Things You'll Need:
- Website designer, domain name, hosting account, SEO expert
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Step 1
eCommerce is the bright spot in the retail world today. It works for Brick & Mortar stores to draw traffic to their establishements and to sell through online catalogs.
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Step 2
Brick & Mortar StoreOne of the mistakes many companies make in a down economy is to reduce their marketing budget. But, less investment leads to predictable results -- fewer sales leads and lower brand recognition. In a down economy, setting up a website and optimizing it for local search results is a great way to not only survive in the poor economy, but to thrive in a great economy.
Instead of simply spending less money, spend it more wisely by ramping up online marketing activities. It is estimated that 81% of Web users go online to research products or services and locate the most convenient store location before they buy. Those are your prospects. Get in front of them with more aggressive search and online advertising campaigns. In fact, now is the perfect time to attract online users right in your backyard. -
Step 3
Dump the Yellow BookYou can replace your Yellow Book ad. A website is less expensive and can be updated when needed, while your hard-copy Yellow Pages’ ad can be changed only once a year. Providing an up-to-date, easy to use website for your customers is essential to growing your company. You can provide more info in a one-page website than in an entire Yellow Page ad. Provide your location, store hours, services, products, contact information, weekly specials, and more. As an example, you move just when the book is printed. You wouldn’t be able to tell prospective customers for a YEAR. With a website, you can tell them TODAY! A website allows you to remain open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It reaches out to prospective customers who are trying to find what your store offers.
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Step 4
Websites are affordable and cost effective. As low as $300 a year, your cost of having a website will usually be less than the cost of a one-time print ad. The information on your site can save you time and money. For example, you can save time by reducing the number of calls asking “what are your business hours?” or “where are you located?” and save money on printed promotional literature.
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Step 5
Brand IdentityHowever, as you do more online, don’t forget your business’ branding initiatives. Many organizations, especially small and midsize companies, do away with brand-building activities such as print advertising, online banner ads, direct marketing, and broadcast media because of the economy or simply because that is what their competition is doing. Instead, use that follow the crowd mentality to characterize your business. Step up brand awareness by filling those channels just as your competitors are leaving them. You can often find media buys at a discount, and even a modest investment can reap big rewards. Once the economy brightens and competitors rush back, customers will already be familiar with you.
