Plain Talk

Do you still know your customers?

Consumer behavior is changing and retailers are being forced to evolve. Knowing your customer is key to creating a loyal following and will ultimately influence every aspect of your business.

Customers demand a consistent and seamless brand experience from start to finish, online and offline. Take a look at how analytics can keep your brand relevant and build brand loyalty with your best and potential customers.

1. Define a Consistent Customer Profile
   Customer profiles define who your customers are as consumers. A customer profile is built using transaction and customer data and gives you a complete guide to reaching your best core and potential customers. It not only looks at who they are, but what influences their buying behavior, what features mean the most to them, and what kind of marketing communication will resonate with them.

2. Give Customers a Consistent Shopping Experience
   Customers expect a seamless customer experience from initial discovery to product purchase, regardless of whether it’s done in person or online. This has led to the rise of omnichannel retailing. Although this may seem like a tall order, it is achievable. Retailers must realize that e-commerce, in-store operations, and marketing are not to be treated as separate divisions. They’re all touchpoints in the customer’s buying journey.

3. Target Messages
   Not all customers are the same, which is why a customer segmentation strategy is key. Instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach to your marketing efforts, segmenting your customers into different categories will allow you to further understand their unique wants and spending habits. Once they’re segmented into specific groups, you can tailor messages to current and potential customers, ultimately driving improvements in cost per conversion and return on investment.

4. Measure Campaign Effectiveness
   Over time, you will begin to learn what works, and what to change going forward. Consider these factors when when crafting marketing messaging, what types of offers resonate most with each customer segment, how does seasonality influence their buying behavior, etc. You will then be able to implement a promotional plan that forecasts customer activity, revenue and costs. Continue to monitor and analyze this data, as it will allow you to make more strategic decisions in the future.

Analytics can provide insight for business leaders to make the best decisions for their companies.

Buxton is the leading customer analytics firm that helps organizations identify who their customers are, where those customers are located, and the value those customers have to the organization.

2651 South Polaris Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76137
1-888-2BUXTON

buxtonco.com

Feature Articles

If you have an opinion on the retailing or retail real estate industries, take this opportunity to share your thoughts. Articles should run between 400 and 800 words. Topics can, be general in nature, consumer observation or specific to retail concepts or practices.

Articles will be posted for at least one week and will then be placed in the Editorial Archives. All articles submitted will be read and considered but we cannot guarantee publication. Each published article will carry the submitters byline (if desired) and is a free service to our community.

Article ideas and suggestions are also always welcomed. Contact PVS@PlainVanillaShell.com