‘Nobody reads ads. People read what interests them and sometimes it’s an ad.’ — Howard Luck Gossage
By Neela Ramsundar
IN this pandemic, we’ve warmly embraced local online shopping. We find it in many forms, from websites with online stores to seller’s posts on Facebook. But there’s a dark side to the online shopping experience: social media ads showing us many lovely products …but omitting the most important piece of information – the price!
The products I’m talking about are the standard items you can buy (usually imported) that is not customised (meaning, tailored by request to your specific needs e.g., T-shirts with the family name printed on them).
When we encounter an item of interest but no price, some people decide to pursue the matter by typing a message: “Price?” (Are you one of them?) Silence usually follows.
I’m aware of the arguments sellers make to justify hiding their price. The top reasons are:
They are trying to attract customers to come into the physical store;
They don’t want to encourage competitors to drive down their price to beat the sellers advertised price;
They know their prices are high and don’t want to dissuade customers from showing interest in them; and
They want to be able to negotiate the price with the potential customer.
Let me counter that none of those reasons can outweigh putting up prices.
We want transparency. If something for sale attracts our eyes and we take the time to read the post, but then see the price omitted, we instantly become suspicious. What is the seller hiding? Usually, we assume the price is too high for our pockets.
Sellers are wasting ourtime. The time wasted may just be the few seconds it took to look at the photo of the item and read the usually sparse details. But sellers are still wasting our time, particularly if they employ this strategy of not advertising their price again and again. It’s a huge turnoff. Not good for building brand loyalty.
A wiser marketing strategy would be to compete on other factors where standard goods are being sold e.g., blenders, fans, imported scented candles. Offer something the competitors don’t have. Look into other aspects of sales such as: offering speedy and friendly communications, offering delivery, offering delivery options that are convenient and affordable, run a customer friendly returns programs, give gifts for purchases over a certain amount, offer free samples with purchases, offer discount coupons for future purchases … and the list goes on and on.
We, the purchasing public, are very busy. If we are online shopping, we want a smooth experience. Not a disjointed one. When we see something that interests us, it’s frustrating having to DM (direct message) or comment for a price. Unless the product has us very motivated, as potential customers we become irritated, lose interest and move on. Ads without prices are like walking into a bar without beer, something that at first seemed promising but turned out to lack substance. It’s a detrimental business practice.
I just hope sellers see the light soon. Be safe Trinidad and Tobago.
Disclaimer:The contents of this article are for general informational purposes only and/or contain the opinions and/or thoughts of the writer only. It does not provide legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader. For legal advice on your specific situation, please contact an attorney-at-law of your choosing directly. Liability for any loss or damage of any kind whatsoever allegedly incurred as a consequence of relying on content in this article is thus hereby excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Frustrating: Ads Without Prices
‘Nobody reads ads. People read what interests them and sometimes it’s an ad.’ — Howard Luck Gossage
IN this pandemic, we’ve warmly embraced local online shopping. We find it in many forms, from websites with online stores to seller’s posts on Facebook. But there’s a dark side to the online shopping experience: social media ads showing us many lovely products …but omitting the most important piece of information – the price!
The products I’m talking about are the standard items you can buy (usually imported) that is not customised (meaning, tailored by request to your specific needs e.g., T-shirts with the family name printed on them).
When we encounter an item of interest but no price, some people decide to pursue the matter by typing a message: “Price?” (Are you one of them?) Silence usually follows.
Let me counter that none of those reasons can outweigh putting up prices.
Copyright © 2022 Neela Ramsundar, LL.B (HONS), L.E.C is a Civil Litigation Attorney at Law & Certified Mediator.
Disclaimer: The contents of this article are for general informational purposes only and/or contain the opinions and/or thoughts of the writer only. It does not provide legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader. For legal advice on your specific situation, please contact an attorney-at-law of your choosing directly. Liability for any loss or damage of any kind whatsoever allegedly incurred as a consequence of relying on content in this article is thus hereby excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.