Retail businesses that run their store online will hear that they should ensure their website is mobile friendly. Those who run their shop from the high street mobile friendly too!grounds surely just need to make sure they are in the right location and decorated correctly right? No! High street shops need to ensure that their store is mobile friendly too.
New research from Hitwise shows how in-store shopping habits have changed, and mobile usage has increased. It reveals that mobile devices have become to in-store shopping and indicates why retailers must adjust their campaigns to meet changing customer behaviours. Further research shows that 90% of people use their smartphone while shopping in store. (SessionM)
While you might be running your business the old fashioned way, your customer’s behaviour have changed, and will wonder around your store with their mobile in their hands.
So what exactly are consumers searching for their mobile while they are in store? A study from Retale reveals that there is a slight difference between woman and men….
In-store women are searching:
- 66% Are searching for coupons or deals
- 62% Accessing saved coupons
- 62% Comparing prices
In-store men are searching:
- 53% Are checking product reviews
- 52% Are comparing prices
- 50% Finding nearby store locations
The study also found that 57% of shoppers were more likely to shop at a store if there were available deals/offers in store.
It also found that 76% of customers were more likely to buy at a store if loyalty programs were available.
High street stores should not be frightened by the new digital ways and grab this opportunity to push their sales further. Now you know what exactly your customer habits are, instead of ignoring them you should consider these tips to maximise in store experience:
- Mobile loyalty reward scheme – promote within your store your own mobile loyalty reward scheme. For example, customers who sign up to your mobile loyalty scheme will receive 10% off their first purchase. After joining your scheme, you can push through any discounts, offers, events and relevant news that is exclusive to them only. An easy way to legitimately obtain and grow your opt-in database, and increase sales!
- Targeted deals – shoppers are busy searching for the best deal. So save them some time by sending them personalised and targeted deals. They will appreciate and enjoy the fact that you are sending them deals that are exclusive them.
- Customer Surveys – how do customers feel visiting your store? how will you know? Getting clients to fill out a short customer satisfaction survey would be the answer. Sending an SMS Survey is ideal as it’s simple to complete and you get fast responses. People also feel less pressurised, and you get honest answers that add value.
- Competitions – getting your consumers engaging with you and their mobile phones by running mobile competitions/giveaways. Advertise in store a short-code and keyword for customers to enter into your giveaway. For example, people can text WIN to 81025 – for a chance to be entered to a 100 worth of vouchers.
- Make it seamless – A retailer should avoid limiting a customer’s choice to a certain product and instead present a range of items across online and bricks and mortar stores to ensure demand for options is reflected as part of a complete retail experience. Using SMS notifications can help make the transition between this clearer.
Still not sure how to make SMS work for your store? Want to know more about our Text services? Please feel free to contact our friendly customer care team on 0845 112 1302 or email [email protected].