Customer Effort Checklist

Posted on November 1, 2017 by bermanevansretail

Unfortunately, too many retailers don’t do enough research on the customer experience. These firms really do not “get” where they come up short. A good tool to use is a customer effort checklist.

 

A Customer Effort Checklist

Consider these observations from Social Race Media:

“Customer effort — the time or effort a customer has to put in to get an issue resolved — can be complicated. There are a lot of different obstacles that can drive up customer effort. And measuring it isn’t always very straightforward, either.”

“But the benefits of reducing customer effort can be substantial. So how can you get started to be sure you provide a customer experience that isn’t fraught with obstacles? Start by following our simple checklist.”

 
Click the checklist to learn more.

Too many retailers don't do enough research on the customer experience. They do not "get" where they fall short. A good tool is a customer effort checklist.
 

Posted in Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information, Part 5: Managing a Retail Business, Part 7: Communicating with the Customer | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Promote Your Business with Free Resources

Posted on October 31, 2017 by bermanevansretail

Big retailers spend a lot of money to promote their businesses. And they use all types of offline and online media in doing so. But what about about small retailers? Many don’t even use the excellent site of the Small Business Administration for free information. Today we look at how to promote your business with free resources.

 

Promote Your Business with Free Resources

According to Webbiy, a Web site creator:

“Starting a business is very daunting. It becomes tougher when a firm works on a shoestring budget. Furthermore, promoting a firm among other established companies can be expensive. But it is possible even on a tight budget.”

 “Before the Internet, small and mid-sized businesses had few ways to promote their goods or services. Banner ads and fliers can be expensive. To get the best return on investment,  here are ways to promote your firm without spending a fortune.”

  1. Online Business Directories — “They allow users to search businesses in any niche. These sites are good places to start in launching an online presence. These sites have a wide range of audiences who are also potential customers for your business.”
  2. Local listing services — “Many small firms overlook this option even though it is free. And it an easy way to find customers searching in your area. Google Places makes it simple to locate your business on Google searches. Besides, Google Places shows your exact location mobile-friendly map. Yahoo Local and Bing Places for Business are also free to register.”
  3. Social Media  — ” The world is using these social media sites. So make sure you create your business profiles and pages on them. Set up a personal and company profile on LinkedIn. Post offers on your Facebook page. And have a direct channel on Twitter.”
  4. Content Promotion Sites — “Submit articles on topics your customers are interested in. This includes sites like Ezinearticles, HubPages, and Articlesbase. They let you add backlinks to your Web site to give you traffic.”
  5. Press Release Web Sites — “Always shoot off a press release and submit it to popular sites like PRLog and Free Press Release every time you do something newsworthy. There are many other sites where you can make an impact like Open PR and 24-7 PressRelease.”
  6. Blog — “Blogs are a perfect way to connect with customers directly and get your name out there. The key to successful blogging is updating as often as you can.”
  7. Online Communities — “Every niche has an online community. Join it and contribute actively. These communities are also free places to promote your business. They let you add links to your signature or mention firm when the need arises.”

Click the image to read more.


 

Posted in Online Retailing, Part 7: Communicating with the Customer, Social Media and Retailing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Halloween Big for Retailers

Posted on October 30, 2017 by bermanevansretail

It may not seem like it to many of us. But Americans spend a lot on Halloween shopping. Hence the comment: Halloween big for retailers. Not everyone relies on homemade costumes.

Annual Mother’s Day spending is much higher at about $24 billion. Yet, Halloween-related spending this year will exceed $9 billion.

 

Shopping Trends: Halloween Big for Retailers

In 2007, U.S. Halloween spending was $5.1 billion. This means 2017 represents a huge jump in our formal spending on Halloween.

As Dyfed Loesche report for Statista:

“The word Hallowe’en is of Scottish origin, meaning ‘Hallows Evening’. People celebrate on the eve of the Christian festival of All Souls on the last day of October. In the olden days, people viewed it as a time when souls freely wandered the earth. And evil spirits, the devil, and witches were at their most powerful. Like many other festivities, Halloween is now one of the yearly events when corporations can make a buck by selling the goodies to go with the occasion, in this case, mostly sweets and costumes to get the clientele tricking and treating.”

Halloween Big for Retailers. Infographic: Spending Creeps up Once More | Statista You will find more statistics at Statista

 

Interesting Facts About Halloween Shopping

The National Retail Federation is the leading association in retailing. Since 2003, it has conducted an annual Halloween survey “to see how Americans celebrate the fright and delight of this holiday.” In 2017, “179+ million Americans will participate in Halloween festivities. The top costume for children is reported to be an action hero or superhero. The top pick for adults is a witch. Pets will not be left behind. Ten percent of consumers are dressing their pet as a pumpkin.”

Take a look at the following information. Where do YOUR customers fit?

Halloween Big for Retailers. With more than 179 million Americans planning to partake in Halloween festivities, up from 171 million last year, spending is slated to reach a record high in survey history.
 

Posted in Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information, Part 6: Merchandise Management and Pricing, Part 7: Communicating with the Customer, Social Media and Retailing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment