Improving Customer Engagement in Retail with Interactive Maps
Customer loyalty pays off. As of December 2023, existing customers spent 67% more than new ones on average, data from business.com reveals. The customer acquisition cost has increased by almost 60% in the last five years. On average, today’s retailers lose $29 for every customer acquired.
Customer engagement is a skill well worth learning. Companies that believe they have mastered it are 41% more likely to report much higher conversion rates compared to the previous year.
The role of interactive maps in customer engagement
Interactive maps can significantly enhance customer engagement in retail. They provide an intuitive way for customers to explore store locations, product availability, promotional offers, and more.
For example, an interactive store locator map helps customers easily find the nearest retail locations. Enhancements can include filter options, real-time inventory, and directions.
Filter options let customers filter stores based on specific criteria such as services offered, product categories, or in-store events.
Improving Customer Engagement in Retail with Interactive Maps
Map software can display real-time inventory levels for each store, allowing customers to see product availability before visiting.
These tools can integrate with mapping services like Google Maps or Apple Maps to provide directions and estimated travel times.
Mapping software helps customers navigate large retail spaces. It provides step-by-step navigation to specific products or departments within the store.
Some advanced tools make use of augmented reality to overlay directions and information on the customer’s view through their smartphone.
Indoor maps display accessible routes and features for customers with disabilities.
Interactive maps drive returns through personalized experiences
As of 2024, 60% of shoppers say they would buy from the same business after a personalized shopping experience. According to 76%, personalized messages are crucial in terms of their consideration of a brand. The more personalized they are, the more likely the customers are to consider buying the brand. An even higher percentage - 78% - said personalized messages made them more willing to repurchase.
80% of people who describe themselves as frequent buyers say they only buy products from companies that tailor their experience.
Finally, millennials say personalized communication increases their brand loyalty by 28%.
Leveraging maps to create personalized experiences
Interactive maps allow customers to create profiles that remember their preferences and past interactions, offering personalized store recommendations.
Some of these tools highlight recommended products and promotions based on the customer’s location in the store and their shopping history. They integrate loyalty programs to show points, rewards, and special offers directly on the map.
Customer journey mapping
While customer journey maps are not literally interactive maps in the sense covered here, they are worth mentioning as a useful tool for improving customer engagement with brands. They provide deep insights into the present and future state of business practices.
Customer journey maps consolidate data from mobile apps, social media ads, websites, third-party referrals, and other sources. This is useful because the channel that brings a customer to a business often isn’t the one that leads them to make a purchase.
Customers come to a business for different reasons, and customer behavior is different once they’ve found a retailer. Mapping software consolidates data on buyer persona and activities, making it easier to conduct research. That provides deeper insights into purchase routes, pain points, and other factors that impact engagement and conversion.
Understanding why customers end their journey is part of understanding how they feel about the whole process. Customer journey maps can reveal where, when, and why customers abandon a transaction. That information can impact pricing, customer support, UX design, and numerous other aspects, ultimately helping retailers understand the customer on a profound level.
Recap
Current customers spend a lot more money than new ones
It costs much more to acquire a new customer than five years ago
Interactive store locator maps help customers find the nearest retail locations
They can filter stores based on services, product categories, in-store events
Interactive maps display real-time inventory levels
Customers can create profiles that remember their preferences
Customer journey maps consolidate and track data from multiple channels
They help retailers understand why buyers end their journey
