Digital Tips FOR INDEPENDENT TOY RETAILERS: ENGAGING NEW AND REPEAT CUSTOMERS
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by Lance Brown, vice president of product development at Huzzah Media
or retailers today, particularly the merchants on Main Street, expanding your presence to connect with your current customers (and new ones) is critical to the growth and success of the store. Huzzah Media, which provides innovative digital solutions for small businesses, recently conducted a survey and found that 70 percent of businesses with fewer than 10 employees say time and cost restraints prohibit them from going digital. As online retailing grows and big box merchants continue to expand into cities and towns nationwide, independent toy retailers need to embrace the change and be where their customers are—online. Although it may seem overwhelming, going digital is not that hard.
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Start With Your WebSite
It sounds simple, but don’t neglect your website. Keep it fresh by updating it on a bi-weekly basis. Have someone on your team take ownership of the site, and make it part of his or her regular to-do list. Map content back to what will help your audience—what problems do they have that you can help solve with your content? Build a content calendar to keep you on task with updates.
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Make it Mobile
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the power of a search
Make sure your website translates well for mobile usage, since studies show most customers are accessing content through their mobile devices. Understand the experience you want your users to have on their phones and reverse engineer your site and mobile platform based on the look and feel of your store. There’s an old adage, “the best place to hide a dead body is page two of Google search results.” While a good website is critical, it’s not
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
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enough. Studies show only 28 percent of small businesses are happy with their company’s Google rankings. For many, more control over the power of search can not only have a big impact on reaching your customers, it can help you track insight about how they are finding you and what other stores/terms they’re looking for that lead them to your business. Get started by getting a free Google analytics account to understand traffic patterns to your site.
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Rewards matter
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go social
The best way to get customers coming back is to reward them. Consider this: What happens if one of your competitors finds a way to show your customers how much he or she appreciates their business? You could possibly have created an opportunity for him or her to move in on your revenue if he or she beats you to the punch. If your top priorities are word of mouth and repeat customers, a loyalty program directly and positively affects both of those for your business. Businesses with loyalty programs are more profitable, and loyalty customers are 70 percent more likely to make repeat visits. Establish and maintain your key social network platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Customers want to engage with brands beyond where they are being sold, so social media is a great way to show your store’s personality and hold onto their business. Remember to keep up with your pages, or you risk losing the momentum you had when you set them up. l Lance Brown oversees the developmental strategy for Huzzah Media. He began his career in sales and marketing for large retail brands before transitioning to positions on the small business side.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014