People can spot marketing from miles away. Consumers know when they’re being sold to, and that means retailers need to be more creative with how they promote — even just describe — a product.
That’s why TurnTo Networks, a startup based in Midtown, created an e-commerce solution to let the consumer do the marketing themselves.
TurnTo is a platform that provides online stores and brands with user-generated content. It offers consumers the ability to review a product they purchased, ask or answer questions about it, take videos, and provide comments at the point of purchase. Basically, consumers can get an unbiased, no-frills review of a product before they buy it, and provide one for others upon buying.
“When making a purchasing decision, product reviews are incredibly influential to consumers,” said CEO and founder George Eberstadt. “Recent data from our studies revealed that 90 percent of consumers feel user-generated content influences their decision to make a purchase, outranking all other forms of marketing — including email and search.”
While online shopping is convenient, it can lack the transparency shoppers need to feel confident in their purchases. When buying clothes, for example, online shoppers can’t feel the material or try them on for size. The next best thing, then, would be to ask someone who has.
“Shoppers are sophisticated, and while discounts and free shipping offers can grab attention, consumers are seeking a more engaging shopping experience — one where they can turn to their peers to get questions answered about specific products,” said Eberstadt.
The benefits, he said, are twofold: Consumers can be more confident in their purchases, and retailers can deliver more content with less work (the platform literally gets the customer to do it for them), boost authenticity and SEO and provide e-commerce businesses with merchandise insights.
The company is currently hiring across a number of different departments, and plans to introduce new technologies to further enhance the platform.
“As TurnTo continues to grow, we have plans for many more exciting programs, all built around the theme of helping people to help each other,” said Eberstadt.
Image via Shutterstock.
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