Building a Mobile Strategy for Retailers

Advances in mobile technology have put limitless information in the hands of almost every consumer, especially when it comes to the shopping experience. Recent studies show that approximately 44% of consumers reference their phones while shopping and that mobile research influences the purchasing decisions of 90% of shoppers. It is in retailers’ best interests to take a serious look at their mobile strategy, as many platforms can help build the foundation of an effective program. Encouraging customers to engage in social conversation, creating a mobile information source for customers and capitalizing the power of mobile apps to stay on top of inventory and purchases can help increase retailers’ bottom line.

Encourage online customer conversation
It’s important to prompt happy customers to leave feedback or recommendations on Facebook or review sites like Google Reviews or Yelp! to help businesses capitalize on the high trust factor of peer and online reviews. Creating a hashtag for a specific store location, sale or product will increase retailers’ visibility, as well make them searchable on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. Additionally, conversations can be segmented based on  location, allowing retailers to easily determine which locations attract the most attention from social-media-savvy shoppers.

Put your business on the mobile map
Independent retailers not attached to larger corporations with an established online presence can benefit from creating websites that are mobile-friendly or optimized for use on a smartphone. Creating a virtual storefront and easily accessible contact information on a website is an invaluable marketing tool. There are several cost-effective and user-friendly platforms that guide business owners through creating customized mobile websites, including Landr, Google Mobile and goMobi.

Inventory and purchasing power in your hands
Some of the most common reasons shoppers approach an employee are to ask about finding a product, looking for suggestions or inquiring about different sizes. Retailers are very knowledgeable about their inventory, but the ability to pull up exact numbers or similar products quickly on a phone or tablet through business-oriented mobile apps shows customers that employees are prepared to assist them quickly. Most inventory apps also include purchasing technology right from the same phone or tablet. Popular apps that streamline inventory control and point-of-sale capabilities include ShopKeep POS, Pose for clothing retailers, and Square for in-store and on-site event POS support.

Staking your retail business’ claim in the mobile world gives retailers an enormous advantage in attracting customers, building brand advocates, closing the sale and keeping customers coming back. Do you have any mobile strategy suggestions retailers would find handy?