7 Tips For Retailers To Amaze Their Customers In Holiday Season

2 min read

by Michael Gorman

The holiday season is upon us and as lockdown restrictions are being lifted and loosened, retailers are getting ready for the comeback. The competition is going to be stiff because many retailers took some hits during the year. 

Everybody is going to try and sway the customers to support them instead of the competition. This is only natural and where you could have gotten away with the minimum in the past, you are going to have to pull out all the stops this year. 

Planning for the holiday season does not need to be expensive, though. Meeting customer expectations is what you are after, so here are seven tips to swing their support your way.

The go-to discount

In a perfect world, loyalty would be unconditional, but in the world of commerce, loyalty is bought by rewards. When a customer spends hundreds of dollars to support your business, it tells you that they like what they are buying. 

However, after a while, they might begin to feel that they should get something in return for their continued support. This is not unreasonable and providing discounts to loyal customers is perfectly normal and even encouraged. 

To make it extra special, these discounts need to be personalised. Part of knowing your clients is knowing what they buy and what they like. If you can provide them with the odd gift from time to time, they will continue to show their support as well. 

Personalised emails  

When your marketing strategist told you to invest in collecting analytical data on the comings and goings of your clients, you probably did not know what to do with that info. No doubt you have plenty of data to work through. Send extra coupons and vouchers on their birthdays if this information is available. 

According to a marketing assignment writing expert, you should look at their purchase history and make suggestions based on what they regularly buy. A purchase history is very valuable and can be used effectively when time is put into it. If the data is there, use it. 

Be inventive and work on cross-selling

Now is the time to make suggestions to your clients about what they buy and cross-sell. Whether you run an online retail business or a brick-and-mortar retails store, go for the cross-sell. In brick and mortar stores, it is all about suggestion. When someone buys a new pair of running shoes, suggest a pair of performance socks. 

Better yet, build a display or pack a rack next to the socks. The point of a cross sale is not to double the amount that a client spends, but rather to fill a stocking and generate that little bit of extra sales for each client.

Online stores can do the same, before a client goes to the checkout, make auto-suggestions, based on what they bought. 

Offer some free shipping and special deliveries

If there is one thing that customers love, it is free shipping. When it comes to customer experience, what they feel is a worthwhile experience and what you feel is a worthwhile experience are two different things. Most customers feel that the service they get is nothing short of mediocre. 

As the best essay sites for sales and marketing put it, offering free shipping is a step in the right direction. This frees up the client to buy even more. If you want to up the ante, then offering special deliveries is non-negotiable.

Not only will your customer feel satisfied with the service, but they will also feel that you care about them. 

App store optimization and UX 

Although the world is easing its lockdown restrictions, the world of commerce has changed forever. People are much more comfortable with online shopping. Being digital natives, many customers prefer working from apps rather than their browsers. It is convenient and saves time. 

That is, of course, when your store’s app can be found. Invest some money in App Store Optimization to get your app on the front pages. The next aspect of the app is the user experience.

Before the launch of your app, make sure it is as glitch-free as possible and ensure a quick turnaround on issues that are reported. 

Go the BOPIS route

Consumer behavior has changed due to the pandemic and people are a bit more reluctant to go to crowded retail centers and malls. As a business owner, be cognisant of this fact and get in on the BOPIS action. Online shopping has never such a major force as it is today, but the one thing that retails have going for them is the impatience of clients.

Offer a Buy-Online-Pickup-in-Store service to accommodate their new way of doing things. There are only positives to this model as customers come in and go so there is a much higher turnover in a shorter time.  

Balance CX and the human aspect 

CX and the human factor needs to be in balance. It is so easy to fall over into a tech mindset and forget that there is a person on the other end of the app. Building a human aspect into your apps and website will set your business apart from the competition. 

There are several solutions to this conundrum, but the two human features that can bring life to your app is either a digital assistant or a human agent. 

When a client has a complex query, the digital assistant can direct them to the human agent that knows how thing operate. The initial setup of such a system might be tricky, but the results speak for themselves. 

Conclusion

The key to making this holiday season a success is to bridge the gap between the perceived customer experience and reality. You need to look at the experience from their side. When you are honest about everything, you will see the holes in your strategy and make the necessary changes. Investing in making this season’s shopping experience memorable will spill over into the new year and cause you to start the year on the front foot.  

About author

Michael Gorman is a highly skilled freelance writer from the UK who currently works for the best essay writing services. He is counted as one of the best essay writers in the business and his work ethics and high-class writing has made his present agency the best writing service in the trade. He shares his writing experience and useful tips for budding writers on his blog.