In the past, businesses only needed to slash down their prices to attract more customers. The lower your price tags were, the more consumers would troop to your store. But shopping is different right now. Consumers are not only looking for cheaper products. They want a convenient shopping experience when they go to your store.
Multiple Payment Options
As a merchant, you need to focus on ways to make shopping easier, faster, and more convenient for your customers. You want to make the experience unforgettable. There should be zero hiccups when they shop. That’s why you should check credit card processing services for lenders. Make sure that you accept all payment methods such as credit cards, PayPal, mobile wallets, and debit cards.
Accepting all payment methods is one way to make sure that your consumers will go back to your store. There’s nothing more that customers hate than finding out that you don’t accept their banks. Your business needs to be flexible if it wants to compete with other merchants.
Well-trained Shop Assistants
There’s a thin line between being an annoying shop assistant and a cocky one. You’ve heard the stories about salespeople in luxury stores who look down on their customers because they think that they can’t afford the products. You don’t want that kind of experience for your customers. At the same time, don’t be the annoying one who’s too friendly and too perky. Some customers want to be left alone when they shop. Your staff should know the difference.
You should provide this same service online. Integrate a live chat on your website so that your customers can inquire about products and services. Try to make this service available 24/7. Many online consumers do their shopping at night.
Unique Atmosphere
Think about how you feel when you enter a coffee shop. The smell of coffee and freshly baked pastries fill your senses. You can’t help but buy a cup and a cinnamon bun. This is the same principle merchants use in their stores. If you are selling summer outfits, create that atmosphere in your store. Put up surfboards against the wall. Hang seashells from the ceiling. Scatter sand around the mannequins’ feet.
Create this same feeling in your online store. Change the background music to a summer theme. Brighten up the colors of the site. Make your customers feel that they are preparing for a big summer shindig.
Customer Service
This is not just about what you can offer your consumers when they are in the store. It’s more about what you can do for them once the sale is over. If your customers reach out to you because of a complaint, be as accommodating as possible. Bend over backward to help the customers. They will go back to you and recommend you to their friends and family.
As a business, you should have a convenience-first mentality. It can make or break your business. Consumers now have more shopping options than ever before. They will choose your business only if it fits their lifestyle and if it is convenient.
