Get ready. This year, Cyber Monday on Nov. 28 is expected to be the “largest online shopping day in history,” according to Forbes magazine.
If recent trends are any indication, many of the sales completed on Monday will happen via mobile devices. The ecommerce company PFS estimates that mobile sales on Cyber Monday grew 53 percent from 2014 to 2015, from $548 million to an estimated $838 million. (Desktop sales on the day were up 12 percent, from $2.04 billion to $2.28 billion.)
Cyber Monday isn’t just for national companies. Small businesses who are prepared to meet customers’ needs online can cash in on the shopping bonanza, too.
Earlier this year at the Society of American Florists’ 1-Day Profit Blast in Denver, Max Duchaine, SAF’s manager of digital strategy, said retail florists can take advantage of so-called “micro-moments” to better connect with customers who want to shop online.
“Mobile has fractured the consumer journey into hundreds of real-time, intent-driven micro-moments, he said. “Each is a critical opportunity for brands to shape our decisions and preferences. Thanks to mobile, micro-moments can happen anytime, anywhere. In those moments, consumers expect brands to address their needs with real-time relevance.”
Here are some of Duchaine’s tips on how to capitalize on micro-moments, along with strategic questions to ask yourself as you work to improve online sales, both on Cyber Monday and year-round:
Be there. Retailers need to learn to “anticipate the micro-moments for” customers and “then commit to being there to help when those moments occur,” Duchaine said. Ask yourself: “Am I doing my best to make sure that my brand is available when my customers need it?” “Does my mobile strategy consider the intent of the mobile customer?”
Be useful. Florists should strive to be “relevant to consumers’ needs in the moment and connect people to the answers they’re looking for quickly,” Duchaine said. Ask yourself: “What do my customers want to know or learn about my product and services right now?” “Do I have mobile content that answers these questions?” “Do my customers want to visit my business? Am I helping them find my shop and highlighting inventory at certain locations?” “Am I enhancing their experiences with video content and pictures?”
Be quick. Mobile shoppers, in particular, want to “know, go, and buy swiftly,” Duchaine said. “Your mobile experience has to be fast and frictionless.” Ask yourself: “What is the key action I want my customers to take on my website?” “How long does this action take?” “How long does the transaction take, including how long does it take for my website to load?”
Check out Duchaine’s full presentation, “Tech Strategies to Capture More Online Sales.”
