50 Best Tips of 2016

E-Commerce
11. Start asking for photos and videos as part of your request for reviews. When you pair customer photos with product information (e.g., an item’s size), shoppers get a better sense of fit and are more likely to purchase a piece of apparel that they would likely have waited to try on in-store.
Theresa O’Neil, PowerReviews, “How Retailers Can Leverage Online Reviews,” May 2, Total Retail Report

12. Offer password-free checkout. Cart abandonment occurs for a number of reasons, but consumers who use online shopping carts as wish lists are especially problematic. Whether they’re considering an item as a gift or just creating a catalog of their own desires, they add goods to their carts and plan to come back when they’re ready to buy. However, in the days or months between visits, they forget their password and have to go through an arduous process to reset it. By the time they get back to buying, they’ve lost their flow — along with their interest in your products.
Ania Rodriguez, Key Lime Interactive, “4 Tips to Lowering Your Cart Abandonment Rate,” March 25, Total Retail Report

Entrepreneurship
13. In terms of launching a retail business, it all comes down to market research and understanding your customers’ needs — and finding a balance between the two.
Jodie Fox, Shoes of Prey, “Game Changers,” Summer, Total Retail

14. Do something you really believe in. Things get really hard, and if you’re not passionate about what you’re working on, you’re going to lose motivation.
Rakesh Tondon, Le Tote, “Game Changers,” Summer, Total Retail

Fulfillment
15. When thinking about brand elements, understand that the complexity of packaging can greatly impact your profitability. Costs range from materials and production to labor and warehousing the package materials. Companies should conduct packaging exercises to explore factors such as typical order size and assortment to determine ideal packaging materials and arrangements to control cost while still delivering your brand.”
Chris Naso, Newgistics, “Keeping Your Subscription Customers Happy and Loyal,” June 28, Total Retail Report

16. Scaling your fulfillment operations involves more than simply hiring additional staff during November and December. Consider better organizational systems for products based on anticipated purchasing patterns or converting existing packing stations into packing lines for more efficient workflows.
Maria Haggerty, Dotcom Distribution, “How Fulfillment Can Turn Holiday Shoppers Into Loyal Customers,” August 30, The Art of Delivering Style blog

Hiring
17. Hire smart and ambitious people who challenge me and the status quo, empower them, and make it as easy as possible for them to do their best work.
Mary Beech, Kate Spade & Co., “Top Women in Retail 2016,” Winter, Total Retail

18. When the boss enthusiastically participates in and supports a program, everyone signs up. The same can be said for top executives or influential managers. When employees see their superiors chipping in, they’re more inclined to participate themselves.
Susan Hunt Stevens, WeSpire, “The Art of Employee Engagement and Positive Impact in Retail,” April 22, Total Retail Report

Influencer Marketing
19. Piggybacking off of a user’s natural behavior is the best way to get sales. You need to get them in the moment when their interest is the highest, and it needs to be as easy as possible. Instagram influencers simply need to tell their followers to comment with their email address to buy the product that’s featured in the photo.
Sarah Ware, Markerly, “5 Ways to Track Sales From Influencer Marketing,” August 26, Total Retail Report

20. One way to capture feedback is by reaching out to loyalists post-purchase, asking them to write reviews for recent purchases. The success of your post-purchase emails depends on many different factors, including the content, design and timing of initial outreach. To generate the most reviews, make sure the process of leaving a review is simple and that your call to action is clear and direct.
Theresa O’Neil, PowerReviews, “3 Ways to Use Brand Advocates in Your Review Strategy,” August 22, Total Retail Report