Point-of-sale marketing is a promotional strategy where products are placed right before check out to motivate customers for a last-minute purchase. In ecommerce, POS marketing includes cross-selling and upselling at the shopping cart or checkout stage online. This article features point-of-sale marketing ideas, as well as tips to improve your POS marketing game.
Offering a personalized shopping experience is key to creating more sales. So make sure your staff is equipped with information that will allow them to offer products that customers will want to buy. ShopKeep is a cloud-based POS system designed to help shops offer personal attention to its customers. The software includes features that can collect customer’s information for the loyalty program and offer new products based on their purchase history. Visit ShopKeep for a free quote today.
Here are 15 examples of POS marketing ideas for physical shops and online stores:
1. Add Displays to the Line for Cashier
Customers who are in line to pay for their purchases could abandon their items if they feel that they are waiting too long. By giving customers access to product displays along the cashier line that they can interact with, you keep customers occupied, and the wait in line seems shorter. Plus, there’s a good chance your customers will add more to their purchase from those cleverly placed displays.
There’s often a long line at Starbucks but their varied displays of branded products that are available for sale keep customers entertained
2. Install LED Display at the Checkout Counter
Adding an LED display at the checkout counter can help extend the patience of customers waiting to pay for their items. The monitor gives a bigger platform for messages that can motivate shoppers to grab last-minute products available at the counter. This strategy should also involve consumer research to make sure your displays are effective in maximizing sales.
The row of HD monitors displayed at the checkout counters are bright and attractive so they can hold the attention and motivate customers to get last-minute deals
3. Include In-store Ads That Answer Customer Pain Points
When creating in-store ads, make sure they are short and straight to the point. As much as possible, use messaging that provides answers to common customer problems. Use large, legible fonts in eye-catching colors and try viewing them from afar. Your font size should observe a hierarchy that’s based on which keywords you want customers to see first.
This back to school sign is not only a standout in terms of design but also in the messaging, and speaks directly to parents looking for healthy food snacks to buy for their kids
4. Add a Creative Cashier Counter Display
It can be challenging to stand out in a retail store where displays come in all colors and sizes so you need to find point-of-sale marketing ideas that will make your display standout without being visually overwhelming to the customers. Get creative by going against the grain and instead of designing larger signage, use unexpected, and sometimes even inexpensive, materials for a unique approach to display marketing.
Instead of brightly colored racks and signage, this display made use of simple, monochrome cans to make the product stand out
5. Display Possible Cross-Selling Items Together
Cross-selling is a great retail strategy. Simply set up your display in such a way that complementary items are together and update them regularly based on consumer demands. More often than not, customers come to the store with a specific item in mind to buy but might not entirely be sure of what they want to get in addition to that product. Use your display to suggest an idea and customers will be happy that they don’t have to walk around looking for it inside the supermarket.
This display created a cross-selling space for corn, butter, and meat to make it easy for customers who are shopping for summer weekends
6. Use a Compelling Call to Action
A compelling call to action can be useful for point-of-sale displays when it’s kept simple and straight to the point. It doesn’t need to overwhelm the display but just enough to catch customer attention and direct them to the product. Use bold fonts and colors that highly contrast the background to make sure they stand out.
Note how this mini display cart uses a simple call to action that customers can understand, as well as the additional information at the bottom for those who have time to read more
7. Feature Specific Products Prominently
If you are a specialty shop, you already know what customers are looking for the moment they come into your store, and as a business owner you should be aware how to capitalize on this. Add a display of a product that’s out of place, but complementary to your items in that section of your store and place it in an area where it will stand out. The products might work perfectly by the cashier where customers can decide to grab last-minute items.
Customers will consider buying chips from this bread and sandwich shop as its display is located prominently at the spot where most customers will come to choose their items
8. Provide a Unique Service
Some marketing campaigns are combined with point of sale to reach a targeted result. Interact with customers by offering a unique service that’s only available in the store. This will build excitement and create a sense of exclusivity that customers will want to experience for themselves.
This pop up Cadbury display conveniently located near the cashier offers personalized messages to print on the packaging
9. Show Value on Additional Purchase
Letting customers know why getting an additional item toward the end of their purchase is a good deal will help you close the sale. For online stores, this feature needs to stand out without distracting the buyer from purchasing the items. Use bold colors to highlight your message or small call out boxes that shows clearly where the added value comes from.
Note how these two examples added call outs to highlight free ground shipping; HobbyTron used bright red fonts for the in-line style, while Office Depot chose a speech bubble to attract attention
10. Suggest Similar Products in Your Catalogue
Right before checkout, you can opt to display products that are similar to what the customer is buying. This should give customers a second chance to view the previous items they were interested in and reconsider buying any of those in the list at the last minute.
This mobile app store displays similar items for its customers to consider right before checkout
11. List Products that Complement Items in the Cart
Even if you have complementary items being displayed for every product page, it’s still advisable to list them at the checkout window. The difference is that your customer has already made a buying decision, which makes it the perfect time to suggest another item that will work best alongside their purchase.
In this example, a customer who purchased a tent is shown the following complimentary products at the checkout page
12. Pull From the Same Brand
Instead of looking for similar or related items, some customers might be more interested in being able to see more products from the same brand. This works best if you carry a variety of products from different manufacturers, which makes it easy for customers to miss items they might be interested in buying.
This example shows suggestions of products from the same brand that also complements the item in the checkout cart
13. Show the Customer’s Recently Viewed Items
Before arriving at a choice, customers view a number of items that they might eventually have forgotten by the time they are ready to pay. This means that the customer had considered buying those products and they might consider getting them at the last minute if they are reminded at the checkout page.
Recently viewed items are effective as in this example where a customer might want to consider buying book titles they previously viewed in the store
14. Offer Freebies
The best way to motivate a customer to make some last minute additions to their purchase is to offer special discounts and savings. It can be a discount on related items or free shipping if the customer adds additional products to reach a certain amount. If you have a loyalty program, you can also offer loyalty points as an incentive to get customers to pay more.
In this example, the seller offers last-minute deals at the checkout page that the customers can use when purchasing additional items
15. Send Out Abandoned Cart Recovery Emails
Customers sometimes end up changing their minds right before check out and leave their items in the cart. When this happens, you can set up a series of reminder emails to be sent and offer incentives, such as discounts, coupons, and even free returns to motivate customers to return to their cart and complete their purchase.
This is a good example of an abandoned cart email that added value in a number of ways to convince the customer to go back and complete the sale
Tips for Effective POS Marketing Strategies
A recent survey shows eight out of 10 marketers consider point of sale as the best marketing channel for shoppers. And because customers make most of their buying decisions during check out, it’s crucial for businesses to adapt a strategy that uses this to their advantage. There are a number of best practices successful marketers have identified over time.
Here are six POS marketing tips to help you get started:
1. Create a Great First Impression
Creating a great first impression is important for point-of-sale marketing. You’ll want to have an overall look that attracts rather than repels customers. This means that while there are a number of displays for different products, there should still be consideration given to the broader picture. Remember that the designs are supposed to invoke moods and motivate actions so color schemes can be bright but still organized, fonts are legible, and there are blank spaces to create breaks and rest the eyes.
What you should try:
- For brick and mortar shops: The visual merchandising should focus on both the actual display and the surroundings. Use vibrant colors to attract attention and create a mood that’s both welcoming and recognizable to your brand. First impressions also extend to the customer’s experience with your employees, so also consider the level of customer service at the point of sale that people receive from your staff.
- For online stores: Online stores should be impressive the moment customers reach the landing page. Apart from the colors and fonts, it should be simple to use, with no more than a few clicks for customers to go from product to check out. The last minute deals should also be visually appealing and informative so as not to distract the customer’s buying momentum.
A well planned display builds a solid first impression in the minds of customers regardless of how big or small your point-of-sale area is. So don’t hesitate to invest on marketing design that’s creative and appealing by hiring freelance experts you can find in platforms like Fiverr to ensure that your customers walk away with a lasting positive impression of your brand.
2. Know Your Customer
Customers at the point of sale are faced with a huge selection of similar items where there is simply not enough time to consider and inspect each one. Their attention will be limited to how long they are staying in the queue so product displays should be designed in such a way that customers can be motivated to be quick and decisive with last minute additions to their purchase. This can only be done if you know your customers and have a firm knowledge of what appeals to them. Make sure that you have the tools and research available to serve as a guide in your design ideas.
What you should try:
- For brick and mortar shops: Conduct a regular exercise of placing yourself in your customer’s shoes. This will help you find out which of your point-of-sale marketing strategies work and which ones need improvement. Determine what keywords will actually motivate your customers to buy and how the color scheme and design of your display affects their behavior.
- For online stores: Your online store’s checkout page should be flexible and able to display last minute suggestions based on the customer’s purchase history or behavior. It should have a system that recognizes customers who buy based on brands, activity, and even price range. Offer free shipping deals for large orders and special incentives for loyal customers.
Successful marketing strategies at the point of sale is a result of personalized promotional messaging for its customers. Retailers should make use of customer and inventory management tools such as Lightspeed Retail to create a highly effective point-of-sale display.
3. Apply the Attention, Interest, Desire, Action (AIDA) Model
The attention, interest, desire, action (AIDA) model is the basis of successful promotional messaging and could very well be applied to point-of-sale marketing in retail stores. You will need to make sure that the unique selling point stands out and the design can draw your customer’s attention even as they are quickly trying to complete their purchase. Opt for clean designs with simple and short messaging that will convince customers to buy.
What you should try:
- For brick and mortar shops: Use printed or digital signs that draws customer attention, and choose sizes that are large enough to read but not distracting. Make your signs unique by using irregular shapes so they easily stand out from other printed ads. Your font sizing also matters. Large, bold letters should be used to emphasize the most important messages in your ad.
- For online stores: Be creative with your promotion design and copy at the checkout page. Aside from adding offers based on your customer’s cart it should also be presented in a way that’s attractive and quick and easy to read. Highlight your deals using different, bold colors, or use call outs to catch your customer’s eye.
The point-of-sale area in your store will be filled with bright colorful ads and marketing messages so it’s important that these designs are appealing to your customers. Hire experts like Mira Signage to develop your ads and make sure every single design element, whether print or digital, looks professional and well made.
4. Highlight Convenience in Your Displays
Convenience is a huge motivator for last-minute purchases which is why this concept is given a special place in the list. The idea of convenience comes from every aspect of a point of sale, from accessibility of products, special deals, to understanding your customer’s immediate need. You should be able to get a ton of information based on the profile of your ideal customers. Remember that the design of your point-of-sale space is the key to maximizing opportunities to motivate last-minute decision making from your customers.
What you should try:
- For brick and mortar shops: Fill your counters with items that consumers may want to pick up just to kill time. Consider the layout of your store and imagine your target customer’s disposition by the time they reach your checkout counter. Small snacks, drinks, and reading materials, even novelty items, can be appealing.
- For online stores: Online stores can provide convenience to their shoppers by offering last minute deals, promotional discounts, and even flexible payment and shipping options. Show them the value of adding suggested products to their cart by using statements that include percentages and statistics such as “Save 30% when you buy this bundle!” You can also create a sense of urgency to add motivation.
Even high end products can be effectively sold at point of sale with the right strategy that fits with your target customers. Retail businesses can do well as a customer-centric business that understands their buyer’s journey in order to gain more sales.
5. Monitor Trends and Consumer Research
Your point-of-sale display should never be static. It needs to be updated regularly to reflect customer demands. This can be done by making use of tools that aid in consumer research and monitoring rising trends. Consider your ideal customer and find out what appeals to them, which could be anything from organic food items to mobile gadget accessories, and stock these items at your point-of-sale area.
What you should try:
- For brick and mortar shops: Analyze your sales history regularly and note products that are steadily increasing in sales. Maintain a good relationship with your suppliers and they can let you in on what’s becoming in demand. You will also need to stay active on social media and be aware of events and ideas that are increasing in popularity.
- For online stores: Online stores can also make use of their sales data to note upcoming sales trends. Add a search bar on your main page and use the search data that will show you what products are in demand. You should also keep tabs on online resources like Amazon Best Sellers, Pinterest Boards, Trending on eBay and Trending on Kickstarter to check for trending products.
Ultimately, you need to have a retail analytics process in place to gather and interpret data that will guide you in adding the right products to display on your point-of-sale area.
6. Have Your Customer Service Readily Available
Customer service in retail is not limited to after a sale is made. Any time that a customer approaches a store representative for assistance, an opportunity to sell arises and can be encouraged by excellent customer service. This is why retail stores should have a means to assist customers at the point of sale in one way or another. Aside from having actual retail employees on standby, you can also use technology to aid sales, like adding LED monitors to advertise bundles, upsells, or cross-sell opportunities.
What you should try:
- For brick and mortar shops: Before posting your employees to actively promote certain items in your point-of-sale area, ensure that they are equipped with enough product information to satisfy curious customers. This should also be the same when assigning cashiers at the counter. Both roles should be given product knowledge training to be able to upsell and cross-sell efficiently to your customers.
- For online stores: Invest in a chatbot or chat app so customers can have information easily available to them. Availability is important because last minute purchases are done quickly and any delay can lower the chances of getting additional sales. Aside from the chat box features, you can also add small icons at the checkout page. These provide information that is activated only when customers asks for it by hovering or clicking on the icon.
It’s important to provide quick and efficient customer service at the point-of-sale if you want to maximize sales opportunities with every customer. Take time in your planning stage to identify ways to provide excellent customer service, whether you have a physical or online store.
Bottom Line
Thanks to technology, the retail environment continues to change and will keep business owners on their toes in order to adapt. Whether you have a brick and mortar shop or an online store, these point-of-sale marketing ideas can help keep your business competitive all year-round.
Ready to upgrade your POS marketing strategy? Begin by using tools that help your business provide personal attention to your customers. We recommend ShopKeep for a cloud-based POS system that allows you to collect customer information for the loyalty program and offer new products based on their purchase history. Visit ShopKeep for a free quote today.
Want to share your own ideas for POS marketing? Let us know in the comments.
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