by Shirley Griffiths
We know what you’re thinking: you’re a furniture retailer, not a cell phone retailer, so what does mobile technology have to do with you? Sales.
Shopping behavior has changed drastically in just the past few years. It seems like just yesterday consumers gained the ability to compare merchandise, prices, reviews and deals from their homes thanks to broader Internet access. Now, with Web-enabled cell phones taking off, shoppers can do all that – and more – from inside your store while lounging on a marked-down sofa.
According to a report from GSW Consulting Group, by the end of 2011, more than 85 percent of new handsets will be able to access the mobile Web. Retailers with technological know-how are quickly learning that engaging in “mobile marketing” can amplify their sales volume.
Mobile tagging campaigns, for instance, give customers a chance to scan a 2D tag with their cell phone cameras and be transported to the digital world for more product or brand information, such as size, color and style options or complementary accessories. Tags can even deliver greater buying incentives, such as by bringing up coupons for additional discounts.
As consumers bridge the online and offline worlds, be sure your marketing efforts are doing the same for maximum reach and effectiveness.
Shirley Griffiths, vice president of sales, is one of Banner Marketing’s longest tenured employees with 12 years of experience with company. Griffith oversees Banner Marketing’s sales, creative and operations departments. She can be reached at shirleyg@bannerretail.com or 800-843-9271.
Banner Marketing helps businesses grow through integrated marketing: a combination of digital and traditional marketing strategies that reach a company’s key consumers and inspire them to buy. In business since 1983 and based in Spokane, Wash., Banner develops creative content to support its clients’ brands (from traditional circulars to cutting-edge websites), keeps that content up-to-date, tracks program results, and provides reporting to refine and adjust strategies for even greater success.