To remain relevant in a rapidly changing environment, physical stores need to make some adjustments when it comes to customer experience. More digital interaction has reshaped their expectations. This means physical stores need to blend online and offline marketing methods effectively if they want to keep satisfying customer expectations.
Customers expect to find information online
Customers want to visit an online website even when they intend to visit a physical store. They want to look at a product range, compare prices, and create shopping lists from their mobile phones.
Physical stores need to invest more time in online marketing if they want to pay closer attention to customer intent. For example, they can feature products customers are actively looking for on social media channels like Instagram.
Prospective customers expect to find all the contact details they need for a physical store online. Adding an interactive map on a website gives them a great way to find the location of a physical store. Show My Map has a simple map maker that can be embedded on a website.
Customers want a synergistic online and offline experience
Retailers with brick-and-mortar stores will suffer if they don’t create a seamless experience online and offline. Consumers expect choices about where, when and how they can shop.
They want to be able to purchase a product online in the evening, receive it the next day, and return it to a physical store if they are unhappy with it. Retailers need to think about how their online marketing can draw people to their physical stores, such as offering email subscribers discount coupons they can redeem in the store.
Customers look for personalized experiences
Consumers want a buying experience that’s personalized to them and consistent no matter what device they’re using or what stage of the buying process they’re in. They’re more likely to buy from companies that personalize their experience at every stage, whether this is on a website or in a physical store.
Some companies allow users to download an app and create wish lists. When a product on a wishlist is on sale in the physical store, the app sends them a push notification.
Customers trust the opinions of other consumers
Consumers today tend to rely on the opinions of others more than company advertising to inform their purchasing decisions. Social platforms and online review sites create effective word-of-mouth advertising via product reviews written by customers.
Consumers are therefore more responsible for shaping perception about a brand than the brand itself. This means retailers need to engage on social platforms if they want to gain the trust of current and future customers.
Customers are better informed
One side-effect of more engagement between brands and consumers is that they are more informed about the products and about the companies they buy from. Their expectations are higher and salespeople in stores have to change their approach to meet these expectations.
Customers used to trust salespeople to guide them in their decision-making but today, they often enter stores armed with information. They want to make informed decisions, and salespeople who fall short in conversations will appear redundant.
Customer shopping habits will keep changing
Customer shopping habits have evolved due to advancing technology and this evolution will continue. Their most basic expectations are that they want to buy products when they need them and they don’t want to pay too much for them. They also want to shop on different devices and share their shopping experiences with others.
As technology continues to evolve, physical stores will need to keep adapting to the new shopping habits of customers if they want to remain relevant.