The Many Uses of Exclusions in Configurator
Choosing Medium Dark option
When given the chance to do anything you want, it’s possible to feel plagued with indecision and a lack of direction. In an e-Commerce situation, sometimes too much choice and freedom can result in problems. One such outcome is the overwhelmed customer who ends up not buying anything or having a less than ideal shopping experience on your website. Another possible outcome is the dilemma of the “impossible product”. This is where the customer ends up disappointed because their “perfect” product is in fact, impossible and unavailable. A product configurator, especially with the use of exclusions, can create more meaningful e-Commerce experiences for customers.
What is Configurator?
Configurator is a guided selling wizard that can adapt to many e-Commerce situations. You can read more about it here. Shoppers will go through a step by step process, choosing features, options, products, and services that suit their needs. From making your own teddy bear to customizing school uniforms, or buying parts for a machine, there are so many practical uses for Configurator.
What are exclusions specifically?
In the flexible Nav-to-Net™ Configurator, exclusions are a powerful feature that can streamline the buying process. Quite simply, exclusions in Configurator control what a customer can or cannot see based on their previous selections. Options can be hidden from sight or grayed out with an explanation as to why. When it is grayed out, it gives the customer a chance to rethink their previous selection or just give them more context. Managed in NAV, exclusions can be simple or more complex and nuanced, creating whole new paths for customers to take depending on their choices.
(In the images of this blog post, we can see picking a certain characteristic only shows the shopper relevant items. So in picking the Medium-Dark roast option, customers are shown only Medium Dark coffee blends.)
Here are some examples using exclusions in Configurator:
- Not Relevant – If a beach trip is being planned by the customer, there is no need to show winter activity gear like skis or jackets as it isn’t relevant.
- Not Safe – Gear A is not compatible with Machine X or it will compromise the strength and integrity of the product.
- Does not fit – The product the customer wants is not recommended for the specifications provided – the door they have chosen does not come in the dimensions they want.
- Does not exist – The shirt style they’re looking at does not come in a leopard pattern.
- Does not go – This ring setting is not typically done with a heart-shaped diamond because it doesn’t look good and will affect the quality of the overall end product.
A product configurator, especially one with an easy-to-use exclusion feature, is necessary from a business standpoint for a few reasons:
- Ensure the safety of customers by educating them. As experts in your industry, exclusions in Configurator allow you to apply that knowledge. Informed shoppers are happy shoppers!
- In the case of impossible products or unavailable products, that’s annoying for the customer but it can also disrupt your normally smooth e-Commerce order fulfilling processes. Dealing with those issues takes time and resources when it could’ve been prevented by exclusions. With the proper rules and guidelines set in place in Configurator, your customer will never expect one thing and get another again.
- Customer satisfaction is, of course, the goal of every business. Satisfied customers are loyal customers and are more likely to spread the word about your company. If customers could see the context and overall picture of their purchase, especially where customized items and packages are involved, they have the tools to make better decisions. A product configurator helps shoppers end up with the products and features that they truly want and need.
Nav-to-Net™ Configurator is an integrated add-on to an already feature-rich e-Commerce solution. It acts as a salesperson on your webshop, adding a new dimension to the shopping process. Other webshop features that can help guide customers are special catalogs, cross-sell items, and detailed product descriptions managed in NAV.
We’re also running a promotion on Nav-to-Net™ until the end of December 2019. Contact us for more details.
Request a demo of Nav-to-Net™ today or check out our other resources.