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Even though online mattresses have been sold for over a decade now, many shoppers still have the same reaction:

Why would I buy a mattress that I can’t try out first?

People who have done some research know why:

…Because bed-in-a-box mattresses give you better value for every dollar spent.

…Because people tend to make the same expensive mistakes when they shop at mattress stores.

…And because… well… we’ve already gone through this same debate with books, then clothing, then furniture, then groceries – pretty much all other household items we can now order online.

Those are all good points. But they still aren’t the best argument for skipping the store and buying a mattress online.

Any company that succeeds where it seemingly shouldn’t offers clues to how that market really works.

We see this in many areas: In hockey, the smallest player on the pro team is exceptionally skilled and strong on the puck, showcasing the importance of puck possession in winning hockey games. The rural restaurant that gets hundreds of customers to make the drive in from the big city demonstrates the importance of both a mouthwatering menu and creating a charming experience for each customer. And the thriving online mattress company that doesn’t let you try out their bed before you buy suggests that they offer something above and beyond what the billion-dollar mattress chains do. 

The exceptions that defy the rule aren’t just lucky – they’re evidence of their own higher value!

The deck is stacked against an online mattress company hoping to survive for even a few years. The industry is very competitive. TV and radio advertising are prohibitively expensive in major markets. Big chains and established brands have had a 100-year head start in gaining customer awareness and securing key suppliers.

Without a product for people to try out in person, how can an online startup hope to compete?

Simple – they do these three things exceedingly well…

The e-commerce world has a word for the highest possible achievement in merchandising: “touchable.”

Think of the Sven Sofa from Article. Or the prescription eyewear from Warby Parker.

These companies have been so successful at selling their products online in large part due to their fantastic websites. When done well, it’s like you’re experiencing the products in person. These companies anticipate your questions with clearly articulated graphics and tables. They give you extremely detailed high-resolution photos and interactive page features. They offer you as much information as you need to decide, and more.

By demonstrating impeccable standards, these companies earn your trust and make you feel that with every interaction you can expect the same high standards.

Successful online mattress companies do the same thing. They set standards high and gradually entice you to buy.

Now contrast that with what you see on a typical website from a traditional furniture or mattress company:

• Low-resolution images against a photoshopped background;
• Brief blurbs or bulleted that to cover all features;
• Trademarked terms without context;
• Sales pricing without original prices for reference (if a price is even listed at all!).

Mattress stores have a very good reason to leave online shoppers with so much uncertainty: it’s what drives customers to the store. And once in the store, the professional sales team can take over with their persuasive routines.

Companies rarely go out of business for selling great products at good prices. So when the large and longstanding companies start to falter, people look for signs of industry disruptors.

That’s why analysts were quick to place bed-in-a-box mattress companies among the primary causes for the recent bankruptcy of one American mattress giant and the current stock slump of Canada’s biggest mattress chain. The competitive ecosystem is putting pressure on companies who are no longer effectively catering to the needs of their customers.

It’s clear what is happening: what was considered a good deal a few years ago is no longer so.

For the Canadian mattress chain listed above, the article mentions how the company relied on raising prices on merchandise in order to keep revenue numbers up to expectations. And those price increases were “typically passed through to consumers.” It’s understandable how mattress shoppers would feel like they were getting less value for the same products and sales experience.

Online mattress companies are uniquely positioned to offer all kinds of cost savings that traditional mattress companies cannot. The result is a better value for the price, no matter whether it’s in the budget category or all the way up to the luxury segment.