How to Improve Customer Experience in Retail

It’s common knowledge that customer experience is a big deal—and it’s even more critical in the mobile retail sector. A recent study showed that 85% of consumers think mobile retail experiences are either just as good or better than traditional brick-and-mortar shopping.

And since this seems to be the case, it’s time for companies to start investing heavily in their mobile retail experience and how to improve customer engagement in retail.

But how do you make sure you’re doing it right? How do you know if your mobile app will work as well as it should? Of course, you can’t say that until you test your app on real devices.

The only way to honestly know if your app will work for all of your customers is to try it on real devices with real users and see what happens.

Kobiton makes this easy by providing a platform that allows developers and businesses alike to run manual tests on actual, physical devices. The platform lets users interact with their devices remotely (even at high speeds) while collecting real-time data like screenshots and video recordings of the user’s experience.

Kobiton also offers automated testing services so that developers can have a full suite of testing capabilities all in one place in order to figure out how to improve customer experience in retail.

The modern consumer has high expectations for their shopping experience. With an abundance of options and ever-developing technology, it is more important than ever for retail companies to provide customers with a seamless, unique shopping experience. This article will discuss how to improve customer experience in the retail sector.

There are many different methods to improve the customer experience in your store, but some of the most important include:

1. Offering free shipping and buying online/pick up in-store options

It’s no secret that one of the main reasons people shop online is because they can have it delivered right to their door. That kind of convenience is hard to beat—especially if you’re trying to figure out how to improve customer experience in retail.

So offering free shipping or buying online/pick up in-store options to customers makes them more likely to choose your business over the competition.

However, many businesses offer this, so how do you make yours stand out? Some options include offering expedited shipping or adding a layer of personalization from your company when the package is delivered.

It could be done by having actual employees sign for packages instead of using an electronic signature device or writing a personal note on each box your customers receive.

2. Create loyalty programs that offer discounts

One of the best ways to improve online shopping experiences is to create a loyalty program that offers discounts. If customers like what you have to offer and know they will get a discount on future purchases, they are more likely to return.

Discounts can also work as incentives for new customers. For example, if someone has never been to your store before, you could offer them a discount on their first purchase as an incentive to come in. It’s also great for business—loyalty programs encourage customers to buy more often and spend more money with your brand.

3. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly

It should be easy to use on any screen size, from a smartphone to a large desktop computer. The main goal is for customers to have an enjoyable shopping experience when using their mobile devices for browsing through products or checking out online purchases.

Be sure to optimize your site to load fast on all devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. It will help improve the user experience and boost your rankings in search engines like Google, which considers this part of their ranking algorithm.

4. Use a mobile app to track customer purchases

Why is this important? Using a mobile app to track customer purchases has many benefits. For example, it allows you to easily see what they are buying and how much they are spending.

You can then decide how to improve the online shopping experience of the store based on their preferences; you can also use their purchase history as data for other marketing initiatives (i.e., sending coupons or discounts).

5. Have a mobile POS (point of sale) system

A mobile POS system can increase sales through upselling and cross-selling, improve employee efficiency and productivity, and improve customer service.

It allows customers to skip the checkout line and check out right where they are in the store, using a wireless device. Customers don’t have to wait in line or go to a checkout area, making for a much smoother, faster experience. This is an excellent method for how to improve customer engagement in retail.

6. Ensure you have excellent customer service

Customer service is vital for your business. When a customer is shopping on your website, they should feel like they’re getting the best possible advice and guidance—like they’re shopping with a salesperson who’s super knowledgeable and friendly.

You can ensure this by having informative product descriptions, easy navigation, and even personalized recommendations based on their previous purchases. But that is not enough. You should be available to answer questions, provide help, and meet your customers’ needs. It means that you need a staff member dedicated to this task so that they can respond quickly to any inquiries or problems.

Takeaway

You’re in the retail game for one reason: you want to provide your customers with a memorable experience and continually figure out how to improve customer experience in retail. To accomplish this, you need to approach things from all angles—from the moment they walk in the door to the moment they walk out.

These methods will enhance the customer experience, but one of the best ways you can improve the CX in your store is to ensure that your mobile devices are running smoothly. You can use Kobiton to test a wide range of applications on real mobile devices in the cloud to ensure that all of your company’s apps are running at peak performance.

Learn more about mobile excellence in retail by reading our new eBook.