Having the best available e-commerce software doesn't do much good if you aren't getting enough traffic to your online store. The recent Academy Awards were a perfect example of social media marketing, as Ellen DeGeneres's staged celebrity selfie broke records on Twitter and certainly caught the attention of the masses – the whole stunt was sponsored by Samsung, and everyone knew it.

While not every retailer has the ability to pull off such a massive stunt, Samsung highlighted the far-reaching power of social media. A MarketForce study from 2012 revealed that 80 percent of shoppers relied on social media to research items prior to making a purchase, according to The Huffington Post.

Business2Community recently spoke with a number of social media experts, and they suggested that content marketing is the leading strategy, as it is projected to account for 40 percent of social media marketing in 2014. Posting relevant news and advice articles to your business's social media sites can help drum up interest in your brand and help you foster a reputation as a thought leader in your niche, whether you sell clothing, video games or any other products. Micro videos, which you could use to highlight sales or new products, accounted for 20 percent of social media trends for the year.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Friday, March 14th, 2014 at 6:59 am .

Online shopping is a growing sector of the retail industry, but that doesn't mean brick-and-mortar stores are being phased out. Rather, retail merchants are simply rethinking their marketing strategies to stay relevant in the digital age. This can entail a variety of changes, such as embracing modern POS software and integrating online and in-store services. Here's a look at a few different ways for retail stores to say competitive:

Combine the online and in-store experience
Consumers often like to compare products and prices online, where they can see all the details of particular items, but they may not want to wait days or weeks for delivery. Creating a custom online experience that can easily transition to brick-and-mortar services can be a great way to draw customers in. Digital Journal reported that personalizing the shopping experience across all channels is a great way to provide the instant gratification many shoppers crave. Shoppers can buy online and then pick up their orders at brick-and-mortar locations so they can avoid the hassle and cost of having goods shipped.

Modernize your point of sale
With mobile wallets and online payment options like PayPal and LevelUp, more people are leaving their cash and credit cards at home in lieu of carrying their smartphones. Investing in POS software that can recognize various forms of payment can be a great way to win over customers and draw them in to brick-and-mortar locations. Another great option to offer consumers is email receipts that are easier to track and save than paper and sure to please eco-conscious shoppers.

Offer extra in-store services
When it comes to online shopping, the experience is often lacking a human element. Forbes suggested that retailers can attract shoppers by hosting in-store events to promote newly released products like video games and draw people in for sales. It's also nice for customers to be able to direct their questions to knowledgeable staff. Training employees on the products they are selling can be a great place to start, and retailers can also equip them with tablets that allow them to quickly access inventory and other information to better serve customers. Employees will also be able to track down other stores that carry out-of-stock items or restock on the spot for customers, according to Forbes.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Friday, March 14th, 2014 at 6:15 am .

Technology has drastically changed the retail landscape, but the growth of ecommerce software and mobile tools is beginning to plateau as IT priorities shift to omnichannel integration. The most recent survey on the state of the retail industry by BDO USA revealed that fewer retailers were convinced e-commerce will continue to experience strong growth in 2014. Survey respondents didn't believe online and mobile retail would come to a halt or decline, but did predict slower growth rates in these areas. 

While 64 percent of respondents believed they would see growth in online sales, this was a 10 percent decline from the previous year, indicating some stagnancy. Another 34 percent felt that their online sales would remain consistent with the previous year's numbers, which was a 62 percent jump from 2013.

"After a banner year of e-commerce and m-commerce growth in 2013, retailers largely expect these platforms to keep delivering big returns in the year ahead," said Natalie Kotlyar, a partner in the Retail and Consumer Products practice at BDO USA. "But safeguarding this future growth requires retailers to invest across channels in order to deliver a safe, seamless and efficient experience for shoppers. All the moving parts – mobile apps, websites, supply chain IT systems, brick-and-mortar – need to be carefully coordinated for companies to hold their own in this fiercely competitive landscape."

Taking the focus off the niche
Rather than devoting all efforts to m-commerce or e-commerce in coming months, it is likely that the majority of retailers will be moving toward omnichannel strategies that will combine online and mobile marketing along with social media and other efforts to expand brand visibility. Marketing Land pointed out that though there are advantages to focusing on one sector of retail marketing, such as tracking cost efficiencies, paying attention to all avenues will be better in the long run.

Creating an overall brand experience
With omnichannel strategies, retailers can customize their brand across Web platforms, from their presence on sites like Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook to their mobile apps and in-store experiences. Retailers should focus on the consumer experience from start to finish, making it important to track customer behavior through each of these channels. Retail technology like CRM can aid in tracking and making sense of this data, according to Marketing Land.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Thursday, March 13th, 2014 at 11:49 am .

Millennials are beginning to gain ground as young professionals, which means that they're a group with disposable income that the retail industry is very interested to engage. However, this generation has unique characteristics that may require merchants to adjust their strategies to market to them effectively. 

Referring to data from a recent Pew Research poll, CNBC explained that millennials' relatively low level of social trust makes it harder to retailers to gain their loyalty and find success in advertising campaigns.

"You can't base your business model on repeat purchase," Larry Chiagouris, a marketing professor at Pace University, told the source. "You have to compete for the loyalty with each purchase."

What can merchants do? The source noted that millennials desire more opportunities for interaction, so it's important for brands to have a social media presence and explore ways to use retail technology to engage customers. It can also help to reshape how retailers think about traditional strategies, like loyalty programs. For example, Forbes Magazine explained that merchants typically think their loyalty programs aren't effective if shoppers hold cards from multiple stores. However, these initiatives can still be effective in multiple ways, from offering customers interactive reward options to providing retailers with additional consumer data to better personalize their marketing efforts.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Thursday, March 13th, 2014 at 4:44 am .

Retail customer trends indicate that most consumers are willing to pay a little more in exchange for better service and higher quality products. Two recent reports found that shoppers are looking for better experiences and goods, rating these factors as more important than lower prices. 

In a recent study, Duke University's Fuqua School of Business discovered that shoppers were more concerned about product quality than getting the best deal on price, eMarketer reported. Of the survey respondents, 31.0 percent said quality was the most influential factor, compared to 16.8 percent who said low prices were their biggest concern. This marks a change from Duke's August 2013 study, where the number of shoppers concerned most with prices was nearly equal to those focusing on quality (22.7 and 21.0 percent, respectively).

Similarly, a retail customer intelligence report by SDL revealed that 60 percent of global consumers and 75 percent of shoppers in the U.S. will open their pocketbooks a bit wider for brands providing a positive customer experience. 

In their retail marketing strategies, merchants can use these insights to optimize their initiatives. For example, the SDL study recommended focusing on ways to enhance the customer experience.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Wednesday, March 12th, 2014 at 12:28 pm .

Retail technology offers merchants many opportunities to enhance the customer experience and improve their marketing strategies. However, the popularity of mobile devices and social media is also shaping consumer expectations and transforming the way they respond to less-than-satisfactory service. For example, an unhappy shopper might take to Twitter to vent his frustration, potentially spurring a PR problem. Merchants need to leverage their own technological resources to mend relationships with unhappy customers and improve their service.

Forbes magazine described how Wal-Mart improved its approach to online criticism by shifting from a no-action policy to a rapid-action response. In other words, rather than let negative comments sit out in the Internet universe, the retailer quickly responded to comments on Twitter and similar platforms. The source emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive, respectful attitude.

"People are not looking for perfection online," Shama Kabani, CEO of The Marketing Zen Group, told Forbes. "What they're really looking for is humanity and a genuine response, so a negative review can be a great opportunity to respond in a positive and transparent manner."

Additionally, merchants can use data analytics to identify their shortcomings, suggested Business 2 Community contributor Christy Uher Ferguson, Teradata's applications community strategy leader. Using insights from retail reports, store managers can improve their operations to address shoppers' concerns.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Wednesday, March 12th, 2014 at 10:17 am .

Retailers use ecommerce software to establish an online presence and give shoppers options to buy online. Having a site is one thing, however, and having an effective site is another thing altogether. According to the Baymard Institute, nearly 70 percent of online shopping carts are abandoned. While some of this has to do with how customers use ecommerce technology to browse online, website design flaws can also cause shoppers to give up before they check out.

Here are a few tips to create a more successful checkout process:

1. Offer free shipping. Customers are often swayed more by free shipping than discounts, even if a reduced item price would be a better deal, according to the University of Pennsylvania.
2. Make prices visible, but not prominent. Studies have shown that using smaller fonts and excluding dollar signs can encourage buyers, Copyblogger reported.
3. Pre-populate and eliminate redundant fields. Asking customers to enter the same information twice can cause frustration.
4. Avoid ambiguity. Makes sure buttons and fields are labeled with clear descriptors that don't have double meanings, like "Continue."
5. Provide a status indicator. Show shoppers where they are in the process and how many steps are left, Betaout advised.
6. Include trust factors. To reassure consumers at the most important moment, put security logos near credit card fields.
7. Give a guest option. According to Betaout, offering the option to continue as a guest rather than registering is one of the top conversion strategies.
8. Let them go back. Make sure there's a working back button so shoppers can check or adjust their entries rather than forcing them to start over.
9. Use in-line error validation. Luke Wroblewski, CEO and co-founder of Input Factory, Inc., explained that showing errors right after users complete a field can increase satisfaction and reduce the time it takes to fill out a form.
10. Display complete payment summary. Surprising customers with shipping and transaction fees can cause them to drop out at the last minute.
11. Streamline the process. Eliminate unnecessary steps and avoid making customers leave the main checkout path in order to register or add information.
12. Show the goods. Remind customers of the products they're buying. For example, include pictures of some of the items in the cart, Betaout suggested.

These tips can help retailers optimize their ecommerce websites. They should also pay attention to retail customer trends and analyze web traffic data to identify successful strategies. Customer preferences are constantly evolving, so it's important to update websites in order to keep a competitive edge.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Wednesday, March 12th, 2014 at 9:27 am .

Merchants should remember the needs and preferences of older people as while implementing retail technology. In addition to the humanitarian value of making life a little easier for the aging, it's also good for business.

According to Neilsen, the World Health Organization indicated that the number of people 60 years old and older will reach an impressive 2 billion by 2050. As baby boomers age, the older demographic will be increasingly important to the merchants, but the retail industry is under-prepared to serve this group well, the source cautioned.

"The findings serve as a wake-up call to manufacturers, retailers and other marketers that need to bolster efforts to better reach and cater to an aging demographic," said Todd Hale, senior vice president of consumer & shopper insights at Nielsen.

Where does technology fit in? First, merchants can use retail customer intelligence to identify trends in what aging populations need and prefer as well as offer personalized suggestions to older patrons. For example, Marketing Charts explained that older age groups responded favorably to services like immersive shopping technology, which allows shoppers to virtually "try on" clothes on a high-definition screen. Retailers should also remember the needs of the elderly when planning their technology, making sure services like in-store kiosks are accessible and intuitive for this group of people.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Wednesday, March 12th, 2014 at 7:47 am .

From ecommerce websites to in-store retail technology, merchants are turning to creative ideas to improve the customer experience and their bottom line. Mobile apps offer a number of opportunities for retail marketing, and merchants are jumping on board with a number of exciting services that engage consumers to ultimately encourage purchases. 

Fashion retailers find mobile apps particularly advantageous as a way to tap into social discussions about clothing trends to draw customers. The Guardian described a number of interactive apps with which users can "like" a photo or add it to their profile page. The idea is that eventually they'll be more likely to purchase the item. For example, LIKEtoKNOW.it makes it easier for consumers to track down the clothes their favorite style bloggers are wearing, the source added.

To optimize end-user mobile apps, merchants should be aware of the latest retail customer trends and preferences regarding mobile engagement. The Financial Times emphasized the importance of making sure mobile apps offer relevant services and value to shoppers. Apps should be designed with shoppers' habits and preferences in mind so that marketing opportunities are complemented by increased convenience and exciting options.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Wednesday, March 12th, 2014 at 7:04 am .

Although online shopping has taken off in the last few years, there's still a lot more browsing going on than buying. According to a recent eMarketer report, two-thirds of shopping carts are abandoned, which means that ecommerce shoppers place items in their carts but don't follow all the way through to the sale. Rather than indicating something about ecommerce software, though, this figure points to customer habits. And it might not be such a bad thing.

Shopping cart abandonment
EMarketer noted that the rates of shopping cart abandonment haven't really changed over the last few years, demonstrating that retailers should be less concerned about preventing abandonment and more focused on how to make the online shopping trip useful to them anyway. The rate is even higher in the United Kingdom, Biz Report noted, referring to a OnePoll survey that found 75 percent of shoppers abandon their cart.

What drives customers to put items in their cart that they ultimately don't buy? Biz Report pointed to the likelihood that consumers are shopping around, checking prices on items at other retail locations or websites. This isn't all that much different from in-store behavior – many patrons will check product prices at a few stores before making a purchase. What's different is how they use the online shopping cart as a way to track the items they're interested in buying.

Opportunities for retail marketing
This behavior can actually be beneficial to retailers, who gain from insights into retail customer trends. EMarketer explained that even abandoned shopping carts give merchants data about shopping habits and consumer interest in specific items. At the first level, Biz Report suggested, this information is a useful tool for re-marketing and customer engagement.

"By abandoning their cart, the customer is inviting you to open a conversation via a triggered email and, 20 percent of the time, close the deal," James Critchley, CEO of Cloud.IQ, told Biz Report. "This opportunity is unique to ecommerce businesses which can foster a one-on-one relationship with their customers in a way bricks and mortar establishments can't."

By combining shopping cart information with other data, merchants have even more opportunities. EMarketer described how using website analytics and customer information in conjunction with cart abandonment data can provide a more comprehensive view of shopping habits. For example, with a customer-centric approach, retailers can discover whether customers are more likely to make purchases on return visits, whether being able to save items for later in their carts could drive sales and whether changes in their ecommerce software have made an impact on buyer activity.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Wednesday, March 12th, 2014 at 5:48 am .