The essential question for every retailer is this: How do I turn the average person on the street into a paying customer? It's a feat marketers have long sought to answer through any number of means, but none are more effective nor promising than what beacons currently offer. That's because beacons offer a direct way for retailers to communicate with those would-be consumers on a personal, targeted level - rather than through a generic billboard display. It's reaching out to each individual customer, rather than a generic audience, leading to greater conversions.
Establish a compelling proximity marketing presence
For retailers looking to capture the potential revenue that walks past their storefront every day, beacons are part of the solution. The idea is to engage those consumers and convince them to allow beacon notifications on their device - that can happen through digital signage, special promotions or even browser alerts through the chrome platform. Establishing at least a basic level of interest from the customer makes the ensuing alerts all the more compelling - if shoppers are at least a little interested, they're likely to stop and think when a new promotion pops up on their device.
"A beacon might be all that's necessary to produce a sale."
Taste-making fashion magazine Elle used its online presence to great effect in conjunction with beacon notifications, according to Digiday. By telling its legions of loyal fans to opt into beacon notifications, those readers were informed anytime they came within a mile of a suggested item at a given retailer. The end result? Half-a-million in-store visits in the span of five weeks.
Capitalize on those who are ready to buy
Not everyone is going to drop everything and run into the store when they get a notification from a retailer they appreciate. But for the individuals who are already doing some window-shopping, browsing around a mall, or looking at a few items in the store itself, a beacon might be all that's necessary to produce a sale. Unfortunately for some retailers, customers who enter the store often leave empty-handed. If those shoppers knew of a specific promotion that was only available to people who accept beacon notifications, it's likely they would buy more often than not.
It isn't just retailers, either. McDonald's leveraged beacons to increase its in-store conversion rate by 20 percent, Mobile Marketer reported in May 2015. The principles that the fast-food giant used are the same as those any retailer might apply: Customers are more likely to purchase when they're in or near the store and a notification tells them about a special promotion than if they're just browsing aimlessly. Find out how your business can promote conversion and win new customers by contacting Digital Social Retail.
