The modern family is using technology to make everyday purchasing decisions.
Get these self-professed showroomers and purchase delayers to convert by leveraging mobile's bells and whistles. Here are four ways to use mobile to motivate.
1. Price Match
Depending on the brand providing them, there are statistics galore that affirm or deny the impact that "showrooming" has on retail sales. The fact is, however, that mobile is changing the way consumers shop. Consumers shopping at a grocery store, for example, will use their phone to send a picture of a certain item to their spouse at home to make sure they are getting the "right" product at the "right" price. Or a couple shopping at an electronics store, may use their smartphone to look for better prices or more inventory online. Many retailers are jumping over the latter hurdle by matching the price of what a consumer finds online.
Aside from simply looking at someone's phone to confirm a competitor's price, a retailer can stay ahead of the game by capturing competitors' product data to use it for price comparison, price checking and several other competitor intelligence gathering activities. FusePump can do that for them by compiling product pricing, product price change and stock availability data that is updated every 24 hours.
2. QR Codes
As previously mentioned, buying products can be a family affair, but moms are responsible for more than 75 percent of household purchasing (some reports indicate that number is even higher). It's also been stated that moms use QR codes more than any other consumer group. While QR codes certainly receive their fair share of "ughh are they dead yet" type articles, they have their place in stores.
Consumers can scan QR codes to obtain online information and offers for a specific product or brand. New technologies are emerging that can help merchants reduce cart abandonment with QR codes and even reuse QR codes by updating old content.
3. GPS Messaging
Consumers who are near a store that they already have a branded mobile application for are very, very valuable shoppers. Diby has a Localpoint product that can drive foot traffic to a retailer by sending personalized marketing to app-holding customers when they are near a store or other locations relevant to a brand.
The right message to the right person at the right place and time captures shoppers' attention, increasing store visits and average order value. Additionally, Digby says its Localpoint product helps retailers take control of the mobile experience by engaging consumers as they enter, dwell and exit a physical place of business. This helps merchants directly influence shoppers' purchase decision and enhance overall customer satisfaction.
4. Ask
One of the distinct advantages retailers with storefronts has is that they have in-store associates that can help move shoppers toward purchase. Online retailers use a variety of tactics to mimic that experience, but the human touch (a smile, the ability to tell tone and read body language) cannot be cloned. Business owners should train their employees to recognize when a shopper is, for example, texting or looking up product information on their smartphones and standing in front of one product for an extended amount of time. A simple, "Can I help you?" could be a retailer's biggest weapon against showrooming.
