Beacons can benefit small businesses just as much as they have been helping large retailers. While these businesses can try to utilize beacons in the same way that larger chains are, the more nuanced functions beacons can achieve will add to the level of service they can provide customers.
This functionality can help generate more leads while also potentially increasing customer retention. Since small businesses often thrive on a compact group of repeat customers in their community, beacon platforms can prove to be an invaluable resource for increasing both their bottom line and their customer base.
Customer Recognition
One of the most potent tools beacon technology can offer small businesses is the ability to forge relationships with customers quickly. Customers with the enabled app will be greeted the second they walk in the door, while at the same time notifying someone at the service counter, reception desk or cashier’s station that a new customer has entered the building.
Since this customer will have taken the time to install the app, the employee should safely assume that the person is genuinely interested in the company or that they are a long-time customer. The employee can see the customer’s name along with a profile detailing their purchase habits. All of this information can lead to a quite warm and personal salutation, such as being able to say “Hi, Mrs. Johnson! How’s that charcoal grill working for you?”
Store Navigation
Part of what makes huge chains so successful is their familiarity. A customer can walk into a major retail store while on vacation from San Francisco and find the exact same types of shelf layouts, even if the store areas are a bit shuffled around from what they are used to.
Small businesses can compete against this familiarity by helping customers find what they need quickly. Customers can check inventory, locate the item and even receive information about the product, all with beacons as their guide.
Customer Service
In addition to greeting customers, beacons can help identify customers that have experienced difficulty during their visit — even if they are too shy to say something about it. For example, a waiting room beacon installed at a vehicle service department can detect when someone has been waiting an inordinate amount of time for their vehicle to be worked on. The beacon platform can then send them an apology while also notifying the service rep that there may be an unhappy customer in the lobby.
A conciliatory offer can be made to placate them, such as a discount on their next oil change. Savvy shops can even set up an affiliate deal with nearby businesses to offer customers a free cup of coffee or pastry at a café next door while they wait.
Harness the Power of Data
Another advantage large chains have over smaller ones is that they have millions of customers and years’ worth of data to pull from to help aid their decision-making. Beacons can give smaller businesses a taste of this capability by tracking customer information and teaching them more about the way people interact with their brand.
Purchase history, foot traffic, visitation frequency and other elements can all be charted over time to provide you with powerful analytics granting actionable insights. You could even track the effectiveness of your mobile campaigns by cross-referencing mobile IDs of people who were served with mobile ads and in-store visitors.
Digital Social Retail can make channeling the power of data sources like these simple with our digital convergence platform’s easy-to-understand analytics dashboards. Give your customers the next-level functionality they crave while equipping your brand with the information it needs to scale and become a power player in its own right someday. Visit our product page to learn more.
