It seems that nowadays online and offline retail stores are popping up at every corner, especially in the brick-and-mortar space where retailers are struggling to stay relevant in the face of increasingly stiffer competition. So naturally, the time has come for a change. After all, your goal is to grow your business and thrive no matter the market trends, and to achieve that, you need to evolve along with the industry and avoid the common pitfalls in the process. To make this happen, it’s important that you reinvent and redesign the online and offline brand experience.
Some of the solutions we’ll cover today will revolve around your online presence and digital marketing, while others will aim to elevate the in-store experience for your offline shoppers. Combined, these solutions will allow you to run a more efficient operation, and attract more customers while keeping existing ones at your side. Here’s what you need to do.
Start with the Window Display
Let’s begin by tackling a common pain-point many retail business leaders have – the window display. The way you set up your storefront will have a big impact on the perception of your store and your brand, which is why it’s important to stay on top of the latest trends, and to never come off as outdated. Retro is fine if that’s your theme, but outdated is a big no-no. With that in mind, start by analyzing the current design of your window display.
- Are all of the products clearly visible?
- Are you displaying your flagship products the right way?
- Are you emphasizing the products that are on sale?
- How about your brand’s visuals – is the storefront representative of your brand?
- Make sure to weave your brand’s values, tone of voice, and messages into the design as well, in order to make your window display as unique and eye-catching as possible.
While we are discussing your storefront, be sure to avoid some common mistakes as well. For example, avoid monochromatic designs, because a uniform color scheme will make the display look bland and outdated. What’s more, be sure to avoid clutter at all cost, and let every product “breathe.”
Integrate an Omnichannel Sales Strategy
Nowadays, it doesn’t matter if you’re operating online, offline, or in both realms, customers want and need to be able to purchase your products from various sales channels. In other words, this means that you need to integrate an omnichannel sales strategy that will allow your customers to buy from your store in various ways in the online and offline world.
This includes social media buying, Ecommerce, image purchasing (selecting products from images), phone and SMS purchasing, direct chat on your site and social media, and everything in between. The key here is to cover as many sales channels as you can in order to give your customers the freedom to buy no matter where they are and what they’re doing. After all, not everyone wants to visit your store, but that doesn’t mean that you need to lose those customers for good.
Create More Captivating Product Catalogues
One of the most important changes you need to make is the way you create and use your marketing materials. Nowadays, the line between digital and offline marketing is becoming more obscured with each passing year, as business leaders are innovating ways to combine traditional and digital marketing to appeal to the modern shopper, and reach them whether they are currently online or offline.
This is exactly what forward-looking companies such as Infostarters are doing with their product catalogues, as they aim to combine print and digital by optimizing all marketing materials for offline and online publishing. But that’s not all that professional designers should do for you, as you also need to create product catalogues that boast a unique visual appeal, portray your brand in the best possible light, and make it easy for your customers to find what they’re looking for.
Guide Your Shoppers on a Journey
Your store needs to be easy to navigate, because the last thing you want to do is to confuse your shoppers and drive them out the door before they’ve had the chance to browse through your selection. You goal is to take them on a shopping journey, so make sure to carve out a clear walking path for them, and put your best-performing and most popular products all the way in the back so that they will have to pass everything else along the way.
Clearly mark everything in your store, and post “road signs” so that the shopper knows exactly where they’re going. In the center of the store, put a small rest area with comfy chairs and ottomans, and maybe some free samples they can take home. This will allow them to rest, relax, and stay longer.
Redesign Your Entire Website
And finally, there are some website design considerations you have to take into account if you are to be successful in 2020 and beyond. Your site should emphasize UX across the board, so make sure to:
- Leverage AMPs (Accelerated Mobile Pages) to optimize your site for seamless mobile browsing.
- Create a simple store structure to make navigation a breeze.
- Include a search button and an intuitive sidebar.
- Simplify the checkout process as much as you can.
- Eliminate all clutter and utilize the white space.
- Make it easy for customers to reach your customer support agents.
Wrapping Up
Running a solvent retail store is becoming more challenging with each passing year, which is why it’s imperative to evolve and change with the prevailing trends. With these tips in mind, you will be able to redesign the entire brand experience and attract more customers to your business.
