Digital technology is rapidly changing the retail industry. Keeping up with these changes is an ongoing battle for many marketers. As a whole, these changes aren’t reflected in their marketing strategies. Most retailers in Australia, and those overseas too, still treat digital as a separate entity – separating it from in-store activity. The reality is, all channels are influential in helping the customer make their final purchase.
The way in which people shop has changed. More people are using digital ‘touchpoints’ as part of their everyday activity. Not surprisingly, conversions in sales increase significantly for people using a mobile device as part of their shopping.
Too many retailers are missing this opportunity to digitally ‘reach out’ and speak to customers. An example, if someone has been searching online and at some point abandons their online shopping cart, it doesn’t necessarily mean the sale has been lost; the customer could have decided to go and buy in-store.
It’s important for marketers to understand that people don’t just use their mobile devices to make purchases, many will be exploring, conducting research, checking prices, sizes and availability – others may even just see if a mobile payment is possible.
So here’s a few questions marketers should be asking:
- Is the digital customer browsing or are they buying?
- Where are they located?
- What are they looking for?
- What else could we do to add relevant value?
Retailers need to communicate digitally with their customers and engage them in the right way. The right message at the right time will allow retailers to maximise the chances of converting the sale once that person is ready to buy.
Although holistic, this approach is key to developing a digital strategy that works around the customer – who’s forever on the move.
