The ability to motivate consumers throughout their buying experience demands up to date user-generated content which may be enhanced through recommendations obtained from online opinion experts and regular feedbacks from customers. As such, it is prudent for company managers to play active roles in designing beauty products, advertising and brand promotion in addition to retailing the needs of orient customers.
These aspects will motivate customers who purchase beauty products in terms of confident shopping based on the parameters of value and quality. Therefore, the philosophy of retailing beauty products on online markets need to be changed from self-reference criterion to lifestyle and value perceptions driven by social-cultural and peer forces (Park et al., 2007, p.99).
Owing to the increasing number of beauty products, managers can opt to either assist customers in making decisions by putting in place price-value relationship that will result into affirming customers’ intentions (Adam, 2003, p.78).
Therefore, it is important for businesses to demonstrate price-value relationship via online stimulators. The beauty product sellers can equally attract clients by using channels like e-bays, catalogues and socio-media tools.
According to Terblanche and Boshoff (2005, p.77), online marketing of beauty products further provides customers with faster product search, price, promotion, comparative data, and availability of services to the customers in addition to building their motivation. Therefore, it is important for beauty products marketers to take advantage of existing positive linkage between beauty search behaviour and the design features of a website.
They can achieve this by tracking down the expectations of customers. Most importantly, managers of beauty products should put into consideration the fact that the shopping behaviour of customers is influenced by aspects such as shopping motivations, referral and credit incentives.
Most online opinion experts recommendations will also enhance brand recognition of various beauty products (Peterson & Merino, 2003, p.34) bearing in mind that it assists in connecting shopping interests with a number of customer groups. This is important in building strength and influencing customers’ intentions positively towards beauty products, celebrities and beauty product stores.
Anderson and Fornell (2000, p.122) posit that with the development of information and communication technology, beauty product consumers can easily add theirs on forms of contents. They can do this via blogs or weblogs, videos or pictures. Thus, beauty product consumers have the freedom of giving their own opinion on a product.
Furthermore, the comments can influence the purchase intentions of other customers when they share their views, experiences and beliefs with others. Terblanche and Boshoff (2005, p.78) suggest that user-generated content is a replacement of traditional forms of marketing since the content of beauty products are generated by customers and not the marketers.
Hence, media tools such as twitter and facebook, among others are a clear indication that consumers are more informed about beauty products. This has been illustrated by the fact that consumers can easily find information, articles, and comments in addition to inviting others to join and comment on the advertised product.
Adam (2003, p.67) further suggests that advertisement of beauty products through websites by use of tools like blogs, chat rooms and message boards does not only influence the purchase intentions of current consumers but also future ones.
Furthermore, the provisions of blogs or forums that capture customers’ comments allow marketers and producers of beauty products to get genuine feedback about the products. Additionally, they provide them with an opportunity to reassurance their consumers.
Finally, in the marketing of beauty products, the internet is an essential source of information for consumers. For example, in America and United Kingdom, most beauty product consumers make use of information superhighway to search information (Adam, 2003, p.45).
Therefore, user-generated content related to beauty products can be posted on particular websites. This is due to the fact that the content reflects the experience of customers with certain beauty products and this impact on their purchase intentions.
References
Adam, R. 2003. www.advertising: Advertising and Marketing on the World Wide Web. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications.
Anderson, E. & Fornell, C. 2000. Foundations of the American customer satisfaction index, Total Quality Management 11(7), 869-883.
Park, D. et al. 2007. The Effect of Online Consumer Reviews on Consumer Purchase Intention: The Moderating Role of Involvement. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 11 (4), 125-148.
Peterson, R. A. & Merino, M.C. 2003, Consumer information search behavior and the internet, Psychology and Marketing 20(2), 99-121.
Terblanche, N. & Boshoff, C. 2005. The in-store shopping experience and customer retention: a study of clothing store customers, Business Review, 4 (1), 118–125.