Technology has revolutionized the retail model and how businesses get the attention of their clients. Consumers are still shopping in stores, but with new technologies and constant access to the internet, they are waiting for an improvement in the client experience in and out of stores. We have listed a few challenges of retail in the digital age.
Overcoming the Fear of Technology
Forty percent of retail directors admit that their greatest challenge is the improvement of gathering information of the client experience. Finding the balance between the new tendencies of all things digital and conserving the identity of the brand in the process can cause fear.
The new technologies are going to reinforce your brand image and the satisfaction of your visitors.
Facing Off Against Showrooming
Showrooming is the practice of a customer visiting a store in order to study the products before buying them later online for a better price. About 50% of customers end up buying directly from the shop. But what could you do to keep from losing purchases in-store?
In the beginning, you need to ask yourself some questions. It’s a given that you are not going to jam your customers’ telephones (an illegal practice outside of theaters and penitentiaries), so it’s going to be necessary to do something more creative. The principle question is this: “What can I do to bring more to the service online?”
The Battle Between Respecting Privacy and Acquiring Data
Your visitors want to protect their privacy, and you to search and know the most about them to bring them the best possible customer experience. How do you find this balance?
You don’t need to know everything about everyone to know about your customers and their habits. Do not exploit your email base, either. New technologies allow you to obtain a cache of information so you can communicate in a targeted manner with your clients; not everyone in your email base needs to receive the same message.
Accessibility to Customers
In retail, when speaking of accessibility, you think immediately of simple things like:
- The presence of parking
- The planning for handicapped people
- Visible signs for guiding and easily finding products
- Good organization of checkouts and cash registers
But, there are some simple things you can do in-store to enhance the user experience. Some of these include:
- Having a free Wi-Fi network
- Engaging promotional videos of your products
- Self-serving interactive terminals
- Providing tablets to the sellers so they could rapidly find information on their products
- Target in-store shoppers on social media
Before they ever come to a physical store, a majority of customers will visit you in some form online. There are many ways to make your company’s online presence more accessible to your customers. This includes, but is not limited to:
- A responsive website
- SEO that focuses on local sales
- Optimizing your brand presence in social media
With the new technology that is available to retailers, it’s never been easier to attract customers both online and offline. Digital Social Retail can help you efficiently and effectively develop and optimize your brand presence with our expertise and our innovative platform. Drop us a line today to get started!
