Retail is more competitive than ever with dozens of new stores opening daily. Everyone is competing to grab customer’s attention. Providing a great shopping experience remains the best way to differentiate yourself. Let’s break down some of the techniques businesses use to keep customers happy.
Create Something Unique
The first thing to do is find something that makes your store special. There are dozens of techniques store owners use to customize their stores. Burning candles or using incense can add a distinctive perfume to the store. Use music to set the vibe. Maybe you want to use lighting to add some drama, or to highlight certain areas of products. Don’t be afraid to decorate the store in bold colors.
One of the fastest-growing trends is to craft an in-store experience that can be shared on social media. For example, you can hire a local artist to paint a colorful mural inside your store. Encourage customers to pose in front of it. When they upload the picture to social media, get them to tag your store. If you're lucky, this can spark a viral trend, flooding your business with new customers.
Learn What Your Customers Want
Picture yourself in your customer’s shoes. Consider what they would expect from your store. Exercises like this allow you to customize the store to better suit prospective shoppers.
Learning what shoppers want doesn’t need to be tough. There are plenty of ways to get into a customer’s mind, like reviewing the sales data. Find out which products customers love and which are left languishing on the shelves. This tells you which items you should be promoting.
Consider conducting a survey, to learn more about the current shopping experience. Find out what is working and what your store can be doing better. You can also turn to social media comments and online reviews, to learn more about the problems people have encountered.
Next, hone in on your target audience. Know what type of shopping experience this group wants. For example, young parents might appreciate a place to leave their kids while they browse the store. On the other hand, if you are targeting teens, you need to place more of a focus on incorporating the latest technology.
Excellent Service
Shoppers should feel special when they are in your store. Creating this friendly atmosphere shouldn’t be hard. The key is focusing on getting the basics right. Make sure to welcome new customers to the store with a smile. Train employees to be responsive and prepared to answer any question. Get to know your frequent shoppers by name and learn their shopping preferences. Perfecting these little details will make your store stand out.
Excellent service isn’t limited to the in-store experience. Support should continue even after the customer has made their purchase. Give people plenty of ways to get in contact, like setting up a chatbot. You can even have QR codes placed next to certain items.
These scannable codes can give people technical details or direct your shoppers to a product demonstration. Don’t forget to reach out after the purchase to ask for feedback. This lets customers know that their opinions matter while giving you a chance to fine-tune the shopping experience.
Create An Eye-Catching Display
Never underestimate the importance of your store displays. They can capture the attention of window shoppers, convincing them to enter your store for a closer look. These displays can also introduce people to new products. That’s not all, they provide visual markers to distinguish store sections, making it easier for customers to find what they are looking for.
With the right technique building stunning retail displays is easy. Use plenty of bright colors. These will grab and hold people’s attention. Don’t use too many words. You want customers to be able to grasp the meaning of display quickly. Don’t be afraid to use humor or quirky pieces to add some personality to your store. Regularly change your displays, you don’t want your store to start feeling stale.
Get Rid Of Friction
Shopping should be fun and simple, not full of stress and confusion. Creating a seamless experience isn’t hard. You just need to be aware of the problems customers might experience. Then, try to eliminate as many potential pain points as possible. Make sure to emphasize customer support, to deal with any issues that crop up.
Build A Strong Community
In an ideal world, customers will develop an affinity for your store. You want them to feel like they are shopping with friends, rather than spending time with a faceless corporation. This is about more than making people enjoy their time shopping. One in four adults feel lonely.
Building a community can give customers a reason to keep coming back. There are lots of ways your store can build a bond with the community. You can try holding regular in-store events, like running classes on how to use your products. Invite local charities to use your store space for fundraising. Sponsor local sporting teams or activities.
Another option is to use a loyalty system. Again, there are dozens of approaches you can explore. Some stores give customers reward points that they can use to purchase free items. Members can get plenty of perks, like getting hefty discounts.
Community building has another advantage. If you do it well, you’ll generate strong word-of-mouth. People will want to share the experiences they had in your store. Considering that 93 percent of potential customers trust a recommendation from friends and family, this can be a lucrative opportunity.
Conclusion
Building a wonderful shopping experience can be tough. You’ll have to work hard to create a brand and storefront that people want to interact with. But it will be worth it. If you can get this right, you’ll be able to build a store that will stand out and keep customers coming back for more.
