The brick-and-mortar industry has experienced quite a setback in the past year due to the pandemic. But what is in store for these passionate hubs for the retail community in the incoming year?
Shoppers hop from store to store, mall to mall to re-live feeling special in their favorite brand’s establishments and interacting with the items before, finally, making the purchases.
In understanding where the draw is – which is the experience, we can extract its essence and use the innovative tools, such as no-code tools to come on strong in the coming year.
What does the future bring for brick-and-mortar stores in 2022?
Better accessibility through innovative apps
We go to our favorite brand’s physical stores to get that great customer experience of feeling special, and of course the thrill of a good purchase. From the well-constructed interiors that created an ambiance to VIP treatments, to trying out or scrutinizing items, consumers soak in the special treatment the visit offers.
Moving towards a more digital 2022, more and more businesses will take their brands to the web-verse with websites, as well as web and mobile apps. In fact, a lot of them already have.
Taking into account the core values customers take away from the experience, it can then be remolded into a virtual experience, instead. Making it easier for customers to reach their favorite brands in the comfort and safety of their homes with only their laptops, desktops, or mobile devices.
By extracting the best parts about physical shopping and utilizing the right technology, like easy drag-and-drop web builders and pre-made templates to create websites, it repackages brands to be future-proof and relevant to the market.
Healthier brand recognition and interaction
With the staggering increase of online shopping, the amount of digital marketing noise has also reached a deafening degree. Every brand is screaming for attention from the ocean of potentials online.
To keep up with the times, brick-and-mortar stores must also pitch in and let their names be known to the market. This can be achieved through web apps and mobile apps that feature push notifications that bring brands to the top of their minds.
These notifications can also be tweaked into fitting specific customers’ buying personas, making it more personal rather than just another spammy message.
Websites can also provide customers with more information about their brands, products, and services. It gives businesses a podium to introduce what they stand for and what they can offer. Doing so can help consumers identify with the brand to build stronger bonds with them.
Improved brand to customer communication
Still taking from wanting to incorporate the positive experience in going to physical establishments, web apps still play a strong role in brick-and-mortar stores’ future through improved communication channels.
Consumers of today demand immediate gratification and instant results. Through messaging features and community forums, patrons have a space to directly talk to the brand or its employees for feedback, inquiries, or assistance – effectively providing excellent customer service in real-time.
As a result, customers are more likely to have great experiences that would inspire loyalty. And better yet, will be inspired to share their experiences with more people, drawing more crowds in.
What does this all mean?
The future points to a more digitized retail experience, however, it doesn’t equate to the extinction of physical shopping. It simply implies that retail has grown another strong medium to reach its audience.
By unlocking a new brick-and-mortar experience with functional web apps, it can capture the experience and elevate it to a newer platform where it can deliver extensive product and service details, interactive virtual encounters, and exceptional customer service through responsive web apps.
The success of which relies on businesses having a strong understanding of the consumers’ demand for impactful, relevant, and supportive experiences that improve their lives.
What’s Next?
If you are in the brick-and-mortar industry looking to get ahead, there are easy ways to gain all the benefits the future has to offer for innovative brands.
You can get started with building a responsive web app or refurbishing your existing one to touch up on the latest trends, features, and innovations that might prove useful to you.
List your goals and what you want to achieve with your website and make use of helpful newbie-friendly web builders, such as no-code tools which require no prior coding knowledge, to upgrade your online store experience.
Need expert advice to give you a little boost? We are the team to collaborate with.
