Do not Overlook Offline Sales: Integrate your E-commerce Website with Physical Store

 

Although the world is moving towards digitization and an e-commerce website may seem inevitable, offline sales are still relevant. Find out why physical store locations are useful to increase total sales and learn how to bridge the gap between your online and offline business.

To shop online or visit a brick-and-mortar store: This is the choice that every buyer has to make while making a purchase. And, as a smart entrepreneur, you need to offer customers with options and let them decide. In a world where online shopping is growing exponentially, brick-and-mortar stores are still relevant.

Why are Offline Sales Still Relevant?

In 2020, US e-commerce sales were 21.3% of the total retail sales. Although the number is higher than the ones in the past couple of years, it is proof that physical outlets still contribute a big chunk of total sales. Do you know why you should not overlook offline sales?

1. Maximize Average Revenue Per Customer

Offline sales or face-to-face sales allow you to maximize your average revenue per customer. When customers are shopping online, you can display related products to them. But, when you are selling in person, you can convince them about the benefits of buying complementary products. Customers can experience the relevance of the products in person, and thus, you get a chance to increase average sales.

2. The Ability to Evaluate the Customer

When a customer enters the brick-and-mortar store, your salesperson has the opportunity to evaluate the buyer’s behavior, learn more about his/her body language, understand his/her requirements in detail, and then offer an accurate solution. Sorting through a big product catalog online with search filters may provide convenience to a few shoppers. But, a majority of them prefer the human touch.

3. Higher Authenticity and Perceived Value

A few customers prefer in-store purchases because of the higher perceived value of physical stores. Instead of dealing with a seller over the web, customers feel that offline sales offer a higher value and greater authenticity. Credibility issues reduce when you can meet the seller in reality and evaluate the product in person instead of looking at pictures and videos online. Additionally, customers can save money on shipping by driving down to the nearest store.

4. Faster and More Accurate Feedback

Offline sales allow for faster feedback from customers. An experienced salesperson will draw out meaningful reviews from customers and offer valuable suggestions to improve their experience. If you are introducing a new product or a service, you can decode the customer response and make a few tweaks to improve the offering.

5. Build Long-Lasting Relations and Loyalty

The face-to-face sales technique is an effective way to establish a relationship and build a loyal following. A common fact is that it is cheaper to retain a customer than to sell to a new one. It makes sense if you build a relationship and leave a lasting impression on your customers. It will encourage them to visit your store and buy products often.

How to Bridge the Gap between Online E-commerce Website and Offline Store Locations?

Although the strategies for selling online and offline vary tremendously, this is for sure: Bridging the gap between bothand integrating them is necessary because, in the end, there is no such thing as good sales and bad sales. All sales are welcome. In addition to using in-store sales data to curate the online website, your e-commerce store should allow your customers to connect with the brick-and-mortar store.

1. Help Customers locate the Nearest Outlet

Display all the physical store locations on the website with the help of a dedicated Store Locator page. Create a drop-down list of all store locations and display them as location pins with exact GPS coordinates on Google Maps. Allow customers to locate the nearest pickup point by specifying the radius. This way, customers can select a convenient store outlet to finish their shopping.

2. Use Search Filters for Convenience

In addition to finding physical outlets within a specified radius range, you must provide search filters for a seamless customer shopping experience. It will enable them to filter the store locations based on different attributes such as country, state, city, and zip code. You can also include advanced filters such as currently open stores, new arrivals, brands, ongoing in-store discounts, etc.

3. Provide Accurate Store Information

If you want to bridge the gap between the online shopping experience and offline sales, provide as much store information as possible. Create separate pages for each store location and display updated store timings, contact numbers, email addresses, available payment methods, ongoing promotions, and stock availability. You can even show main product categories to encourage more revenue per customer.

4. Add “Store Availability” Feature to Each Product

If you want your customers to opt for in-store pickups, you can display product availability at the nearest physical locations. Provide a list of available products on the store detail page. Also, mention a list of store locations on the individual product detail page. So, customers will be able to navigate to the exact physical store directly from the product page.

5. Make In-Store Pickups Easier

Provide additional shipping options in the form of in-store pickups and curbside pickups at the time of checkout. This way, if customers want to save on shipping charges, they can opt for in-store pickups at a date and time of their convenience. Also, send reminder emails to customers when the order is ready for pickup. It will ensure a seamless transition from online shopping to offline product delivery.

6. Manage all physical stores in one

The one essential thing about bridging the gap between online and offline sales is convenience. As an entrepreneur, your e-commerce website should offer ease. With a simple CSV functionality to import/export physical store locations and store orders, you will be able to provide real-time information to customers. It will help them know if a specific store is open for pickup, store timings, and how to get their products on time. Include a mass order action feature so that you can process multiple in-store pickups simultaneously and manage the entire process effortlessly.

Magento Store Locator: Combine Online Shopping and Offline Sales

If you own a Magento e-commerce store, you are in luck! You will find that a well-built Magento Store Locator offers all functionalities to bridge the gap between online and offline sales. It will enable your online customers to find the directions to your nearest physical stores. The extension will make offline purchases and in-store pickups easier so that customers can save on shipping charges.

While choosing an extension, check that it fulfills all criteria and contributes to higher sales. Work with a reputed Magento extension development company that can customize the module to fit your requirements. Seek tech support and learn more about the extension to make it work harder for you.

It’s time to integrate your online business with your offline stores!