With the competition from online retailers being so fierce, customer experience is one of the best ways to separate your specialty retail shop from the competition. A personalized approach and treating customers as individuals is essential in creating a great experience. Here we’ve outline six ways to make your store stand out.
Create An Inviting Atmosphere
When a customer enters your store, they should immediately feel welcome and comfortable. You should have soft lighting, appropriate music, and a clean environment. Décor will vary depending on the theme of your store, but everything should be clean and inviting. Offering small snacks and beverages will help keep people in your store longer, as will the music. Customers should be greeted once they arrive and staff members should remain attentive to their needs without being pushy.
Make Shopping And Payment Convenient
Making it easy for your customers to shop and pay for your goods and services is one of the most important factors in improving the overall customer experience. Ecommerce and online payments can allow you to reach a much wider audience and enable your small business to compete with the likes of Walmart and Amazon. Managing your inventory to avoid shortages and having the ability to accept payments in any form will go a long way toward improving your customer experience.
Use A Strategic Pricing Model
Your pricing should reflect the value you are providing to your customers. This can include the experience they receive as well as the rarity and quality of your products or services. It’s important to note that lower prices are not always better. Many people will be turned on by higher prices as they can convey a product’s exclusivity. Common products should be priced to rival your competition.
Provide Impeccable Customer Support
Standing behind your products and being available to customers to support them is critical in providing a noteworthy customer experience. Return policies should be made clear and every effort should be made to ensure satisfaction. Many online reviews focus on customer service. Resolving issues in a timely and professional manner can have an even bigger impact on your reputation than if you got it right the first time.
Be A Socially Responsible Business
The way your company is viewed by the public hinges largely on your community involvement and views on popular social issues. Contributing to local organizations and charitable foundations can draw in customers and increase their satisfaction by showing that your company aligns with their core beliefs.
Invest In Building Brand Awareness
The popularity and visibility of your brand will have a lot to do with customer expectations when doing business with your company. Meeting and exceeding expectations is what gives consumers confidence in your brand. That confidence and trust will have an impact on how a customer views the customer experience you provide.
Download our investment guide to learn more.
