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Retail brands are maturing digitally, using technology and the data available to connect and engage with connected consumers more effectively.
FREMONT, CA: E-commerce has gone mainstream, and the lines between digital and offline channels are blurring. Consumers browse, use their mobile to price check in-store, and buy through whichever channel happens to be available. This is the era of the consumer, which is nothing new for retail. However, how big is digital when it comes to impacting consumers? And here are the digital marketing strategies keeping up.
The store shows local in-store inventory to customers while they are browsing on their smart devices. A shopper can take action if that person sees three pairs of shoes right now, in the size and color that person wants. Google research found that 42 percent of in-store shoppers search for information online with their smartphones. The top places shoppers head to search are search engines and the retailer’s website or app. This presents an opportunity for retailers to improve the in-store experience by ensuring sites and ads are mobile-friendly and that search outcomes are fully optimized.
Email is the most effective method for retailers when it comes to personalized communications with consumers. According to research, 4 out of 5 retail marketers are using personalization in some way in their email marketing campaigns. Retargeting with a personalized email once a consumer visits a website is one of the most effective ways retailers see success. More so than ever, mobile is the critical ingredient for digital success. Digital strategies will simply fall flat if the content isn’t streamlined for mobile. Consumers move from device to device to brick-and-mortar stores again. Suppose the content they are viewing isn’t mobile-optimized at any point during this journey. In that case, customers will quickly abandon in favor of a retailer who can offer a seamless mobile experience. While many retailers have deployed mobile-friendly websites and emails, cross-device targeting is becoming more important.