Create an Unforgettable Customer Experience

Make great memories with your shoppers

Your shoppers are looking. They’re looking for the perfect gift to make memories this holiday season. They are going to be going to a lot of places, online and in person, to get it. Sure the season is busy and goes by in a blur, but your chances of getting first-time customers into your store is higher this time of year as is the opportunity to increase loyalty of regular shoppers. The key is providing a customer experience as unforgettable as getting the perfect gift.

Set the Mood

Think about your own holiday memories. You can almost smell the cookies baking and hear the music in the background. You remember the conversation with Uncle Jack that made you cringe. These kinds of experiences are what make the holidays unforgettable and it’s not a far stretch for you to provide shopping experiences that your shoppers won’t forget after the wrapping paper is tossed out and the last cookie is eaten.

To do this, think about your own shopping experiences. What sets them apart in your memory? Was it a great deal that you hoped to get in on? Maybe it was a store employee who was an expert and gave you the information you really needed to make your purchase confidently. (Nothing that would be mentioned in online reviews.) Or maybe it was simply the feeling you got when you saw the item you were looking for. Whatever it was, there is a reason it stayed in your mind. If you can’t think of your own experience, think about big brands you can quickly identify with; no one does this better than Apple. No matter what “i” you see, that familiar apple instantly brings your mind to the brand and all your associated memories. (Even you Google fans have opinions on Apple.)

Make a Memory

Last week we talked about taking a step back to look at your customer experience. Your regular customers already know what to expect when they come into your store. It’s like coming home--it’s familiar and you know where everything is. The holidays are a time to improve everything. Think about your holiday customer experience like decorating your home. How can you one-up what you do the rest of the year?

• Host a holiday party that features promoted items from your inventory
• Include gift packaging items (bonus, these help market your store to the recipient as well)
• Readily share product information to help make your shoppers expert gift givers

These may sound like simple ideas--because they are! Just like holiday decorations, they are easy to do and bring attention to your store in unexpected ways.

Leave Them Wanting More

Providing these unforgettable experiences is referred to as delighting your customer. When you do this, you make a memory that improves your chances of customer retention. Regular shoppers will be excited by the attention you gave them that made you stand out from the maze of other retailers and new shoppers will remember that you put them at ease with a shopping experience unlike the www shopping they did this season.

The holidays are all about making memories. When you create a shopping experience that lets the customer feel appreciated this busy time of year, you make a memory for them that will keep them coming back. The best news is that the best memories are usually simple--the same goes for holiday customer experience. You don’t have to overdo it, in fact, too much is more likely to overwhelm your shoppers.

Learn how Sellr helps make your marketing memorable during the holidays and into the new year.

Renee Clare-Kovacs is the Content Marketing Strategist at Sellr. She is passionate about creating digital marketing strategies that help business owners develop successful relationships with customers and vendors.