The GIF idea at the end of the last post is a great lead into the beauty of technology when it comes to creating memorable customer experiences. In addition to the opportunity for customer interactions online via social media and live chats, the digital age gives retailers the opportunity to create a multifaceted shopping experience that blends the tangibility of in-store with the convenience of mobile.

Increase Customer Retention by Maximizing the Selfie

People document everything they do now in real time. Whether it’s Periscope, Snapchat, or Instagram, the general population has video proof of virtually every move they make. Use the trend to your advantage by setting up a selfie spot in your store, deli, restaurant, or food truck. Make sure your company name is visible, and make it fun enough to draw people in, like a DIY photo booth. Then let your customers make memories and do some online marketing for you. Send them a coupon if they use a certain hashtag, and everybody wins.

How does that make their experience memorable?

It’s not something that happens everywhere. It gives customers a certain status on social media sites. Selfie spots themselves can be memorable. Let’s say your store sells video games. What if your selfie spot was a giant poster of the latest game and the selfie spot sign said, “I got mine at {insert store name here}”? Do you have an iconic statue, sign, or other landmark at your store? Transform it into a selfie spot with a simple sign and let customers do the rest.

Increase Customer Retention by Allowing Them to Interact With an iPad

World of Beer has mastered the art of using an iPad to enhance their customers’ experience. Tablets on tables allow customers to search for their ideal beer. They can search by type, by alcohol content, by what’s on tap, by country, etc. From there, they can click on one beer to read more specifics about it. The educational interaction gives customers the courage to try something they might not have tried otherwise, all without a long lecture from the server. (Those lectures usually feel like sales pitches anyway, but when the content on the tablet is simply educational, you’re selling it to yourself.) At the end of the evening, the same iPad functions as the point of sale system to close out tabs at the table.

The portability, ease of use, and hardware designs available for the iPad makes it a tool that can be used in a number of ways in your store. Give it to sales personnel to check inventory and research product details they can’t remember off the top of their heads. Place it in a locked stand near a group of products to display comparisons. Create a Buzzfeed style quiz to help consumers determine what product they want to buy. The possibilities are endless. Soon every retailer will be using tablets to enhance shopping experiences. The sooner you implement, the more likely it will be that your store is most memorable. Early adapters get the worm, so to speak.

Increase Customer Retention by Utilizing QR Codes

Mobile devices are quickly becoming the norm for all consumers. If they have their phone in their hands anyway, use the technology to your advantage. QR Codes can help you with more than inventory. Place the nifty looking squares on product labels, price sheets, or display cases to let customers learn more about the products they have questions about. This combines multichannel shopping perfectly. They’re in the store where they can use their five senses to experience the product, but they can read reviews, specifications, and other pertinent information on their phones thanks to the QR codes you provide. To make it even more memorable for them, add quips, games, or prizes to the mix that are only accessible by using the codes.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming technology only helps with your online presence. Use technology in store to increase customer retention and keep them talking.