1. What is the demographic split of female and male shoppers for your online store?
The breakdown here was decidedly in favor of female customers. Over 70% of our respondents reported their female/male breakdown at about 65%/35% female with only a small percentage claiming their clientele as mainly male dominated.
2. Do you offer your customers in-store pick-up (within a certain time period) for online purchases? What percentage of photography products is available for pick-up?
An overwhelming percentage (almost 90%) of our respondents are offering in-store pick-up for items ordered online and over 80% told us they offer almost all of their online imaging products for in-store pick-up.
3. In addition to shipping, what incentives do you offer your online shoppers (Web-only specials, add-on offers, rebates)? What makes you different?
Again, almost all of our respondents claim they offer some kind of Web-only incentive claiming add-on products for specific amounts spent; online punch cards for frequent buyers; and special offers on custom printing jobs as the most popular offers. Great customer service was cited most frequently as the reason a location was “different”.
4. Do you offer bundled solutions online? What items bundle best with a digital camera?
Half our respondents said they are currently offering bundled solutions with items like memory cards, cleaning kits, software and bags among the most frequently bundled items.
5. Can online shoppers speak with a representative? If yes, toll free phone number, e-mail or instant message?
Everyone who participated in the survey said “yes” they offer the opportunity to speak to a store representative with e-mail as the most common method cited. A toll-free phone number was also offered by about 85% of those polled.
6. Are you promoting a high-margin accessory line-up online (including cases, memory cards, paper, tripods, etc.)?
Approximately 80% of respondents said “yes” they are offering some kind of a “high margin” accessory online.
7. Are shoppers researching product online and purchasing them in-store? Are you losing customers during the checkout process? What is the percentage?
About 80% claimed their customers are researching products online before buying in-store. Only about 20% said they were losing some customers at checkout citing pricing as the reason. About 10% claimed they weren’t currently tracking that type of information on their sites.
8. Do you currently offer online print fulfillment (including prints, photo gifts, etc.)?
Over 80% of those that responded to our survey told us they were offering online print fulfillment on their sites.
9. Where does your most successful “attach” up sell occur – on the item page or in the shopping cart?
Half our respondents told us that their most successful “attach” up sell was occurring on the item page.
10. How many suppliers do you utilize to maintain your digital photography line-up online? Do you take advantage of drop-ship fulfillment services?
Responses here ranged from 2 to “hundreds of vendors” but the majority fell between 2-10. As for those taking advantage of “drop-ship fulfillment,” a little over 30% told us they were.
