By now, just about every business owner has heard about and knows the power of beacons. This technology is far past its beta stage, yet much of the time they are used on only their most basic level. It’s time to take advantage of everything beacons have to offer, for both business owners and consumers alike, and maximize their efficacy.
When a customer walks into your store, there’s a good chance they’re using their smartphone while they’re shopping. A Google study from 2013 shows that 84 percent of all shoppers use their devices in store. It’s probably safe to assume that that percentage has only increased in the last two years. If you are not optimizing this opportunity to make a sale, you are leaving out a massive chunk of the market.
Still Fears, Once and For All
From teenagers to octogenarians, people are protective of their personal information. And with so much of it stored on smartphones, it is no surprise that many shoppers do not want to allow your system access to their devices. No doubt some of them have been told that “nothing bad will happen” by letting beacons send them information, but the wariness still prevails.
Shop owners need to get detailed in order to reach these customers. Explain exactly what your beacons will be delivering and what information it can take — none. You can program your beacons to ask permission every time to still the fears of a system accessing their phones uninvited.
Make it Worth Their While
If you are going to invite shoppers to open up their phones to your beacon deliveries, the message you are sending out should be relevant and helpful. Otherwise, you have wasted their time. Coupons are an easy win, but there is other information that could be helpful. Alerts to existing promotions, outfit ideas, new products and the like can build customer engagement without losing money due to excess discounts being sent out.
You will also want to make sure your message is relevant to the shopper. Past purchase data can give your beacons pertinent information to send to individual customers, encouraging a repeat purchase or a complementary one. In addition, shoppers do not want to get beacon notifications five times in the same day. Send quick, easily-read messages sparingly to ensure maximum effectiveness.
Offer Loyalty Rewards
One of the best things you can do with your beacons is to set up a loyalty program. When a customer signs up, they earn points for coming to the store or purchasing certain items. In return, they receive coupons and discounts reserved only for your loyal shoppers. This can be especially beneficial in combination with a digital wish list. After earning so many points, a product specifically on the wish list is discounted exclusively for that customer.
Moving past the early stages of having beacons in your store is not a difficult proposition. It’s about learning what works and what doesn’t. But once you maximize their use, you also maximize your return on investment. To discover how our beacon platform software can make the most of your in-store hardware, visit our products page.
