Blog
How to provide an exceptional customer experience in the digital environment
Krystal Taing, listings management product specialist at Rio SEO, shares insight on how havig the right tools and technologies can help retailers deliver experiences that delight tech-savvy customers, converting them to become loyal advocates of the brand.
January 30, 2020 by Krystal Taing — Sr. Product Specialist, Rio SEO
Long before a customer ventures through the doors of a store, they're considering their options. In fact, according to survey data from Google, 83% of U.S. shoppers use online search before setting foot in a store. This is the modern consumers' journey; it's a path to purchase with a myriad of touch points, many of which are outside of a brand's owned media and therefore its traditional sphere of insight.
With this in mind, how can brick-and-mortar retailers adapt to provide exceptional customer experiences in the digital environment?
Be present where customers are searching for products and services
A brand's digital presence goes far beyond the content found on its website. For instance, a recent analysis conducted by Rio SEO found that one in 60 Map Pack views (Google's local search results) drive a click through to a website.
Why is that? In short, Google aims to provide the best answer for each query and in doing so, often gives searchers enough information to make a decision without visiting a website. From the Map Pack, customers can click to call the business, get driving directions, read online reviews, see store hours, view promotions and more. That is, if location listings have been optimized to display this information. Optimizing all fields available in local listings will improve both customer experience and online visibility, make all store locations more discoverable and drive more online to offline conversions.
Map out the customer's journey and remove friction
Current consumer behavior is forcing retailers to think holistically. From apps to e-commerce sites to messaging plugins and email marketing, each local marketing element must meet the consumer's need for information, validation (i.e., consumer reviews) and the ability to take action.
For example, if a prospective customer needs to know whether a product is in stock at a local store, how easy (or hard) is it for the customer to find this information? Is it published via Local Inventory Ads on Google? Can they view this information on the website? Can customers easily message a store representative and get an accurate response in a timely manner?
Retailers also need to consider the customer who has already decided to purchase a product and just needs to take that last step to get in the door. Is the company's online listings optimized to display accurate store hours so the customer won't arrive at a locked door? Does the company's online reviews affirm the customer's decision to buy from this store — or does it cause the customer to question their decision?
Marketers need to proactively identify these potential points of friction and work to ensure they won't become roadblocks to conversions.
Leverage digital tools to optimize customer experiences
Google My Business (GMB) and industry-specific sites need to reflect accurate, up-to-date business information, but that's not all. Retailers need to leverage all available digital features and fields online to set the customer's expectations from the very first interaction. By providing compelling photos, utilizing instant messaging and responding to reviews as well as GMB Q&As, retailers will better connect, engage and attract loyal customers.
Empower local managers to create the content consumers in each local area crave without sacrificing critical brand controls. When possible, tap into the full power of local landing pages by featuring local events, highlighting promotions, calling out new product and service lines as well as providing other locally relevant information. As a result, companies will attract customers and keep them engaged on their web pages longer. Creative, engaging and detail-oriented local landing pages are a key component to a brand's online presence and ability to appear at the top of relevant searches.
It may appear that technology is driving consumer expectations beyond brands' abilities to keep up, but this isn't the case. In fact, the right tools and technologies can help companies deliver experiences that delight tech-savvy customers, converting them to become loyal advocates of the brand.
Krystal Taing is a listings management product specialist at Rio SEO.
About Krystal Taing
Krystal Taing leads Local Product Strategy at Rio SEO for global enterprise brands across hundreds of thousands of locations in finance and insurance, retail, hospitality, healthcare, and more. Her extensive experience informing and crafting local strategy aids multi-location brands in solving their most persistent local marketing challenges to improve organic visibility, search rankings, and online-to-offline traffic. Krystal is a respected local search authority and a resource for marketers and businesses of all types and sizes.
