How can retail marketers use digital marketing to boost retail sales? This question comes up because many retailers are struggling to meet buyers with their products. As a result, the difficulty results in reduced purchases and returns on investments (ROIs) for store owners.
It is one of the many challenges business owners are facing. However, digital marketing offers marketers several opportunities to boost retail sales. Did you know? 87% of shoppers would perform online research on items they want to buy before making purchases. Why? Several factors are involved.
For example, 69% of respondents want to see new products before they visit a retailer. So it all happens online through Google search and other search engine platforms, such as:
- Bing
- Yahoo
- Yandex.ru.
- DuckDuckGo
- Baidu
Graphic source via SalesForce.
Interestingly, last year, over 50% of eCommerce enterprises provided consumers with same-day delivery incentives — a 16 % increase from 2017. Despite that, marketers anticipate a 65% boost of same-day delivery by 2021.
So the question is:
Why are retailers offering these rewards? It is a marketing tactic that will help improve retail sales fast. Therefore, physical store owners can use this marketing practice as an ideal example to skyrocket their business several folds.
Now I know what you’re thinking; you want to go into the meat of the content. Thus, in this article, you will learn six practical steps you can use today to boost retail sales.
Enjoy:
Ways To Sell More and Boost Retail Sales With Digital Marketing
#1. Apply Data to Understand Your Target Buyer
In all marketing circles, understanding your ideal buyer is paramount in growing your business. This process allows you to gather information on buyers’ behavior in a retail store. You can then use the data to understand their buying conduct and preferences.
For example, content marketers strive to capture leads and grow their business by creating a well-researched persuasive copy that connects with the reader. This marketing objective can be achieved by analyzing your target audience.
Similarly, retailers can better serve their customers by understanding their needs and preferences. Therefore, when applying data, ensure to look at the following elements:
- Product types
- Cost of merchandise
- Times when people buy
- Surroundings of the store
- Navigation system (how consumers navigate the store).
In fact, knowing your consumers is a remarkable way to build a healthy digital marketing strategy. It will enable you to increase sales faster. The findings will assist you in many ways, including:
- Estimate shoppers buying decision
- Define the best advertising strategy
- Forecast market trends
- Better marketing optimization tactics
- Improve customer experience
- Increase sales
You’ll be able to create advertising campaigns and other content materials with optimal ROIs. However, to streamline the process, several tools can do the job for you. Have a look at this article to find the best tools that fit your needs.
#2. Offer Excellent Customer Service to Boost Retail Sales
Offering excellent customer service can go a long way in increasing retail sales. Why? Because it focuses primarily on treating shoppers as royalties. When you exceed their expectations, they will build trust around your brand and make you the go-to for further purchases.
So keep in mind that the way you treat shoppers can have a positive or negative impact on your business. Also, consumers will always remember their first encounter with your brand. They will ever recall how your customer service personnel treated them.
So make sure to answer every question shoppers may have and address every complaint and objections.
Benefits of Excellent Customer Support
Here are a few advantages of offering outstanding support service for consumers:
- Improves customer loyalty
- Attract new shoppers through customer referrals
- Boost consumer satisfaction
- Establish long-term business relationships
- Retain customers
- Increase sales and revenue
However, you can use CRM software to streamline the process
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#3. Apply Proximity Marketing (Beacons Technology)
Proximity marketing is a marketing strategy that is helping retail marketers to drive more foot traffic and increase sales. The technology is super-useful because it lets retailers to comfortably tackle shoppers’ demands and create a viable shopping experience.
According to research, 70% of consumers reveal that they’re more likely to make purchases with beacon-triggered content when they’re in-store. Also, 60% of respondents would buy more due to beacon-triggered marketing messages.
Source/Graphic via SlideShare
The device allows retailers to send personalized discount merchandise and rewards to shoppers directly to their smartphones. This approach helps to bring them back to the store for more purchases. For example, let’s say you have been eyeing a particular product for weeks and months.
Graphic via SlideShare
But you cannot afford to buy it at the moment because you feel it is expensive. However, you receive an alert on your phone saying that the same product you’re longing to buy is now on a 40% discount. What would you do?
You’ll surely head straight to the store and buy it. That is the power of proximity marketing.
#4. Use Geofencing Marketing
Geofencing — proximity marketing is similar to beacons technology marketing. In fact, they’re almost identical, but Geofencing is a method that uses GPS to enclose a geographic location and collect customers’ information of smartphone users within that locale.
These users are people who willingly choose to receive push notifications. The data helps marketers to define the vicinity or closeness of consumers in that area. With this information, retailers can send push notification messages to shoppers and potential customers at a given geo-location.
You can send marketing campaigns to alert consumers about:
- New products
- Discounted goods
- Special offers
- Rewards
- Coupon codes
Geofencing marketing also enables retailers to offer customers a personalized shopping experience. You can send push notifications or trigger marketing messages of various incentives to users when they enter a geofence to draw them to your store.
This marketing tactic lets you know when buyers enter or exit your area. Here is how to use geofencing marketing to boost retail sales.
#5. Offer Shoppers Different Payment Options
How many payment options are you offering customers? Just one, two? With more people paying for products and services online, you need to give them as many choices as possible. It makes it easier for them to make payments quickly and conveniently.
Have you considered using POS as a payment option? Not everyone would like to pay via credit cards. And not all shoppers would want to make payment through ApplePay. So give shoppers more alternatives to pay you. Provide other payment opportunities, such as:
- PayPal
- Credit Cards
- ApplePay
- PaySimple
- Stripe
- POS
- BluePay Processing
- Google Pay Send (formerly Google Wallet).
With these payment possibilities, you are sure to get paid by every customer who makes a purchase. As a result, you will increase retail sales dramatically.
#6. Be Alert to, And Plan for Seasonal Peaks
Are you aware of your business’ seasonal peaks? Do you know when you’re sure to make more than the usual sales?
You need to be alert to seasonal peaks and device a plan to leverage it. For instance, we are in the month of Black Fridays.
But before this time, smart marketers already establish a plan of action to maximize this seasonal period. Next month is December — the holiday season when marketers anticipate the annual peak for businesses.
Then comes the New Year, February, and so on.
So understanding these peak seasons and planning your marketing campaigns will help you boost retail sales. You can use google trends to help you sort things out according to categories.
Wrapping Up How to Increase Retail Sales
When trying to increase retail sales with digital marketing, there is much you can do. However, with so much information on how to boost retail sales, you might feel overwhelmed at the start. As a result, determining the right tactics for your marketing efforts becomes difficult.
But you can grow your retail business by applying the tips in this article. Start with what you already know, then use these tips one at a time and test your results. Make adjustments accordingly and test again and again until you hit the nail on the head.
Do you have more actionable tips to add? We’re waiting to hear from you.