Extend your In-store Experience with Personalized SMS Messaging
With eCommerce options on the rise, it’s more important than ever for independent pet retailers to stand out from their online counterparts by extending what they are most known for – exceptional customer experiences – beyond their brick-and-mortar walls.
An often-quoted statistic says that 72% of customers will share a good experience with 6 people and that 13% will share a negative experience with 15 or more people. This does not account for the reach of social media or popular review sites, where both the good and bad can reach hundreds or even thousands of people. What’s even more concerning is that many customers (up to 91% by some counts) will say nothing at all about a negative experience. They will simply stop shopping with you.
Indies recognize that in today’s increasingly digital landscape, ratings and reviews are one of the top factors influencing purchase decisions. Whether for a particular product or the overall service or vibe of a store, 97% of customers consult reviews when making a purchasing decision. Online reviews of pet stores – Google, Yelp, and others – can unlock incredible opportunities for indie retailers to support long-term relationships with current customers and attract new customers.
As an indie pet retailer, how can you ensure that your customers remain loyal, share good experiences through positive reviews and have any negative experiences quickly and satisfactorily resolved before they turn into negative reviews?
Offer a helping hand with personalized SMS
While indie retailers are experts at connecting with their pet-parent customers in-store, it’s more important than ever to connect after the initial engagement. In the past, this might have meant a follow-up phone call, email or postcard. Today, a personalized, two-way SMS conversation can be an excellent tool for follow-up and ongoing connection with customers. Through personalized messages that include tips, alerts, and purchase recommendations, at exactly the right time, you can help your customers continue to feel valued and connected after they’ve left your store. In addition, a two-way SMS conversation provides a simple, direct method of communication for your customers to ask you questions and share feedback about their new purchases or furry friends. Personalized attention after a purchase adds to a positive experience, helps build trust and goodwill, and increases the likelihood that your customer will share their good experiences.
Making Long-Term Customer Connections
Independent pet retail is all about long-term customer relationships. Indies know their customers and their customers’ pets. SMS messaging provides another way for indies to engage with their customers and for their customers to engage with them. With more than 80% of businesses reporting higher engagement with SMS vs. email outreach, and consumers being 4.5 times more likely to reply to an SMS message than an email, customized SMS messaging can be the key to extending excellent in-store experiences. Excellent experiences can lead to good reviews and good reviews can lead to more sales and new customers.
If you are curious about how you can incorporate customized SMS messaging into your customer experience, reach out to IndiePet member, Blustream and learn how they can help.
Emily Lagasse
VP of Marketing, Blustream.io