The holiday season is a critical time of year for most retailers. It offers massive revenue opportunities that, for some companies, can decide whether they end the year in the black or in the red.
At the same time, it's easier to miss opportunities during the holiday season than at any other time of year, because shoppers are less patient and more hurried.
If you're a retailer, you probably know that it takes hard work to reach these frazzled consumers. Mobile is a major asset in this sense. When used properly, a mobile shopping strategy can connect you to consumers you might have otherwise missed while driving an influx of shoppers into your physical stores. Here are some simple tips to leverage mobile for greater holiday sales.
Geotargeting Busy Shoppers
Shoppers are in a hurry, and they're bound to run into trouble. One store is out of a certain product, while others don't carry it. As shoppers search for options, they often use mobile phones. By using geo-targeted ads, brands can focus on consumers in close proximity to a store, driving in shoppers simply by increasing awareness.
This is a strategy that applies year-round, but in the holiday season, shoppers are already hard-pressed to take care of everything they need. They're looking for the fastest solution and the path of least resistance. When brands geotarget, they appeal to those interests.
Push Mobile-Only Shopping Specials
There are a lot of benefits to having consumers shopping through their mobile devices. At this stage in mobile commerce, it's great to start building that relationship and get shoppers to think of mobile buying opportunities. Brands can make consumers aware of this functionality by offering mobile-only shopping specials, creating an incentive for shoppers to go to their smartphones and tablets.
Even after the shopping session has ended — and regardless of whether a purchase has been made — consumers have experience with your company's mobile wares. If they've downloaded a shopping app or subscribed to mobile newsletters, social feeds or other content, all the better.
Offer Trackable Mobile Offers
Want to observe the mobile-to-store path-to-purchase? Deliver mobile shopping offers that shoppers can redeem in-store. This is a highly effective strategy that connects with consumers through their tablets and smartphones — delivering promotions and possibly building a lasting relationship — while funneling shoppers into the front doors of a brick-and-mortar location.
And because the offers are trackable, you can see exactly how mobile is influencing in-store sales efforts. Such tangible results are a boon for marketing departments, and they can tell brands a lot about their consumer base's behaviors.
During the biggest shopping season of the year, brands can't afford to miss out on sales opportunities. Mobile is just another way of extending your brand's reach and cashing in on the holiday activity.
