A Sears shopper likes the Sharp 52” Aquos LED Smart TV on the sales floor. She notes the model and price, then Googles to see where else it’s being sold and at what price. If she finds a better price, will she: (1) buy it at Sears for convenience, (2) purchase it online cheaper, or (3) drive across town to a competitor offering a bargain price?
“Smart shopping” isn’t new – 84% of shoppers conduct Web research pre-purchase. Historically that research was done at home or work in front of a computer. Today, according to Vibes’ 2012 Mobile Consumer Report, 90% of all people who enter a retail store carry a cell phone and 82% of those are smart phones with Web connectivity. More than half of on-site store shoppers then conduct online price checks. This is called “showrooming.”
Should retailers scurry to an app development company to grab that online audience? Saunter, don’t run: Only 17% of shoppers refer to a company’s app while shopping in-store. Shoppers don’t want to “join you” to “shop you.” They want to do an online search for the specific product, and they do that by surfing the Web, and scanning or texting for more product information. Despite all the money invested in push texting or proprietary app development, 69% of the people who sign on for a free app have unsubscribed because of too many messages or updates.
How and where can store owners compete? Vibes’ key findings:
• Shopper confidence counts: “Providing accurate and accessible product information builds consumer trust and loyalty.”
• Online sales can also benefit from showrooming: “29% of shoppers who used a retailer for a showroom ended up buying from the store’s own website.”
• Lost sales are a growing concern: 6% [of showroomers] are likely to abandon an in-store purchase for a competitor.”
Back to basics: Is your website magnetic enough to draw showroomer traffic? Is it search-engine optimized? Does it provide useful product information and refer shoppers to knowledgeable floor salespeople? Do you have a call to action for your most profitable (versus most expensive) items?
Do you provide online product support with mobile text capability to answer questions in real time? Mobile users typically respond to a text message within 90 seconds, and they’ve come to expect that response time from you, too – compared to the average email response time of 90 minutes (STIA 2012 statistics).
Suggests Vibes, “Integrate mobile touch points at every stage of the buying process, from awareness and engagement through transaction and loyalty.” Just don’t rely on it as a stand-alone sales tool.
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