Does anyone else find it hard to leave Target without at LEAST spending $20? Geesh, I know I can't. The Target website is not new to me, I visit the site regularly to see what new designer they are spot lighting and new merchandise. It was hard to concentrate on the task at hand while clicking through tabs but I buckled down and reviewed the site through the eyes of a marketer.
The tab I found the most interesting was the Pharmacy tab. A customer can, transfer prescriptions, refill prescriptions, and set up auto refill through Target's website. The webpage has crammed a lot of information on its page which made me feel overwhelmed. For example, links and tabs on prescriptions and health related issues were everywhere. There was a flashplayer with recurring advertisements, targeted at mother's, with answers to funny questions, such as "why can't medicine taste like chocolate banana pie"? Target does a good job at blending humor with serious health issues. The site also has links to items that are over the counter purchases, such as hot and cold pads, thermometers, baby health and safety items. The website throws a lot of information at the customer but if the customer's knows what they are looking for, finding the item or link is easy.
This website incorporated all four V's of business integration: Velocity, Visibility, Variability, and Volume(Roberts, p. 49). The customer can request and receive their prescription fast by having the option to request refills online. The website improves customer satisfaction by saving the customer time by allowing them to transfer prescriptions and/or get a refill online. The auto refill creates variability because the customer no longer has to remember to request refills but allows the pharmacy to do all the work. Also, the other links and health information allows the customer to shop for other needed items while they are requesting a refill or transferring prescriptions. Target is marketing to customer's individual needs by offering more than one option to choose from when it comes to their health care needs.
EMarketer May 4, 2010 Article found that over one-half of Internet users research online before making any type of purchases on the web, in store or through any other method. This saved the customer time and made them more confident about their purchases. This research does not surprise me because I am in the over one-half category. I always read reviews and compare items when I know I am making a large purchase. My first impression of the product is how the website is setup. If I am having trouble finding the product I am researching I most likely will not purchase it from that store. For example, I was looking for a new winter jacket and was researching Sports Authority and Dicks Sportings good. I had trouble finding what I wanted at Sports Authority and found the brand and woment's coats section very easily on Dicks online store. I look for convenience and great reviews when I am shopping online.
I will have to try to use the Target Pharmacy next time when my little one is sick instead of Walgreen's, purely based on your findings. Second, I also viewed Target as one of my web pages to critique and I found target to really distinguish their demographic online quite noticeably (the 21-35 female)....would you agree????
ReplyDeleteIf I go into Target to buy a pack of gum I still spend at least $20. It never fails! Your post made me interested in looking at the pharmacy tab. I know they have been making big waves (along with Wal-Mart) in that market. I found your finds very interesting. Even though I have always been a Walgreen's customer when it came to prescriptions and other stuff, the big boys are taking over the market. Plus, when it comes to health/cost we need all the help we can get.
ReplyDeleteVelocity, Visibility, Variability, and Volume: good lenses with which to view web service offerings. When a marketer does things well, memebrs of its target market will spend more time on its websites (called "sticky" factor), and spend more share of wallet. Target wants you to buy paper cups to Prilosec; the measurement is "$/web visit."
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