Though there are many innovations you can roll out in your physical store this year, one basic improvement you should always strive for is to raise your foot traffic. The more customers you attract, the more opportunities there are for sales to be made.
This coming year, make it your focus to boost customer interest in your products or services and to strengthen your retention rates. Your efforts to do so can significantly bolster your brand’s image, broaden your customer base, and build a sense of loyalty among customers who’ve been with you since your early days as a small- or medium-sized enterprise (SME) or startup retailer.
To that end, here are some of the best ways to raise customer engagement and interactions in your store:
1) Make Visible Improvements to Their Shopping Experience
If you’re able to provide customers with a positive shopping experience, you’ll be able to create a stronger connection between your target audience and your brand as well as satisfy customers’ immediate needs. Your customers should feel valued and understood whenever they explore your store or move to make a purchase.
Don’t be complacent about how happy they are, and always strive to offer them something better than what they’ve already experienced.
One key upgrade that you can make right now is for your current point-of-sale (POS) system. If you’re based in the Philippines, consider switching out your current POS solution for a more modern, user-friendly option like Maya Business’s Maya Terminal or Maya Terminal Lite.
This device will help you streamline your checkout process and make it more convenient, given that the Maya POS terminal can accommodate various contactless payment methods including EMV dipping, NFC tap-to-pay card payments, QR code payments, and e-wallet payments.
The Maya credit card terminal is also portable, which means your customers can pay for their purchases anywhere in your store. Implement more modern POS technologies like this one in your store to speed up transactions while providing your customers with a more memorable checkout experience.
2) Create Loyalty Programs
Loyalty programs are designed to show customers that their repeat business is valued and rewarded. When customers feel appreciated, they’re more likely to engage with your store on a deeper level and recommend your business to others. Your effort to offer them rewards also communicates a genuine acknowledgment of their loyalty, which can go a long way toward ensuring their long-term support.
There are different types of loyalty programs your store can offer, but one of the simplest is a basic tier membership system with instant rewards. A loyalty program that offers instant rewards, such as a welcome discount or exclusive access to sales upon sign-up, may result in immediate engagement.
As customers make more purchases or demonstrate enduring loyalty to your business, they can move up the tiers and unlock additional perks and discounts.
You can also incorporate gamification elements into the program to help your customers move through the tiers quickly while increasing customer interactions.
The ability to earn points through frequent purchases, social media engagement, referrals, or participation in-store events, for example, will encourage them to engage with your business more often.
There are different types of loyalty programs your store can offer, but one of the simplest is a basic tier membership system with instant rewards.
3) Hold Events and Workshops
It’s also an option for you to hold special events and workshops in your brick-and-mortar store. These initiatives will provide unique opportunities for customer interaction and also contribute towards a sense of brand affinity and community among your customers.
You can host product launch events, for instance, to create anticipation for new arrivals or exclusive collections. Also try setting up workshops with experts in your niche to encourage customers to spend extended time in your store and participate in hands-on learning experiences.
Say you run a store that sells books and craft materials; it would make perfect sense to hold a book launch or open up paid workshop opportunities for budding artists of all ages.
4) Enhance Your Store’s Shopping Ambience
The ambiance of a brick-and-mortar store will always play a pivotal role in shaping the overall customer experience. A welcoming and aesthetically pleasing environment not only attracts customers but also minimizes purchase friction, which in turn encourages them to prolong their visits and buy more items from off your shelves.
To enhance your store’s shopping ambiance and elevate customer engagement, consider optimizing its layout through strategic product placement. Place high-margin or featured items at eye level to quickly capture your customers’ attention and encourage them to go further inside.
You can also divide your store into distinct sections or zones based on product categories or themes so that your customers can navigate your store with ease.
It’s also a good idea to integrate comfortable seating areas within your store. This way, your customers will have a place to rest so that they can recuperate their energy and spend more time overall browsing your products. Further improve the mood in your store by curating a music playlist that contributes to a more pleasant and immersive shopping experience.
5) Improve Your Staff’s Customer Service Skills with Regular Training
Lastly, the quality of your customer service will directly influence customer interactions and engagement. Your staff should be the biggest proponents of a culture that values customer satisfaction.
It’s definitely in your best interest to implement regular training sessions for both new hires and existing staff. Regular training ensures that your staff’s customer service skills are constantly polished, and that they can keep their performance at an excellent and consistent level.
It also empowers them to be more knowledgeable about the current and new items you offer, in turn helping them assist your customers more effectively and answer the latter’s queries about your products with confidence.
Staff training also gives you the opportunity to teach your staff effective conflict resolution techniques. These will allow staff members to handle challenging situations in as diplomatic a manner as possible and turn potential negative experiences into positive ones.
The way you engage and interact with your customers can greatly influence how they perceive your brand and how likely they are to return to it. Implement the customer interaction and engagement strategies listed above to show how much you value your customers’ patronage and, as a result, build better customer relationships that will last your business years.
