Checklist for multichannel retailers

Internetworld offers tips for multichannel retailers. Today, more and more people can be reached at any time and any place via their smartphone. According to Bitkom (German Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media), around 40 percent of Germans own such an Internet-enabled phone - and most of them use it every day. Reason enough to use this channel to communicate with customers. For multichannel retailers in particular, the smartphone offers the opportunity to identify and thus get to know previously anonymous customers in their cross-channel behavior. For the first time, it is also possible to view and evaluate the customer journey across channels and draw conclusions. The e-commerce trade show Internet World gives retailers practical tips on which measures they can take to get to know their customers better and how free WLAN in the retail store or in the online retailer's showroom can become not only a customer service but also a marketing tool.Mobile as a bridge between online/offlineWith a so-called browser fingerprint, it is technically possible today to recognize a smartphone that is in the WLAN. The effect of various advertising media can be measured across channels, for example, if a newsletter was opened via a smartphone, one and the same device is then recognized in the stationary store, and in the end pays via mobile payment. Anyone who is able to evaluate this technical information is also able to identify customers via it and track them across multiple channels. In this way, correlations in user behavior will be verifiable in black and white in the future.More sales arguments at the POS with the smartphoneBut that's not all: thanks to mobile devices, popular social commerce features such as reviews, ratings, comments, product videos, etc., which have a major impact on purchasing decisions, can now also be made available at stationary POS and provide additional sales arguments. Products can be called up via smartphone using labels, barcodes or QR codes, for example, and the customer receives additional advisory expertise via this. In addition, not all variants are often on display in the retail store. Here, too, mobile devices help to get an idea of an expanded assortment.Mobile payment completes the customer journeyMobile devices are also increasingly being used as a means of payment and allow retailers to recognize previously unknown customers at the checkout. Identified via the app, the purchase can now be assigned to a customer and completes the customer journey. This in turn serves to supplement user profiles and improve personalization. Recommendation marketing receives new impetus and relevance is increased. Checklist for multichannel retailers to get to know their customers better:

• Offer your customers free Internet access in your store.
• Use the browser fingerprint to identify smartphones on your WLAN.
• Encourage your customers to use social features from your online store through in-store notices.
• Equip your products with barcodes that lead customers directly to product information and offer product variants online.
• Use the new customer information to launch situational and customized promotional information via various channels.
• Offer mobile payment via smartphone in your store - this gives you the chance for a seamless customer journey.