Customer engagement is key in the retail sector. With the competitive nature of the industry, it’s essential to continually engage with customers, as doing this will retain their attention and hopefully their business whilst increasing customer loyalty. The increase in online shopping over the past decade has threatened many retail stores so knowing how to engage customers in retail is crucial as they will expect high levels of service no matter what the circumstances. It’s important for retailers to identify which forms of customer engagement work best for them when it comes to connecting with their market and audience. Engaged customers are happy customers, and happy customers are more likely to return and become loyal customers. There are many ways to retain existing customers and reach out and engage with new customers within your target audience.
What Is Customer Engagement?
Customer engagement refers to the ongoing interactions between customers and, in this case, a retail business. Some customers will have a deeper level of engagement than others so it’s important to target those retail customers who will respond well. Customer retention varies on a customer to customer basis as shopping experiences will differ so it is important to consider that when applying your marketing strategies as there will not be one particular engagement strategy that suits all customers. Customers are able to demand more engagement from retailers due to the tough competition, however, customer engagement is no longer just based on customer services. Increasingly customers are basing their retail habits off of whether company’s align with their values - e.g. sustainability, fair wages etc. so it is important to get your companies values across to the correct audience in the correct way. This can be done through various channels such as email, social media, blogs or just recommendations from previous customers.Customer Engagement Tips:
We’ve pulled together a few of our top customer engagement tips:Interact With Customers
Customer interaction is key. Customers love to feel involved with a brand and a brand's identity, whether that be on social campaigns or competitions. Providing interactive in store opportunities and an exciting in store experience will help to boost customer engagement! This could be done using interactive displays, digital signage, or even creating multi-sensory sections as it provides them with a unique, memorable experience they will want to spread word about and return to again. People like to actively be a part of something, particularly if they have an interest, which customers will, so create an inclusive environment and ask for feedback, but make sure you're also prepared to act on it. Listen to complaints, and evaluate what can be done next time to avoid it happening again, as the ultimate goal is for the best customer experience.Short Snippets Of Information
Customers are less likely to read large chunks of text, especially on posters or advertisements. Make sure you keep chunks of text short and to the point so that retail customers can read it whilst passing by and retain the information that is important. Short/catchy phrases are more likely to catch someone's attention, so therefore better in this situation. Storefront displays are a great example of this as you want enough information to catch peoples eye and draw them into your store, but not too much that they will overlook it and walk past.Personalise!
Who doesn’t like being made to feel special? People like to be made a fuss of and have things tailored towards them throughout their customer journey. Whether it’s the use of personal pronouns in content or direct (database) emails that include a customer's name, this can help a customer feel as if they are being personally focused on. Keeping the content personalised and relevant will also help increase engagement rates as no one wants to receive the same email over and over again until they eventually end up unsubscribing. Hyper-personalisation is taking personalisation one step further and is something that can help your business stand out from your competitors even more especially if your aiming to provide the best customer experience possible.Avoid Waiting Time
The smoother a customer's retail experience, the higher the chances of them repurchasing and engaging in the future. By offering ease in your customers' retail experience they will have higher levels of satisfaction and be more likely to spread the word to friends or family. Whether it be waiting in a retail store or on an online queue, customers do not want to be delayed or waiting for a transaction. Keeping site speed to a minimum where possible and waiting lines short in store will help. If there is a queue in store or online, maybe do something to keep them engaged in the meantime? Maintaining a proper queue system will help keep your store organised at peak times or including a cashier-less check-out procedure can speed up waiting times.Utilise Technology
Technology is ever growing and advancing and plays a huge role in customer experience, so it’s vital to utilise it both in your retail store and online to stand out against your online competitors. It can be used in many forms to engage customers whether it’s creating apps with accounts, offering click and collect services, or just making the most of social media. The best brands are those with an online presence and all retail brands should aim to have some elements of customer experience online and in-store. Technology can also be used in-store to interact with customers by interactive displays or digital signage as this will improve their overall experience and satisfaction.How can Simpson Group help?
Simpson Group provides a variety of display materials, and is the market leader in cutting edge point of purchase and point of sale marketing materials. Our designers and client services team will work with you throughout the whole process from initial idea to finished product. Interested in finding out more? Then contact us today!