What Is Digital Retail Marketing
At a basic level, digital retail marketing is all about providing seamless experiences across channels to consumers at different stages of their purchase journey
There is no doubt about the fact that eCommerce is mainstream now. The lines between offline and online channels have already started to blur. Today’s consumers browse online using their mobile devices to check prices and buy via a channel that happens to provide the best deal at that time. Undoubtedly, this is the age of the consumer. Of course, this is nothing new and those in the retail industry are already aware of the same. That’s why retail brands have started using digital technology and the huge amount of data available to connect more effectively and engage with their consumers.
Furthermore, most of today’s consumers want to do everything on their own – from research to decision-making and even making a purchase. They prefer self-service. This has encouraged many retailers to embrace digital retail marketing. This naturally leads to the question of what digital retail marketing really is.
Digital Retail Marketing
Digital retail marketing basically refers to a sequence of experiences that enables consumers to easily and quickly maneuver and engage with a retailer’s website at various stages of their buying journey. The all-encompassing concept of digital retail marketing may appear simple to someone who doesn’t know much about the intricacies of eCommerce. However, it is very different when looked at from the perspective of industries.
Consumers that make a standard retail purchase perceive digital retail marketing as follows:
- A consumer searches for a particular product or service
- Adds the product or service to their cart
- Confirms the price
- Makes the payment and completes the purchase
However, digital retail marketing means something entirely different for retailers. To them, digital retail marketing is all about assisting consumers at all stages of their purchase journey, such as:
- Enabling the decision-making process
- Adding the product or service to their shopping cart
- Checking out to complete the purchase
- Making the payment for the product or service
- Delivering the product or service at their doorstep
From the point of the retailer, it means managing everything online and offline and ensuring the best experience for their consumers.
From the perspective of the retailer, it means managing everything online and offline and ensuring the best experience for their consumers.
Perceptions of both consumers and retailers are correct, and what ultimately matters is the experience of the consumers as they go through the purchase journey. Customers should have the best experience if retailers want them to come back to them and buy more.
Important aspects of Digital Retail Marketing
Besides, digital retail marketing is focused on heavily personalizing consumers’ experiences based on retailers’ financial and business goals. However, businesses that adopt the digital retail marketing concept should be aware of a few important aspects that are true for all different types of digital retailing:
- Digital retail marketing should provide a connected experience and allow consumers to clearly follow each step of the shopping process.
- Consumers are in full control of their purchase journey and can stop or resume from wherever they left off at their convenience.
- Digital retailing is neither a tool nor a widget. It is also not a set of tools linked together that are unconnected, and it doesn’t remember any of the steps taken by the consumer while shopping. Furthermore, it shouldn’t focus only on the end of the sales funnel. It should focus on all those who are in the discovery, research, and buying phases of their purchase journey as well.
- Digital retailing experiences are specifically made keeping consumers’ needs in mind.
With a whole lot of consumers conducting a major part of their research online and shopping through their preferred and available channels, it is best that retailers offer the experiences that enable consumers to receive trade-in offers and help them quickly make their decisions regarding their purchases.
Online Retail Marketing vs. Digital Retail Marketing
The phrases ‘online retail marketing’ and ‘digital retail marketing’ are often used synonymously. However, they are not the same.
Digital retail marketing is an umbrella term that involves the promotion of the message of a brand across all digital channels. This means it is not limited to only the Internet. Examples of digital marketing include TV ads and SMS marketing campaigns, among others. On the other hand, online retail marketing is a subset of digital retail marketing and it involves promotions on the Internet. Examples of online retail marketing include the pop-ups that appear on a business website; Google ads; social media channels; YouTube ads; and even the sponsorship of a podcast or newsletter.
When it comes to digital retail marketing, it refers not only to promotions on digital media but also to those used in physical stores. In general, digital retail marketing is more extensive compared to online marketing.
Digital Retail Marketing Strategies
Retail brands are continuing to mature digitally and are making use of technology and data to engage with their consumers and are employing digital strategies to:
- Draw shoppers to stores
Digital presents both retail giants and local retailers with a great opportunity to encourage consumers to visit their stores. A study conducted by Google showed that three out of four (74 percent) shoppers who are able to find local information via search listings are more likely to visit retail outlets.
- Improve the in-store experience
According to a Google research report, 42 percent of shoppers who come to stores look for information online through their smartphones. Furthermore, the top places where shoppers search for information include the search engines and websites or apps of retailers.
This presents retailers with an opportunity to enhance their in-store experiences. This ensures that their sites and ads are fully optimized and mobile-friendly.
- Personalize using emails
When it comes to enabling personalized interaction with consumers. As email is by far the most effective channel as far as retailers are concerned.
Research shows that four out of five retail marketers are making use of the personalization strategy in one way or the other in their email marketing campaigns.
Retargeting involves sending a personalized email after a prospective shopper visits a business website. This is by far the most effective strategy which has provided retailers with great success.
- Achieve success by enhancing the mobile experience
The most important ingredient that ensures digital success in these modern times is the mobile phone. Digital strategies of businesses will fall flat if they are not built keeping mobile users in mind. This is because consumers keep moving back and forth from one device to another and between physical stores. So, providing a seamless mobile experience is essential for any business that adopts digital retailing.
In conclusion, retailers have taken big strides in digital marketing. As the digital landscape keeps evolving, consumers are increasingly becoming more sophisticated. Therefore, retailers have to continually invest in newer ways of engaging consumers across devices through personalized one-to-one communication.
How SayOne Can Help
As an end-to-end digital retail marketing company, at SayOne Digital offer an assortment of choices from different genres of digital marketing that resonate the power of your brand across all channels.
We strive to understand the needs of your brand thoroughly and put together customized and innovative solutions that help your brand reach across to the audience across the globe.
We also provide integrated services such as SEO, SMM, PPC, and content marketing. From helping your website rank at the top of a search page to handling all your social media handles.
We will help your business to grow worldwide and strive to create a prominent digital presence for your brand.
FAQs
1. Why is digital marketing important for retail?
Digital marketing enables you to target the customers most likely to purchase your goods or services and reach a wider audience than you could with conventional techniques.
2. What is digital retail store?
Digital marketing enables you to target the customers most likely to purchase your goods or services and reach a wider audience than you could with conventional techniques.
3. Which is an advantage of digital retailing?
Cost savings – selling online can eliminate the need for pricey retail locations and customer-facing personnel, allowing you to spend in better marketing and customer service on your e-commerce site.
