Shoppers can go to most any store, online, mobile or brick-and-mortar, find what they need, check out, and end their shopping journey. But it's the responsibility of the brand or retailer to turn this one-time experience into a long-term customer relationship.
However, with so many unique shopping journeys to consider, retailers often struggle to find the best touch point for engaging with each customer. Some shoppers might devote loyalty to the retailer that has the easiest website to navigate. Other shoppers might prefer an in-store experience that's supported by a mobile app with personalized coupons. Finally, some shoppers might focus their favoritism on retailers that create the quickest checkout experience.
Regardless of where, when and how a shopper interacts with their favorite brand or retailer, it's important that their preferences are met. For retailers, this requires investing in exceptional experiences across every touch point – before, during and after the purchase.
Here are a few ways that retailers can make every touch point count.
Delighting the Customer During the Discovery Phase
On average, consumers spend 55 seconds viewing a webpage and just four minutes on the website throughout the entire session. If the shopper doesn't find what they're looking for in that time, they'll likely take their business elsewhere. This is true for in-store shopping too. If a shopper can't find an item quickly, they may be tempted to search online for the product, an action that might bring them to an entirely different store.
This is where strategic personalization comes in. Personalization can guide shoppers through a store, ensuring they find the items they need every time, whether they are shopping online, via mobile or in person.
With artificial intelligence tools like GK AIR Personalization, the items shown on the front page of a website or in-store app can be determined automatically based on the customer's preferences and past behaviors. This can go a long way when it comes to grabbing a shopper's attention early in their journey and earning more of their loyalty.
In fact, Sanicare, a pharmaceutical retailer, improved conversion rates by 2% and recommendation turnover rates by 5% thanks to GK AIR Personalization.
Simplifying the Sale for the Shopper
Now, imagine the shopper found what they were looking for and made their way to the online or in-store checkout. Eleven percent of the shoppers who made it this far will abandon their cart if their preferred payment method was not accepted by the brand or retailer. And, 51% of shoppers will leave a store without making a purchase if the checkout line is too long.
These situations are easy to avoid when retailers invest in diverse payment and point-of-sale (POS) capabilities. With TransAction+ by GK, retailers and shoppers can rest assured that any type of payment is accepted and processed securely.
Additionally, of the global top 50 retailers, 24% rely on GK's OmniPOS solution. This technology breaks down shopping barriers by giving customers the opportunity to check out across a wide variety of touch points.
The OmniPOS solution stores all purchasing data in one location, empowering retailers to strengthen their data to power other customer experience initiatives such as personalization, retail media and loyalty programs.
Similarly, GK also enables retailers to incorporate MobilePOS into their payment strategy. With this tool in place, shoppers can make a payment in the aisle, in the checkout line or on the go. What's more, shoppers can opt for a completely scanless experience with GK GO. By simplifying the payment and check out experience, retailers can impress shoppers mid-sale.
Prolonging Relationships Post-Purchase
Once the sale has been made, the retailer's job has just begun. Fostering a post-purchase relationship is key to improving customer lifetime value. This can begin immediately after a purchase.
In fact, GK partners with TruRating to provide retailer customers the opportunity to ask their shoppers one experience evaluation question at the point of sale. This allows the retailer to earn useful feedback that can strengthen customer experiences moving forward.
Another way to promote ongoing connectivity is through a loyalty program. With GK Engage, retailers can showcase highly contextualized and personalized rewards, encouraging shoppers to make shopping with them a habit. GK Engage empowers retailers to build long-lasting relationships and optimizes key customer KPIs.
Finding One Partner Who Does it All
Managing each touch point for each shopper can be time-consuming and expensive. But by choosing one technology partner that can optimize across every touch point, retailers can ensure exceptional experiences before, during and after the sale.
GK is the single technology partner with the capabilities and expertise to take every retailer interaction to the next level. Contact us today to learn how we can help you make the most out of every shopper's experience.
