Customers that step foot inside your store are ready to make a purchase or, at least, they are considering it. Unlike shoppers who are scrolling on social media or reading your brochure, in-store customers already made an effort to show up so they might as well end up making a purchase. However, this is not always the case.
Shoppers have a lower attention span nowadays. Being bombarded with ads and promotional content made customers insensitive to promotions. That’s why shopper engagement is hard to achieve.
To help you engage customers, we prepared a detailed article with tips and tricks. Read on to find out how to increase shopper engagement to boost customer satisfaction and sales.
What is shopper engagement?
Shopper engagement is all about the connection between the customer and the brand. Of course, the level of interaction depends on the channels and messages chosen by the brand. In our case, the retailer.
While it might be easier to keep customers engaged online, because of the rapid digitalization, retailers still need to find ways to increase in-store shopper engagement.
Why do you need to engage customers?
When a customer comes to your store, it means that they are looking for something. Depending on the shopper profile, you need to find a way to attract and maintain shoppers engaged throughout the whole shopping session.
1. Shoppers tend to spend less time in-store
After the COVID-19 pandemic, shoppers have been spending less time in-store. This “fast shopping” trend is affecting sales. By engaging shoppers, you have a higher chance of them purchasing more, even in the small window of time they spend in your store.
2. Customer loyalty is up for grabs
Another issue caused by the recent pandemic is the decrease in brand loyalty. Shoppers have changed their purchasing habits and this shows that they are no longer sticking with the same brands they used to. By increasing shopper engagement in-store, you can impact customer loyalty.
3. Increased satisfaction
Customers are looking to have an entertaining and frictionless end-to-end experience. Making an effort to delight and engage them in-store will allow you to increase customer satisfaction which will also have a positive impact on sales.
5 tactics to increase engagement in-store
1. Make it easier for them to shop in your store
One of the most basic ways to delight your shoppers is to show that you care about them and their needs. By understanding how they navigate your store and making it easier for them to do it, you will help them save up time and avoid frustration.
Test out different store layouts, but never make big changes. We are creatures of habit and nobody wants to come to the store and see that the whole cereal aisle has moved to the other end of the shop.
2. Offer an experience in-store
Don’t just focus on selling products. Make sure that your customers have an amazing experience inside your store. Instead of relying on the same old and dull cardboard displays, you should amaze your shoppers with a robotic POSM like Tokinomo.
With the help of light, sound, and motion, Tokinomo manages to attract and engage shoppers right at the point of purchase. Watch it in action:
3. Implement a loyalty program
Another way to make sure that customers are engaged is to implement a loyalty program. This type of program increase engagement and customer loyalty. Find the best solution for your store. Whether you offer free products after a certain amount of items are purchased or provide bigger discounts for loyal shoppers, your customers will appreciate it.
4. Market to the mobile-first generation
While they might like to shop in-store, customers still bring their smartphones with them. 81% of shoppers research products online before purchasing them. Offer them the possibility to research products on their smartphones in-store store, by providing free WiFi. Of course, the WiFi comes with benefits for you too. Once they log in, you can store and use their data from your proximity marketing strategy.
5. Interact with shoppers
Last but not least, go back to the basics and interact with your shoppers. Human interaction is crucial and most shoppers come to the store for socialization, not just for a simple purchase they can make online. Talk to your shoppers and engage with them.
Collect as much feedback as you can from your shoppers. See what they like and what you can change to make their experience better in the future. Implement their feedback to show customers that you care about their needs.
Increasing shopper engagement in-store needs to be a top priority for all retailers. While many people still prefer to shop in-store, the competition is fierce and you might lose customers because you didn’t raise up to their expectations.
