Three Ways Retailers Are Scaring Away Ready-to-Buy Customers

retail branding agency

The way customers buy has changed

I recently read a great article on Curalate by Jarred Shelley, Head of Content Strategy that captured one of the great challenges fro retail brands in today’s ever-changed marketplace.

The article talks through a shopping experience that is reflective of how the way we buy has changed over the last 5-10 years.  Jared talks of finding an image on Instagram of a guy wearing a black hoodie, jeans and sneakers and going in search of the product to make a purchase on the brand’s web site. His experience in attempting to find the product was a fruitless lesson in frustration, ending with a disconnect between customer and brand.

Whilst most retailers have evolved their offering to meet the needs of customers engaging with them online as well as in-store, many have failed to keep-up with the way online has evolved. Online retail is not a shop front with Google directing interested customers to your door, it is far more complex and chaotic than that. A quick Google images search of any retail brand will find pics of product on Instagram, Twitter, facebook, blogs and a massive tangle of other places. Some of these images will have come from the retailer, but many will be customer generated as well. These images represent the many different touch-points that today’s customers expect will offer a direct line from inspiration to purchase.

But for many retailers, failing to have a strategy in place to manage this new buying habit will lead to a customer relationship disconnect – turning excited, ready-to-buy customers into frustrated, never coming back, missed opportunities.

The article goes on the list the three most important strategies retailers should be focusing on:

1. Stop Going From Inspiring to Bland

Increasingly, commerce originates in lots of places like social, blogs, videos and ads — places that were never designed for commerce. Make sure the compelling lifestyle imagery you’re sharing off site also appears on your site. This approach can lead to 79% more time on site, a 16% increase in average order value and a 31% increase in conversion rates.

2. Mimic the In-Store Experience

Offer 360-degree online shopping experiences that open your physical stores to millions of people online. For retailers, that increased browsing time can translate directly to sales.

3. Reduce Friction in the Buying Journey

Shorten the path between discovery and purchase. For instance, can you add easy checkout options like Google Wallet, PayPal or Amazon Pay?

Dave Ansett
David is the founder of Truly Deeply, a brand agency with 25 years experience working with brands to position them for growth. His deep expertise is in the creation of high engagement brands that attract the attention of their audience and stand out from their competitors. David has extensive experience working with corporate, retail, food & beverage and entrepreneurial clients. Find out more here
For monthly updates of our thinking, click here to receive our free Brand Newsletter

You can read the article here: https://www.curalate.com/blog
Pic from Curalate.

Save

Post a comment

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,