Digital Collaboration: How To Boost Your Shopping Centre’s Online Presence

Woman shopping on her phone

Shopping centres rely on brick-and-mortar retailers in order to generate revenue, utilising their many exciting stores and quirky brands as a selling point to physically draw in customers. However, the physical presence of your shopping centre is only one aspect which requires attention, as many shopping centres overlook the importance of establishing a strong online presence.

Why Do Shopping Centres Need To Establish An Online Presence?

With the shift towards online shopping, many retailers have made the switch from traditional stores to allowing customers to make their purchases digitally – many retail brands which can be found in shopping centres already have a website of their own. Of course, websites are good for far more than just convenient purchasing, and brands can use this to their advantage to connect with customers outside of their stores in order to encourage them to visit at a later date.

This strategy is something which the majority of shopping centres are not using to their full advantage. By establishing an online presence and connecting with potential customers digitally, shopping centres can dramatically increase the number of visitors they receive and boost in-store sales.

The Best Shopping Centre Strategies For Connecting With An Audience Online

Now that you understand the importance of having an online presence, it’s time to talk strategy: how do you connect with an audience online? We’ve got several suggestions to help get you started.

Persuasive Social Media Marketing

A powerful marketing and brand-awareness tool, social media is rapidly becoming one of the most accessible methods of connecting with people online. Consistent social media activity and engaging content tells your customers that you are actively getting involved with them, helping to establish a loyal community of online followers. These followers get to feel a sense of belonging, offering constructive feedback and establishing a dialogue between the company and its customers going forward.

You can also use social media platforms to advertise and promote your brands, products and special events to a wider audience, thereby increasing the potential returns. This way, you can focus your marketing efforts on online reach in addition to in-store advertising, letting more people know about upcoming sales and other shopping events well in advance of them taking place.

The Influence Of Influencers

Similar to social media marketing, partnering with influencers and encouraging user-generated content can do a lot for building lasting online relationships with your customers. Building off the existing trust which influencers have already established with their audiences, followers can share experiences and tips about products and brands online.

Influencer marketing also helps to give potential customers the confidence to come into stores for themselves. Following in the footsteps of their idols, followers will be more likely to try out the shops they have seen or heard about before, since they know they are trustworthy. This can go a long way for building trust between brands and shoppers, and helps foster valuable, long-term customer relationships.

Outstanding Website Design

If somebody wants to know more about something, the first thing they do is reach for their phone and look it up online, but if you don’t have a digital presence, you’ll have less chance of being discovered by potential customers. To make it easier for customers to find your shopping centre, making sure you have a top-notch website is an absolute must.

Your website should include everything that your customers want to know about your shopping centre. This includes important information, such as directions and public transport information, opening times, maps, event promotions, exclusive products and services, and on-site facilities, as well as which stores and brands are located in your shopping centre (including a store finder). This makes it simple and quick for customers to find exactly what they need to know, increasing their chances of visiting one of your stores.

How We Can Help Boost Your Online Presence

Whether you need a website overhaul or you are struggling to create engaging content for your community, Shoppertainment’s expert team can help increase the presence of your shopping centre online. With over 100 clients across the UK, we have the knowledge and experience to provide excellent digital marketing strategies and commercialisation opportunities to get your shopping centre firmly established in the digital world. For more information about our shopping centre marketing services, contact one of our friendly team members today.