It’s almost that time of year again—Christmas is the busiest and most lucrative for retailers. If you want to make this one a cracker, get your digital strategy sorted early to attract and convert customers online and maximise your profit.
This sounds easier than it is, so business coach Pru Chapman has put together a few practical hacks below, which you can implement today to improve your customer experience and bottom line—making for a Merry Christmas indeed.
1. Never try and be everything to everyone.
It’s important that you not only create messages that are relevant to your ideal client, but also that you identify the channels your customers are on so that you can be there too.
Choose two to three channels to focus on at a time—these could be advertising and/or social channels like Facebook, Instagram, webinars, or Google ads—as this will help avoid a scattergun approach and ensure you are communicating with the consumers that actually purchase your product. Put your strategy in place and stick to it. Yes, I know it’s the most exciting time of year, but it’s important that you avoid distractions to ensure success.
2. Know your ideal customer intimately.
Every great online digital strategy starts with you knowing your client offline. Research their demographic—their age, where they hang out online and offline, who their family consists of etc. to get a true understanding of who they are.
The psychology of your customer is another important element to think about when it comes to your client. For example what makes them tick, what are their dreams and aspirations and, most importantly, how your product will help them get there.
3. Map out your client journey.
Do your research to identify where and how potential customers first come across your brand. Put a strong CTA (call to action) in place to ensure your customer takes the next step you want them to take—purchasing your product.
This can be achieved by creating a clear client journey throughout your online strategy, so they know where you want them to go. Optimise your website for conversion in order to maximise your average dollar sale at each step including: cross sells, up sells and suggested sells.
4. Test and mange like your life depends on it.
It’s important that you allow yourself at least three months to assess the effectiveness of your strategy. Ensure that you constantly re-evaluate your ROI (return on investment) in order to determine if it is positive. And remember, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater—pivot and tweak your channels as needed before ditching it altogether.
5. Put a killer re-targeting strategy in place.
Ever wondered what happens to those ‘abandoned cart’ shoppers? It’s important to remember that just because they’ve left it doesn’t mean you won’t see them again. Many businesses often overlook employing an effective follow up and re-targeting strategy. However, it’s crucial that you create one, as once it’s in place it will dramatically increase your conversion.
Pru Chapman will be leading education sessions at The Retail Quarter, the modern and exhilarating re-launch of Reed Gift Fairs annual September event. To find out more about how you can get involved, visit www.reedgiftfairs.com.au/education.
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