By Alicia Fiorletta, Senior Editor
Since I’ve joined Retail TouchPoints about five years ago, there has been a tremendous evolution in terms of how we conduct research and shop. Back then, e-Commerce was slowly emerging and mobile was just a glimmer in marketers’ minds.
Now, shoppers are more educated and empowered than ever before. Not only do they tap into search engines, but they also visit social networks to learn about local businesses, products, and services. Even their mobile devices act as personal handheld encyclopedias, giving them anytime, anywhere access to whatever information they desire.
So how does this impact businesses of all sizes and across industries? I had the opportunity to write a piece for Booker, a local service commerce platform, outlining how merchants can better connect with savvy customers.
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Some best practices include:
1. Build your presence on social networks: And I’m not just talking about Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Without a doubt, these are important networks. However, local sites like Yelp also are invaluable because they provide consumers’ with seamless access to information about your business, including your web site, address, phone number and more.
2. Allow consumers to book appointments online: Think about how often you, as a consumer, use OpenTable to book a restaurant reservation. Or how often you use Uber to secure a car. We’re in a service-oriented economy and customers want to be able to complete tasks and make reservations easily. Offer online booking through your web site and social networks like Facebook and Yelp to meet their demands.
3. Always provide a great customer experience: Generating buzz and traffic is important, but you need to provide great service once customers engage with you. With a business management solution in place, you can build detailed customer profiles that include everything from their full name, phone number and address, as well as their past purchases and even the coupons and offers they redeem. Having this information can help you forge more profitable, long-term relationships with customers.
4. Continue the conversation: After customers do business with you, keep the conversation going by sending relevant and timely emails that promote new sales, products and offerings.
Want to learn more about how to better engage your target customers? Check out the full blog and complementary infographic today!
