Here Comes The Bride… or Bridezilla!

It is wedding season again! Many brides-to-be are planning their big day. For anyone that has planned a wedding or been a part of a wedding party, you know how many details must be executed flawlessly. Some less fortunate bridesmaids have witnessed what can happen if any details fall apart. Good thing Google has created a way for brides-to-be to keep organized through google.com/weddings!

As a retailer, you connect with budding brides (and grooms) early in wedding planning process, and have the opportunity to keep brides from becoming bridezillas – starting with her gift registry.

How do you get the newly engaged couple to choose your store for their wedding registry needs when there are so many competitors? Here are some tips on how to stand out.

Build brand awareness
First and foremost, your brand must be a part of the engaged couple’s consideration set. Build brand recognition by advertising on generic wedding terms such as [wedding ideas] and [gift registry]. Get the word out that you have a competitive offering!

Promote national presence
Registry gift purchasers are often not local to the bride’s location. If you have a national footprint or have a large shipping capability, evangelize your favorable consumer reach.

Provide quality navigation
Time is money. If the couple can’t find what they need on your site easily, the money isn’t going into your pocket! Coordinate product-level landing pages with ad copy. Make their lives easier by providing reporting on gifts purchased and pending shipments.

Highlight favorable return policies
Let’s face it, we all have one eccentric aunt that found her way to the right store, but couldn’t remember to check the registry. Or a creative friend that wouldn’t dream of purchasing exactly what you picked out (they, of course, have a better idea). Whatever the case, no one likes to be stuck with items that they don’t want. If you have a great exchange or return policy, this is your target consumer.

Tout inventory selection at various price ranges
Wedding guests have varying wallet sizes. Dazzle wedding gift registry candidates with your large selection at multiple price ranges. Consider providing bundling suggestions on lower priced items for guests who would like to spend more on the bride, but can’t afford premium items on the list.

Be mobile
Unlike previous generations, more often than not, both partners have busy work schedules. They also can connect with their friends instantly when considering a purchase or service provider. Target both genders on the go and provide rich mobile experiences that are easy to navigate and incorporate a social component.

Offer incentives
Weddings can be quite costly, so brides-to-be are looking for any cost-cutting tips. Although gift purchasers are the target audience for conversion purposes, the bride and groom ultimately guide where the purchases will occur. Leverage their influence on wedding attendees by giving loyalty rewards, cash back programs a discount on remaining registry items.

Offer relevant advice
If you have any information that can make her big day run smoothly – tell her about it! Advertise against your own wedding content, but don’t forget to also be present next to valuable wedding content across the Google Display Network with Contextual Targeting.

Hopefully activating the aforementioned tips will not only make engaged couples everywhere say “I do” to your store, but will keep them loyal to your brand and live happily ever after… Forever!


Posted by Keri Overman, The Google Retail Team