Just get it right. A couple of weeks ago I read that The Gap had taken their online store offline. I see now that there are some people getting limited access to their new online environment.
Here’s what I don’t like about The Gap (besides the fact that for a few years they turned their khakis into gangsta wear): as I strolled through the mall today (lots of malls on this vacation) I saw a big ad on The Gap store window that read: 4-7-365 – Always Open – www.gap.com.
Why not just hang a little sign off of it that says: “we’re rebuilding our website to make the experience as exciting as this store. Come on in and try on a pair of jeans.”
I think it’s the small stuff – like advertising a site that is offline – that lets people truly feel how disconnected most businesses are with their many different channels.
No, it’s not the biggest deal, but if you don’t like what you saw in the store (or they did not have your size) and then you go online only to find out that there is no online – someone has just created a very negative brand experience… and it’s those types of experiences that are spreading faster than the good ones. It’s also something that’s simple (and costs virtually nothing) to fix.