I shop in brick and mortar stores on a fairly regular basis. Before I visit the store, I usually research the products I intend to purchase and look at customer reviews. I visit stores because I enjoy seeing and touching/feeling products before I buy them. But there’s something missing. Customers like myself want options similar to what I get online. On average, when visiting a physical store, I purchase a product 60–70% of the time. Sometimes it is out of necessity—I need the product right away because I either procrastinated or I didn’t realize I had a need until it was too late. That being said, I’m not always inspired to purchase when I walk into a physical retail store. For products I intend to use myself (versus gifts I am giving) I’m sometimes unsure about purchasing the product. I start thinking, “Will this actually work? How much of this is marketing hype?” Or, “Do others find value in this product?”
Whose Opinions Do You Trust?
When I think about the way I shop for various products online, I am most likely to purchase when friends, family, or other consumers rave about the product. When I am scrolling through social media, I am drawn to posts of friends that talk about how a particular product changed their life or made a task much easier. I find myself thinking “If they like it so much, maybe I will too.” And, “Maybe this product will help me solve that problem I’ve been having with such and such.”
Is Something Missing in Retail Locations?
When I go into a physical store, I often find myself thinking, “Why is my experience so different online versus in the store with the same retailer?” Brick and mortar retailers need to find ways to differentiate themselves or at the very least offer a similar experience to online retailers. Many have implemented mobile point of sale (POS) options to meet the needs of consumers who need to get in, get out, and go on their way to their next activity. Retailers have also started implementing omni channel solutions that allow customers to buy and return when and where it is most convenient for them. Most retailers have implemented digital signage in their stores to attract consumers and increase potential to capture more sales. However, much of that digital signage does not resonate with customers, it is made up of static pictures, or the same video loops over and over. (Or even worse, it’s not even on!)
Reviews You Can Use
Connection and Industry Weapon have partnered up to deliver a solution that creates a more effective digital signage strategy. The solution is called Verified Open Insight for Consumer Enlightenment (VOICE), and it combines the voice of the customer (using pre-approved customer feedback and testimonials from social media) with the marketing content of the retailer. It’s been proven that customers will be attracted to messaging and thus more inclined to purchase a product based on the reviews and recommendations of others. In fact, 90% of US consumers find user-generated content to have the most impact on their purchase decisions.
We understand the impact that social media in conjunction with digital signage can have. Together with Industry Weapon, Connection can improve the overall customer buying experience.
Meghan Haley
Meghan Haley is a Product Manager for Workplace Transformation at Connection. In her free time, Meghan likes spending time outdoors running, hiking, or skiing.
