Basic Attitudes In Serving Customer

Each employee must provide services by placing himself as a consultant to all customer that comes into the store. The attitude of an employee is a reflection of the company's attitude towards its customers. If the employee is bad in terms of customer service, then the corporate image is also bad in the eyes of customers. So, it is important to communicate to the employees about the good service to customers.

In general, the basic attitude of good service to the customer are:

1. relax

This means :

- Use non-formal language, according to the character of the customer being served.

- Show a confident attitude

- Able to create a fun and friendly atmosphere

2. Prioritize services to customers than other activities.

3. Do not obtrude.

4. Required to provide information on:

- self-identity

- product advantage

- ongoing promotion

5. Always show an attitude ready to serve any time.

Things that are considered not show a service attitude is:

- Receive or play Telephone / Mobile in the store floor

- Indifference

- Joking and huddle with fellow employees

- Relying on the product display,door, display window, etc

- Stand idly Attitudes

Build Your Warehouse, and Expand Your Store Area

When you open the store for the first time, maybe you have a few of the quantity and diversity of products. You do not have a lot of quantity and product variety was limited to best seller category. This closely related to your business financial.

But over time, your business is sure to grow. The manufacturers began eying your business and hope to become your supplier. Similarly, customers demand on your product is rapidly increase. Of course you will compensate it by increasing the quantity of products and increase the variety of products that you sell in your store. Now you need a warehouse to store your merchandise products. It is time you should build a warehouse and even expand your store area. If necessary, you should have your own store building, and no longer hiring.

The robustness of a building determines operational stores processes that you run; so purchasing building materials such as steel frame building should be an important consideration and maybe the first list to consider. For building materials, one recommendation is FLGB. FLGB material is very strong and durable so that you are not too much bothered with the building repairing cost at a later date.

Importance of Point Of Purchase (POP) In Retail Business

When we went shopping for food, clothes or a car, we will be given many choices, and too much choice. Are we going to choose a brand familiar to us, or we take the challenge to try a new brand?

With so many choices faced by consumers, then they will be very easy to become overwhelmed, and they tend to give in to the decision making process by buying products that are already known rather than try something new! But even if we wanted to try a new product, customers do not even know where to start. Too many POP materials and communications issued by the maker of brands talk about the features of their products and completely forgot to talk to the benefits - in a product. Benefit-driven communication is the best way to talk to customers. Is the brand more efficiently? Providing time-saving or cost-effective?

At the store, merchandising and point-of-sale (POS) is a very important thing to make a connection with the customer to encourage impulse sales. To catch the eye of consumers, brand owners and retailers need to constantly create innovative Point Of Purchase (POP) in the store to attract attention. Without attracting attention and communication, many consumers often overlook new products or specials and consequently buy products that are familiar and already trusted.

Business retailers want to ensure that their brand is in stores and available to consumers. Here are the things to watch out for doing that:

Packaging: This is the most important brand POP. This is the part that will continue to work everywhere: on the shelf, in a store, in the kitchen, at home, anywhere. It's all about originality! A brand needs to have a unique character and personality and more importantly talk about the benefits.

POP: Using a unique visual elements and colors that describe a brand in order to attract customers. Creating effective POP on shelves, cell phones, coupons, or digital media are some tactics that can be used.

Check Out Displays: Using Check Out Displays in the store is an effective tactic to make the brand stand out. While consumers wait in line, strategy shelf "one brand" can create astonishing effects. And certainly will increase impulse buying customers.

Floor Graphics, Floor Stand, Floor or display: Usually placed in front of the store. It is an effective and creative way to direct consumers to a product! Reforming certain artistic products coupled with attractive graphic images will provide a significant effect on sales.

Effective POP can make consumers out of their routine, and this can affect the behavior of their shopping and their purchase decision. All retail businesses should be sure to do it right. However, so many cost spent for advertising, if consumers do not find them on the shelves, there will be no sale.

Good Customer Who Ruin Your Business

I am a good customer. You all certainly know me. I am a customer who never complained; no matter form of service I received.

When I go into a restaurant, then I will sit quietly while the waiters chatted and did not bother to inquire whether there was someone is coming to take my order. Sometimes a group of people who come after me served first, but I'm not complaining and whining. I'm just waiting.

And when I go into a store to buy something, I do not want to make others difficult. I am trying to understand others. If a servant is acting to be offended, because before taking a decision I had to see the various items on display, so I tried to be polite. I do not believe that rough should be met with rough.

Sometime ago I stopped at a gas station and had to wait until nearly five minutes. And when the waiter serves me, the gasoline filled squirt into my windshield, and then he wiped it with an oily cloth. Do I complain? No, I just stay quiet. I never forced, I never whine. And I never imagined that I would be a spectacle in public places. I think it is not appropriate, but I did not say anything, because I am a good customer. And do you want to know anymore who I am?

I AM A GOOD CUSTOMER THAT WILL NEVER SHOP BACK IN THOSE PLACES!

Shopping Customer Motives

Shopping is fun for some people, because shopping is not only buying and selling activity, but also recreational activity in today's society. Unlike some years ago, now shopping activities not only as a routine activity to meet the necessary items, but often become entertainment shopping activities to eliminate the boredom of daily activities performed.

Customers have various motivations or reasons to shop, but to get the product, customers also view shopping as an enjoyable activity accompanied by one or more activities as expressed by Henry Assael marketing experts that shopping is an activity to enjoy the store environment, track and observe the store bargains, speak the clerk, as well as spending money.

Shopping activities Seems simple, but the truth is therea are complex interactions between various aspects of the environment where shopping is done. so that the activities of marketing strategies are designed to understand customer shopping behavior.

Product Availability In Offline Stores

Customers behavior are commonly the same. They look for something they like, something their needs and they usually stick with it. They tend to change when something really compels them to do so, and it is not always about the price.

Retail businesses has a lot of competition; not only competition with similar size stores, but also a competition with online marketplaces and big box stores. If we do not managed our store very well, then our business can easily runs out.

Retail business has something important, and that is shelf space. Note that there are no retail store business can carry every item or even every style, shape or flavor of every item.

This means is also that these businesses can't satisfy all customers. And, if a customer cannot be satisfied, then that is an opportunity for another store - your store.

I believe that you have an experience when you gone to some store to find a certain product, but when you get there, you only found that the big empty space on the shelf where the item use to be. The store either don't carry it, quit carrying it or just are simply out of it? How is your feeling? The feeling that you either have to go somewhere else or settle for another item; an item that you either don't want or that does not fully meet your needs.

So, as a store owner, here is thing to do about our product availability:

1) Offer More Selection:
If your store can offer more selections or even more styles, then your store can attract and retain customers who want something more than just the regular product.

More selections means having more brands with higher quality and prices, more type of products, or more brands product with same quality and same prices.

2) Keep Your Shelves Stocked:
I hate going to a store, only to find out that they are out of product that is I needed. Well, what is your feeling is the same feeling with other customers. Not having the products on hand that customers want, does not instill a loyalty in that customer, and it is bad for business.

Keep our store shelves always stocked with products that customers can get at any time, can opens up an opportunity to earn a loyal customers, and making good image of our store.

Assume that customers are a very busy people. Thus, if they can go to your store and always get what they want, they are more willing to pay a little more for the product and the convenience.

3) Quality:
If your retail store can provide better quality, typically at higher prices, then your store has differentiation from other store. There are customers out there, even the most frugal ones, who will spend more money, make larger purchases, because they understand about the important of higher quality.

What you should do is just have to educate people. And, that means using your marketing strategy to not just let them know where to find your store or to promote your latest sale - but, use that marketing strategy to educate people on the overall cost savings they will realize from buying high quality products from your store.

Basic Attitudes In Serving Customer

Each employee must provide services by placing himself as a consultant to all customer that comes into the store. The attitude of an employee is a reflection of the company's attitude towards its customers. If the employee is bad in terms of customer service, then the corporate image is also bad in the eyes of customers. So, it is important to communicate to the employees about the good service to customers.

In general, the basic attitude of good service to the customer are:

1. relax

This means :

- Use nonformal language, according to the character of the customer being served.

- Show a confident attitude

- Able to create a fun and friendly atmosphere

2. Prioritize services to customers than other activities.

3. Do not obtrude.

4. Required to provide information on:

- self-identity

- product advantage

- ongoing promotion

5. Always show an attitude ready to serve any time.

Things that are considered not show a service attitude is:

- Receive or play Telephone / Mobile in the store floor

- Indifference

- Joking and huddle with fellow employees

- Relying on the product display,door, display window, etc

- Stand idly Attitudes

Think Strategic In Retail Store Business

If you intend to manage a store, maybe you've thought in mind what items will be sold, who will become customers, how to design the store, where it is located, and others. That view is not wrong because that is roughly a success factor of a store that you need to plan. However, before you need to provide a fundamental view before overall planning, strategy, ideas and processes that later would you do in your store. For that we need to think strategically about something that will provide a solid foundation for your business sustainable. By thinking strategic, we tried to look at our environment (market, competition, etc.), then compare with resources we have. From here we will get a thorough picture of how we should act.

Is it true that even a store, need to think strategically? Yes, now thinking strategically does not belong to big companies only. There are two important things that makes the process of strategic thinking should do. First, think strategic is important due to high intensity of competition in the retail industry. See it like a mini supermarket retail format. The amount that is around us can be hundreds or even thousands. Second, think strategic assist you in determining your target market. Consumers are very different characteristics, which each have different needs and characteristics of their own behavior patterns. Without a strategic thinking process, you are likely to get stuck on the action that is based on seeing the issue partially.

Strategic thinking allows us to see ourselves and our environment with a "helicopter view". We can see the whole at once, whether we have the resources and environmental conditions. But you must be honest and objective in conducting the analysis. Thus, we can do good plan and ready with anticipation. Remember, if you want to travel and do not know what path you are going through, then any road will take you anywhere without direction, maybe even get lost. Then what components in strategic thinking? That is Mission, Vision, and corporate values.

Simplify your Store Management with Software for Retail Stores

The development of retail business is no longer just on improving the availability and quality of goods only. There is a recent trend that consumers will demand better service excellence and integrated with technology, particularly the internet. Nowadays almost all retail businesses have a classy official website where all the information about the merchandise they can be accessed easily by the customer. For some customers, the less useful it was for them when their time is used only for window shopping to a store or boutique that ultimately did not get the things we want because its stock is up.

Smart customers an increasing number of today's more like doing online browsing in advance to get the kind of things they want from the store or clothing boutique there. Of phenomena specific software applications become indispensable retail stores. For what retail software is needed if we are able to upload our merchandise by hand? Again the smart customer we discussed not only want to see what kind of stuff but they did a survey and market observation. They need information on the number of existing and possible stock acquired discount if they buy 4 items at the same time for example. Benefits else can we can use in addition to making the customer retail software easy to find stuff and get info about the availability?

The process of manually update the number of items will be spending half your employees shift in vain to make them sit down at the computer to update the stock of goods. Now there is retail software that will automatically create a list of your items automatically update whenever there is no purchase orders online or manual cash. In addition to saving time, this automatic update system will release information in 'real time' to consumers so that there will be no complaints from consumers who have access to your store website and see there is a "ready stock" for the things he wanted was after he came straight to the shop Your stuff is not there and it was only due to delays in updates the number of stock items.

Technical Aspects of Online Store

Strategies involving the Internet can not avoid technology. The good news, along with the development of technology, all the things that smelled technically have experienced significant growth. That is, even a newbie can learn to use the technology without much difficulty.

Some of the technical aspects of building and operating online stores:

Selection of hosting and servers. This one is very often discussed topic, but also often misunderstood. Many beginners are seeking for cheap hosting because they are all the same. Not so. Cheap hosting only intended for personal websites that are not important whether it will have problems for many hours in a month.

Buying cheap hosting for your site is the same as opening your fancy shop with stalls lined paper. No one will respond to you seriously. If your site is slow, often down and troubled, visitors will go away. Each incident will exacerbate the image, reducing sales and bring complicated issues.

Quality hosting does not have to be expensive. Only by 10 to 20 dollars a month you can buy hosting for small and medium quality.

Content management software and shopping cart. The right choice will avoid endless frustration. The number of options available is often confusing. And depending on a software house for this important decision was not wise.

If you can not decide, try to use the content management application first. The process does not have to be difficult from the beginning. When I build an online store first of all, everything is just text and images. Booking through SMS and email. This method is fast and you can instantly accept orders. But for the long term, this process is not the most optimal and comfortable for customers.

Efficient online store consists of a shopping cart / virtual trolley that can be used by customers electronically. Acceptance of the order and confirmation of payment can be done easily and automatically without your intervention. Of course, customer support is required if there are additional questions from prospects before they buy.

Design an attractive site. Not only interesting, but usable. This means that a visitor should be able to easily use. This aspect greatly affects the number of visitors who stayed on your site and then buy. Templates and themes of good design is not overrun with dozens of boxes and images. A professional designer will know how to create a layout view that works fine, but as the owner of the store you who decides what should and should not need to be displayed.

If you want to save money, there's no harm in choosing an existing template. Maybe with a little modification. Design changes can be made at a later date after you get feedback directly or indirectly from the visitors and buyers. In fact, I do not know any of the online stores that do not change

Online Store Marketing Strategies

There is one thing you should know. Market their products through Facebook seem easy. Sign up an account is also free. But here's the thing less noticed by the owner of the online store. They assume because others do it, that's the right way.

Facebook policy strictly prohibits registration other than individual or personal account. If you do, your account may be deleted at any time. Tagging pictures of random products and add people to your friends list without knowing them in person often ends with sanctions blocking. This can all be avoided if you plan a marketing strategy first.

Here are some long-term strategies that have been proven in the field:

Search engine. Competition can be fierce, but every product is different occasions to get a good ranking in the search results. Today, because of the large market share and penetration among Internet users, Google is the only search engine that should be given more attention when you target the organic search results.

How natural it takes time to get the grades you want. Alternatively, you can buy ads that will be displayed on the sponsor-top and right side of the search results-to reach a particular prospect.

Search engine strategy is one of the most popular. Why? Since most Internet users use it to find all kinds of information, including the products they want. The results showed this method ranks first in the list of favorite strategy of micro, small, medium and large.

Users also proven search engine will open up the wallet to purchase products or services. Although it takes time and effort, this strategy is most crowded visitors ogled for business owners that will be obtained is complimentary.

If you choose the path of pay, Google offers a system of pay per click advertising, or pay per click. Costs incurred could explode if not careful in execution. This strategy is recommended only for those who know what they are doing. Usually those who are experienced and know the value of a customer they can use this channel effectively. This method can also be used to conduct experiments on a product because you can drive traffic quickly.

Email marketing. If done correctly, email marketing is potential. Unlike the other strategies, email can explore and deepen customer relationships and open communication that can only be done gradually. A marketer must have realized the importance of this approach. A customer who has a special relationship with you will be a customer forever.

The website is useful as a medium, but visitors who come rarely go back unless they really want what you are offering. Even if they come back, there is no proactive communication is done through the site. There are no controls that convert a prospect into a customer.

Publication of the newsletter via email, for example, can help a prospect understand the superiority of your product. This process does not always have to involve aggressive marketing message, but also tips and information to help. This method, which I call content marketing, has proven to be more effective.

My Newsletter for example, Whisper Success, contain unique and exclusive that you can not find on this site. Customers receive tips, strategies and even tactics they can use to start and grow their online business. Many of the readers then decided to register the various classes that I offer as amazed with the quality of the free information I provide.

Their minds, "If only it were so free with quality, what I get when attending intensive classes?"

You can also adopt this strategy to differentiate your business from competitors in an instant ... as most businesses do not wear it. They are still using traditional marketing methods, which as you know, has been reduced effectiveness from day to day.

Social networking. As said above, Facebook offers a huge opportunity because there are tens of millions of people are actively using it. The problem is if you do not want to source your visitors lost in an instant, redeeming manner that complies with the rules and policies of Facebook. At least look for alternative strategies that you can use so that your online business is not threatened because it is dependent on a single source of visitors.

Facebook Page or Pages offers a specially designed as company profiles, communities, and organizations. The Facebook account is only allowed for individuals. With the rampant abuse, enforcement will be more frequent ... so beware.

Some beginners do not understand why Facebook did. The reason is simple. Facebook survival depends on the quality of services provided. When all that is seen by the user who logged just offer products, sooner or later everything will stay away from Facebook. Surely this is not something to be desired.

The second reason is Facebook offers advertising program. You can promote and enthusiasts looking for the Page / Page you through advertising. With this strategy, Facebook earn income to support their international operations are expensive. Moreover, as commercial entities, their goal is profit.

Stores Online Planning Stage

Internet is the most rapid and appropriate to seek information, learn from each other and manage the resources needed to start a project like this. But this does not mean that everything can be done casually. You need a plan to mature, as well as all types of businesses.

Some questions that need careful consideration are listed below one by one.

What will be sold? Is suitable media websites? Do a little research to find out whether a product can be sold online. Today, even for businesses that require immediate presence, customers expect there are web sites that can be visited for a variety of information. For example Disney World. Visitors helped with news, promotions, maps and other information. And this is certainly encouraging them to visit on weekends.

What do the others? One thing that is different from the virtual world, you can do research on competitors quietly and without wasting a lot of time and effort. Everything can be done at home. Competitive intelligence can be very useful to differentiate your store from other online businesses.

This process sometimes takes a relatively long time. Suppose you are planning to sell beauty products. Instant search on Google will reveal what is being done players in the same market niche. What do they offer? What kind of promotional packages that work? It can not be concluded with 100 percent accuracy rate, but if you monitor site activity for some time, will become self-evident.

Successful promotion will be repeated, especially if the promotion is done through media advertising. Other things that can be learned is the product selection, product positioning, pricing structure and even the questions and problems being faced by your prospects. If they have a forum where the community gathered and discussed, there are many things that can be learned from it.

All of these activities take time, but the benefits will far exceed the investment of time that you do. Of all the knowledge gained, you can differentiate your business from others online.

Who are your customers? Are they able to effectively reach online? Internet penetration is more often the case for a relatively young age group, but it does not mean the products are destined to be lonely mature buyers. Things you need to know is whether you can reach and sell to your customers with a good group? Is there a channel that is economical or even free? Of course this all depends on the price of the product and the amount of profit per customer. The larger the value, the higher the ability and varied things you can do to get a customer.

If your product is not limited to a particular location, marketing will be much easier. Businesses tied to a specific geographic location should be more careful in order to avoid wasting time doing promotional costs. For example, through advertising, there must be a way to reach a specific audience in order to achieve targeted audience.

Each segment of the market is also unique that marketing and communications must be made specifically for the consumer. Whether you can interact with them through social media such as Facebook?

What resources do you need? Running an online store requires extra attention. There are technologies that must be integrated. Business and marketing strategies should be planned. Daily operations and administration that must be implemented to keep things running smoothly and has the potential to grow.

The selection of the right technology for your website is crucial. For example, if you sell tangible products, not digital, how to integrate or interface with the inventory by the existing stock? Is the chosen software supports payment and shipping you choose? How to design a good site? Do you need professional help for it?

What do you do to serve the prospects questions? Customer service is one component that can not be ignored. Just because you hire permanent staff to handle this field does not mean that all the problems sorted out. Training and communication remains important because customer service is the online store image that you have, because they directly interact with prospects and customers.

How do I send the goods to the customer? There are several options. If your target customers locally, perform yourself via a courier delivery may be considered. Some of the online stores that I know of to do it. This way I do not recommend because it will increase the burden of operations that must be addressed.

Delivery services such as FedEx and offer an affordable solution. Some of the other services offer more oblique, but the two services mentioned above have tracking facilities sage is useful for both the customer and the store.

It must be recognized for certain items, the cost of this course will weigh some customers. But no need to be discouraged. Good product offering often will get a warm welcome and you will never guess a lot of customers who want to do anything, and pay whatever, to have a product they like.

What types of payment are acceptable? The answer depends. So far all I know online stores accept payment through Internet banking, cash or direct deposit. Some stores decided to accept other forms of payment types such as PayPal, the online payment service via email. PayPal applies internationally and can be associated with a credit card and your bank account. Currently, credit card processing is still not a common choice for many problems.

Online Shop- Exploring E-Commerce Opportunities

In recent years, a trend that most stuck out in the country of Indonesia relating to the commercialization of the Internet is the proliferation of online stores. Apparently the e-commerce is on the rise. No matter whether you're a student / i, a housewife, solo entrepreneur, or company that is looking to alternative sources of income ... online stores offer lucrative opportunities of e-commerce that is unmatched today.

If you are affiliated with over 35 million population of Indonesia is in Facebook (2010 data), it is no doubt that this trend can not go unnoticed. The number of online stores on the social networking site meets the wall / wall every day. Some of my colleagues was upset by the sudden change occurred. What is a pure interaction between friends into a never-ending campaign event.

Well, for those who are interested in starting or expanding into the virtual world, of course there is a long list of questions in mind. How is the right way to get started? Are there any online store to market effect of the business? What do the competitors? How much does it cost? Exactly how to process a customer makes a purchase? What are the payment methods that can be used? Will security issues become a scourge?

It was just a handful of questions that I receive every week. I wrote this guide to answer all of the questions above, plus a few personal tips from my experience running an online shop. Enjoy.

How to Reach Loyal Customers

Basically, everyone just wanted the best, so it is with the customers. They want quality products and the best service from you. Make visitors "addicted", you should have thought before you build a store. So when a visitor tries to enter your store, they already feel the advantages of your store. The quality of service, price matching, and a good product. Guaranteed they will recommend your store to others. Conversely, if the visitors are not comfortable, do not expect them back. Moreover, to give recommendations.

For some people, your store are considered very useful. But it can not be denied, there must also says that your store is unattractive, even so boring. It should be understood, because you can not please everyone. As a seller, we must continue to look for a formula "how to get a loyal customer?" If this question is answered, your store will definitely visited by many.

Evaluate your store again. Plan any profit you want to get from each product in your store. Estimate also, what is the benefit for our customers if they buy at the store?No need grandiose idea to make our store visited by so many people! Just show your ideas gradually. Do not forget to create an attractive launching. It serves as a decoy.

One more thing that almost forgot! Learn from your competitors is also important. You can find out why your competitor's store was selling. Then, attach the minimum standard for your store. Whatever possessed your competitors, that's the simplest thing that is in your store. However, you should still think if your competitor is far above you. That is, that you keep improving and improving quality.

Last, treat your loyal customers and be prepared for high customer visit!

How to Attract Customers Attention

Before you get a customer, you should be able to grab their attention. After receiving attention, you just can give them better prospects.

So that you can attract the attention of potential customers, you need to know the following three things interesting.

1) The human brain can not pay attention to all things

For example, when first meeting someone, maybe in a couple of hours later you've forgotten the name of the person whom you want to meet earlier. But you remember certain things, such as hair, or origin, or other particular matter.

Meaning what? To attract someone's attention you have to select the specific information to be submitted. Needless to say all these things, let alone irrelevant. Because attention is finite.

2) Many other things can hinder people's attention

The longer, the more is not easy to get people's attention. Why? For those who are getting more and more busy. There are lots of things that are the focus of his life.

Other obstacles may come from the abundance of information (information overload) and level of competition are more stringent.

3) There's not much time to draw attention

A seller on the internet sometimes only takes a few seconds to get the attention of customers, before the visitor decides to continue or click the X in the browser. Because it is well utilized. Choose the information that is really relevant and interesting.

So how to attract customers? This the tips

1. Treat personally. Everyone likes to be favored. Everyone needs recognition. For that reason, it is important to treat them personally. Not as a crowd of people, but as individuals.

2. Use emotion. Ever heard of an orator or a great speaker who inspires so many people? Yes, they do that by making use of emotion.

Harnessing emotions is a great way to embrace the customer as well as enlarge the "magnet" of your business.

3. Use story telling / case studies. Remember how patient testimony from advertising a medical clinic that had become the butt of viral some time ago?

You can try it too. Of course with more positive results expected.

You Must Fast In Response To Customer Willingness

Prices are within easy reach and presence is no longer a force in the competition in the retail industry. Because now, almost everything can be purchased online with a relatively inexpensive and can be directly received by the customer the next day. This condition makes the retailers have to compete with a new weapon, the exceptional service and satisfying shopping experience that gives a distinct impression. Net-A-Porter for example, luring customers with a series of shopping events with augmented reality technology that enables visitors to scan the picture of the product to buy.

Another with Tesco experimented with shopping walls in Korea that allows consumers to shop by scanning the images on subway walls. Innovation is also similar even by London Design Museum. However, despite such innovations can attract customers to come into the store, there are other things you need to consider, that is customer service. Customer service does not seglamor innovations, but it is what will keep your customers coming back. You do not need to choose which of the two is more important, because they must be united and become an integral part of your strategy.

Talk retail experience today means talking about digital technology. How to utilize this technology to provide a different experience for the customer. While talking about customer service, which means we have to talk about customer behavior. Customer behavior in communicating a crucial element in customer service.

Social media and mobile devices are two things that almost inseparable and have become part of the customer communication process these last few days. Through these two customers can share any experiences, both positive and negative to a wider audience. When they were impressed or disappointed with what's in your store, they almost instantly share them with an audience in cyberspace. Amazingly, it turned out to be a distinctive opportunity for retailers who are ready. Whatever is shared customers through social media, even though a negative experience can still be a great opportunity for customers to reach out to customers and encourage purchases.

In a survey conducted recently, it was revealed that 20 percent of his customers mention a company in social media when they are still in the store. This fact could be an opportunity for retailers to create a shopping experience. For example, what the social media team of Marks & Spencer (M & S). When a customer was in the store M & S, she tweeted about how long queue there. Tim social media M & S store manager immediately called the outlet to deploy more staff to hold can be reduced. They also inform the customer openly via Twitter and was greeted with a sense of excitement. With this move M & S turn things from customers who are not satisfied because of the long queues and very likely will leave without buying anything, a customer happy and more likely to buy. The same was done by Tesco. Speed ​​in response is key in doing this. The response is almost instantaneous creates a big difference for customers.

To do so, it takes a team of customer service who understand the situation and act quickly to help customers, and respond directly through social media. Companies like M & S and Tesco fully understand and fulfill these requirements without compromise. As a result, they provide a better shopping experience and make customers come back every day. It even this sooner or later to be followed by other retailers, or you will lose customers. The question is whether you are fast enough to do this?

3 Things Customers expectation from Retailer

Most retailers think that the best way to retain customers is through "engagement" - as much as possible to interact with customers and build relationships with them. Apparently the fact that it is not always true.

In a study of 7000 customers, found that companies are often wrong in determining the best way to connect with customers. Errors are usually caused by the myths believed by the retailer. Before going any further, first consider the following three customers expectation:

1: Customers want to have a relationship with your brand

The fact is not. Only 23 percent of customers of this study which says it wants to have a relationship with the brand. In view of the general customer, the relationship is only built with friends, family, and colleagues. That's why when asked at 77 percent the reason they do not feel the need to establish a relationship with the brand, you'll get answers like "It's just a brand, not a member of my family." When dealing with the brand online, it actually desired by customers is discount.

With this reality, how you have to take a stand? First, understand where customers are included in the 23 percent and which is 77 percent. Anyone who wants a relationship and who is not. From there you can begin to define expectations and appropriate way of marketing. Stop flooding the customers who do not want to be associated with your brand with all kinds of emails and loyalty programs are complicated.

2: Interaction of building relationships

No, the interaction does not build relationships. Shared values ​​who build relationships with customers. Shared value is the belief held by both brands and customers on a large goal or philosophy embraced by brands. For example, Pedigree Dog Food. Shared value them is the belief that every dog ​​is entitled to have a house full of love. While Southwest Airlines shared value is the democratization of air transport.

Of all the customers in this study that states have a relationship with the brand, 64 percent said that the shared value is the reason they build a relationship with the brand. And only 13 percent said the frequency of interaction as the reason.

Many brands have big goals that are part of their mission. Start of commitment to the environment such as those held by Patagonia, to the purpose of realizing the dream with Harley Davidson motorcycle riding experience. The objectives of this feels authentic to customers. In addition it also provides a reliable basis for shared values ​​and the relationship between brands and customers. So, to build relationships with customers start by communicating the brand philosophy or a big goal.

3: The more interaction, the better

This is wrong. There is no correlation between customer interactions with their loyalty to a brand - in the form of the desire to buy, buy again, and recommend it. However, most of the retailers to behave as if there is a linear relationship between the number of interactions with the purchase amount. This makes retailers such as Neiman-Marcus, Land's End, and Toys R Us sent more than 300 emails a year as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

In fact, a linear relationship can be destroyed more quickly than a lot of retailers think. With the rapid interactions that were previously thought to help turn into a big wave that destroys. Without realizing it, many retailers simply bombarding customers with information and make them feel shopping categories. This reduces customer engagement with the brand, rather than strengthen it.

So, rather than constantly asking for the attention of customers, it is better to treat with good attention you've been getting. When you intend to campaign, always ask yourself, whether the campaign will reduce the customer's information overload? If the answer is no, then look the other way. When interacting with customers, the more often it is not getting better.

Two Similarity In Any Retail Business Strategy

One business that is now in great demand by the people is the retail business. Retail business is believed to provide many opportunities to improve the standard of living because it can provide multiple advantages when compared to the works being an employee. So what exactly is it retail? Retail is the last part of the marketing process. It means that the products offered or sold intended for the final consumer. End consumers are buyers of goods or services that take advantage of the products purchased for personal purposes or for personal consumption. This last buyers buying products needed in retail stores or supermarkets without intending to resell. Because the company is a company targeting retail consumers or buyers end, the deployment of its stores are not concentrated at one point the crowd, but spread to all areas.

Competitive world of retail is the same as any other business competition, where the strong will survive and the weak will disappear. Powerful means not only strong in the capital, because capital is not the main thing in ensuring the survival of a retail business. Strong means that a retail business should have a carrying capacity of a good sales strategy in order to achieve maximum customer so that the product can be sold as much as possible anyway.

Sales strategy is a way or a program that is run retail companies to attract consumer spending final. Various types of retail stores require that each store has a unique strategy in order to survive in the competitive retail competition. However, in principle at least two similarities in any retail business strategy pursued, namely:

1. Service

Service in the retail business is not just limited to the services provided employees to consumers, but also some other important things such as convenience stores, product pricing, convenience products transaction until completion. The most important services in the retail business is not the quality of a product sold, but rather the service of how a retail business employees treat customers with friendly, honest, and well-mannered. It is very vital for the sustainability of the retail business, therefore a modern retail business usually have a training center whose function is to train its employees in order to serve customers well. Modern retail companies assume that employees is their ambassador. Good and bad of their image are determined by the attitude and behavior of employees in the customer service. Companies also assume that the business is actually a "service" business, where they only sell and promote services to achieve sales of its products.

2. Promotion

Every business has promotion activity in their business agenda, including retail. Form of this business promotion is usually done by retail price reductions, discounts for certain days, or member card ownership. In principle the promotion used not to sell as many products, but to reach as many loyal customers. By having loyal customers, then a retail store or a retail company can more easily offer their new products. Moreover loyal customers is a retail business of financial resources that can sustain their tight business competition.

Actually there are many more sales strategies used by retail businesses, but both of the above strategy is a strategy that is almost certainly owned and carried by all retail business.

Technologies Should Be Owned By The Retailer

Nowadays technology has become an important part of our lives. With the help of technology, space and time are no longer a barrier to do various things in life, such as shopping. Thanks to technology, you will not only be able to shop whenever and wherever, but also can obtain a variety of information about the quality of goods and services. That way you can spend more discerning and selective.

Changes in consumer lifestyles must also be followed by a change in retailer selling style. If consumers use technology to obtain goods or services they needs, then the retailer should use the same to provide a better service. Here are technologies that need to be owned by the retailer to deal with its customers:

1. Smartphone.

This technology allows retailers to interact with customers at every step in their shopping adventure. There are several things retailers can do, such as:

• Encourage customers to use smartphones to find store locations, product availability, and ongoing promotions.
• Using LBS (Location Based Service) to inform about interesting products, promotions and exclusive offers.
• Develop an understanding of consumer shopping patterns by tracking the use of mobile phones while in the store. This could be an input to develop the design and layout of the store.

2. Self-scan and delivery tracking.

Both things will make customers easy to shop at the store. They can scan their own barcodes to compare prices, view product information and to access the reviews of other customers. They are also able to quickly track the shipment of their messages through mobile phones.

3. Surface computing and touch devices.

The presence of multi-touch devices in the store brings the interaction with the customer to a new dimension. With such devices, the customer gets a different experience in accessing content and information.

4. Application of Augmented Reality (AR).

Although the adoption of this technology is still in early stages, but the AR will undoubtedly have a major impact on retail. AR applications using object recognition and GPS can help customers find your store. At this time, the cost is quite high for the AR, but the technology is very feasible to be developed.

5. Mobile payments and near-field communications (NFC).

Mobile payment is becoming popular among the retailers due to the higher use of smartphones. One thing is for sure, mobile payment and NFC technology makes transactions at the store to be more efficient. Customers simply attach their smartphone at the register to make a payment. Fast, efficient, as well as providing its own shopping experience.

6. QR code.

With QR codes retailers can expand their presence through virtual stores such as Tesco carried out in a subway station in South Korea. Customers can use their mobile phone to scan the QR code shown on the goods they want, and the item will be delivered to the desired address.

7. Local Social Mobile Media (Solomon).

The increasing use of smartphones and mobile applications encourage the convergence of social, local and mobile media. Solomon works with the principle of mobile discovery. They will track the locations of mobile devices to deliver appropriate content. It can be a competitive advantage for retailers.

8. Video analytic.

This allows the retailer to learn the flow of traffic, duration of customer visits, spending intentions, and the amount of expenditures actually made. The technology can even detect how and when customers are actively involved in the promotion message, determine demographic data, and send relevant content to customers in real time. No doubt the video analytic provide crucial customer insight to the retailer.

The key in using technology is to have an open mind. Eliminate your doubts embrace new technology, because it can bring you closer to the customer, and advancing your business.

The Fate of The Conventional Retail Stores

People have predicted that the internet would kill slowly retail business. Does it happen? Yes, if the store does not keep up with technology. But if following the technological developments, retail businesses will survive.

Running a conventional retail store requires a very expensive cost. Conventional retail store requires room so spending money to rent or buy, taxes and equipment for store security. In addition, the owner must employ some shop floor staff to greet customers and handle transactions. The total cost can easily run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single store. The high costs associated with running a physical store means there is limited maneuvering for business owners when it comes to price cuts, which puts retailers at a competitive disadvantage physically strong compared to their online counterparts.

A retail store is designed to serve only the local community. People rarely travel long distances to do their shopping. This means that despite the high running costs, retailers also have to make do with the limited market size of their local communities. It is therefore necessary moral and monetary commitments seriously to get into the retail industry.

How does this compare with the virtual retailer?

Running a virtual store is significantly less expensive. Make a stylish website does not cost more than few thousand dollars. There are no such things as rent, taxes or utilities, maintenance costs only a web server, which should be no more than a hundred dollars for even a fairly busy online store. There is no need for shop floor workers to greet customers and handle transactions. Customers will browse through their own web sites and completing their purchases through automated online payment system. This aspect alone could save tens of thousands of dollar store owners every year. Money that can be invested in the webmaster, customer service and marketing. Low cost base creates a very low barrier to entry where anyone can set up an online retail business and allow them to cut their prices to lure customers away from traditional physical stores. Now common knowledge that the best deals can be found online. This is indeed a trend we have seen over the last few years and what's killing people like the game.

While retail stores can be limited to the local community, a virtual store has no geographic boundaries. Businessesx can serve customers anywhere in the world. Market size is literally unlimited.