Retail business intelligence is all the rage, particularly as big data analytics becomes more available. But not all retailers can pour a significant chunk of money into collecting massive amounts of information and hiring analytical experts. Nonetheless, small and mid-sized businesses (SMB​s) can take advantage of personalized marketing ideas to better engage their customers and drive sales.

Retailers can use ecommerce software to offer customers additional shopping opportunities. It's helpful to keep Web and mobile resources consistent, but the sites don't have to be complicated. SMBs should focus on implementing one strategy at a time, Small Business Computing recommended, such as using shoppers' IP addresses to present products that are tailored to current weather conditions. Forbes magazine identified a number of enhancements retailers can add to their websites to create personalized presentations. For example, merchants can use recommendation engines to offer their shoppers suggestions based on their search history.

Overall, there are small-scale ways that SMB​s can take advantage of the information collected by retail technology to improve their marketing strategies. With the growing emphasis on personalization across the retail industry, these current trends give SMB​s a chance to shine where they already excel. As Forbes magazine observed, smaller retailers often thrive on building personal relationships with their customers. Merchants can capitalize on these skills by translating them to their marketing efforts.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Thursday, February 6th, 2014 at 9:23 am .