It’s common knowledge that first impressions count for a lot in today’s lucrative fashion industry. Customers are now faced with such a vast amount of choice when it comes to shopping for their latest wardrobe additions online. But as we head into 2020, what retailers should consider is the effect this influx of variety could have on their sales and profits.
Since many people are now steered towards the ‘less is more’ ideology – and this includes their spending habits – online fashion brands must get creative with how they convince customers to buy their products over the competition. Though this may sound less than desirable, particularly to brands still in the startup phase, there are plenty of smart solutions to help minimise any threat of customers losing interest in your products or services, or shopping elsewhere altogether.
Here are 3 effective ways to boost your customer experience based on some of the key consumer trends in retail right now:
1. Identify with your customer’s emotions
In our modern digital world, fashion consumers are oversaturated with sales pitches, false advertising and disingenuous shopping experiences. No longer are sales-heavy marketers in control, the customer is firmly in the driver’s seat when it comes to where and how often they like to shop. So retailers must analyse their customer data closely, not only from an ROI standpoint but also with how their brand impacts customer behaviour. By delivering honest marketing campaigns that resonate with human emotions as opposed to a more product-dense message, your company is far more likely to remain memorable and relatable in the mind of your buyer.
For example, people appreciate empathy and honesty, which also extends to the brands they purchase from. So if your goal is to create a more authentic shopping experience, be sure to include an emotion-led approach in all aspects of your customer journey.
2. Assisted customer experiences are in demand
Whether it’s the use of chatbots that essentially act as an automated virtual assistant or employees being able to deliver faster response times to the more complex customer questions, fashion retailers must stay ahead of the curve and build a solid rapport with online shoppers. When it comes to assisting them at every stage of the buyer’s journey, transparency is key. After all, organic marketing from happy customers by way of positive reviews, word of mouth and social shares is often the best type of marketing any brand can ask for – and it’s free!
3. Offer personalised product recommendations
Did you know retailers that use CRM and behavioural data can generate 20% more ROI based on product recommendations alone? From personalised emails and discounts to pop-up ads tailored towards previous purchase history, another tactic fashion retailers can revisit is the need to create a more streamlined, hyper-personalised shopping experience. The way to do this is through the analysis of customer data which involves integrating a retail personalization platform like Recommend. By delivering highly personalised results to your customers, this will not only enable them to feel a greater sense of connection to your brand but will also help to skyrocket those product sales in the future. It’s all in the follow-up.
So whether your fashion brand needs to decrease cart abandonment rates, improve conversions or just look at how to create a more optimised customer experience, the above tips will help steer you into the new year with a genuine connection to your online shoppers – and a greater revenue increase as a result.
