Can Audio Be Successfully Sold Online?

More and more manufacturers are turning to the web as another medium to sell their products. Of all the CE categories, you'd think that audio brands would steer clear of e-tailing altogether. After all, how can you sell a sound system that you can't hear? But it appears this isn't the case, as several A/V companies have joined the online retailing foray over the past few years.

In April of this year, it was Klipsch that, after many years of lawsuits against unauthorized sellers of its products online, decided that it would go the online route legitimately. At the time, President Paul Jacobs said that the move was made for several reasons, including helping to prevent customers from unknowingly getting B-stock inventory or used products; and to make it easier for customers to find products in "markets where retail consolidation has made this an increasing difficult task." Naturally, the six online retailers that Klipsch selected for authorized sales had to meet very stringent requirements.

One of these retailers was Crutchfield, and in Canada, that company has just made agreements with Bose, Logitech, Mirage, and Onkyo to offer their products to Canadian consumers online. While the Website does offer plenty of educational material about buying an audio system, and things like customer reviews, can one really buy audio online?

The answer is definitely yes if the person knows the system they're buying ahead of time and has listened to it live at some point. Even a referral shouldn't be enough. Don't get me wrong: a fantastic listening experience will likely be universally agreed upon. But in many cases, the choice can be very subjective, based on the particular application for which the system is being used, the type of music the person listens to, and of course just simple preference. If buying online is your thing, go for it. But keep in mind that either way, nothing can replace a true demo...not even a virtual one.

Try and Buy

The "try and buy" policy has always made a lot of sense to me. A few years ago, knowing that I was (and still am!) a big proponent for satellite radio, an industry member wanted to pick my brain on how providers could attract more customers. My advice? Let people try the service for free for a month or two. It'll cost a pretty penny, but I'll bet a huge percentage of them would sign up after having become used to some of the neat features.

This instance is just one example of "trying and buying", but there are even simpler methods that exist: take active product demos in store or the ever-popular "get the first 3 months free" promotions, for example. But it's even evident in things like test driving cars, taste-testing wedding cake, and age-old return policies that let you bring something back if you "aren't satisfied".

As of late, I've seen some really, clear-cut evidence that getting a product into a customer's hands can not only sway someone toward a particular model or brand, but can also convince someone to buy something that he never would have purchased otherwise. This is especially true when it comes to the ever-growing gaming industry.

A female friend of mine is the last person I'd peg as a "gamer". Recently, she moved into a new place, and her boyfriend lent her his PlayStation 3 to use for entertainment until she got her cable TV and Internet set up. She figured "why not" and gave some game demos a whirl. A few weeks later, the PS3 is back at her boyfriend's place (to her dismay), and she's purchased her own Xbox 360 (after doing some research to find out which console would best suit her newly found "gaming" needs). I'm still blown away that the gal who often said guys who sat around and played video games were "dumb and lazy" is now battling her way through magical lands and dancing into her own revolution. Meanwhile, a colleague of mine had a Nintendo Wii at home on-loan from a friend for a couple of weeks. They played some games simply because it was there, but never would have thought to buy one. After bowling, golf, and a few rounds of tennis, a brand spanking new Wii has now found its home in his.

Of course not everyone will have access to a friend or family member that can lend him products to try out, nor will they see a gaming console (or other product) fall into their lap for a week. But if anything, this reinforces the fact that, not only should a person always be able to try something out before forking over dough to buy it; but we should never "knock it 'til we try it". You never know what might pique your interest.