How to win with online grocery shoppers

This week’s guest blog post is contributed by Blake Eisler, Director, Client Solutions, Oracle Data Cloud.

In the age of the connected consumer, retailers have a big opportunity to increase loyalty, win incremental trips and grow their eCommerce business.

But it isn’t about how the retailer wants to sell: it’s about how consumers want to buy, which is where online grocery shopping and curbside pickup come in.

For today’s grocery shopper, ease, convenience and quality are key. And for retailers wanting to win this space that means innovating and investing in user-friendly online shopping. 

Start with the essentials
In order to support the owned investment of an online shopping cart, paid digital media is essential to driving qualified traffic.

The objective is to surprise, delight and convert the shopper with every visit to your site—what we refer to as the “Click/Touch path to purchase.”

A retailer winning in this competitive space needs to clearly communicate the key benefits of their service, lead with relevancy (always) and leverage addressability to its fullest potential.

Oracle Data Cloud has seen that with a strategic trifecta plan in place as mentioned here, targeted digital ad exposure drives incremental online shopping engagement across all key metrics.

Add the right media mix
Digital media will reach shoppers wherever and whenever they show up online. 

To maximize relevant channels to drive the click/touch path to purchase, utilize programmatic display ads across mobile, tablet and desktop/laptop.

Add in social media ads across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social channels and incorporate direct mail for top loyal shoppers and/or high value offers to drive conversion.

Then, monitor the media spend and conversions by channel and audience and begin to target, message and channel optimizations based on the most efficient Cost Per Order.

Remember, relevancy is king
Many retailers go to market with their online shopping media support and a one-size-fits-all approach: High-basket offers, delivery subscriptions, whatever they can do to lure the shopper in. 

What are the online shopping unique selling propositions for each individual shopper? We find the most impactful media spend and performance is built around relevancy.

Use these four targeting and content recommendations to keep relevancy your focus:

1. Look for loyalty in moms and young families (looking for ways to save time and find harmony in their day to day), urban professionals and value-sensitive shoppers. 

2. Acquire loyal prospects (model current, active online shoppers within your Loyalty universe to convert current loyal shoppers to online) and pure prospects (model current, active online shoppers outside of your Loyalty universe to convert shoppers into your brand).
    
3. Focus on small businesses (B2B taps into a new stream for turnkey, consistent revenue) and retailer-strategic corporate partners and alliances.

4. Aim for content tailored by segment that is both promotional and equity driven.

Image: Stock-Asso/Shutterstock