3 Steps to a More Effective Retail Facebook Presence

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

Amidst the many clouds of uncertainty surrounding retail use of social media, a few key strategies are starting to emerge. Three recent studies, including a white paper written by yours truly, have examined customer interactions with retailers via social media. Encouragingly, all three studies (Emarketer recently summarized the findings from studies by Marketing Sherpa and Razorfish) have very similar findings regarding customer desires in their social media interactions with retailers.
While the percentages varied slightly, all three studies found customers who “friended” or followed retailers said they were interested primarily in learning about new products and new or exclusive promotions. How great is that? I have to admit I was a bit surprised to see these results because it seems like current conventional wisdom says to avoid being promotional on sites like

Facebook in deference to its more personal nature. In hindsight, that conventional wisdom seems a little questionable since it’s unlikely customers are going to interact with retailers like their friends. They know we’re about selling to them — we’re retailers!

More good news: It appears that the customers who follow retailers are really the best, most engaged and brand committed customers for those retailers. I suppose that’s not terribly surprising, but it’s certainly valuable information. Since our findings were part of a larger customer satisfaction study, we were also able to determine that site visitors who also interact with a company on a social media site are more satisfied, more committed to the brand, and more likely to make future purchases from that company than customers who don’t follow those retailers. Our study also found that 61% of people who follow retailers follow less than five retailers. That’s further indication that people are really focused on their absolute favorite retailers.
We also found that more than 80% of shoppers who use social media list Facebook as a site they use regularly, which makes it the overwhelming social media leader.

YouTube came in second place with only 31% of shoppers.

 
So, to summarize, our best and most engaged customers like to interact with us on Facebook (an incredibly viral platform) and want to hear about new products and promotions. This is a great foundation for a successful strategy!
Without further ado, here are three steps to a more effective retail Facebook presence:
1) Focus on best customers. Rather than trying to build our fan base to the highest possible numbers, let’s focus on getting as many of our highest value customers as fans on Facebook. They’re the most likely to become our Facebook fans anyway, but they’re also the most likely to recommend us to their friends. Facebook’s viral nature gives us the opportunity to put our Word of Mouth Marketing on steroids, and developing messages for our best customers gives us a clear focus. We should reach out directly to our best customers via targeted messaged and encourage them to join because we…
2) Give ‘em special promotions and news about products. These are our best customers. Let’s treat them well and make them feel special. Let’s give them exclusive offers and early notice on cool new products.

Victoria’s Secret does an excellent job here, and it shows. Of the Internet Retailer Top 40 retailers’ Facebook pages I looked at, Victoria’s Secret has by far the most fans at almost 2.7 million at the time of this writing. Clearly, they are delivering on customer expectations, and they’re being rewarded for it by attracting lots of really engaged customers.


My good friend Adam Cohen, partner and social media lead at Rosetta and blogger at a thousand cuts, (and my go-to guy on all things social media) correctly cautions against too many rich, exclusive promotions as they could be unsustainable as the fan base grows. This is particularly true if the offers start to attract deal seekers who are not our best customers. Good warning from Adam and in line with the excellent old adage “everything in moderation.”
3) Leverage Facebook viral features. We’re giving great, exclusive offers and product news to our best customers. Those best customers are the most likely to recommend us to their friends. Let’s encourage them to do so. It could be as simple as letting them know an exclusive offer can be shared with their friends by simply hitting the “share” link. There are lots of Facebook applications and other techniques that can be used, but I would personally just start simply and go from there.
Bonus tip: Make sure your page can be found in Facebook search. This isn’t really one of my key steps, but during my research I was surprised by how poor Facebook’s search is. For example, I searched for “LL Bean” and found nothing. Then I tried “L.L. Bean” and again got nothing. Their page is actually entitled “L.L.Bean” with no space between “L.” and “Bean.” Facebook’s search will only find it if you search for it exactly as it’s titled. So, my tip is think about how people might search for your brand and then name the page with the most common search term.
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Three separate studies have all found that customers who friend or follow retailers in social media are most interested in learning about promotions and new products. That’s some mighty strong corroboration, and it’s incredibly great news. Judging from the large percentage of retailers with little-to-no Facebook presence, I’m guessing many have been holding pat waiting for a clear direction on how to best leverage social media. While this information may not give the clearest direction for all social media channels, it certainly provides some clarity on today’s biggest channel, Facebook. Different social media channels require different strategies and tactics, and in the end it’s still important to learn more from our customers about their specific needs and desires and then work to satisfy them.
In the meantime, let’s build some really great Facebook pages for our best customers and give them some exclusive offers to enjoy. Please let me know when you’ve got your page running so I can become a fan!
What do you think? What have you learned about Facebook? What tips do you have?

Copyright 2010 www.retailshakennotstirred.com All rights reserved.

Secure Drop Box for Anonymous Suggestions

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People feel comfortable working in an environment in which they can make suggestions or alert management to potential or existing problems without fear of repercussions. A wall mounted drop box is a great way to allow employees the opportunity to express concerns or suggestions, anonymous or not, while feeling secure that coworkers won’t have access to their notes.

This drop box is also great for use in anti-bullying programs at schools, childcare facilities or after school programs. Children need to let those in authority know if they are being bullied, threatened or frightened in some way or if they feel a friend or peer needs help. This drop box is a way for the children to make their concerns known without having to work up the courage it can take to approach an authority figure, which can be intimidating. This is also a good way for children to alert adults without having to visit the office and be fearful of their peers seeing them and finding out about it. The drop box is locked with a key so there is no fear that others will open the box to read the personal notes.

Simply mount the box in an easily accessible but relatively private area where a person can swoop in, drop in their note and be on their way. This drop box is a great investment that will be rewarded with peace of mind and happier workers or children.

In addition for use as a suggestion box, the drop box is also excellent for ballots, keys, mail, checks, deposit slips and anything that needs to be dropped off outside of business hours. The slot size is 9″W x 1/4″D so it will accommodate a wide variety of items. The built-in storage compartment at the top of the box is ideal for holding blank forms, note pads, envelopes and ballots.

Improve your Retail Sales, Promotions and In-Store Events

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I know that a lot of stores and businesses are having all kinds of promotions and events right now so I want to talk about evaluating your events and how you could make them even better. Bob and Susan Negen of Whizbang! Training covered this topic splendidly recently so I’ll have them tell you about it. Take it way, Bob and Susan!

After EVERY promotion or event, big or small, have a Recap Meeting. This meeting is a chance to celebrate a job well done or talk about why something didn’t work as planned.It also gives you a chance to get everyone’s ideas on how to make the event better the next time around.These meetings are best when you have them right after you close, but you can wait until the next day if it works better. Don’t wait any longer than the following day. Wait too long and you’ll lose all the little impressions and fun, interesting ideas that are so important to continually improving your event.Here’s a quick list of things to things to make notes about in your meeting:

  • Sales: Planned vs. Actual
  • Cost of Event: Budgeted vs. Actual
  • Pre Event Planning: What worked, what didn’t, and what can we do better/differently next time?
  • The Event Itself: What worked, what didn’t, and what can we do differently/better next time?
  • After the Event: What worked, what didn’t, and what can we do better/differently next time?
  • Promoting/Marketing the Event: What worked, what didn’t, and what can we do better next time?
  • Other Thoughts/Comments/Ideas

Write everything down, put your notes in a file and you’ve got the beginnings of a bigger, better and more profitable event the next time around!

 

New Retail Catalog

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Specialty Store Services’ new catalog is out! Have you seen it? Following are some great new retail supplies and retail store fixtures that you will find in the new catalog.

All in One. Get a glass front display, register stand with drawer and service counter at a great price to fit modest budgets, all in this All in One Counter System. This clever All in One Counter System is 72″W x 20″D x 38″H and is available in white, maple, cherry and black.

You’ve got mail (supplies). SSS now carries mailing supplies and packing supplies! Choose from three sizes of bubble mailer envelopes to send out your smaller, more fragile items or pick up some bubble wrap which is great for packing boxes or for wrapping up breakable items for your customers. If you need to mail out CDs or DVDs then our new corrugated media mailers are what you need.

Wood displays. I am crazy about the Rotating T-shirt Display! It’s compact at only 23.5″L x 23.5″W x 63″H yet can hold a bunch of folded shirts. This 4-sided melamine display features 5 shelves per side so you can display up to 20 different styles, acrylic fronts to display the t-shirts next to folded stock and casters for easy relocation. Other terrific wood displays that we now carry are in the Sophisticate Collection which features maple melamine coupled with attractive matte silver frames. Choose from Display Pedestals, Nesting Display Tables and the Wall Shelving Display.

Attention getters. LED Rope Lights! Who doesn’t love them?! These new 9′ long LED rope lights are constructed of clear plastic with colored lights inside and plug directly into your AC outlet. You can string together up to 40 (yes, forty!) rope lights end to end without the need for connectors! Choose from red, blue, orange, green or white.

Security. Keep an eye on your investment with a new DVR Security System. This affordable security system comes complete with 10″ monitor, 4 channel DVR and 4 indoor/outdoor cameras. No need to worry about the security of your business while on the road because this plug and view system is Internet ready and smart phone compatible so you can access your system remotely!

If you currently do not have a catalog please do take a look at Specialty Store Services’ website to see all the terrific new items that we now carry.

Off-site Event Signage and Marketing

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I was at a music festival recently, got a little peckish and decided to get some food from the vendors set up at the fest. The vendors were varied in the way they promoted, or did not promote, their wares.

Many of the food vendors had large, professionally done signs stating their restaurant’s name and printed posterboard menus. Most of the remaining food vendors had handwritten posterboard menus but no business information posted. What surprised me most was the fact that a few of the vendors has no signage at all! Not a menu board, nothing; they just relied on people wandering up to their stand, looking at the food and (hopefully) ordering.

So, which vendors do you think had the lines of people waiting for their food? Yep, the vendors with restaurant signs and menu boards, followed closely by the vendors with simple hand-written menus. Now, I’m not saying that you need to spend big bucks on professional signage but, for Pete’s sake, handwritten signage is better than nothing! If you don’t do off-site events very often and want to save money by making your own signs that is perfectly fine, just make sure that they are neat, legible and only feature 2 colors at most. A couple of the signs I saw were apparently done by a younger person who tried to jazz them up by making every other word or letter a different color. All that does is distract and annoy people just trying to read a simple menu so simplicity is key. If you’d like to have a sign you can change and reuse then you may want to get a write on/wipe off sign. This double-sided sign will be perfect for use at off-site events and also out on the sidewalk in front of your store.

Some of the food I purchased was from a sign-less booth, simply because there were some ethnic dishes that I never tried before. I also purchased food from a vendor with full signage. The food from both booths was delicious but unfortunately, I cannot go to the tasty ethnic restaurant. Because I don’t know the name or where it is located.

Moral of the story? Don’t be shy, promote yourself! Now, this doesn’t just apply to restaurants. Any business that is presenting itself also needs to promote itself. Let people know who you are and where they can find you after the event is over. A weekend festival may bring in some extra cash for you but appropriate signage (and cheerful, helpful employees!) will bring in future business, as well.

Retail Window Displays – Part 2

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

We went over some interesting window display ideas in a previous blog entry that I hope you found useful and here are a few more ideas to keep your window displays interesting and draw in more customers.

Phone a friend. Or, in this case, phone a vendor. The vendors who sell you merchandise will be happy to provide you with POP displays and posters to help promote the items you sell. After all, if you sell out of their merchandise you will need to order more so that’s a big incentive for vendors to assist you by providing marketing materials. This is a great way to decorate your window and promote your merchandise at a minimal cost to you.
Spread the love by sharing the window. Create a sense of good will and community by offering your window space to local non-profits who are doing good work in the community. Every few months you can have a local non-profit or community organization use the window for a couple weeks to promote their cause or events. The change of pace will draw attention to your retail window display while giving deserving organizations the opportunity to spread the word about the services they provide.
Get artsy. Approach local artists or art students and ask them to paint backdrops appropriate for your store’s retail window display, images that reflect your store’s brand and personality. They will get exposure by having their work displayed and you will have eye-catching backdrops for your displays. The artists may be more eager to help if you allow them to leave gallery or studio information at the counter for customers to view. Keep in mind, though, that everyone has a different vision so it’s a good idea to go over ideas for the backdrop to make sure you’re on the same page. After all, a painting of a flaming bicycle flying off a cliff may be captivating but will it really help showcase your body oils or pet food?
Scrub-a-dub. Remember to keep your windows clean and smudge-free! You only have a few seconds to capture the attention of potential customers so you want them to focus on your retail window display, not on the sticky hand prints or dusty rain spots.

CD and DVD Displays

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Who doesn’t love curling up with a good movie or relaxing while listening to some music? I do not know one person who doesn’t, I tell you! Even with the popularity of electronic downloads, physical media formats are still popular; many folks still enjoy having a collection of discs they can pop into the DVD or CD player. If you are not currently offering DVDs or CDs in your store, you may want to consider it. I mean, even coffee houses, convenience stores and gift shops are selling them! Take a look at the following CD/DVD/Game disc displays to see what works for you.

Starting small. If you have limited counter space or would like to offer a small selection of popular CDs or DVDs to see how they sell, then check out the following counter spinners. The CD counter spinner has 32 facings, holds up to 160 CDs and only takes up 15″ square inches of counter space. That’s a lot of merchandising in a little area! The DVD Counter Spinner has 24 pocket facings, can display 72 DVDs and only takes up 16″ square inches of counter space. Not too shabby. Both of these displays have steel construction and include sign holders.
The next step up. If the DVDs are selling well and you’d like to increase your selection then the DVD/Game Spinner is for you. That’s right, sell some games while you’re at it because they are as popular as can be! The DVD/Game Spinner has 6 tiers with 72 facings so it can hold up to 288 DVDs and it also includes a sign holder. The CD Floor Spinner has 8 tiers, 64 facings, includes sign holder, takes up less than 20″ square inches of floor space and can display up to 320 CDs. If you’d like a more mobile unit then check out the 10 Shelf Mobile Media Display. This grid display with retractable telescoping legs includes casters so you can scoot it wherever you need it. Display CDs, DVDs, games, books or anything else that can fit on the 24″L x 6″D slanted shelves.
Going gangbusters. Have the space and the demand for even more discs? Then have I got some things to show you! The Super Grid A-Frame Display can be used individually or end-to-end to create a continuous DVD display. The A Frame Display, which has a total of 24 shelves, can display up to 768 DVDs! For a mobile, high capacity display, take a look at the Center Island Grid Display. This grid display has a total of 20 shelves, E-Z roll casters and can display up to 600 DVDs or game discs. This grid display is also great for software, magazines, CDs, candy and snacks. Talk about versatile!
There are many more physical media displays to choose from. If you have any questions about any of the displays, please don’t hesitate to contact a friendly sales representative at 800-999-0771.

 

Effective Retail Store Lighting

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Have you ever walked into a store and it just seemed kind of…meh? The displays are nice, the staff is friendly and the product is good but the store still seems to be lacking? Well, what kind of lighting did it have? Was it dim, was it too bright, were spotlights used ineffectively? We need to remind ourselves every now and then that sometimes just having sufficient lighting in order to see the merchandise isn’t enough.

In the spotlight. It is important to remember the different between spotlights and floodlights. Spotlights focus on a limited area whereas floodlights light up a large, expanded area. Using floodlights will flood the entire floorspace with light and if everything is highlighted then nothing stands out. We want to utilize spotlights to create a contrast in lighting and to draw attention to featured items and to create focal points, such as highlighting displays that showcase higher profit margin items. Spotlights will naturally draw the eye so also use them on wall displays, near the checkout counter and at the front of the store.

In the mood… For shopping, of course! Lighting can really set the tone of your store and the displays therein. Colored lights can help convey a mood within a store and a customer that makes an emotional connection may be more likely to make a purchase. For instance, you can use a blue-ish light on your sparkly winter displays or a reddish light on Valentine’s Day displays to suggest the appropriate mood. Colored LED rope lights around display windows can convey a festive mood while also drawing attention to the storefront.

On the shelf. Small spotlights and LED light strips can do wonders to draw attention to merchandise in a showcase. LED strip lights, for instance, can be quickly mounted to the inside of a showcase with mounting clips or adhesive strips and these little lights are very bright. Many showcases, including these large floor model lighted tower showcases and smaller countertop showcases, come equipped with halogen mini-spotlights

Practice safe shopping. Create a safe environment for your customers with outdoor lighting at the storefront and in the parking lot. A well lit area outside the entryway will help prevent trips and falls. A brightly lit parking area will make customers feel more safe and people are more likely to shop in areas where they feel secure.

What other ideas can you come up with to make lighting more effecting? Using strobe lights to showcase some fun displays? Ensuring that there is flattering lighting in the dressing rooms? Take a look around your store. Maybe you’ll come up with some ideas to make the lighting a little more effective and creative.

Remodel Your Retail Store to Increase Profit

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We all are excited about seeing an increase in our business’ profits so what can we do to achieve that goal? Well, what Old Navy did was to remodel some of their stores. You may think “Old Navy is a huge chain store so what has that got to do with me?” Let me tell you that the big boys do a lot of market research and analysis to know what works and what doesn’t so following their lead can be a good idea.

The remodeling of 300 Old Navy stores resulted in buyers spending $1 to $2 more per visit. What did the remodel consist of to bring about this increase in revenue? An Associated Press release dated July 11, 2011 states “Some of the components of the store remodelings include light wood, white shelving, wider aisles and lowered racks and fixtures for better store visibility. There is also a play area for children and more workers helping out in dress rooms, which have been moved from the back of the store to the center.” A more open feel and a brighter color pallet generates a comfortable atmosphere and it only makes sense that people are more inclined to spend more time (and more money) in an environment in which they feel comfortable.

A remodel doesn’t have to break the bank. What small changes can you do in your store to make it feel more open, to feel brighter? Invest in white or lighter color shelves, perhaps. Or possibly utilize more wall displays, such as grid panels (as low as $14.99 each ) or slatwall panels in order to get some of the display racks off the floor, giving a more open feeling. What changes in merchandising can you make so the sales floor appears less cluttered and overwhelming? Keep your displays neat and organized because no one wants to rummage through a jumble of items is if they are at a yard sale, unless they are at a yard sale, of course. Check out the Give Your Store a Facelift blog entry for some ideas to make your store shine.

So, have you got any ideas on how you can do some simple remodeling to make your store more inviting? Does it seem like a lot of work with an uncertain payoff? Let’s do a “for instance”, just for the fun of it. How many customers make purchases at your store in a day? Let’s say 30 customers, just as an example. If each person spent one dollar more per transaction, and your store was open seven days a week, that equals $10,560 additional profit per year! Sounds to me like it just may be worth investing in a little elbow grease and a couple new displays. What do you think?

Budget-Conscious Shoplifting Prevention

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Few things are more frustrating than having people steal merchandise right out from under your nose. That’s your livelihood they’re messing with! Keep reading to find out how you can stop these thieves in their tracks.

Sales staff – the first line of defense. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: approach customers, look them in the eye and offer a sincere greeting and smile. Making eye contact while greeting customers decreases the rate of shoplifting incidents because potential shoplifters know that you are really aware of them. A casual “Hi, how are ya?” called from across the store lets a potential shoplifter know that they are just in the sales’s staff peripheral vision and not really an object of interest so they will be more likely to act boldly.

Smile, you’re on camera…sort of. Security systems are fantastic theft deterrents but even if your current budget cannot cover the cost of a system, there is no need to forgo the security of cameras. Simulated cameras have come a long way; many of them now look, move and light up like real security cameras! The Motion Detection Simulated Camera, complete with mock cable wires and red LED light, rotates when the motion sensor is triggered giving a constant watchful impression, all for under $20. There are many different styles of simulated security cameras to choose from including the metal encased indoor/outdoor camera or indoor simulated dome camera which has a red LED light that lights up when motion activated for less than $10. Give the impression of real security cameras at a fraction of the cost!

Rearrange your floorplan. Place your more expensive or popular items closer to the counter where sales staff can keep an eye on things. Move your displays around to eliminate blind spots which are areas that security cameras or sales staff cannot clearly see. If moving fixtures is not an option then you might want to think about getting a few security mirrors so you can keep an eye on those nooks and crannies. Also, it’s a good idea to employ lower displays, no taller than shoulder height, so you can see clear across the store at all times.

Give me a sign. Policy signs stating that shoplifters will be prosecuted will garner some attention. Post your signs prominently, especially near fitting rooms and exits, and then follow through so shoplifters know that you mean business.

Get schooled. If you’re not up to speed on shoplifting techniques then you won’t know what to look for. Look up websites that describe popular shoplifting techniques, learn about these techniques and share them with your staff so you all know how to identify possibly thievery in progress. For example, I learned that a shoplifter will carry a loosely closed umbrella over their arm and drop small but valuable items into the gaping top of the umbrella. Tricky! I found several websites that can tell you what to look for so check them out.

More looky, less touchy. To keep popular hanging items secure you will want to use locking hooks for slatwall, pegboard or slatgrid. These nifty hook are locked onto the display itself and also have a lock on the end of the hook to keep items from being swept off the hook and into thieving hands. A simple magnetic lock key allows staff to unlock the hooks in seconds. If you’ve already got peg hooks in use then you’ll want to use peg hook locks. Just snap the peg hook lock to the end of your peg hook to keep items secure and unlock with the magnetic lock key. Quick and easy!

I hope that these suggestions keep more merchandise available on your sale floor and not walking unpaid for out the door.