PowerPoint Presentation

Digital Strategies for your Retail Business

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Jo-Jo BurkeSenior Marketing ConsultantAustralian Business Consulting & Solutionsp. 02 9458 7071m. 0419 380 757e. jo-jo.burke@australianbusiness.com.auw. marketingsuccess.com.auf. facebook.com/marketingsuccessau t. @AusBusMarketing

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ABCS is part of ABSG commercial division of the NSW Business ChamberWithin Marketing we develop marketing strategies, build websites, offer branding & design services and manage marketing campaigns on behalf of our clients3

Independent, not-for-profit organisations, dedicated to helping businesses across the stateMantra: making Australia better through helping the private sector to flourish2nd oldest company in Australia (after Westpac) over 190 years old2nd largest privately owned business chamber in the world20,000+ members400+ events per year4

Retail in Australia

140,000+ retail businesses in AustraliaAccounts for 4.1% of Australias GDPEmploys 10.7% of Australias workforceGrowth in retail sales has been modestNational Retail Association: 2016

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OverviewProductsKnow your audienceYour online presenceSelling onlineCustomer experienceFree marketing channelsPaid marketingAnalytics

Today were going to cover off the following topics6

PRODUCTS

First up were going to look at products, and the different ways to sell7

1. Seasonal Items

Think about product positioning both instore and onlineFocus on the products that sell best during seasonal times of the yearUse end of season sales to push excess stock and entice customers looking for valueForward plan get in early

Put your most relevant and topical products front and centreLeverage seasons and use these to draw in customers / increase salesConsumers are always looking for valueThink about product supplyIf you are selling online make sure you update your product descriptions to capitalise on online searches8

2. Non Seasonal Items

Think about other products that you sell that are not season specific but still relevantThink about positioningChange descriptions to make them season relevant

Example: profile red dresses during Valentines Day or ChristmasA simple re-positioning of these items, and season-relevant descriptions will help push salesIf you are selling online make sure you update your product descriptions to capitalise on online searches

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3. Upsell

Showcase the bigger, better, upgraded versions of your products alongside standard productsMake sure the points of difference are made clearThink about pricing and price differences

Make it easy for your customers to want to spend more with youPractice your sales pitch how can you encourage customers to buy the more premium version10

4. Cross-sell

Think about complementary itemsIn-store think about strategic placementOnline think about how you would word suggestive sell

Example: if a customer purchase swimwear, encourage them to also buy a beach towel, or sunglassesComplementary items dont necessarily need to be the same brand or style but should be relevant to what you are trying to promote.Think about wording e.g. customers who bought this, also bought this, Think you might also like11

5. Impulse Sales

Increase the average value of salesThink about affordable itemsPromote with real or artificial promotionsPositioned at POS or last page before payment is made

Affordable items (usually under $20) usually not a planned purchaseThink about real or artificial promotions to push impulse sales and increase the average value of the sale (purchase)12

6. Train Your Staff

Dont ask can I help you?Do ask open-ended questions start a conversationTeach your staff to upsell, cross-sell and to encourage impulse purchases without being pushy

Nothing will sell your products better than a well-trained staff member that understands the product, and understands the needs of the customer13

7. Customisable Products

Think about how you could make your products different or unique or where you can source such productsConsumers are always looking for latest trends customisable products is happening right nowFrom customising design and size online (Shoes of Prey), to ordering custom 3D printed products (United Nude)Shoes of Prey have partnered with David Jones to offer in-store stylists (to help customers customise)14

8. Images, Video & Descriptions

Does your product promotion look professional?Is the product self-explanatory?Would an infograph or video demonstration be helpful for potential customers?

HINT: use online tools like Canva and Fiverr to create professional looking promotional material

Think about how you can promote your productsLooking professional is keyFinally, those product descriptions are key when selling online you need to ensure you have page descriptions, title tags and image alt tags to maximise organic rankings and increase sales from people searching online think about the keywords used15

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

In order to effectively sell your products, you need to truly understand your customers16

9. Buyer Personas

Map out everything you know about your target audiences their demographics, their likes, their pain points, which channels they consume media inYou might have several target audiences, but start with focussing on 1 or 2 until you have the time and resources to focus on moreGive your target audience a name it will help you to related to that personaHaving an in-depth understanding of your customers will help you plan your marketing strategy products to focus on, colours to use, tone of voice, channels to focus on and who to market to.17

10. Acquire Customer Data

Name, email address and postcode as a minimum

HINT: speak to suppliers about prize giveaways

Next you want to capture customer data this provides you with a free way to keep in touch with your customers and to market directly to themThere are a number of ways you can do this, from competitions to loyalty programsCompetitions can be as simple as a business card drop in a fish bowl or you can build an online entry form on your websiteLoyalty programs are a great way to encourage people to sign-up, and to keep coming back make sure you promote the value proposition why join e.g. member discounts, value-adds, find out about sales first, rewards18

11. Profile & Segment

With competitions you can build up more of a picture gender, age, street address, likes/dislikes, favourite productsWith loyalty programs you can also track purchase historyUse this information to make your communications relevant and to gain valuable insights

The key is to capture as much consumer data as you can but the real value in data is to begin profiling and segmenting your customers to build up more of a picture of who they areBy doing this you can then tailor your communications to make them relevant e.g. sending womens clothing offers to menYou can also use these insights to guide future product purchases, product positioning and marketing19

BRICKS & MORTAR

Next were going to look at some physical attributes that you should consider in-store20

12. Exterior Signage

This might seem obvious but we see it all of the time!Check your exterior signage does it work / is it broken?Ask yourself, is this signage attractive and clear enough to lure customers in?21

13. Window Displays

HINT: pinterest.com/melindabp/window-display-ideas/

Get creative with your window displays it doesnt need to be a big expenseLure your target audience in; Catch the eye of passing trafficPromote your most popular products; Promote your sales and promotional messages22

14. Instore Layout

Ask yourself Is it easy for customers to move around your shop? Is it easy for customers to find what they are looking for? Can they touch products hold them, try them, etc?Remember, in the shift to online buying, bricks & mortar retailers need to reinforce their point of difference from onlineThink about IKEA they create experience zones where you can try their products, get inspired and easily find product specifications they dont fill this part of their store with stock (all stock is out the back) then they get you buy impulse purchases in their marketplace think about how this differs from buying online23

15. Instore Augmented Reality

First question: Whos heard of augmented reality? Do you know the difference between augmented reality and virtual reality?Australian retailers are already using it Robina Town Centre, Flight CentreThink about how you could use this in your store to create an interactive experience / to make your customers life easier / to generate buzz24

YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE

Who here has a website?25

16. WebsiteA website is your online store or office where your audience can find your brand. When they arrive they need to immediately get a clear idea of what it is you want them to do.Easy and intuitive to useAnswers their questions Portrays your company as a trusted brand

WHY BUILD A WEBSITE

Your website is your business open 24 hours 7 days a week 365 days a year.

A strategy will help you understand what you need on your website

There is no point building a website and then deciding that you want to sell products or that want to focus on facebook or white papers as a channel because it is a costly exercise to change to websites functionality and look and feel.

Decide what you want your website to achieve for you upfront in the planning.. This will save you a lot of money down the track.

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17. Website Considerations

Call-to-action buttonsTrial different fonts and coloursTest, and re-test (ongoing)

A few other things to keep in mindThink about navigation and user-flows Make it clear what action you want consumers to take take them on a journeyThere is a whole psychology around colours and fonts big brands have dedicated teams that switch these out to maximise salesView your website as a customer would you need to constantly check it27

18. Online Shop Window

Go back to your buyer personas does your design and layout attract your target audience?The home page of your website is your business online shop window3 second rule is your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) or sales / promotional message prominent, and above-the-fold?

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19. Testimonials & Social Media

People trust people, not brandsProvide opportunities for customers to share your business / products via their own social mediaProvide opportunities to acquire and connect with customers on and ongoing basis

Think about your own online shopping behaviour e.g. whos ever used TripAdvisor prior to booking a hotel?Referrals help with SEO, and help to drive salesAgain, make it easy for your customers to connect with you29

20. BlogsUse your blog posts to predict and perfectly answer your audiences specific questions before they have even asked it. This will:Help show your brand as a trusted source of information Help your audience engage with a person as opposed to a companyAnd it will help your website to be found in search results

Use your blog posts to predict and perfectly answer your audiences specific questions before they have even asked it.

Use the blog to show you're human. People buy from other people not from businesses only.

Its kind of like a website but its a place for you to be more personal and write less formal articles.

A blog is a fantastic opportunity to give your brand a personal voice.

A blog willHelp show your brand as a trusted source of information Help your audience engage with a person as opposed to a companyAnd most importantly it will help your website to be found in search results

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21. Mobile Ready

Mobile optimisation applies to every website (not just e-commerce websites)User experience reduce drop-offsSEO benefits

If your website is not mobile optimised you are missing out this is very importantHalf of your website traffic could be coming from a mobile device would you turn away half of your customers from your store?Google is paying much more attention to mobile optimised sites you will be ranked down if you do not have a mobile optimised website

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22. SEO

Increase your chances of being found onlineDoes everyone know the difference between paid and organic listings?You want to be on page 1A few things to think about:Back-end have you added page descriptions, title / header tags, alt tagsLinking internal links and external linksReferrals and recommendations social sharing is great for thisContent Google trawls your website monthly for new content

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23. Google My Business

Your FREE Yellow Pages style online advertHave you registered? Its free do it you just need a gmail account

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SELLING ONLINE

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Considerations

Suitable for online sale?Business feasibility? Stock control & managementFulfilment & shippingOnline marketplaces vs own websitePayment options

Before you think about selling online, you need to think about35

Why consider e-commerce

92% of Australians use the internet46% go online more than once a day70% go online with a mobile phone50% go online with a tablet device9.1 million Australians made a purchase onlineacma.gov.au: 2014

Australia is online!36

Have you future-proofed your business?

Are your current competitors selling online?

What about future competitors?

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The internet has changed how we buy & consume goods

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24. Online Marketplaces

Good starting point, especially for businesses that are new to e-commercePros and cons

Pros:Reach the massesGet started quickly and easilyCons:Fees are generally a percentage of your sale ongoing cost of saleMarketplaces focus on the products and not on the individual sellers this limits your brand presence and direct selling capability (they arent on your site)39

25. Managed Platforms

Managed platforms (hosted solutions) allow you to get started quickly with low overheads and little experienceN.B. you will be confined to the platforms limitations and may find it hard to scale

When integrating e-commerce on your own website choice between managed and owned platformsA managed platform / hosted solution is a piece of software that runs on someone elses server in most cases you dont have access to the code you use their website to make changes40

26. Owned Platforms

Owned platforms (self-hosted solutions) provide you with ultimate control over your online storeCustomise how your online store looks and functions

An owned platform / self-hosted solution is a piece of software that you run on your own machine you usually see the code and are told where to upload itThis solution is best if you are looking to scale and/or have complex online selling requirements

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27. Online Store Inclusions

Trust symbols PayPal, bank/card logosUser reviews and testimonialsSocial media sharingEasy to find information and policies delivery times, returns, etcCustomer service contact details

A few other things to think about includingAustralia is PayPals largest marketAn Australian humanitarian charity increased their online revenue (donations) by 17% simply by adding PayPal as a payment method

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CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

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28. Flexible Payment Options

Do you offer your customers different and easy ways to pay?Can you take payments from anywhere within your store or only at the counter?Can your customers tap and go?Do you charge for card payments? If yes, think about the customer experience vs hiding those costs in your pricingConsumers like choice, they like ease, they like flexibility they dont like unexpected surprises, they dont like waitingMessina app example from cash only, to cash + mobile payments44

29. Apps Making Your Life Easier

Sydney company have created a Great new product called split and pay.com

You know when you are out to dinner and the restaurant wont split your bill .. Well with this .. Now they will

Figure out how much your friends owe and pay online

Groups giftsGroup holidaysSplit rent, bills with your flatmate45

30. Easy Collection / Delivery

Think about your opening hours Think about your target audience When do they have time to buy from you?What are the alternative options for getting your products into your customers hands? How can you offer more choice and flexibility?Can also reduce the need to keep lots of stock instore allowing more room instore to create experience zones and enhance the shopping experience46

31. ShippingCalculating shipping rates depends on distance, item variance, speed of delivery.Shipping calculatorFlat rate (per sale or per item)Free Shipping

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32. Shop Online / Pick Up In Store

There is a big trend with shopping online and picking up in store.

Or the reverse shop in store and get product delivered

This means that retailers dont need to keep a lot of stock in their store.

This store is Birdsnest - located in Cooma - near the snow.Not what you would call you bustling fashion capital.

But now they keep just one item of each piece in store if people try it on and like it they pop out to their warehouse out the back and give it to them or ship it to them.48

FREE MARKETING CHANNELS

Before you think about paid advertising, think about what free channels you have available to you49

32. Customer Touchpoints

Receipts / Invoices / StatementsShopping bagsCompany carSignageSocial media channelsE-newsletters

Think of all the touchpoints where you can promote messagesHow can you use these touchpoints to cross-promote your product and sales messagesCross-promote on everything50

33. YouTubeProduct demonstrationsHow to videosHumour/humanise the brandIntroduce staff

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YOUTUBE

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34. Social Media

Which channels are your target audience using?Content are your posts engaging and shareable?

Engagement is more important than likes although you still need to build up your audienceBlack Milk Clothing online retailer likes are great, but look at how many people are talking about themUse tools like Hootsuite and Buffer to manage multiple accountsHootsuite Suggestions can help you curate content and share relevant 3rd party content53

35. PINTERESTFor people that like pretty thingsPin photos of your products Pin results your services produceInteract with the community

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PINTEREST

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36. INSTAGRAMFor people who like visual communicationPost photosEngage with othersRecruit influencers

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INSTAGRAM

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37. Email Marketing

Send e-newsletters to your customersRemember to be Spam Act compliant

HINT: MailChimp is a free to low-cost, easy-to-use email marketing program

A lot of people say email is dead think about when an enewsletter has encouraged you to click through to a website or visit a store and make a purchaseEmail still has its placeUse e-newsletters to feature sales and promotional messages, new products, etcThink about timings, trial subject lines

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38. Leverage Partnerships

Neighbouring stores how can you work together?Speak to centre managementOpportunities with local media, schools, etcLocal retail associations network, get ideas

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PAID MARKETING

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39. Offline Advertising

Direct mailRadioTelevisionOutdoorPREventsSponsorships

Dont forget the traditional channels an integrated strategy is often bestGreat for raising awarenessHard to track vs online which is more measurable61

Online Advertising

Brands and businesses in Australia spend more advertising dollars online, than in any other channel45% of all adspend in Australia is spent online almost $6 billion annually

But there are a lot of options which one is rightHint you dont need to be in all you just need to be targeted and focused

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40. Google Merchant Centre

Support your e-commerce websiteAdvertise on a CPC basis

Cost Per Click63

41. SEM

Youve probably heard of Google AdWordsOption to run display or search campaignsAdvertise on a CPC basisYou control the budget and per action costUse the Keyword Planner Tool to find search volumes and get ideas like a thesaurus Think about where you are driving traffic which page (not just home page) and are you using this as an opportunity to capture someones details (request quote, request call back, sign-up to newsletter) you can track conversions64

42. Remarketing

Youve probably seen it before one minute you visit a website, and then all of the sudden your Facebook feed and advertising on other websites is all about the website you visitedGreat way to get people to come back to your website especially to target abandoned carts - if theyve gone to purchase online and then dropped off65

43. SMM Social Media Marketing

Most of the major social media channels offer advertising options they want you to pay to playYou can use it to acquire more fansOr to increase engagementOr to encourage click-throughs to your websiteYou can advertise on a CPL/CPA or CPC basisYou control the budget and per action cost

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44. Marketing Automation

Automate marketing communications emails and social mediaEssentially you set triggers, and schedule communications for each of those triggers e.g. email a customer when their join, then 1 weeks after, then 4 weeks afterThere are loads of tools that can help, from expensive platforms SalesForce and MarketoMailChimp allows basic email marketing automationAutomate social media posts Hootsuite, Buffer, Falcon67

ANALYTICS

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45. Analyse

Website analyticsSocial media insightsTrack email opens and click-throughsTrial different subject lines and optimiseUnderstand which channels are performing best

The key to improvement is to analyse and tweakUnderstand where your website traffic is coming from, what pages people are visiting, where they are exitingUnderstand who your followers are, what content resonates with themUse analytics to guide future content developmentTrack clicks and conversions really understand the channels that are delivering69

46. Adapt to Future Trends

Will your products be on trend in the near future?Are there any social or political conflicts of interest?

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47. Social Conscience

Is the product or service you are providing addressing some of the social issues of today? Eg. Giving support to disaster relief or utilising wastage materials?

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48. Socially Inclusive

Marketing your business as socially inclusive.

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Additional Resources

MarketingSuccess.com.au

SmallBusiness.nsw.gov.au

InternetBasics.gov.au

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