4 Ways To Create the Brick-and-Mortar Store Experience For Your Website Customers—And Why You Should Start Now
In the age of Amazon, smaller retailers must gain a unique edge if they want to survive.
Forget the quick-and-convenient deal — Jeff Bezos has that market cornered. Instead, retailers should do all they can to recreate an in-person shopping experience, which is precisely what Amazon, eBay, Zappos, and other online retail giants don’t offer.
Consider what shoppers are missing out on when they choose to shop online rather than stroll through a physical store — interaction with a salesperson, for example, or the ability to browse wherever their fancy takes them. With a few simple strategies, you can give your website customers the true shopping experience they want.
Current trends suggest online shopping is not going to do away with traditional retail anytime soon — despite many predicting otherwise.
So this brings up an important question: why do people still regularly patronize the physical Targets, American Eagles, and Bath and Body Works when their products can all be found online?
While online shopping is incredibly convenient, something is lost when you purchase from Amazon or another online mega-retailer. Many shoppers enjoy the experience of traditional retail — holding a sweater in their hands before buying it, wandering the aisles of a department store finding value buys, putting a spritz of perfume to the nose test, having a human interaction with a friendly, helpful salesperson. These are just some of the many valued elements of a shopping experience that are lost when shopping online.
With the right tools, however, retailers can gain back some of what’s being lost.
Here are a few ways to just that.
1. Utilize the many incredible e-marketing tools at your disposal. Technology exists that can create profiles for each individual shopper, store data regarding what they’ve purchased and searched for, then push products in their wheelhouse. And the benefit is mutual. A “we thought you might like” sidebar shows customers you’re paying attention to their preferences. And, if done well, it will replicate the experience of a salesperson offering thoughtful recommendations.
2. Use email marketing to create consistent communication with customers. Remind your customers about the door-busting Fall sale next week. Offer discount codes every once in a while. Develop an awesome personalization-focused email campaign aimed at creating brand loyalty. Without the opportunity to greet customers with smiling, helpful staff, email marketing can replace the opportunity to build a working relationship with customers. Take advantage of that.
3. Whenever possible, offer free shipping and returns. It’s often a make-or-break factor in a customer’s decision to hit “confirm order.” When a shopper arrives at the final step in the purchase process, and they realize they’re about to pay $4.99 for shipping, it can quickly change how they feel about the deal they’re getting. “Well, I’ll just drive to the store and save myself the shipping fees,” is a common rationale.
Also consider that it typically takes two or three positive experiences before someone becomes a loyal customer. Offering free shipping and returns is a prime opportunity to help create a positive experience and increase the odds that customer returns.
4. Send perks and surprises with online orders. Discount coupons tell customers you appreciate their business, which then makes them want to keep coming back. Samples can turn them on to new products. Some companies even send snacks like granola bars, cookies, or candy with their orders as an added “thank you.”
And if a customer did pay for shipping on their first order, it’s always good practice to send them a free shipping offer afterward. This opens the door for prompting a second purchase.
A prime example of a company which creates a top-notch online shopping experience is Paula’s Choice, an online beauty and skincare retailer. They aim to make customers feel as though they’re getting Paula’s personal consultation while browsing the website. They create an experience resembling the one you’d get if you walked up to the cosmetics counter at Macy’s or Nordstrom. The experience is much more personal than expected in online retail, and that has created a loyal Paula’s Choice customer base.
Of course, Paula’s Choice products are available on Amazon — but that experience is not.
It’s these types of innovations, from email marketing to preference tracking, that are keeping online retailers thriving in the age of Amazon. As online mega-retailers focus on quick, easy, and impersonal, push in the other direction. Create online retail for those who still desire a personal relationship with their favorite brands. Don’t try to recreate the Amazon experience — create your own true shopping experience.
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