Are you worried that no one is talking about your business? Are you afraid that your business won’t be able to rise above the noise and truly stand out? Then let’s talk about how you can create a stellar experience that will turn your customers in to raving fans.
We all want our customers to become repeat customers, or better still, fans who recommend us to others, so it’s worth investing in getting your end-to-end customer experience spot on; after all, it’s cheaper in the long run to sell to repeat and recommended customers than attract new ones through expensive and lengthy marketing campaigns.
So, what can you do?
- The first thing to ask yourself is “how can I make my brand stand out?” Do you have a unique product? What’s your story, and are you shouting about this enough? You want customers to remember you for all the right reasons, so simply doing what everyone else is doing won’t differentiate you from the competition. However, solving a problem or meeting a need in your own unique way will certainly make you more memorable.
- Time and again, research shows that customers want the following from their shopping experience, whether it’s online or in store:
- Items to be in stock
- Helpful employees/ good customer service that is personal, even with the introduction of AI
- An easy checkout and returns experience
- Options to choose from
- A loyalty scheme that gives them tangible benefits
How does your business measure up against this criteria?
As well as those basics, you should also consider:
- How you can improve your visual merchandising, both online and in-store. How your products look matters, so pay attention to the little details and brainstorm how you can stand out
- Asking for feedback. Everyone likes to be heard, and getting feedback from customers can help you improve your overall experience
- How you can best show your passion for your products. Only you know why you set up your retail business, so make it your mission to educate others and turn them in to raving fans, too
- Making your USP as clear as possible. The retail market is saturated, so what’s your story, and how can you get customers to engage with it?
- Increasing transparency. Being open and honest with your customers about your out of stock issues and delivery problems can help ease their frustration and prove that you are trustworthy, even when things don’t go to plan
The best retailers are ones who are customer-centric: they think about their customers every time they make a decision in their business, and it shows.