We’re continuing our conversation with retailers from various sectors. Trying to find new and innovative ways of employing customer engagement strategies that will encourage customers to remain loyal, promote the brand, and grow revenue.
Let’s look at some new ways retailers and shop owners are enhancing customer experience in-store and online.
‘‘Offline Self-Checkout - We recently installed self-checkout systems in our physical store. This is because customers usually have to wait in lines for their turns to complete checkouts. However, the self-checkout system is very fast with contactless payments allowing the users to avail a swift service. As a result, there are no lines of customers waiting, and our employees are also free to advise more customers.
Online Mobile App - Apart from optimizing our website for smartphones, we have also decided to launch a mobile application for our customers. With the help of this app, users can easily place orders, stay up to date with any offers and discounts, and make it easier for them to make purchases with their payment details saved. The app allows the customers to have a more personalized experience with the brand and feel closer to the services offered.”
Elizabeth Hicks, Co-Founder of Parenting Nerd
‘‘Foamy Wader is my nautical jewelry brand with an e-comm and tiny boutique showroom located in Langley, WA on Whidbey Island. Due to covid restrictions, I was limited to offering in-store shopping by appointment only. In response to this limitation, I set up my window display with scannable QR codes to create an outdoor scan-to-shop (literal window shopping) experience that drives curious foot traffic to my website. Shoppers view items through the windows in person and use their smartphone camera to scan the accompanying QR code and be led to order that exact item on my website. My Scan to Shop method facilitates fast easy impulse shopping through the windows 24/7. A convenient option for shoppers with small children/pets in tow or for after-hour browsers.
The immediate delivery of scanning a QR code serves up the right item to the customer without having to search my site or even type a URL. Since poor searchability is the top reason people abandon a website, this method is a total game-changer; like discovering the holy grail of retail. Store windows are now an active shopping space. I also use QR codes on the store door to book appointments as well as grow my email list and social media followings.
Customers have been raving about the QR code window shopping concept and how well it suits the buy online pick up in-store (BOPIS) trend. The business has returned to pre-pandemic levels while I am available in-store by appointment only. I even wrote a guidebook for retailers to incorporate this method (scantoshopsolution.com) and have taught webinars on the subject.”
Alexa Allamano, Owner of Foamy Wader
‘‘Since the inception of our business, we have placed a heavy emphasis on enhancing our online customer experience by harnessing our website to tell the story of our brand and provide personalization to our customers. Online video consumption grew by 96% in 2020, a fact that prompted us to increase the amount of video content we use on our sites in order to increase engagement. As the pandemic hit, research showed that consumers were interested in the authenticity of brands and supporting honest, legitimate businesses. With this reality in mind, we included videos of our designers and neon fabricators at work, whilst simultaneously creating a short video series of our Outreach Specialist, Amelia, visiting customers at their venues in order to demonstrate the impact of our signage on businesses.
The design of our website has also been adapted to enhance customer experience, with signage categories clearly labeled and the use of breadcrumbs employed to ease navigation between products. Additionally, we sought to provide personalization to our customers by allowing them to easily design their own sign and get an indication of costs (without any pressure or sales pitch) through our groundbreaking “Design Your Own Neon” tool.
This tool, allows potential customers to play with fonts, colors, and sizes, in order to get a visual feel for their order prior to purchase. We have also added a share function, which allows them to share their design (and excitement!) with others. As well as the ease of use of our website, we also focus heavily on the utilization of several social media platforms - with Instagram being the most prolific of the bunch.
These platforms are used to engage followers with games and competitions, whilst also serving as a great channel to communicate with consumers regarding any sales or important updates. Previous customers are encouraged to upload images of their signs to win vouchers that can be redeemed for future purchases. We want to make sure the customer journey is smooth, fun, with managed expectations from the moment they place the inquiry until their sign is hung at home. One of our values is that We are customer-obsessed! We will continue to strive for perfection.”
Clare Jones, Digital Marketing Manager for Custom Neon
‘‘Online: Good customer service. Our goal is to provide our consumers with the best of the best. As a result, we make sure that we do not compromise in supporting them and resolving all of their troubles and inquiries as effectively as possible. We make sure that our clients understand that they are our first concern and never feel lost or unguided when they visit our online store. As a result, we have skilled customer care representatives on hand to meet our customers' demands. By doing so, we ensure that our consumers have a positive online experience and that their voices are heard.
Offline: Build an emotional connection. As a business, it is our responsibility to make sure that all the customers visiting us in our physical store know that they can trust us to provide them with the best services. We have developed a bond that ensures that the experience we provide our clients is an off kind of experience, so we make sure that the connection between our customers and us is honest and based on genuine feelings. We make sure to go the extra mile and genuinely listen to our consumers and what is going on in their life is sometimes to plan the most memorable and intimate event for them. Moreover, we ensure that we go above and beyond standard customer service to distinguish our brand as a leader.’
Liam Mills, Ecommerce Expert & CEO at ValueHunta
‘‘Online: Make sure your website is responsive. A slow and unresponsive website will kill the customers’ interest in your product or services. We are living in a time where efficiency and accessibility wins over the market. So, we were extremely careful when designing our website and made it as convenient as possible for our customers to access it.
Offline: Convenience of shipping/ordering. Customers want to be spoiled by their favorite stores. That is what we have picked up from our experience with most customers ordering products from us. For example, our customers can have a product delivered at our store if it isn’t already available in our inventory and be available for pickup. This is mostly preferred by locals.”
Andrew Priobrazhenskiy, CEO of Discount Reactor
Set the stage for an amazing shopping experience by providing a safe and engaging retail environment. We've compiled some tips and tricks for adding flair to any retail space.
Click here to read Part 1 of the new ways retailers and shop owners are enhancing customer experience in-store and online.
Reopening Checklist for Retail Stores.
Retail products that will WOW your customers and keep them coming back for more! Get creative with your FREE Retail Reopening Checklist. Download here!
