Retail can be a tricky thing, especially when it comes to turning window shoppers into buyers. As many of you may or may not know, I recently opened up the first Bijouxx Jewels retail location and I am about to tell you first hand the way to keep customers interested so you have the best chance of them making a purchase! I also have some great tips for E-commerce window shoppers as well!
1. Engage with the potential customer as they’re browsing around! At this point, the customer is “window shopping.” They are looking at products and have not spoken to any sales associate yet. A quick, “ Hi, how are you?” or “ Just so you know, today is our opening sale” should get them talking.
2. Tell the customer about the brand. (I am going to assume you are not Macy’s or Nordstrom and you are an emerging brand.) Chances are, if the customer is already looking at your products they are interested in the brand and thus, in making a purcahse! Tell them about it! Who creates the designs? What is your company mission? This will open up the conversation and give them a better view of the company and it’s goals.
3. Mention your history. Have you been on TV? Had any press mentions worth sharing? Tell the shoppers about it! This will help your legitimize you and proves credibility within your industry!
4. Answer their questions. You are there to help them! If they want to know about a specific product, pricing or other color options; tell them everything you know! Close that sale!
5. The customers who are buying in your store are looking for more engagement than an online shopper. They are there for an experience, so give them one! Smile, and talk about the brand you know and love! Soon, they will love it too!
You don’t want to come across as too pushy or desperate. There is a fine line between “friendly and informative” and “over the top pushy.” If they seem on the fence about a purchase, what I always do is refer them to the website- they can always buy it later! Chances are the buyer will check out the website if you provide them with a personal, unforgettable experience in store.
Speaking of the website- we want to turn ALL of our window shoppers into buyers- not just in the physical store. Here are a few great ways that have proven successful for my brand, Bijouxx Jewels with online shoppers:
1. Add a Pop Up to the Website. Yes, those boxes that come up as soon as you go to the website. Usually they are either suggesting to enter your email address to sign up for special mailing list offers or they offer a discount off your first purchase! There’s a reason so many successful companies use these pop ups- they work!
2. Abandoned Carts. If you are not familiar, get familiar with the Abandoned Cart apps immediately! When a shopper has added a product to their cart and doesn’t make it to checkout, you can have your website set up to automatically send them an email reminder about their cart. This helps secure the purchase. Shopify has a great Abandoned Cart system already built in.
3. Communicate. Make sure your website is set up to send a “thank you for your purchase” email to the shopper after they have made their purchase. The better you “communicate” with your customers, the more likely they are to come back and shop again.
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