5 Easy, Low-Cost Ways to Make Your Store Tech-Smart

By Billy Cuthrell

John Deere CEO Sam Allen boosts productivity in agriculture by utilizing modern information technology in the firm’s machines.

“Most people don’t realize that one of our 8000 Series tractors has more computing power on it than the first space shuttle”

Fortune, September 2013

If a tractor has that much technology, then shouldn’t your brick and mortar be just as advanced? (and you

can do it for way less than the cost of an 8000 series John Deere tractor)

Leaders who continue to act as if the old rules apply will find their organizations left behind, as Kodak and Nokia demonstrate.  

In a world of accelerating change, the biggest risk for leaders is not being wrong in their point of view about the future, but beginning to take action too late. 

globaltrends.com

“But we’ve got Facebook, Twitter & Tumblr”

These are only a piece of the puzzle.

Adding technologies to your brick and mortar is not about just randomly buying computers, iPads and other hardware and expecting these devices to single handedly bring a magical element to your operation.

By understanding how to combine them with the right tools and thought processes for your firm, you can then pinpoint ways to bring these new technologies into your daily operations.

1. Trends

Trendwatching’s free briefings allow me to understand the consumer’s Basic Needs, Drivers of Change, Emerging Consumer Expectations and Inspiration.

I then tailor our use of technology to these findings. There is no need to waste resources on things that do not meet or address these trends or our needs.

Consumers want instant visuals,

feedback and resultsTHE NEXT BEST THING TO BEING THERE

In lesson room cameras give us transparency, security, honesty, creativity, excitement, entertainment, connection and relevance.

Basic Need

2. People

Without people there is no technology.

You need the right people that understand the right technologies.

Finding the right person flow chart:

Identified My Need(Social Media help)

Was there someone in my organization that could do that? (And understood the technology behind it like “Joe Customer”?)

NOAsked if anyone in my organization could recommend a person.

YESMeet with person. Hired them.

Peter FradellaOur Social Media GuyPeter is charged with optimizing our brand and marketing across all of our

platforms. Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Tumblr, FourSquare, Website, Blogs. We expect Peter to keep up with all new forms of

technology and integrate that into our operations.

Hired Peter because he said, “I don’t care how many likes you have, it’s how many people are talking about you, retweeting your posts and converting to paying customers - customers that you have a continual relationship

with.”

Plus, Peter is smarter than me.

Italo LeivaIn House Tie It Together Guy

Italo is charged with bringing the online world into the shops to make it reality. Italo introduced us to Peter.

Italo is the man. He is only half smarter than me.

3. Mobile

The end of bricks-and-mortar? Every minute of the day $272,000 (US) is spent by consumers online, a figure that is growing daily as more and more consumers make purchases and purchase decisions, not in a physical stores, but online.

SoLoMo (social/local/mobile) technology gives consumers access to information, choices and value for money 24/7.

92% of shoppers have more confidence in information found online than any other source.

When shopping online, 66% of consumers prefer to purchase from a retailer ’s online site versus its app.

And these behaviors are going mobile: By 2017 global mobile commerce transactions will exceed US$3.2 trillion, up from US$1.5 trillion in 2013.

(Source: Juniper Research, Mediabistro)

in other wordsmake your website mobile

friendly

Innovative Retail

Experiences bring online inside

STORY.

Set in a 2000 square foot store located in Manhattan’s 10th Ave. retail corridor, STORY is a retail concept that takes the point of view of a magazine, changes like a gallery

and sells things like a store. That means every four to eight weeks, STORY completely reinvents itself – from merchandise and store design to floor plan and fixtures – to

bring to light a new theme, trend, or issue.

So how did it all get started? Founded by Rachel Shechtman who has served as a brand consultant for the likes of Kraft, TOMS shoes and Lincoln, the idea was to create a

retail concept that could serve as a matchmaker between brands and consumers, integrating strategies of marketing, merchandising, and business development.

STORY launched in Beta as a “Start-Up Store,” spotlighting emerging digital retail concepts and has gone on to tell a series of retail narratives including Color, Making Things,

and Made in America. But if change is at the center of the STORY, so are innovative ideas about creating engaging experiences – from pasta making classes to talks from

TED luminaries, inspiring brand partnerships with both start-ups and Fortune 500 companies like HP and Pepsi and consistent creative collaboration.

In 2013 STORY went from art gallery to barbershop to their current story

in December - Home For The Holidays.

How can you tell your story and tie it together with your online presence?

4.

Easy Apps:1. Gmail

2. Calendar3. Drive

4. Google +5. Wallet

A Little More Advanced1. Tracking codes in employee email signatures2. Analytics3. Content (Hummingbird)

A Little More On Google Hummingbird:With Google Hummingbird in place, whether or not you need to change your content strategy depends on how you have been practicing online marketing to date. If you have been paying attention to past updates (Penguin and Panda) and providing your audience with high quality

content, Hummingbird should not affect you very much. However, if you have noticed a decrease in traffic and haven’t been focusing on useful content, now is the time to change your ways.

With Google’s emphasis on conversational search becoming apparent, providing your audience with useful content that answers users’ questions is key. Additionally, optimizing that content for mobile

users is more important than ever, as mobile searches tend to be more conversational in nature. Finally, though the effect of social signals on search engine rankings isn’t entirely clear, social media

should still be a part of your content marketing strategy to build your online brand.

5. Gadets

Mobile Phones & AppsJust a few things these devices have disrupted:

MetronomesTunersTunes

Metronome/Tuner sales are flat because students have downloaded their own metronomes on their phones/tablets.

Students/Teachers no longer won music, they store it via Spotify, Rdio or iTunes Radio and bring it up on demand via phones/tablets.

Customers are making purchases with Google Wallet via phones/tablets.

iPads & TabletsJust a few things these devices have disrupted:

POS (Square)

DesktopsLaptops

Traditional desktop POS systems are replaced by iPads running systems like

Square’s Business In A Box.

Laptops are replaced by lighter, easier to carry tablets. Easy components to use on a

sales floor - information is now right at your fingertips.

In Summary:Use Tech to Implement Trends Identify The Right Tech People

Get Your Tech Mobile Use Free Tech

Implement The Right Gadgets

Need More Billy In Your Life?billy@RaleighMusicLessons.com

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