With online stores dominating the market, too little attention is paid to improving the in-store customer experience (believe it or not, people still do shop in stores).
A recent study by Synqera revealed more than two-thirds of Americans prefer to shop in brick-and-mortar stores rather than online commerce sites.
Despite convenient alternatives, consumers still value brick-and-mortar stores, they just expect more from these physical institutions than they have in the past.
To make your own shop more comfortable and accommodating for today’s customer, check out these five tips for creating retail shopper conversions through environmental updates.
1. Free Wi-Fi
Sit-down venues, such as cafes and restaurants, absolutely must have Wi-Fi available for customers, with a decent bandwidth to properly accommodate customers. However, essentially all small businesses should have some form of Wi-Fi, since customers have shown to enjoy using smartphones and tablets while shopping in-store. As dependent as customers are on their electronic devices, not offering Wi-Fi could even lose customers. A survey conducted by YouGov Plc revealed that 43 percent of consumers would choose not to stay in a hotel that charged for Internet.
2. Comfortable Seating
You might have to take on a few business credit card offers to enhance the comfort of your seating areas, but anything you can do to encourage customers to stick around is a good investment of time and money. Include small seating areas near restrooms, fitting rooms and various corners of the store to allow customers to rest when needed. Aim for larger chairs and couches to accommodate customers of all sizes.
3. Good Music
According to Business Insider, loud music causes customers to move more quickly through a supermarket, while still purchasing the same amount of products as they otherwise would. Meanwhile, low-tempo music encourages customers to move slowly, but purchase more. Compared with pop music and no music, classical music causes more spending as well. However, it can also turn customers off in some settings, because it presents the store as expensive. A store can also use streaming services like the ones from this site https://cloudcovermusic.com/music-for-business/siriusxm-radio/, allowing the store to create playlists and moods for the shop while legally playing the best music for the business.
4. Clean and Cozy Bathrooms
Bathrooms are the most often neglected areas of a brick-and-mortar store that can really affect how a customer views your business. Spend time renovating your bathroom for environmental efficiency, convenience and cleanliness. For example, have air dryers installed instead of messy paper towels, and a waste-free flushing system. Make it every employee’s responsibility to help keep the bathrooms clean throughout the day, as well. Or hire a professional commercial cleaning service. Visit Fresh Maids original site if you need commercial cleaning and janitorial services.
5. Attentive Staff
Retail associates should do more than just greet the customer. They should offer shopping assistance, exhibit a strong understanding of the store’s products, and encourage sales by demonstrating the product’s usefulness. Your staff should be friendly, positive and willing to go the extra mile for the customer to make him or her feel as relaxed as possible, thus encouraging a sale.
To set your business apart from everyone else, you can add a specific store design and environment. For example, you can offer in-store competitions for a chance at winning prizes, or you could even just be the one store with all of the funky art on the wall. Play with lighting, music and design in a way that best fits your personal brand, so customers not only have a positive experience in your store, but also leave with a sense of what your company stands for.
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