🤸 At Toppy, product finders are an integral part of the content strategy

"How do you distinguish yourself from all the other online stores?" That question is constantly top of mind for content manager Nena Soors of garden and outdoor specialist Toppy. "I feel that urge very strongly. If we don't do anything, eventually, as an e-commerce player, you'll collapse."

"So many online stores are popping up," Nena explains. "Anyone can start one; it's not that difficult. And there's always going to be stores that can offer cheaper prices; I call them the box pushers. Meanwhile we are truly the experts, and it's quite a challenge to convey that online."

In 2019, seven separate online stores, including the original Pooltopper, were brought together under one name and website: Toppy. It proved to be a successful choice; the company grew immensely, especially because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to more people staying at home during the summer. However, says Nena, with everything under one roof, it has become even more important to convey that you are still the expert in various fields.

With Aiden's guided selling software, Toppy is bringing that expertise back to the forefront online. "I specifically wanted a tool that replicates the conversation you'd have in a specialty store," says Nena. "Our slogan is 'doing fun things', and a tool like this fits with that. It's just a little different from using a filter; it's spontaneous and accessible. A product finder is truly an advisor and therefore yields different results than a static filter."

Nena happily notes that Toppy's playful and recognizable content (the "Toppy-copy") fits easily into the product finder: "You should also see it as branding; the company gets a voice. I think it's great that we can convey that feel and I believe that it sets us apart."

Initially, the product finder was only used in a few product categories as a test. Now, guided selling will become an integral part of Toppy's e-commerce strategy, Nena explains. "If a product category shows true potential, causes decision fatigue, or is in a mature phase, it always warrants a product finder."

Furthermore, the data from the product finders can be cleverly used to offer personalized content. Nena adds, "A customer interested in a swimming pool might also be tempted to buy a lawnmower - because if you have a swimming pool, you probably have a garden. But someone with a lawnmower doesn't necessarily need a swimming pool. Therefore, it's quite important that we can segment people into certain categories."

"So, we're pleased that the CDP integration has recently become available, so we can start testing that too," says Nena. By incorporating customer responses into the customer data platform, the customer journey becomes more personalized even outside of the product finder.

In addition to enriching the content strategy, Nena sees guided selling contributing to two other important areas: relieving customer service and reducing the number of returns. Customers often call with questions about heat pumps, and spa filters in particular are frequently returned due to incorrect fittings. Nena explains, "Using images in the product finder, we can clearly show which type of spa filter a customer needs, and prevent them from ordering the wrong one."

While product finders are now available for many categories, Nena is not the type to sit back and relax. She remains critical and wants to stay involved in the development of Aiden's guided selling software to stay ahead of the competition. "Aiden keeps its customers well informed, and I believe it's very important to continuously look for ways to improve. I enjoy brainstorming about this together," she concludes.

About Toppy

Toppy has been named the best online garden retailer in the Netherlands and was the fastest-growing e-commerce company in 2020. They achieve all of this with their distinctive approach - under the slogan "doing fun things" - from Veghel, the Netherlands.

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