For hundreds of years, it was a common practice to go to a shop to get something you wanted physically. Store visits became less common when the internet came along, but people still mostly relied on offline shopping. However, things changed with digitalization and the wide spread of the internet. Modern businesses must have an excellent online platform as customers are more prone to online shopping. The global pandemic drove people’s reliance on online shopping even further. Figures from The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development show eCommerce activities increasing by up to 53% during the early stages of the pandemic. Fast-forward to the present, businesses have reopened, and physical stores are now accessible in most parts of the world. However, online shopping hasn’t gone away entirely, nor should it. While some brands have chosen to invest more either in their physical or digital presence, this article focuses on how the two can be combined for a “phygital” future. So, for more information on how this can improve customer experience, continue reading this article for steps to take.
3 Ways of Enhancing Customer Experience in a ‘Phygital’ Future
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Customers often do some form of research before making a purchase. This might involve asking a friend or coworker about their experience using a particular brand or patronizing some businesses. Another popular way is simply going online and reading reviews. This digital research approach may include visiting a particular business's online store to get an idea of the products and services being offered before visiting a physical store. So, for a business, combining the physical store and online presence would be a good idea to create a more customer-friendly phygital (physical + digital) experience, and below are three ways to do it.
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Create A Single Channel For Customers
For a business, a lot goes into a successful sale. First, there’s the discovery part, as people won’t have a chance to buy something if they can’t find it. With technology, it is possible to aid a customer's discovery, purchase, and post-purchase activities. For instance, when customers with your mobile app walk into any of your stores, they can have alerts on their phones to inform them of certain interesting items offered for purchase. This is a truly phygital way to do business. Also, an email can be sent beyond the purchase to provide the customer with any additional information they might need to use your products efficiently. Lastly, you can leverage the power of artificial intelligence to help direct customers to helpful resources on your website or connect with a customer care representative. This will help with customer retention.
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Leverage Analytics
Online businesses typically generate data daily, and much of this data can tell various stories about them. Customer data can aid in revealing business opportunities that can help improve your customer's experience. Perhaps you own a cosmetic business, and customers aren’t interested in a particular make-up or prefer getting two different types together. With such data, you can better optimize your shipping and improve customer experience by combining these customer favorites into a set. Also, sales data can help you identify buying trends to ensure you always have enough stock to meet demand, leaving your customers satisfied.
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Leverage Technology For Improved In-Store Experience
Technology can help brands create a truly immersive experience for their customers. For instance, a business can have virtual showrooms that let customers know about some of their latest products and then direct them to where they can try out the product. Another way to leverage technology would be to automate the process of checking out a store. Rather than waiting in a long line to get something, customers can simply get automatically billed for the items they carry out of the store. This is a great approach to a phygital shopping experience.
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Conclusion
The era of phygital retail is just starting, and like most trends, it’s a good idea to start at the beginning. Statistics have shown that customers appreciate a brand that considers their needs and demands, and with phygital retail, this is very easy to accomplish. So, if you want to take your customers’ experience to the next level, consider applying any of the steps listed in this article.