How Well Do You Know Your Wireless Customer?

With even the most basic of retail solutions, wireless businesses can access baseline customer details: name, purchase record, payment history to name a few. 

But your customer is more than what they buy, so why only focus on those minimal details?

Unified commerce is a key component of knowing your customers. This retail practice is best broken down by three core categories:

• Bring all relevant data, from functional business areas, together in a single repository. 

• Mine data for insights and opportunities using advanced analytics.

• Present the right items, offers, and services to each customer at each interaction moment. 

No pressure, right?

Personalized retail is creeping back into the mainstream. Where it was once acceptable to have what a customer was looking for, it is now expected that the same product is delivered with exceptional service from front-line staff. This can be difficult to do if you only know the date of the customer’s last payment. That’s where unified commerce comes in.

Uncomplicate the wireless retail experience 

Not long ago, the inward-looking concept known as omnichannel had retailers of all kinds ​“gazing at their operational navels” as they made efforts to align data and internal systems across their physical and digital storefronts. The work was hard, and a relentless focus on inventory and pricing practices too often left the shopper’s side
of the equation wanting attention.

Now, with the influx of mobile adoption, retailers are scrambling to offer e-commerce platforms. While this opened the door to more ways to buy, it’s now common for customers to use many avenues to complete one purchase, which means it’s harder to understand your customer data if you don’t have connected systems. 

For instance, one shopper may start their journey with online research but ultimately wants to complete the purchase in-store. Other shoppers may inquire in-store but want to browse all options available through online channels. 

This flexible buyer’s journey can complicate the retail process, especially if you have legacy back-office systems, which were designed for operating stores and relied upon data structures that are not aligned with newer digital commerce requirements. That means you can’t meet your customer’s expectations, and you risk losing them to a competitor that can.

But if your stores can leverage a unified solution, you’re not only able to better understand your customers, you’re able to provide a uniquely memorable in-store shopping experience, which gives them a compelling reason for the customer to return.

Consistency is key

Customer perception is what your shoppers are saying about you when you’re not around. When a shopper thinks of their store, they have a vivid idea of who they perceive you to be and whether or not it’s good or bad, it’s how they feel. Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t influence their perceptions, even if they start off as negative but it takes some elbow grease. 

Consistency across channels is the ticket to ensuring customers, loyal and prospective, perceive your brand in a ray of positive light. Through mobile-enabled retail – in-store and on their portable devices – customers can be met along the path to purchase. This means a completely assisted but uninterrupted retail experience, wherever they chose to buy. 

High expectations, higher delivery

Wireless retailers feel the pressure of their competitive industry. With independent retailers, corporate locations, and kiosk options popping up every minute (maybe not that often, but it feels like it), businesses are asked to provide an unwavering service. Customer expectations have never been higher, and more complex, but there are many ways for retailers to answer the call. Wireless retailers know mobile better than anyone and know how best to harness it for profitability.

For multi-channel shoppers, retailers can offer drop ship; buy online, pick-up in-store; or reserve online pick-up in-store functionality.

For social media shoppers, businesses can use remarketing tactics to offer relevant discounts and promotions on the items they love.

For in-store-only shoppers, wireless stores can add mobile tech to streamline an efficient research, selection, transaction process.

Being ready for any shopper situation ensures no sale goes un-closed and no customer left unsatisfied.

Unify the customer experience

Creating a 360-degree view of your customer takes a powerful combination of strategy, tactics, and tools to give wireless retailers what insights they need. Want to learn more? Watch our expert-led webinar recording for exclusive teachings.