: “Why Search May Not Click for Retailers

” According to the article, retailers are inclined to throw lots of money into search for this upcoming holiday season, but the truth is, the search trends are showing this may not be such a great idea.

Less than 10% of online retailers’ web traffic, on average, comes from search engines, according to an analysis by Nielsen Co.’s Online division.Nielsen found the majority of retailers’ web traffic (61%, on average) comes from people going directly to a retail site — consumers typing, say, Amazon.com into a browser address bar.

The article also claims that a bulk of the search traffic is attributed to “navigational searches” i.e. typing the name of the brand in the search bar as opposed to a product category.

So what does this all mean?

First of all, I do not think search engine optimization should be ignored. On the contrary, it is of extreme importance.

However, search is unlikely to be effective without a solid brand. This research and article is a prime example of how past customer experiences and branding are of utmost importance.  As a retailer, if your brand is not solid and your past customer experiences are lacking, your success in outward marketing efforts in general (not just search) will be wasted.

This holiday season, what can retailers (and other businesses that hinge upon customer experiences) do to ensure your brand stays ahead? Check out the following helpful links on branding and customer experience to get started.

• Attention Consumer-Based Businesses: Your Brand Represents 50%-80% of Your Value!
• Better Communication = Satisfied Customers
• Once your Advertising Has Done it’s Job, Positive Customer Experience Must Follow Through
• Sniffing for Market Share
• The Power of Words

Feel free to post other helpful blogs and articles!

Walmart is beginning a new strategy to increase positive customer experience in their stores. An exerpt from the article is below:

So what does a Project Impact store look like? One recent weekday afternoon I toured a brand new, 210,000-sq.-ft. Walmart in West Deptford, N.J., with Lance De La Rosa, the company’s Northeast general manager. “We’ve listened to our customers, and they want an easier shopping experience,” says De La Rosa. “We’ve brightened up the stores and opened things up to make it more navigable.” One of the most noticeable changes is that Project Impact stores reshape Action Alley, the aisles where promotional items were pulled off the shelves and prominently displayed for shoppers. Those stacks both crowded the aisles and cut off sight lines. Now, the aisles are all clear, and you can see most sections of the store from any vantage point. For example, standing on the corner intersection of the auto-care and crafts areas, you can look straight ahead and see where shoes, pet care, groceries, the pharmacy and other areas are located. And the discount price tags are still at eye level, so the value message doesn’t get lost. 

“They are like roads,” De La Rosa says proudly. “And look around, the customers are using them. We’ve already gotten feedback about the wider, more breathable aisles. Our shoppers love them.”

Read the full article here.

Lesson to retailers: Your actual products and prices are only a slice of the pie! Your customers want an experience from you! What experience are you giving them? Ask for customer feedback and be sure your experience is matching your other marketing messages.

It seems that businesses are cutting back as much as they can. Unfortunately, this often means that marketing and advertising budgets take a back seat. This is one of the worst things to do! Remaining consistent with your advertising while others are cutting back and disappearing results in gaining market share and more customers!

However, we all realize that sometimes budget cuts are inevitable. Here are some marketing tricks and hints that will help your business boost marketing effectiveness, even when money is tight.

• Begin Employing a Social Media Strategy: If you haven’t heard about the massive power and impact social media marketing holds for your business, you may need to check your pulse! Social media presents the perfect avenue for customer conversation and interaction! Get your customers and potential customers involved, talk to them, and ask for feedback. There are SO many ways social media can be used to benefit your business. Just a few of them include:

• Build relationships with loyal customers
• Communicate, communicate, communicate!
• Drive traffic to your blog and website
• Market your brand and your business
• Share your expertise
• Answer questions/ ask questions
• Stay current with the latest industry trends
• Search engine optimization
• Avenue for promotions

Confused about getting started? These entries may also be helpful for you to check out:

A Social Media Strategy Is a Must

Twitter for Business

• Get Creative – Use Guerrilla Marketing Techniques: Guerrilla marketing encompasses a vast category of methods, but at the core I like to explain it as “marketing with an added value.” This may be entertainment, information, or just making someone feel good! For example, guerrilla marketing could be sending out a quarterly or monthly newsletter. The newsletter must contain valuable information (i.e. preview of new products, tips and advice). Another example could be using unusual, attention-getting media, like sidewalk displays. Yet another example would be to record your customer’s birthdays, anniversaries, and other occasions and send them a special note from your business. The possibilities are endless! Guerrilla marketing requires more creativity, but works wonderfully for those on a tight marketing budget.

• In-Store Marketing: A sometimes ignored method, in-store marketing is extremely important in turning the people coming through your door into loyal, long-term and repeat customers. There are a variety of inexpensive methods that can take your business to new levels in the mind’s of your customers.

• Offer your customers complimentary coffee
• Collect names for a drawing or contest
• Offer a gift with purchase
• Create a loyalty program

These are just some of the ways you can inexpensively market in your store and turn customers into fans!

Have other “Marketing on a Tight Budget” Tips? I would love to hear them! Please share below.