1. React to on-site behaviour in real time

Being able to act on the fly is at the heart of real-time retailing. In a physical store this is easy to do as you’re face-to-face with your target audience and can see when they may require some assistance.

Real-time retailing online is all about serving the customer the content they need. 

For example Links of London is currently running an on-site campaign to increase average order value. They are keen to target the ‘big spenders’ so if a user places an item between £100 and £199 in their basket and proceeds to the checkout an upsell message is served to them.

This message is an offer for a free pair of diamond earrings worth £150 if they spend over £200. The real-time response here is choosing between those customers most likely to splash out on a few extra items whilst reserving different offers or promotions for other visitor segments.

 

2. Stay ahead of the weather 

People are always going to be influenced by the weather so make sure your website takes into account local weather conditions. This will help you to react to consumers’ changing preferences as the physical world changes around them. 

Bravissimo used the service WeatherFit to help increase its pay-per-click revenues across the seasons. By taking into account the weather in the surrounding area of each visitor Bravissimo was able to optimise its adverts and respective landing pages.  

Reacting to the weather takes a bit of work as you’ll need to have both hyperlocal targeting and a weather API plugged into your site but there is clear ROI as Bravissimo saw its swimwear sales increase by 600%!

3. Be hyperlocal 

Tailoring your messaging with reference to a customer’s location can be one of the most effective ways to impress your visitors and serve them useful, relevant content. 

Belstaff is a great example of this, detecting the visitor’s location and serving them a header at the top of the site that directs them to check out their nearest store.

Clicking on this banner brings them to a store page, tailored to the products that are available locally; helping to create a cohesive multichannel experience with the brand. 

4. Guide people towards the highest performing content

Never has the paradox of choice been more in force than on the internet – everything is at your fingertips and sometimes it can be a case of a user having too much choice.

To help people make a decision, guide them towards the content that really drives conversions such as a piece of editorial to help them identify their needs. FAQs, how-tos and videos of your products will all help highlight your key products and increase conversions.  

5. Gather live feedback on site changes

Being able to read feedback in real-time lets you respond to issues as they happen. Ask first time visitors what could be improved to the website? If someone complains about the website being down then fix it there and then.

If you’re not receiving feedback in real-time then you run the risk of losing out on revenue. It’s always about making sure your customer receives a stress-free online shopping experience. 

6. Catch abandonment as it happens

Over 80% of the people who put items in their basket will leave without purchasing. One way to counteract this is to set a personalisation layer so that it fires up when it looks as though someone is about to leave.

This is triggered when the mouse moves above a certain speed and towards their current tab. Understanding why your visitors are leaving will help you determine whether to offer a promotion such as free delivery or a discount for first-time buyers.  

7. Create a sense of urgency

Scarcity makes us eager as we all want what we can’t have. If there is a limited supply then people feel more compelled to go through with the purchase.

Using language such as ‘buy now or miss out’ will help bring your site to life and make it more of a dynamic shopping environment as people will become aware of how other people are shopping at the same time. 

To read our full whitepaper on how you can become a real-time retailer please click here.