It comes as no surprise that Google is the most popular search engine in the world. Combine that with the fact that the majority of shoppers are conducting product research online, and you’ve got yourself an incredibly powerful marketing tool.
That’s why getting your retail business to show up on Google is one of the most important things you can do to drive foot traffic to your store.
This means, that by properly managing reviews, your store is more likely to appear in top search results. Ultimately, this will increase foot traffic to your store and generate more revenue for your business.
To learn more about the importance of Google My Business (GMB) reviews, click here.
Why Respond to Google Reviews?
Responding to reviews is critical to any online business strategy – and it comes with several benefits too! These benefits include:
It builds trust and confidence with target customers
It shows Google that you are active
Encourages other customers to leave a review
How to Reply to Google Reviews
1. Sign in to your Google My Business account here.
2. Click on the three horizontal lines on the top left hand corner.
3. Click on reviews.
4. Find the review you want to reply to and click on the reply button below.
Responding to Positive Reviews
1. Thank the customer and be specific: It’s important that you show shoppers gratitude for their business and for the time they took to leave a review.
It’s also good practice to avoid generic responses. Remember you don’t want to sound like a robot! You can add a personal touch by tailoring your response to specific things spoken about in each review.
For example: “Thank you for your kind words – glad to hear you appreciate our large selection of items!”
2. Share Store Updates: Remember your replies are public and are likely to be seen by future shoppers. So it’s a good idea to highlight any relevant product offerings or new promotions. This also gives shoppers something to look forward to.
For example : “We’re glad you love our healthy food options…we’ve got more products that we will be releasing in September! More information will be revealed on our social media very soon ;)”
3. Invite the Customer to Take an Action: You can provide additional value to customers by suggesting other products or complementary services offered by your store. Another good idea is to ask the customer to return or spread the word about your business.
For example : “Next time you visit, you should really try (product name)!”
Or you could also say “We hope to see you again very soon – and bring a friend along with you!”
Responding to Negative Reviews:
1. Apologize: It can be difficult to stay positive when dealing with difficult or unhappy customers. However, it is extremely important to respond with humility with an aim to fix the issue. By acting in a defensive manner, you may turn away potential customers rather than attract them.
So regardless of what occured, always apologize. You need to send the message that you are sorry that the customer is upset – and that you will do your best to change how they feel.
2. Offer A Solution: Bad reviews often arise due to misunderstandings between a customer and a business. If this is the case, responding to the review is best way to clear up any misunderstanding.
It is important that you publicly share how you plan on solving or addressing the issue. Not only does this show commitment to good customer service, but it also builds trust among potential customers.
Sometimes, in addition to an apology and a solution, offering compensation is also a good idea. For example, you could offer a refund, a gift card, or a discount.
3. Take the Conversation Offline: Once you apologize and offer an appropriate remedy, it is a good idea to propose taking the conversation offline.
You can tell the shopper that customer service will reach out through e-mail or phone (whatever works best for the customer). A one-on-one conversation will often clear up any confusion and you will be able to understand the problem at a deeper level.
We hope you found this article helpful!
Would you like to learn how to attract local shoppers on Google?
Good news- we are hosting a breakfast seminar exclusively for GTA store owners! We will be discussing how you can attract more local shoppers with POS technology among other important topics. To learn more about the event and to register, click here.
Purely online brands that have opened physical locations in recent years include Glossier, Casper, Warby Parker – and even Amazon.
4 Tips to Attract More Customers
So if there’s one thing that store closures can teach retailers – it’s what not to do. Amidst a changing retail environment, selling more simply comes down to:
attracting more customers in store
increasing the amount customers spend
Here are 4 strategies that can help your Main Street store sell more:
1) Build an Online Presence
A failure to digitize is the reason many small retail stores are declining. But building an online presence is necessary to keep up with shopper spending habits.
In fact, in-store shopping behaviour is being influenced by online research – a modern trend called Research Online, Purchase Offline (ROPO).
Not yet convinced that you need an online presence?
Here are some factors you may want to consider. According to Google:
The majority of shoppers research online before purchasing in-store.
Shoppers who research online before purchasing offline are more valuable – they spend 33% more.
These customers shop a lot more – viewing more brands and visiting more stores.
They value seeing the physical product and that’s why they don’t buy online.
There are a number of online strategies that can attract customers in-store including:
An omni-channel retail strategy recognizes that customers like to shop across multiple channels. And that they often start their buyer’s journey on one channel but end up completing it on another.
Omni-channel is more than just selling online and in-store (a multi-channel strategy) – it’s about providing the customer with an integrated shopping experience. So whether the customer is conducting a search online, shopping via mobile, or browsing in-store, their experience will be seamless.
Sephora is an example of a retailer that is executing a brilliant omni-channel strategy.
Sephora’s Omni-channel Experience
Known as the beauty giant in retail, Sephora has embraced an omni-channel strategy that bridges it’s online and offline channels. When Sephora customers are shopping in-store, they can use their mobile app to look up previous purchases, read ratings and reviews, and see their Beauty Insider discounts (or loyalty points).
The beauty giant relies heavily on technology to enhance customer experience. For example, Sephora employees and make-up artists use Ipads and mobile to showcase hundreds of different products styles and shades. Employees can also use these devices to order out of stock items for shoppers and ship them directly to their house.
And the shopping experience doesn’t end when customers leave the store. With Sephora’s mobile app, shoppers have access to all things beauty – from the newest product releases, beauty tutorials, and the latest trends.
3) Improve In-store Experience
Attracting more customers to your store starts with a compelling in-store experience. Here are some ways you can create an appealing shopping experience for your customers:
To solve this problem, think about adopting a POS software that is designed for checkout speed.
Here are some factors to look for when choosing a POS:
Navigation designed for checkout speed and minimum clicks – you shouldn’t have to leave your salesscreen to complete a transaction
Barcode scanning speed with quick recall of your last search
Software designed to handle high volume inventory or a large number of transactions
For more information about adopting a line-busting POS, click here.
Train your employees well
Your employees are one of the greatest contributors to the in-store experience. And that’s why they are also the key to increasing your retail sales.
So it’s important to invest in quality employee hiring and development. Here are some tips to help your employees grow (and not slow) your retail sales:
1) Train them to have strong product knowledge: Other than online research and reviews, your employees are the second most important source of information for shoppers. So train your salespeople to provide shoppers with the information they are looking for.
Strong product knowledge includes : the features and benefits of your products, who the product is for, competing products in the market, product demonstrations, and situations the product is good for.
2) Teach them to connect with shoppers: interactions between customers and salespeople help make the shopping experience a memorable one. So teach your employees to engage with shoppers – it is a good idea to outline a plan (from when the customer enters the store to closing the sale).
Some tips include: greeting shoppers enthusiastically, finding something in common with the customer, and asking questions to figure out their wants and needs.
3) Help them speed it up: As mentioned above, quick service is a priority for most shoppers – and it needs to be a priority for your employees as well.
It’s important to have enough sales staff on the floor to guarantee speed. So make sure that you are staffing based on store traffic rather than arbitrary scheduling.
As I touched on before, picking a line busting POS software that is easy to use is also important in helping employees speed up store operations.
4) Promote Impulse Shopping with Effective Merchandising
Operating a physical retail store comes with a major advantage – impulse buys. Despite the rise of online shopping, the majority of impulse shopping takes place in physical retail stores.
Here are some ways you can merchandise your store to promote impulse buys:
Place relevant and lower-priced items near checkout
This is a popular strategy used by many successful retailers – and for good reason. It is an extremely effective tactic as shoppers are already at the point of sale. And by placing lower priced, relevant items near checkout, shoppers see an easy and convenient way to add to their orders. So by implementing this strategy, you are increasing their likelihood to make a purchase.
Place impulse buys near high demand items
Your checkout area isn’t the only place where you can promote impulse buys. Placing lower-priced items near your store’s top sellers is another effective strategy. As shoppers frequently head to these areas in your store, any merchandise displayed close by will naturally increase visibility.
Cross-merchandising
This means placing similar items in the same area so shoppers can find everything they need at once. This strategy encourages shoppers to purchase complementary products. For example, placing staples close to staplers will remind shoppers to buy an item they may have otherwise forgotten.
Do you want to learn more strategies to sell more? Good news- we are hosting a breakfast seminar exclusively for GTA store owners! We will be discussing how you can attract more local shoppers with POS technology among other important topics. To learn more about the event and to register, click here.
Retail merchandise includes all of the products and items that are available for purchase at your store (shoes, pet food, jewellery etc.). It is also commonly referred to as inventory or stock.
What is Retail Merchandising?
Put simply, merchandising is how your products or inventory are displayed in your store.
But there is more to merchandising than just attractive displays.
It involves everything you do to sell your merchandise once a shopper steps foot inside your retail store – from selecting the right products to pricing and promoting them in ways that will attract shoppers
Why is it Important?
When shoppers step foot inside your store, the goal is to get them to make a purchase – obviously. And merchandising is a tool that gets shoppers closer to that purchasing decision.
Strong merchandising practices can be the difference between a highly profitable store and a struggling one.
The benefits of an effective merchandising strategy include:
Increased Sales
Cost Control
Maximized Retail Space
Satisfied and Loyal Shoppers
Increased Employee Productivity
Merchandising Strategies
There are many ways to attract shopper attention and encourage purchases in store. Some popular strategies include:
Product samples and demonstrations
Cross-merchandising (placing similar items together)
Store signage (shelf signage, promotional signage)
Effective store design (the layout of the sales floor)
Promotional merchandising (pricing, discounts, special offers etc.)
Stocked shelves (having the right products at the right time)
Tips for Creating Effective Displays
Merchandising is an art and a science – meaning that it has both visual and strategic aspects to it.
The visual aspect has to do with how well your displays grab the attention of shoppers. It’s about making sure product displays appeal to the human eye.
While the strategic aspect has to with product and display arrangement. In other words, what products should be placed in each display and where.
Here are some tips for creating effective displays:
1) Display merchandise vertically rather than horizontally
It is more effective to display items vertically rather than horizontally. This means displaying similar products up and down your shelves rather than extending them across displays. By doing so, shoppers can find what they need by standing in one spot
2) Keep merchandise at eye-level
As the saying goes, “eye level is buy level”. This is one of the most popular concepts when it comes to retail merchandising. Eye-level is the best-selling height on every display – as it is the easiest height for shoppers to browse.
3) Use signage
There are many different types of signage when it comes to retail merchandising – outdoor signage, informational signage, directional (location) signage, and promotional signage.
Effective signage plays an important role in operating a successful retail business. It helps drive foot traffic while making it easier for shoppers to navigate your store. Without it, a poor shopping experience is probable.
4) Display as much merchandise as possible
Fill your shelves with as much merchandise as possible. This will avoid backroom stock while giving shoppers the impression that you can meet product needs.
5) Make sure all merchandise is priced
Displays are ineffective if you do not have clear and easy to locate price tags on your merchandise. So ensure all items are priced and that prices are consistent throughout your store. Shoppers are likely to get frustrated without proper product and pricing information
6) Cleanliness is key
Make sure your retail space is clean and organized. This will ensure that you are creating an appealing shopping experience for your customers.
A clean retail space will also attract shoppers and result in repeat visits. Cleanliness in your retail space includes a clean storefront (window displays, front doors etc.), fresh floors and shelves, and neatly stacked product displays.
7) Use loss leader pricing
This is when you sell products at below cost (or minimum profit margin) to entice shoppers to make a purchase. It’s important that you place your loss leaders at the back of the store.
This way, shoppers are encouraged to walk past other product displays in order to reach the “loss leader”. The intention behind this tactic is to drive sales of higher margin products in your store.
Loss leader pricing often leads to impulse purchases and is commonly used by popular grocery chains. For example, most grocery stores use milk or eggs as a loss leader. As shoppers have to walk to the very back of grocery store to purchase these items, it is highly unlikely that it will be their only purchase.
We will be posting more merchandising tips in the upcoming weeks! Subscribe to our blog to stay updated on merchandising trends, strategies, and industry best practices.
This is where Google comes in – Google My Business (GMB) is one of the post popular online review platforms on the web. When managed correctly, GMB reviews can have a huge impact on your retail business’s bottom line!
So keep reading to find out how your retail store can benefit from Google Reviews.
Advantages of Google My Business Reviews
1) Improve Your Online Visibility (SEO) on Google
Google wants to deliver the most relevant and beneficial content to its users. In order do this, it takes many factors into consideration – mobile responsiveness, content quality, a secure website, link building, keyword optimization etc.
However, when it comes to local search ranking, customer reviews are one of the most important ranking factors. Google even confirms this!
You’ve probably noticed that when you search Google for a local store or product, the business listings with more reviews and higher ratings appear in the “Local 3 Pack”.
For example, when I searched for “pet stores in my area”, one of the factors highlighted by Google are customer reviews – indicating that it is an important ranking factor. You can see that the top 3 positions are occupied by stores with 1) a higher rating and 2) a large number of reviews.
This means that by focusing on customer review management, you can improve your store’s presence in local search results. This in turn, will increase click-through rates to your website and drive more local traffic to your store!
2) Build Trust and Credibility Among Target Shoppers
Word of mouth has always been an incredibly powerful and beneficial marketing tool used in business.
This is because shoppers value the opinions of those around them – owing to the trust and credibility that exists in those relationships. So whether it comes from a family member, friend, acquaintance, or co-worker, store and product recommendations are taken in high regard.
The difference now however, is that rather than asking someone they know for a recommendation, shoppers can just go online!
And that’s why customer reviews play such an important part in your online marketing strategy. By establishing trust and credibility among target shoppers, you build a good reputation.
A good reputation will set you apart from your competitors, boost your online visibility, and ultimately increase your sales.
3) Get Useful Shopper Insight and Feedback
Google My Business reviews give retailers another advantage – they provide valuable shopper insights which can be used to improve business operations.
Let’s put it this way – your retail business will make more money if your shoppers are happy.
But how do you keep shoppers happy? And how do you know what they like or dislike about your retail business?
By asking for customer feedback!
That’s why each Google review you receive should act as an insight as to what your business is doing right or wrong.
Keep in mind that top performing retailers are constantly looking for ways to improve shopper experiences. With reviews, your target shoppers are telling you exactly what they like, hate, and ultimately – what needs to be changed.
By actively seeking feedback, you can observe what is working for your shoppers and what is not. This way, you can adjust your business operations to make your store’s customer experience the best it can be. At the end of the day, this will lead to better business and more sales.
Google Reviews Lead to Store Visits
By now, you should have a good idea of why Google Reviews are so important. In short, Google reviews provide small retail businesses the tools to build their online presence, establish authority, and understand customers better. In turn, these factors lead to more foot traffic and higher revenue.
So reap the benefits of Google reviews today by implementing strong customer review management in your business strategy!
We hope you found this article helpful!
Would you like to learn more about how to attract local shoppers on Google?
Good news- we are hosting a breakfast seminar exclusively for GTA store owners! We will be discussing how you can attract more local shoppers with POS technology among other important topics. To learn more about the event and to register, click here.
Many store owners face the same dilemma and they often phrase it like this: “How do I drive more foot traffic to my physical store?”
As 87% of shoppers begin their product searches online, building an online presence is a great place to start!
What Does it Mean to Have an Online Presence?
The term online presence is often confused with the existence of an online store or website. However, they are two completely different things.
Simply put, a strong online presence means that shoppers can easily find you online.
It is much more than just your website or online store – it is your entire existence on the web! This includes your social media, shopper reviews, local listings/directories, your ranking in search results etc.
Why Does My Retail Store Need an Online Presence?
It’s no secret that today’s shoppers spend a significant amount of time online.
The majority of shoppers start their product searches online but end up purchasing in-store, giving rise to the trend of Research Online, Purchase Offline (ROPO).
So in order to stay relevant and meet shopper expectations, retailersmust have a strong online presence.
5 Ways To Increase Your Store’s Online Presence
1) Google My Business (GMB)
Google My Business is one of the most effective ways to increase a retail store’s online visibility. So, if you are a local store owner looking to build an online presence,creating a GMB profile is the first step you should take!
This is why Google My Business is so important. As Google wants to display the most relevant information, it will always display search results based on a user’s location.
For example, if you decided to Google “pet store”, the GMB profiles of local pet stores in your area would appear.
This means that by creating a GMB listing, you can easily target local shoppers in your area.
And the best part? It’s completely free!
By having a complete and accurate GMB profile, the greater your chances are of ranking higher in both Google Search and Google Maps.
This is why Google Shopping is one of the most important tools available to retailers – especially to those who are looking to increase their online presence.
Google Local Inventory Ads (LIAs) give retailers the ability to display their local, in-stock merchandise at the exact moment that a relevant product search is made.
Once a shopper clicks on the ad, they are redirected to your store’s page. Here, they can view your in-stock inventory, current promotions, store location, directions, and store hours.
By implementing Google Shopping Ads in your online business strategy, you can increase your online visibility while driving more foot traffic to your physical store!
So whether you choose to use unpaid (organic) or paid social media tactics, it is a great way to boost online visibility and store sales.
You can start by posting attractive content on social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest, and Google My Business. You may want to determine which platforms are best for your retail store. Determining the right social media platforms for your business depends on several factors – your target shopper, retail sector/industry, and business goals.
It’s also important to post consistently in order to deliver relevant content to your shoppers. Posting regularly also helps in growing your following and online presence. Ideally, you should aim to update your social accounts several times a week.
Some good content ideas include:
Sharing appealing images of your products and store. Videos and images are proven to receive higher engagement than text-only posts.
Promote exclusive events,limited time offers, and promotions to drive traffic to your store.
Hold social media contests. Incentivize shoppers to follow your social accounts by making it a rule or condition of the contest.
This is why customer review management plays an important part in building your online presence.
It establishes trust and credibility amongst target shoppers. This in turn, helps boost your online visibility and leads to more sales!
Here are a few tips for managing shopper reviews:
Respond to reviews (even the bad ones!)
Responding to customer reviews says a lot about your business – it shows that you are paying attention to the needs of your shoppers and that you care about providing good-quality customer service.
It’s important to thank shoppers for leaving positive reviews. This often encourages other shoppers to leave a review as they know it will be read.
Don’t feel discouraged by bad reviews! In the case that a shopper leaves a negative review, it is best to address it and resolve the issue. This way, potential shoppers will feel more comfortable doing business with you!
Incentivize shoppers to leave reviews
Oftentimes, shoppers do not like taking time out of their day to leave a review. So it’s a good idea to incentivize these busy shoppers!
You can do so by offering every shopper who leaves a review a reward. Some good ideas include:
Offering shoppers a discount on store merchandise.
Holding a monthly contest – where every shopper who leaves a review will be entered for the chance to win a prize (a gift card or popular store merchandise etc.)
Giving out coupons/gift cards(for ex: $5, $10 ,15 off) that are only redeemable in-store.
It’s important to be cautious when offering incentives! Some review platforms such as Yelp discourage incentivizing shoppers. So make sure you carefully read the guidelines of the platform(s) you choose to use.
Display reviews on your website
Review platforms don’t have to be the only place where you leverage the positive thoughts and experiences of your shoppers.
Displaying shopper testimonials on your website can help establish credibility. When they are accompanied by photos, videos, and customer information, they are also highly persuasive.
Here is a great example of ACE POS leveraging positive reviews on their website:
Anyone can make up a positive testimonial and attribute it to a fake name. Since the goal is to establish credibility, it is important to include the customer’s full name, job role, company, a link to their website (if applicable), and other identifying information.
5) Make your Website “Mobile Friendly”
The majority of web searches are now being done on mobile devices rather than desktops or laptops. Meaning – shoppers have high expectations when it comes to mobile sites!
Having a mobile friendly website also has a direct impact on your online presence. Mobile-friendliness is one of the key factors used by Google when deciding how to rank your website.
This is why it is so important that your website is optimized for mobile search!
You can check the mobile responsiveness of your website with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
At this point, you may be wondering : “how do I optimize my website for mobile users?”
Most website builders (Wix, Squarespace, etc.) provide mobile optimization – but it all comes down to what best suits your retail business. For an in-depth review of website builders for mobile editing, click here.
We hope you found this article helpful!
Would you like to learn more about how to increase your retail store’s online presence?
Good news- we are hosting a breakfast seminar exclusively for GTA store owners! We will be discussing how you can attract more local shoppers with POS technology among other important topics. To learn more about the event and to register, click here.
