The Internet is an incredible vehicle for marketers because there are simply so many people to see your message.
It’s easy to just sit down and design an ad that will reach hundreds or thousands of people in no time. But that abundance can also be a problem, as small eCommerce companies like yours are far more likely to be overshadowed by bigger, better-funded performers who can shout louder than you ever could. What’s an eCommerce company to do?
Boosting Your eCommerce Efforts with Bricks and Clicks
“Bricks and clicks” is the web’s new favorite buzzword for a company that happens to have both a physical location and a virtual one.
If you sell something from your physical store and your virtual one, you’re a member of the exclusive “bricks and clicks” team. Although many marketers are interested in promoting the idea of virtual shops over brick-and-mortar locations, it turns out that your physical location may be able to boost your eCommerce shop’s presence.
For many shoppers, eCommerce companies are sort of nebulous entities that somehow magically practice warehousing and distribution without actually being anchored anywhere. Because about 94 percent of retail sales are still generated at a brick-and-mortar shop, it’s easy to understand why shoppers have trepidation.
But, about 72 percent of younger customers will research products online before going into a shop and roughly 66 percent of in-store shoppers check product pricing and information online before making a purchase.
These numbers are telling. They point to the possibilities of a better marriage between brick-and-mortar and eCommerce. Smart Insights reports that omnichannel shoppers spend about 3.5 times more than any other type of shoppers. That’s a lot of money to leave lying around if you can anchor your store onto something physical.
It’s not always as easy as it might seem, but here are a few ideas for bringing your eCommerce shop into the real world:
- Partner with other experts. No matter what you sell, there’s an expert in the physical world that can vouch for the quality of your products. Networking with them and offering a commission for selling items off your website can be a great way to generate interest without investing heavily. All your new partner needs is a point of sale system like Square to get started.
- Open a pop-up shop. A pop-up or flash shop is an interesting way to bring your eCommerce shop into the real world, for a limited time. These small, temporary stores can be used to showcase some of your most popular products so customers can take them home right away, then closed when inventory is running low or your short-term lease is up.Make it a game to find the location of your new pop-up with the help of social media and you could create even more brand engagement!
- Try a product-free store. Many tech companies are finding that customers want to try out items like tablets and smartphones before they actually buy them. In fact, these customers don’t mind to wait a little while to get their product, so kiosks and small shops can be used for display only, eliminating the cost involved in maintaining inventory. As long as you can take orders in the shop, you can easily track how well it’s performing!
A brick-and-mortar store could turn your eCommerce shop into a bricks and clicks configuration with very little effort, making your business far more friendly to 21st century shoppers. If you don’t have a store yet, there are plenty of cost-saving moves that could bring your online store down to earth for shoppers who prefer to see your products in person.
