We are constantly advising our clients to focus on areas of strength. The 80:20 rule plays a big part in this: 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of your customers as a pet store owner. So your marketing, primarily, should be focused on finding more of those 20% customers - not the 80%.

Those are the customers that are loyal to your pet store, they are your brand advocates that speak to their friends about the excellent experience in your store. But how do you turn some of those 80% customers into 20% customers? We’ll share some thoughts on it in this Insider post on the pet parent’s journey to loyalty. Or you can learn straight from the experts with a discovery call!

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The Pet Parent's Journey to Loyalty

Major Takeaways if you don’t want to read part 1, part 2, and part 3:

The power of word-of-mouth: Forty-five percent of respondents said they first heard about the most recent new retailer they purchased from through a recommendation from friends or family.
Comprehensive product information earns trust: When asked about the factors that most influence their trust in a retailer they’ve never purchased from before, 36% of consumers ranked comprehensive product information as their top choice.
Marketers still miss the mark on frequency: Nearly four in 10 consumers say they do not receive marketing messages from retailers at their preferred frequency.
Mastering loyalty pays off: More than half of respondents (53%) say they would pay more to purchase from a retailer they’re loyal to. (Source: Yes Marketing)

We’re going to be breaking this Insider post into manageable, bite-sized chunks. Our first major chunk is about bringing in these new pet parents: Acquisition.

Acquisition

Purchasing Decision Factors

Today’s consumers are skeptical, and for (several) good reason(s). Money isn’t growing on trees, we are in the age of Fake News, and there’s a plethora of resources and options available at the consumer’s fingertips. Literally.

So what factors play the biggest role in purchasing decisions for today’s consumers? Data from the report suggest that it’s price, quality, and convenience.

As pet store owners, there are a number of ways to use this data to improve your pet store marketing strategy. Messaging about price and quality, or featuring products and company’s can be incorporated in your website, in emails, in social media posts and push notifications (for app owners), all of which are effective ways to reach prospective customers. Feel free to use your own customer’s product reviews as well!

You can also offer guaranteed money-back refunds, proving that you’re putting your money where your mouth is in trusting the products that your pet stores carry. Lastly, since price may be the only thing holding some customers back from making an initial purchase from your brand, giving them an offer for a percent or dollar amount off their first order can entice them to either make a first purchase online or get their feet in the door. Once they’re in the store, wow them with your expertise and service culture to build loyalty in pet parents.

For more on building loyalty in our clients’ customers, give us a follow for further resources and join our free community of pet store owners.

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The power of convenience

And now…the tough part. Competing for convenience against you-know-who: Am*zon, P*tCo, and P*tSmart.

Can’t even lie, it’s tough! How many pet retailers have the supply chain management, techn support, know-how, and sheer ability to either sell things from their own site or become Am*zon retailers? It’s a big ask when you’ve got a million other things to worry about.

So, at Pet Engine Marketing, we are working with our clients to improve convenience for those 20% customers by implementing processes like curbside pickup, online ordering with in-store pickup, subscription-based purchasing, or delivery services that are convenient for the storeowner as well as the consumer.

How else can you build on convenience in the store?

In store events to bring consumers in for more than a reason to shop
Remove friction from the buying process (improve your check-out line, displays, store organization, or POS system)

get more customers with current customers

Many pet store owners are missing out on this huge opportunity! Your current customers, the loyal brand advocates, will jump through hoops for you - if you provide the hoops. Ask them to leave you online reviews, or hand out business cards or coupons, or build an affiliate loyalty program. For new customers they bring it, give them rewards!

When they’re not hearing about retailers from friends and family, consumers are finding brands through Google. Having a smart SEO strategy in place to improve your store’s visiblity on search engines and beat out the competition is a critical piece of your pet store’s marketing strategy. For help with that, contact us!

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The Pet Parent's
Journey to Loyalty
Conclusion

Well, this isn’t really the conclusion, but it’s all we’ve got for part 1 on new customer acquisition. Bite-sized? Maybe not. But this content is meant to be helpful for you! So hopefully you’ll be doing your best to turn new pet parent customers into brand advocates. We suggest fighting to be #1 when it comes to price, quality, and convenience, as well as maximizing your online exposure. What’s worked for you? Let us know!