Micro-moments are changing the way consumers are shopping.

We all do it—in a down moment on the subway, during a commercial, while waiting for a prescription to be filled, we check our phones for a hit of information. There’s actually a term for these behaviors — micro-moments, coined by Google — and this holiday season, more than ever, marketers looking to capitalize on holiday spending need to shift their strategies toward grabbing that micro attention span.

From our last blog on holiday shopping we know that from December 15 to January 1, consumers are in a wait ‘n’ see mode, browsing and procrastinating until they find the right gift at the right price. A 2013 Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers Internet Trends Report said that we check our smartphones 150 times a day. Paired with another stat, the reality is dozens of times a day, people are focused on their phones for 10 seconds up to a minute.

There are ways retailers can engage that fleeting glance this holiday season. But like the buttinski at a cocktail party, that doesn’t mean retailers can be obnoxious about cutting in on mobile users’ social time. The times when consumers are ready to be engaged in micro-moments are what a Google survey calls:

• I-want-to-know moments
• I-want-to-go moments
• I-want-to-do moments and
• I-want-to-buy moments

The last category has the most relevance for retailers. In a March 2015 Google study, 82% of smartphone users consulted their phones while standing in a physical store, trying to decide what to buy and 1 in 10 ended up buying a different product than what they’d come into the store for.

How can retailers make the most of these micro-moments? One word: convenience.

For the digital shopper still hunting for ideas, retailers can create a pop-up digital microsite that features all of their hottest products and top gifts in a “one-stop” shopping hub that allows the micro-moment browser to see the price points, details, customer reviews, and popularity of the items. See 11 examples here. Link your brand’s blog to this microsite with colorful holiday images and gift guides geared to give the destination shopper more ideas. Lastly, keep in mind that once other retailers began providing free shipping, consumers began to expect it as the rule rather than the exception—a driving force in the decisions many make as they get down to the wire.

For the in-store destination shopper, who has thoroughly researched an item online before “hunting” for it in a physical store a Deloitte 2015 holiday study determined that savvy retailers:

• hosted collaborative events with local organizations that pampered the shopper
• trained sales associates to get the shopper to physically interact (using all five senses) with the product
• encouraged shoppers to buy non-gift items for themselves, and
• staffed accordingly with mobile notifications to high traffic areas to minimize checkout lines and provide self-checkout options.

With a little insight on what makes that 10 seconds of attention stick this holiday season, retailers can start now to anticipate what consumers are looking for in the moment and provide the time-saving convenience that fulfills the consumer’s immediate need.

No matter the time of year, we can help you identify the best ideas and paths towards creating the perfect marketing strategy. Contact Dream Local Digital today and let us give you a free marketing consultation.