Online shopping to mimic Second Life™?
Saturday, February 21st, 2009According to those apparently in the know (as detailed in this article) the future of online shopping lies in virtual stores perhaps reminiscent of Second Life, whereby people can take an avatar to an online store, try items on and then order them there and then. Now this is all good. However, I plead with retailers planning to take this route to leave out the following three elements of Second Life shopping, as I cannot imagine it will do much for your sales!
1. The noob wearing the giant penis.
Ok, so they hang around stores in Second Life using such amazing chat lines on the female avies, such as ‘hey you have naughty fun with me’. As entertaining as it is to watch, I don’t imagine that chasing your customers around your virtual stores with penises in an odd shade of pink will do much to increase sales figures.
2. The spammy greeters
Your customers do not need to receive 15 advertising items in the first ten seconds of their being in your store. It does not make them want to come back. It makes them want to hurt you.
3. The bling
Bling is hideous. There are no two ways about it. If you want to sell something that is going to blind everyone within a ten mile radius why not just get straight to the point and poke them in the eye with a stick?
Just advice, is all! 
