You’ll have seen us write about how to get your customers through the virtual door, but what about your physical store? You don’t want to fall at the final hurdle this winter where conversions are concerned, so read our top four tips for making the consumer journey easier.
1) Use Your Online Presence
Your store can help to boost physical traffic during periods of bad weather. Most consumers will not bother venturing out if they think you’ll be closed, so don’t be afraid to advertise your status on your website. You could even be creative and turn to your social media presence; by posting regular updates on Twitter and Facebook, starting conversations, and engaging with your customers, it gives them the opportunity to ask if you have something in particular in stock and whether it can be reserved for them. Your online presence can make sure that no customer has a wasted journey.
2) Send in the Gritters
Extreme weather can be frustrating for all concerned, but accessibility isn’t just important for customers, but for staff too. Making sure that you have the right professionals on the job means that you can uphold your duty of care as an employer. By enlisting the help of a reliable gritting service, you know that whether you’re a supermarket chain, a retail giant, a business park or a facilities management specialist, you’ve got it covered. Services can include everything from 24/7 gritting and snow clearance, to the supply and refilling of salt/grit bins, giving you the peace of mind that you can keep on top of any bursts of snowfall.
3) Make Sure Deliveries Are Up and Running
It’s a fact that when bad weather hits, online traffic and conversions increase, so that gritting service will come in handy for when your delivery trucks need to get on the road. Last year, Rakuten conducted a study across three French cities, which showed a huge increase in online sales and revenue during days of bad weather. Make sure that the deliveries are running as they would on any other day, but also that your system is prepared for larger volumes of orders during these times.
4) Go Through Procedures With Your Staff
On the run up to the festive season it’s easy to get carried away with the deals in-store and the targets for the months ahead, but making sure that your staff are properly trained for periods of bad weather is just as important. Put a plan in place so that staff are completely clear on the procedure to follow should there be heavy snowfall and no communication is possible.
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