The retail revolution, part 5: adjusting retailer strategy for an online/offline world

Now that we’ve covered what the shifting retail landscape looks like, how to track customers offline, how to address offline customers through digital channels, and how to add Amazon to your mix, it’s time we address the stores themselves. As Part 1 of the series described, brick-and-mortar stores are more important than ever, but the role they play for consumers has become complex. These days, a brand is more than just a label on the packaging. Consumers build actual relationships with brands, and the in-store experience is an essential part of that process.

Fun Fact: Over 43% of US adults have participated in “showrooming” (DigitalCommerce360). Instead of fearing showrooming, it’s time we embrace it. Did you know that customers who “showroom” actually spend more? That’s right — according to a study by Medallia, omnichannel shoppers spent 4% more while shopping in stores and 10% more while shopping online. Even more, over time, these shoppers spent 17% more with the same retailer and accounted for 33% more transactions over the following six months, compared to their single-channel counterparts (Forbes). Here’s how you can pull it off.

It’s time we stop treating mobile as its own siloed channel. Mobile usage surpassed desktops nearly four years ago. Utilize mobile experts to make sure your site and strategy are mobile-first.

Keep the design simple to make it fast and user-friendly.

Make sure to follow Google’s mobile best practices

• Signal to Google if/when a page is formatted for mobile.
• Keep resources crawlable by Googlebots, and do not use robots.txt to block search engines.
• Avoid technical mistakes, such as unplayable content, faulty redirects, and mobile-only 404 errors.
• Use legible font sizes and space elements out appropriately, so you do not need pinpoint-sized fingertips to navigate through the site.
• Do not use interstitials. These can be okay on desktop, but on mobile, they often take up the full screen and are difficult to dismiss.
• Most importantly, make your mobile site speed as fast as possible! According to Google, the average mobile landing page takes 22 seconds to load, but 53% of mobile users have abandoned a site if it took more than 3 seconds to load.
• Take Google’s Mobile Friendliness Test to find out if your mobile site is up to standards, and what you can do to improve it.

If you can’t support a mobile site redesign just yet, try testing Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP). AMP utilizes page caching and faster rendering to make the page load almost instantly. There is some developer work required, but setup is relatively simple, compared to full mobile web development.

With free shipping becoming increasingly popular, today’s online shoppers will drop hundreds of dollars on an order no problem, but cringe at the sight of $7.99 shipping. If you offer free in-store pickup, those customers may be more inclined to complete the transaction, and you have a secret advantage: you now have the customer in the store again. This is a key opportunity to upsell or encourage impulse purchases.

If you already offer free shipping, free in-store pickup is still a fantastic additional option. Again, you’re bringing your customers back to the store, so show off new products or sales that they can’t resist.

You’ve probably heard this phrase a million times across marketing blogs, but that’s because it’s true! Content should be part of the brand experience and should serve to build the customer relationship. Some quick content suggestions:

• Create videos that show off product features or the store experience.
• Keep your blog up to date with articles that are interesting and relevant to your customer base.
• Make up quizzes that are fun but can also relate to your product or brand.

Quizzes are especially popular among younger people, whether it’s “Go on a Target Shopping Spree and We’ll Guess Your Height” or “Choose 12 Desserts and We’ll Tell You Which Shoes to Buy.” Plus, a lot of the most ridiculous quizzes get shared most frequently – hello, organic reach!

No matter how catchy your hold music is, nobody wants to sit on the phone line, waiting for the next available customer service representative. That’s why many customers are taking to social media for customer service. Use Twitter, Facebook comments/direct messages, etc., as additional outlets for customers to share their feedback or resolve their issues. Respond to these customers through their preferred social media outlet to help turn their concern into a positive interaction.

• Train your staff to be engaging and knowledgeable. No matter how fantastic your marketing efforts are, your sales associates are essential to seal the deal. More than half of customers are looking for expert advice when they enter a store, and well-versed sales associates tend to sell up to 123% more than their undertrained counterparts (Forbes).
• Embrace the brand’s niche.
• LEGO was ranked as the #1 store in Reputation.com’s 2017 Retail Reputation Report. Why? Their fun, hands-on, high-energy store experience embodies “everything is awesome.”

It’s finally time to address the elephant in the room. Yes, you should be using Amazon to your advantage. If you try to fight it, you’re going to lose out on sales opportunities, and who wants to do that?

• As of last year, 64% of US households have an Amazon Prime membership, and 4 out of every $10 spent online was through Amazon specifically (Forbes). If you’re going to address customers using their phones to comparison-shop, intercept them where most of them can be found: on Amazon.
• If you’ve been following this series, you’re already well-versed on how to address Amazon in your strategy. If you’re late to the party, start from the beginning!