When customers come to your online shopping site, you can gather significant amounts of data about them. However, it can be tricky to do this when they walk into your retail store. Here are a few tips for getting in-store customers to share their personal information with your company, so you can keep in touch with them online after they leave your retail store.
Emails
The most obvious way to keep in touch with customers who visit your retail store is to ask them for their contact details, such as email addresses and mobile phone numbers, at the checkout. Many customers wouldn't mind handing over this information as long as you explain the benefits of keeping in touch, such as promotional codes sent out via text message or email. If some are reluctant to give their details, reassure them that they can unsubscribe from your email list or texting service at any time.
Discount Codes
To get shoppers to visit your website, try giving out flyers with online shopping discount codes. Shoppers can then use these codes during checkout on your e-commerce site. This initiative encourages customers who shop in your retail store to explore the range of products you offer online.
Online Surveys
Do you want to know what your retail store customers think of your brand? Try adding a web address to your receipt where customers can take an online survey. Boost participation by offering cash prizes or vouchers for one or two lucky winners. When customers fill out the survey online, ask them for their email addresses so you can keep in touch.
Loyalty Programs
Another way to encourage customers to engage online is to have them sign up for a loyalty program through your website. Let your offline customers know about the loyalty program by placing signs in store. Loyalty programs that offer generous rewards, such as a $10 voucher for every $100 spent in store or online, are likely to encourage customers to stay loyal to your brand.
Bridging the Gap
Finally, you need to work to make the relationship between your e-commerce and physical retail stores as seamless as possible. Try offering a service that allows customers to return their online purchases to a physical store for a refund or exchange. If your retail store sells bulky items that people don't usually want to carry on their shopping trip, add a terminal to the shop floor that allows customers to access your website and order items they have seen in store.
E-commerce has been taking retail by storm, with increasingly more people preferring to buy online than at a physical store. Although retail stores are far from extinct, this is rapidly changing, so you need to work now to bridge the gap between the online and in-store shopping experiences for your customers. By collecting data from everyone who enters your retail store, you can retain your existing customers while simultaneously building your online client base.
Photo courtesy of marcolm at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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