It's Time to Get Personal
The holidays are rapidly approaching and this usually means thriving sales for retailers. Online marketers will do everything in their power to entice you to to partake in a little online shopping, but what are consumers really expecting this year? A recent holiday research study reveals that it’s all about the personalization.
A good 75% of consumers will visit a store if they received a text promotion. It’s starting to become mainstream for customers to offer up personal information in exchange for the convenience of being offered product recommendations. Let’s face it, people are busy and they don’t want to waste a lot of time trying to find the perfect gift. If shoppers are given personal emails, texts, or other mobile alerts, they are more likely to shop that retailer. Shoppers will appreciate having some of the guess work and stress of shopping lifted off their shoulders. The same goes for social media. About half of shoppers will look to social media for gift ideas. This is a great way for retailers to promote ideas and make it easy and stress-free for shoppers. Social media tends to be a bit more about discovering different kinds of gifts to buy, rather than direct purchase, but it’s a great way to drive people to your store.
With the mobile trend on the rise, it should be no surprise that consumers want to be able to buy online and pick up in store. Talk about convenience! For the average family who is busy with sports engagements, work, making dinner, finding family time, etc., there is nothing better than being able to hop out of the car, run into the store, and pick up the items bought online.
Remember, about half of shoppers said they would probably take advantage of any personal promotional offers sent to them via email. If shoppers visit a retailer’s website, they are still more inclined to purchase if they receive personal promotions and special invites to sales. We all like to feel a little extra special around the holidays and this is a huge opportunity for retailers to make that happen.
If you haven’t already, it’s time to think about the different promotions, sales, and special offers you can whip up as incentives for your customers. Without them, you have no business, so put in a little extra holiday cheer this season and treat them as special guests they are.