We get this question often in early discussions with potential clients. The perception from retailers & Brands is that the process is lengthy and complicated. I want to squash this perception once and for all.
Let's start with painting a spectrum of time.
The fastest implementation from the signed agreement to the first Live Shopping event is for us two days. The more normal timeline for implementation is one month.
We have identified a few steps that have been proven effective and make for a smooth implementation.
Define your purpose: Before starting the implementation process, you must define your Live Shoppings purpose. Do you want to build deeper customer relationships, create a community, increase conversion rates, sell more, or decrease returns? Defining your goal makes it easy to build a long-term strategy and set relevant KPIs. With a clear purpose, you will have no problem deciding on how to structure your Live Shopping content and who will host them.
Plan your first three Live Shopping events: Set the dates and times and directly plan your first three live shopping events. Set a date for your first Live Shopping one month away. This gives you time to learn the system, integrate the product feed, Checkout, and complete a few test live streams. Our customers doing this are giving themselves a great start that doesn't include stress & lack of marketing.
Technical integration & testing: The technical integrations should be done immediately to allow your team to get to know every inch of the system and start practicing. I can't stress this enough. We see a big difference between clients who take this step seriously and those who don't. Make 3-5 test live shopping events, get comfortable with the format, and go live. This will give you confidence when you are going live for your viewers & customers for the first time.
Start executing: When you have defined your purpose, made the integrations & feel comfortable with the system, and going live, it's time for you to start executing. Consistency is vital.
These are the steps that will get you started most effectively. We have a saying in our company: You can plan yourself into your grave. The most important thing is to start going live, but if you put some effort into the implementation process, everything will go much smoother.
If you are in the explore phase and are interested in learning more about Live Shopping, you should study our blog and start by reading this post: The Value Of On-Demand Conversion.
All the best!