Online shopping is a part of everyday life, and bricks-and-mortar retailers working with web design companies face a difficult fight to stay relevant. How can a retailer compete with an online seller when users can take their smartphone into a store, search for reviews of the products they are looking at, find a better deal and then buy online?
The most successful retailers are the ones that have addressed this challenge by merging online and offline retail to create an experience that serves the shopper every step of the way.
When new technology is introduced many retailers will flock to see whether it will help to bring new customers to their stores and increase the amount of time that people spend in there. One of the disadvantages of some tangible technologies is that it can increase the risk of burglaries. This is where a Locksmith In Dublin can help by providing you with the best locks on the market. Locksafe Dublin Locksmith can install new locks for you as well as advise you on the best ones to use for your business type and risk factors.
Beyond QR codes ‒ NFC and Bluetooth
Perhaps the most innovative addition to the world of shopping has been the NFC tag. For years retailers have tried to get shoppers to enjoy ‘augmented reality’ experiences by using QR codes or by encouraging them to take photos in store; however, the process has been too cumbersome. NFC tags, on the other hand, just work. They increase engagement time almost fourfold when consumers use them, and engagement with NFC tags is almost 12 times greater than QR code engagement. If you are a store owner looking to get shoppers to pay attention to your website, what could be better than getting them to visit your site while in your store?
Social media and websites
Many retailers have tried to build up massive brands around their companies, creating miniature social networks and trying to build an audience through incentives; however, this can easily backfire. For a social network to sustain itself, it needs to reach critical mass ‒ usually around 15% of the network it is targeting. If the social network does not have this user base, there will be no reason for other users to return.
This is why many web design companies encourage their clients to piggyback off existing social networks, such as by adding the option to import feeds from Twitter to their site, rather than reinventing the wheel. Professional web designers take pride in offering sophisticated web applications, mobile apps, e-commerce solutions and other online marketing solutions, knowing that a stand-alone website is rarely enough.
If you want to reach the maximum audience, you need to target every channel ‒ desktop, mobile, social and offline. Broaden your reach to broaden your ROI.
