Nicole Larrauri Speaks to Luxury Daily About the New Affluent and Tech Savvy Consumer

Harrods sharpens digital savvy with Web, mobile endeavors

By Kayla Hutzler (Article from Luxury Daily - http://www.luxurydaily.com)

 

British department store Harrods is increasing its digital presence with a soon-to-be released online magazine, a mobile commerce-enabled site and an emphasis on digital search marketing.

 

The new online magazine will be released next month, marking the first time editorial content will be regularly posted on the retailer’s Web site. The mobile site will also come out some time this Fall.

 

“There is actual data to support that luxury high-end consumers are the earliest adaptors to smartphones and new technology,” said Nicole Laurrari, managing partner at EGC Group, Melville, New York, “So, their customer is much more active in mobile than any other customer.

 

“In addition, editorial content provides brands with the ability to be the thought-leader in their category,” she said. “So, in fashion, it is about positioning themselves as style experts for their customers.”

 

Ms. Laurrari is not affiliated with Harrods, but agreed to comment as a third-party expert.

 

Harrods was not able to respond by press deadline.

 

Digital duds 
Harrods' new mobile site will allow affluent consumers to buy products from the retailer directly from their mobile phones and tablets.

 

The inspiration for the mobile site came from the positive reaction to the brand’s GPS-enabled mobile application that was released this past May, according to Harrods (see story).

 

Additionally, Harrods' online magazine will highlight the latest fashion trends along with exclusive fashion tips from industry insiders.

 

The online magazine will be a mix of video and editorial content, according to the retailer.

 

"Brands need to have a presence in the online space," Ms. Laurrari said. "A large part of this is due to the shift from print to digital."

 

Many retailers already have active online magazines and blogs.

 

For example, Bergdorf Goodman posts daily editorial content on its 5th/58th blog.

 

In addition, online retailer Net-A-Porter has an online magazine that it updates weekly at http://www.net-a-porter.com/magazine.

 

This editorial content helps the brands increase their presence in natural search.

 

"From a search-optimization standpoint, content remains king," said Chris Humber, group search engine optimization director at 360i, New York.  "Considering Google's most recent Panda updates, which favors Web sites that produce unique content, the value of content has increased considerably."

 

"In order for luxury brands to stay competitive in natural search, the need for more engaging content beyond product descriptions is important," he said. 

 

Spying new opportunities
The new editorial content is not the only thing Harrods is doing for SEO.

 

The retailer has also enlisted digital agency ISpy to increase the brand’s search marketing.

 

Harrods is hoping to increase its international audience through these search marketing initiatives, per the brand.

 

In addition, Harrods.com is currently shipping to more than 40 countries at an international fixed-rate delivery fee.

 

Paid SEO is increasingly important as numerous third-party retailers, many of which are not accredited sellers, often bid on keywords that will have them pop up ahead of major accredited retailers (see story).

 

Social media is also important when aiming to increase a brand’s organic search presence.
For example, Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer saw a large increase in Web site visitors that corresponded with a two-fold increase in Facebook fans (see story). 

 

“The search-result landscape has morphed over the past few years as search engines such as Google look to deliver more customized, personalized search results based on location, search history and social connections,” Mr. Humber said.

 

“Today, search engines are annotating results with social indicators, such as Google’s +1 or Bing’s Facebook integration which favors ‘like’ activity,” he said.

 

“In a world where the rules change as often as the weather, digital optimization remains critical for maximizing visibility and adjusting one’s strategy to keep pace with search innovations.”

 

Article taken from Luxury Daily - http://www.luxurydaily.com
URL to article: http://www.luxurydaily.com/harrods-aims-to-increase-web-traffic-with-three-new-digital-initiatives/