E-commerce is growing rapidly and represents invaluable opportunities for sale for large, medium and small businesses. This medium helps many business owners to entice new consumers.However, this trend does not imply that the offline trade has become obsolete. Proof of this is that over 70% of purchasing decisions yet- happens in physical spaces, according to information from the global association of retail Point of Purchase Advertising International (POPAI).These data presents a need that businesses must address: integrating two apparently antagonistic environments, digital and physical, in a global marketing and sales strategy.The idea is to arouse consumer interest and detonate its intention to purchase from both sides. To achieve this, it is essential that firms exploit the specific features of the two environments.
In the virtual realm, companies should consider the following:
- The design of a website. Through the balance between content, product information and technical features like usability, use of links and loading speed, allows them to create brand awareness in online users and generate a buying attitude.
- Using social media to create conversations with customers and promote direct actions, including the purchase.
- Search and use of electronic payment platforms that enable Internet users to complete their online transactions.
In the physical point of sale, you must take into account these aspects:
- Location of the property, based on a thorough market study.
- Visual Merchandising, a marketing technique in situ, which aims to captivate customers through organising various material elements, ranging from decor and lighting of the establishment, to the presentation of goods on shelves and spatial distribution the furniture.
- A sales team perfectly aligned with the business concept and prepared to meet efficiently the needs of customers.
- Using Point of Sale (POS), enabling businesses to receive payments through credit cards and debit cards, and take advantage of the market cardholder has not stopped growing in recent years.
- Interactive installations make the stay more enjoyable for user in the sales point.
