Page 32 - How Top Merchants Create the Best Customer Experience

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An executive conversation
with Josh Kinzer,
vice president of composable
solutions sales, Sitecore
Combining people, processes and
technology around the customer
creates a unique experience

Online shoppers expect immediate access to what they want successful retailers offer a wide range of available products
when they want it, wherever they want it. Their expectations across various categories.
have shifted toward experiences with the fewest clicks to
discover, learn and add products to the cart. They want to find They are also often challenged to offer personalized experiences
products quickly and have lost interest in casual browsing. that leverage machine learning, which helps expose low-turn
Digital Commerce 360 spoke with Josh Kinzer, vice president of products and promotional offers to the right buyers at the right
composable solutions sales at Sitecore, to discuss why retailers time — driving higher conversion rates and reduced inventory.
must understand a shopper’s intent. Kinzer also shared why This helps retailers affordably maintain wide product selections
suggesting products that align closely with a shopper’s affinities that are properly balanced for profitability and demand.
in real-time has become essential to merchandising success.
What strategies should they implement to
What are some important trends around improve customer experiences?
ecommerce customer experience? Retailers should focus on the personalized digital experience.
Putting retail and omnichannel together is critical. If a retailer They should ensure their strategy encapsulates the essence
isn’t effectively selling across channels, they’re leaving a of their brand — putting the customer at the center and using
lot of money on the table and putting their core business at technology to bring their brand and unique go-to-market edge
risk. According to a joint study conducted by Google, Ipsos, to life. The technology needs to be flexible at scale.
MediaCT, and Sterling Brands, customers that buy from a retailer
through multiple channels are between 15% and 30% more The common denominators for retail success are omnichannel,
profitable to that retailer. personalized experiences and customer data. There are many
different data sources, and they need the ability to aggregate
Retailers need to look at what they’re doing well in-store and and access that data. Retailers should have an open, technical
pull that into their digital channels, and vice versa. They need framework that can capture the nuance of their customer-first
to create as strong of a digital experience as an in-person strategy in a consistent and easy-to-use delivery.
experience; just like a salesperson knows where to direct you in
the store, the online shopping experience should do the same. How can they put these strategies and
technology into play?
What are retailers’ biggest challenges Retailers can partner with a technology provider, such as
when trying to provide great customer Sitecore, that helps companies go omnichannel. Sitecore’s
experiences? approach combines people, processes, and technology around
Retailers need to figure out how to build loyalty. Retaining the customer to create a unique experience. We help brands
stickiness once a customer leaves an online store is a big fulfill customers’ needs in real time and move them to buy
challenge. Also, many retailers don’t have an accurate picture more. Sitecore builds flexible frameworks at scale to bring
of their customers in real-time, making it difficult to understand brands and their strategies to life.
and accurately respond to what they’re searching for.

Some retailers struggle to provide the products their customers
want and have the necessary level of suppliers and supplier
management to accommodate those potential orders. The most