INTERNET: Looks brings click-through beauty to Asian consumers

<p>Looks.com (www.looks.com) has brought the touchy-feely appeal of </p><p>cosmetics to Hong Kong's increasingly ecommerce-enabled Web </p><p>community. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Launched in December '99 to target female surfers and beauty-junkies </p><p>alike, the site markets funky brand appeal combined with "the needs and </p><p>interests of Asian women". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Most Asian women are overwhelmed by the fact that there's so much </p><p>happening on American sites," said Looks.com managing director Ian </p><p>Smith. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"(But) bandwidth is much lower in Asia, connection speeds are slower and </p><p>users here are really adverse to downloading plug-ins." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Avoiding technologically demanding content as video-streaming, Looks.com </p><p>advocates down-to-earth marketing and user-friendly browsing. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>So user-friendly, in fact, that the site is pulling its own set of male </p><p>advocates purchasing gifts online. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Men have been a much bigger component of our sales than women, and as </p><p>the site evolves, you'll see more gift-sets and more marketing to the </p><p>'shy-guy' consumer," said Mr Smith. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Achieving up to 20,000 daily page views, with unique visitorship pushing </p><p>the 1,000-mark, the site sells "boutique brands" such as Crabtree & </p><p>Evelyn alongside bestsellers Versace, L'Occitane and US custom-cosmetics </p><p>house, 3 Custom Colour. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"If you're online, where you can't touch, feel and smell, brand is all </p><p>important," said Mr Smith. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Indeed, as adspend figures for dotcoms skyrocket, Looks is brandishing a </p><p>hefty adspend budget of its own -"in excess of US$2 million" - </p><p>for 2000. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"It's still hugely expensive to advertise online," said Mr Smith. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"If somebody's searching for beauty, make-up, or research tips and our </p><p>banner shows up, we would do really well to have two per cent of those </p><p>people that see the banner actually click on it." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Improving the "hook factor" in banner ads and running special promotions </p><p>- such as free delivery until Valentine's Day - are tactics to plump-up </p><p>sales. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The site is also poised for a two-month outdoor offensive, costing </p><p>US$200,000 and rolling out in Hong Kong and Taiwan this week. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In the meantime, site content continues to be built around the staple </p><p>draws of product, ingredient quality and branding philosophy - and is </p><p>fast attracting surfers from Taiwan and Japan. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Sister sites for Japan and Taiwan are planned for launch in March. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>