Online Forums Transform a $16 billion a Year Industry -- How Loyal (and Disgruntled) Customers Have Changed the Way We Shop for Laptop Computers
Online computer hardware and software sales are expected to reach $16 billion in 2006, according to a Shop.org survey. While the biggest online laptop retailers sport million-dollar advertising budgets, some more savvy businesses are leveraging the power of Internet message boards to grow their businesses. But are some online retailers just not getting it?
Austin, TX (PRWEB) November 8, 2006 -- Online computer hardware and software sales are expected to reach $16 billion in 2006, according to a Shop.org survey. While the biggest online laptop retailers sport million-dollar advertising budgets, some more savvy businesses are leveraging the power of Internet message boards to grow their businesses. But are some online retailers just not getting it?
Online message boards have been facilitating the exchange of information between interested parties since the earliest days of the Internet. Today, in a time when consumer confidence in online shopping is a bit tattered due to recent privacy and fraud concerns, online notebook shoppers consistently turn to Internet forums to research and interact with current and prospective owners. While this certainly isn't a new practice for consumers, some laptop retailers are now turning to online message boards as a place to interact directly with consumers on a very personal level.
"Internet shoppers are an intelligent group of people -- they know how to do their research, and they take as much time as they need," says Laura Alter, owner of http://www.NotebookForums.com -- the largest laptop discussion forum on the Internet. "Our members are incredibly knowledgeable and they are happy to share their experiences. We have found that shoppers really value user opinions -- good or bad."
While consumers have been enthusiastically using message boards in this way for a very long time, there has been a recent shift by retailers to make a place for themselves in this consumer-driven medium. "By giving their business a face and a personality, and by answering questions whenever possible, online retailers can become a trusted information source for consumers. This kind of trust cannot be purchased through advertising, and it comes at the low cost of simple human interaction and the desire to help others," says Mrs. Alter.
One laptop retailer that has leveraged the power of a consistent forum presence is http://www.PCTorque.com, based in Manhasset, NY. Charles Mazzola, a PC Torque sales representative, spends available downtime at work answering members' questions on NotebookForums.com. "I really enjoy the industry I am in, so naturally I enjoy talking about laptops. It's not about making sales -- it's about sharing information." PC Torque has enjoyed the success of selling several million dollars worth of custom laptops each year without spending a dime on advertising.
Larger businesses are also catching on in their own way. Alienware, the high-end gaming laptop manufacturer that was bought by Dell last year, has at least a dozen registered members at NotebookForums.com who help answer sales and tech questions. According to Mrs. Alter, "Our Alienware enthusiasts truly appreciate the presence that the company has on our site. They value the interest that they take in their experience. It's a win-win for both sides -- the customers get help without going through traditional channels, and Alienware has an intravenous line right to their most loyal customers' wants and needs."
While Internet forums have flown under the radar in the online advertising and marketing world, clearly times are changing. It begs the question: Why wouldn't advertisers go where their most loyal enthusiasts and their newest prospective customers converge and talk about their products? Message boards have truly transformed the way consumers decide to make their high-dollar laptop purchases, and now online retailers are starting to catch on. We are just at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to improving the customer experience through inexpensive, yet effective channels like online message boards.
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