Videos are an excellent tool for companies in the retail industry to improve their customer experience. There are plenty of video creation tools and devices to use, so even small retail stores can get their videos done in-house without much hassle. Before the internet was a big thing, companies only used videos primarily for advertising. Nowadays, you can share a video with the whole world with just one click. Therefore, the availability and the benefits of using videos to improve a customer’s experience, leave no excuse for small or large-scale retailers to not implement it. Aside from improving the overall
Black Friday statistics: The 80 most important stats for retailers
In retail, Black Friday remains one of the most critical days in the fiscal year for connecting with customers and generating sales. Even with COVID-19 related shutdowns impacting the economy and shopping patterns, Black Friday sales grew by 22% in 2020, totaling about $9 billion in the United States. In 2021, things will be surely different, but knowing key Black Friday statistics will help you prepare your marketing strategy using data that will drive results. Although Thanksgiving in November is unique to the United States, the Black Friday shopping frenzy has caught on worldwide, especially with the rise in online
The new Apple MPP and its impact on Email Marketing
In September 2021, Apple launched its new privacy functionality embedded in iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, and watchOS 8. This update includes the notorious Apple MPP (Mail Privacy Protection), a feature destined to alter Email Marketing practices as we know them. In this article, we will analyze thoroughly the changes this new development brings and propose alternative ways to adapt your email marketing strategy to the new reality. What does the new Apple MPP include and how will it work In order to fully understand how this policy will define email marketing, first, let’s take a deep dive into
The 28 Best Customer Experience Examples in 2022
The focus of retail businesses has shifted in recent years from traditional “customer service” to learning how to create memorable customer experiences. Increasingly, the emphasis is on expanding omnichannel interactions across platforms, mobile devices, online checkouts, brick-and-mortar locations, and anywhere else customers and businesses interact. eCommerce’s trajectory brought about new and improved ways of conducting business and enhancing the omnichannel experience. Statistics have a funny way of showing retailers and marketers the right way, proving what we already know. That a good customer experience is mandatory for the nurture of brand-consumer relationships; brand loyalty may be hard to come by,
ContactPigeon wins nine awards by G2, thrice for High Performer
Everybody loves kind words and a pat on the back, but we really did not expect to be awarded nine times for Summer 2021 by G2, one of the most trusted peer-to-peer review software!!! A big thank you to all the people that made this happen 😀 Everybody knows and trusts G2 because it’s reliability lies in unbiased, real-time customer reviews, providing a database of verified testimonials on multiple operating systems and services. ContactPigeon’s Omnichannel Customer Engagement platform has received stellar reviews, both for its advanced features and the crown jewel of our company, our Customer Success Team. ContactPigeon is
The 12 best Black Friday campaigns of all time
The post-Covid-19 landscape can be described as a transitional state where everything is in flux. Retail in the last quarter of 2021 seems to be returning, slowly but surely, to its former glory, although nothing is quite the same. eCommerce went through a tremendous evolution that altered not only the course of history but also us as consumers; so to make sense out of this constant change, every marketer and retailer must be alert and informed. In this article, we have gathered for you some of the best Black Friday campaigns of all time with the aim of preparing you
20 creative Halloween retail promotion ideas
In 2020, even amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, Halloween expenditure held its ground proudly with the overall spending in the United States alone reaching the amount of 8 billion USD. Statistics continue to impress even across the Atlantic, with 49% of the UK population being invested in Halloween, spending every year their hard-earned money on holiday paraphernalia. Impressively, these numbers make it abundantly clear that neither the apocalypse nor any other hardship is enough to keep customers from celebrating their favorite holidays. As a result, taking into consideration every retailer’s need for inspirational campaigns, we took the time to gather for
54 eCommerce Homepage Best Practices That WORK [2022]
Much like a brick-and-mortar retail storefront, an eCommerce homepage acts as a web user’s first impression of a brand. An Adobe report found that nearly 40% of online users will leave a homepage that is poorly designed, just like real-life shoppers will leave a store if it is unorganized, poorly presented, and unhelpful. By following the homepage best practices listed below, website creators can inspire visitors to engage with their site, leading to more conversions, higher customer satisfaction, and greater customer retention in the long term. In fact, on average, according to a 2015 B2B Web Usability report, 86% of
Best Personalized Shopping Experiences in Retail
eCommerce and online shopping didn’t only change the fundamentals of retail, they also changed consumer behavior. Modern customers are evolved, informed, and have extremely high standards. Moreover, supply is abundant, so if a brand does not meet the desired demands, customers will find another company that does. 75% of customers say that they prefer brands to use their advertisements and offers to create a personalized shopping experience. Additionally, customers will agree to have phone apps track their activity to receive targeted ads, specific to their interests. Therefrom, it is safe to deduce that a lasting personalized shopping experience is preferred
20 Brick and mortar marketing strategies that (actually) work
The pandemic-infused, sudden growth of eCommerce brought intense and fierce competition to brick-and-mortar shops, with giants like Amazon accounting for nearly 20% of all retail purchases. Now this might seem like physical retail is seriously threatened but do not be alarmed, because, thankfully, customer behavior never ceases to amaze. Despite the preference for the digital, 55% of online shoppers remain strong advocates of classic stores, as they can directly interact with a product. Traditional retail practices seem to be returning to their former glory as social distancing restrictions diminish. Customers will always appreciate the benefits of some old-school shopping, like
Product page best practices: The 38 most efficient tactics to replicate in 2022
Retail in 2021 doesn’t look quite like it did before COVID took over eCommerce. Online shopping is at an all-time high, even after lockdowns have eased. In the modern digital era and the sudden development of eCommerce due to recent events, a brand’s conversion rate is greatly affected by its website and therefore its product page design. A company’s digital image speaks volumes to the consciousness of the consumers, with regards to trust, quality, and overall experience. As a result, businesses need to make the most of this by implementing product page best practices and conversion rate optimization (CRO) campaigns
Retail Statistics 2022: the 100 Most Insightful Stats You Shouldn’t Ignore
Without a doubt, the global pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on our lives and this new reality could not leave the retail industry unaffected. Essential goods sales rose immensely, thousands of businesses closed, and an increasing number of individuals began shopping online rather than in person, shifting the consumer spending habits as we knew them. Due to this overall turmoil, the latest retail business statistics for 2021, could prove to be a great source of advice for any retail and eCommerce executive, since they reflect radical and volatile changes in customer behavior. Thus, they could be vital for a
How to improve customer engagement in retail [30 Examples]
It’s no wonder that 78% of the customers prefer the omnichannel customer engagement approach as it helps them connect with their favorite brands in multiple ways. Consequently, this percentage justifies the increasing number of companies investing in the omnichannel experience. In 2020 the rate jumped from 20% to 80%, with the vast majority of retail experts grinding to find an answer to a very serious question; how to improve customer engagement and why it is so important. If we were to define customer engagement we would say that it “refers to the combination of behavioral responses with an emotional context”
Retail Customer Engagement Statistics: 55 Stats You Need to Know
What’s at the heart of any business? Products, services, profits? All of these things are important, but at its core, a business is about people. The way you engage with your customers will shape the future of your company, in more ways than one. It only takes a matter of minutes for an unhappy customer to post about their experiences online, devastating the value of your brand on a public platform. On the other hand, customers can boost your brand image with positive reviews and continued loyalty. Engaging with your customers will tell you a lot about them too—their pain
13 Effective Omnichannel Customer Engagement Strategies for Retailers
When 80% of sales consistently come from 20% of your existing customers, it goes without saying that keeping those buyers around and engaged is a top priority. Retail customer engagement strategies drive retention rates, and with 86% of consumers reporting they’ll pay more for a better brand experience, it’s an open opportunity to form lasting relationships with customers and increase your bottom line. Since the pandemic hit every retailer hard, changing the retail world as we know it, optimizing your business’s omnichannel strategy and finetuning your customer engagement plan can have a bold difference in your quarterly and yearly results.
John Lewis Omnichannel Strategy: How the UK’s top homeware retailer has reached the top
The John Lewis Partnership PLC is a business group comprised of the John Lewis & Partners department stores, the Waitrose & Partners supermarket chain, and other retail-related businesses. The first store was opened in 1864 in the famous Oxford Street and since then the brand has had 52 department stores and 332 supermarkets across the United Kingdom. This success, of course, is not based on sheer luck, but on careful, strategic planning and innovative thinking. The John Lewis omnichannel strategy is an example to be imitated and this case study is dedicated to the individual components of that prosperity. Just
Retail best practices: Nailing your Summer Marketing
Without a doubt, this summer will be different from the previous one and hopefully better. The COVID-19 vaccine brought a sense of optimism in the consumers that are eager to return to their pre-pandemic summer habits. After a tiresome winter, we all crave some summer “revenge shopping” and a much-needed holiday. Seasonal summer sales tend to be a “smoother” period for balance sheets, but there is always space for hot summer marketing campaigns to monetize. So we decided to create a list of summer marketing best practices for retail. Even in the summer, digitality is still king with the majority of travelers
17 Father’s day marketing campaigns we will never forget
It goes without saying that every day is a good day to show our appreciation to those that brought us into this world, namely our parents. But in the grim COVID-19 era, social distancing and restrictions have given us additional motivation to acknowledge our family members and make the best out of the circumstances. According to the NRF, in the US, 75% of the population seem to agree with that idea and wish to celebrate this year’s Father’s Day. Moreover, the Federation suggests that in 2022 the total spending is expected to reach the incredible amount of $20.1B and that
Retail Best Practices: 12 Tactics to Maximize Your Mother’s Day Revenue
Mother’s Day is a big day for mothers and the retail industry. Mother’s Day, which is celebrated on May 9th this year, is the third-largest retail holiday in the U.S. The nuance of Mother’s Day is that shoppers are buying primarily for their mothers and stepmothers. A part of that $20B Mother’s Day retail spends also includes purchases for wives, daughters, grandmothers, sisters, and even friends. Consequently, any retailer should have a marketing campaign ready to roll out for the big holiday. Below you’ll find a combination of online and physical retail best practices for your Mother’s Day marketing strategy. Impressive Mother’s Marketing
Facebook Ad Segmentation: A How-To Guide for Successful Ecommerce
The ability to use Facebook ad segmentation quickly and effectively is crucial to generating higher returns from your ad budget. You also enjoy better returns if you couple Facebook ad segmentation with omnichannel customer engagement. Advertising costs decrease while customer satisfaction and sales increase. Getting traffic to your website is progressively becoming more expensive. Revealbot informs us that in December of 2020, Facebook CPM, or the cost per 1000 visitors, hit a high of $16.27, up from $8.59 in January, nearly doubling in only one year. So, what’s can you do? More and more, marketers realize that they have to