As big data is increasing, the shopping activities of the people are also on the go. As the online websites are celebrating the gain, the local stores are also not at all heading backward. The local retailers are also trying to match up every step to reach the level of those online stores.

In order to maintain the level of marketing with the online retailers, the local store holders are also trying their best using location best marketing tools. I have listed a few of them below.

1. Geo-Targeting

The choices and tastes of people in different countries, cities and villages seem to differ in contrast with their culture, tradition, and lifestyle. You cannot predict to design the same dress for people from different geographic. And also the shopping traffic in different geographic increases at a different time according to their occasions. So retailers need to fix the offers and exclusive discounts separately for different localities depending on the time of their occasions in which they will be doing a lot of shopping. The Geotargeting tool is used to send messages regarding the new offers and discounts prevailing in different localities. Each time you enter a new location, the Geotargeting tool alerts you through sending notifications about these exciting offers going on in that particular area.

2. iBeacon

iBeacon is a technology introduced by Apple in 2013. These devices are used by the shopkeepers who let the customers know about discounts for each particular product as they pass through that product. This is done by sending a message to the app installed on the customer’s iPhone. As the customer passes through each of the products, the iBeacon device installed in the store will scan the offers of those goods and send messages to the app if any offer prevails. This device behaves as a friend for the customers to guide them in shopping in the cheapest way possible. You do not have to convince anyone to come for shopping with you because the ultimate shopping guide iBeacon gives you more accurate suggestions by showing the discounts. You even do not have to bother that sales boy again and again by asking him the discounts and price of each product. For the retailers also, it is helpful because they do not have to poke the customers, again and again, telling them about the offers giving customers a better shopping experience.

3. Go Shopping through Your Mobile Phone

Today there are many applications for shopping, installed in the mobile phones which you can download from the Google Store. Using those mobile applications, users can do window shopping, select the products, place orders online and also make the payment online by using their smartphones. You do not need to stand in queue for hours because the online placement of order results in fast delivery of your product.

4. Internet of Things will Bring Revolution to Businesses

The concept of the internet of things will connect everything to the internet. Starting from the cup of coffee to the driving of the car, everything will be connected to the internet. You can operate every little thing through the internet. Internet of things when applied to business, will make business possibilities endless. From the placing of the order till payment is already carried online by the internet. With the implementation of the IOT concept, the shipping and exchanging of the products will also be carried on through the internet only.

5. Facebook, Another Tool to Bring Customers

Sites like FourSquare lets people find out exciting places for vacations through Facebook. Using Facebook we use to check in when we go to any interesting restaurant, a mall, a pub or even a beauty salon or a spa. So with the help of Facebook, people can find out places which their friends had already visited and checked in. Using such Social media really helps a lot in directing people to the required destinations in any localities where there is a mobile network.

6. Navigation, Another Tool for Business

GPS Navigation is very interesting and popular in guiding the routes to follow in reaching any destination. People follow this tool for reaching any destination without getting lost. There are various navigation applications that will let you know about the trending shopping locations in your city. Google Maps is an example of how prominently any destination is being routed to the user. In this year, there will be a lot of applications coming out to the market that will help you shop according to your location. Navigation services will become better and better letting the shoppers know all about the options they have for their shopping.

7. Geo-Fencing

Even local shops including food and beverages, garment stores, stationeries etc. show up their discounts as alerts to the store’s app users when they stay near to that particular shop . As soon as you enter the neighborhood of that particular area, you will get a message about the new trending offer in the nearby shop. For example, if you walk through your nearest restaurant you will get a message telling you that you can have a buffet at 50 percent discount in that particular restaurant. You may go into the restaurant even when you have not decided it before.

8. User’s Location

Today, even the mobile user’s location can be found out through navigation. The retailers should be very thankful because now they can track the nearest customer and send him the notifications. The capability of navigation in finding out the exact location of the user help the travel and tourism businesses a lot because services like Ola, Uber etc. reach their passengers by examining the user’s location using the navigation set in their application.

9. Stores Will Push Coupons

Coupons are the most appropriate tool to compel customers to visit any store. If you have free or a discount coupon, you will obviously visit the particular store to spend it. Location based coupon provision is an awesome thought because if customers get the coupon cards send to their mobile phone as soon as they enter the nearest location of the store they will surely use those coupons. Location-based coupons have been possible only because of the smartphones and involvement of correct navigation.

Author: Vaishnavi Agrawal

Vaishnavi Agrawal loves pursuing excellence through writing and has a passion for technology. She has successfully managed and run personal technology magazines and websites. She currently writes for Intellipaat.com, a global training company that provides e-learning and professional certification training. The courses offered by Intellipaat address the unique needs of working professionals.

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