Winning Re-Targeting Strategies for Fashion Sites

In ecommerce, friction is considered to be anything that makes it more difficult for a visitor to make a purchase. In some cases, friction is avoidable; in others, it is unavoidable. For example, putting in your credit card and shipping information is a kind of friction that is not really avoidable. It can be reduced, but it is often an obstacle that keeps people from making purchase. In fact, you’ve probably visited fashion or ecommerce sites and left unpurchased items in your shopping cart. That happens because you need more time to think or simply get distracted and forget they’re left in your cart. If you get an email in a few hours or a few days from that site reminding you that you have items in your cart, that is called retargeting.

 

RETARGETING POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS

Turning visitors into customers is called conversion; retargeting has been found to be a very effective way to convert visitors into customers. Furthermore, it is especially useful for fashion ecommerce sites. So often, fashion is a process of building a look from different building blocks. For example, if you are buying a pair of high heels, you’ll also need jeans that are long enough to reach to about your mid-foot. You’ll also need a top that matches your jeans. If you’re buying clothes for the workplace, you’ll need a couple of options that make it more versatile. Offices are often very cold, so you’ll need sweaters, shawls, or other warm items to layer with your dress.

 

In these ways, fashion is all about building items one on top of the other. Retargeting is perfect for that. If you have customers who buy strappy sandals, you can then enroll them into your retargeting program for other summer looks. By purchasing strappy sandals, they’ve proven that they are in the market for summer items. Offering them more items, especially after you’ve already successfully delivered their first purchases, is a great way to get them to make more purchases.

 

ITEMS LEFT IN THE CART

When items are left in a cart, it could be because the shopper needs more time or because that shopper has actually decided against making the purchase. Instead of emptying the cart, some shoppers just close the window or tab. Retargeting is a great way to attempt to bring them back into the fold, especially if their hang-up is monetary. You can target those who have items in their cart by sending them promotional discount codes or other offers for less expensive options. For example, if someone has a bathing suit in her cart but hasn’t made a purchase, you could send a special offer pairing her bathing suit with a sun hat and flip flops. That could be what she needs to simplify her beach shopping and make the purchase.

 

LOYALTY PROGRAMS

Loyalty programs are a great way to retarget customers and create loyalty with them. If you send them offers for loyalty programs after a purchase or two, be sure to remove them from the retargeting programs for first-time customers.

 

MOBILE TARGETING

Every ecommerce business is scrambling to corner their particular markets on mobile platforms. Potential customers take their phones and mobile devices with them almost everywhere they go. You can target customers with mobile-specific offers that will allow you to reach them everywhere you go. An SMS retargeting program is incredibly useful. SMS messages are read within about three minutes of being received; that can make for very quick and responsive retargeting programs.

 

Retargeting for fashion sites is great because fashion, by definition, requires multiple items. There are distinct fashions for different seasons and situational fashion needs. If you can retarget customers, you can create loyalty and grow your sales exponentially.

    • The Beauty of SMS Marketing

    BEAUTY SALONS CAN CAPITALIZE ON SMARTPHONE USE BY SMS MARKETING DIRECTLY TO THEIR CUSTOMERS.

    In the 21st century, advertisements have become ubiquitous; everywhere you turn, someone is trying to sell you something. Because of that, many people have started to avoid advertisements whenever they can. You might be one of those people; if not, you definitely know someone who is. Those who are trying to avoid the ever-present advertisements have ad-blockers on their computers, they quickly unsubscribe from newsletters, and they watch television mainly by DVR. They avoid advertisements like the plague. Who can blame them? They’re everywhere. However, that’s a serious problem if you’re trying to run a beauty salon.

     

    BEAUTY SALONS AND WORD OF MOUTH

    Ever since the earliest days of beauty salons, they’ve been hubs of information sharing. Women come to beauty salons for the latest in cosmetics tips, hair care products, and general wellness. They are also marketplaces for news and information. You need to capitalize on that rich history of the beauty salon without inundating your customers with advertisements. Furthermore, you need to find a way to cut above the noise. So, how do you do that?

     

    SMS marketing is an incredible way to cut through the clutter of other advertisements and reach your customers right where they are. You’ve probably noticed when women come into your shop, they disengage from most items. Rarely do they bring their laptops or tablets into the salon. However, they almost always bring their phones. Their phones are how they stay in touch with the children, the babysitter, their work, and so on.

     

    To continue that tradition of word of mouth and information-sharing at the salon, you should invest in SMS marketing. That is marketing directly to their phones via text and picture messages.

     

    SIGN UP YOUR CUSTOMERS

    When you are trying to create an SMS marketing list, you need to make sure you get your customers’ permissions to send them SMS messages. A popular way to do this is to have new customers fill out a form when they sign up for their first appointment. Include a box asking if they consent to signing up for SMS messages. You should be careful to include an easy way to unsubscribe into each message.

     

    Customers do not appreciate feeling trapped into a messaging or advertising program. However, if you are offering great deals via SMS, they probably won’t want to unsubscribe. If you have other loyalty programs and newsletters, you need to make the SMS message list somehow different. You can differentiate it from the rest by offering special privileges to the customers on the list.

     

    SMS is great for sending special offers because you can send coupons directly to customers’ phones, and they’ll definitely have them when they come into the store. They won’t have to remember to bring a special offer or extra item.

     

    APPOINTMENT REMINDERS

    The overwhelming majority of text messages are read within three minutes of being received; that means you can immediately reach out to hundreds of customers and gin up business whenever the salon slows down. You’ll be able to remind customers of appointments, create rapid-response specials, and advertise limited-time offers.

     

    When customers forget to come to their appointments, it leaves empty chairs that are not doing anybody any good. When chairs sit empty, you lose money and walk-ins will have to wait. If you can send appointment reminders via SMS, you’ll be able to verify that someone is actually coming to her appointment. If she’s not coming, you’ll at least know that and be able to free up a chair.

     

    SMS marketing is great for salons because it combines the history of salons as hubs of information-sharing with the rapid technological innovation of the 21st century. Your salon can definitely benefit from an SMS marketing program.