletters, magazines, and membership directories. She is Editor of NYSAE's InView and is Chair of the Awards Committee. She can be reached at 201-652-1687; nicolemillmanfalk@gmail.com; or through her website at www.millmanfalkcommunications.com.