Statistics show that traditional commerce is often contrasted with online commerce. Even if some customers swear by one or the other, most people use both. The big e-commerce players are opening stores, why not do the opposite? If done right, the benefits can be numerous.
What are the benefits and what to look out for? Here's our take on what's known in English as "omnichannel distribution strategy."
E-commerce "vs" Traditional stores
Often the people who overlook the opportunity of an e-commerce site are the ones who care most about it: merchants and retailers. As a store owner, you think that an e-commerce store is a competitor, but in reality it could be an ally.
The biggest rivalry is not between online retailers and traditional stores, but rather between the act of buying online and the act of buying in person.
So it's two channels for two types of audiences. If you choose to pay "allegiance" to one while neglecting the other, you are simply cutting yourself off from potential customers.
The rivalry is not between e-commerce sites and stores, but between the act of buying online and the act of buying in person.
Some essential points to get started
An impeccable user experience
In your store, you want to create a beautiful space in which your customers feel comfortable and offer them a pleasant shopping experience. This same philosophy applies to your online store. You can't neglect one for the other, which brings us to the next point:
Consistency in the customer experience
It is essential to aim for the most similar experience possible between your store and your e-commerce site. The starting point is to know your customers, their desires and what attracts them to you.
But with the experience of your store, you should already know or "feel" these aspects well. From there, you need to work on a consistent branding and marketing between your physical and digital stores.
Then, you have to make sure that your employees are trained on how to approach digital customers: answering emails, chatting, knowing your promotional campaigns, etc...
The importance of the "sales funnel
It is the path your customers take from the moment they discover your site to the moment they pay for the goods. There are several models, but among these:
- Awareness
- The interest
- Evaluation or analysis
- The decision or commitment
- The act of buying
- Retention
- Loyalty
- The ambassador
Sales funnel awareness results in a design that is informative, engaging and focused on your users' needs
Being aware of this principle will help tremendously when designing an e-commerce platform. By relying on it, you will end up with a design that is informative, engaging and focused on your users' needs.
The 20/80 rule
Integrating an e-commerce site into your store can hide a number of unexpected difficulties. If you have a lot of products, one of the rules is the 20/80: offer only 20% of your assortment online, for example the "best sellers". A more modest start will allow you to fine-tune everything from stock management to shipping to cross-channel marketing.
As with a marathon, it is best to start training with short distances.
Omnichannel opportunities
There are many possible synergies between your sales locations. One can of course think of the possibility of 24/7 sales or the possibility to extend your sales territory to the whole world. But beyond that, here are some other opportunities:
Attracting customers to your store
The in-store pick-up option is often appreciated and some of your customers prefer to pick up their order on site. For cost reasons or to avoid waiting. You can also offer the possibility to reserve products that are only available for in-store pickup.
This creates an opportunity to attract virtual customers to your store and to make them enter your "universe" even more. On the other hand, you have to pay attention to the logistics and to the customers who don't come to pick up their goods anymore.
Unify your point of sale systems
Usually, your store and e-commerce sites use different systems. By using a single system, it becomes easier to keep sales history and inventory in one place. This reduces accounting errors and administrative work.
One system keeps sales history and inventory in one place. Reducing accounting errors and administrative work.
This integration does not necessarily require a huge amount of code work to make the systems talk to each other. Some of the platforms we integrate, like ecwid or Woocommerce, offer point-of-sale applications. The configuration is not complicated, and you just need a tablet or a smartphone as a payment interface.
Finally, this integration makes your store "transportable" for example on events, fairs or pop-up stores.
Offer home delivery to your boutique customers.
Unlike the pick-up at the point of sale, the possibility of delivering to the home of a customer who has come to see you can be useful in certain cases. A gift to be delivered, the impossibility of being able to take the goods home. It is a "free" benefit of the implementation of an e-commerce site.
Maintain a commitment after the purchase
Most marketing efforts are aimed at acquiring new customers. But maintaining the relationship with your existing customers is just as useful. Some studies show that the probability of selling to an existing customer is 60% to 70% compared to the 5% to 20% of sales to new customers.
The probability of selling to an existing customer would be between 60% to 70% compared to the 5% to 20% of sales to new customers.
The implementation of digital channels offers extensive ways to maintain engagement:
- Upselling or cross-selling mechanism.
- Automatic emails recommending similar products, new products or informing the customer of a promotion.
- Automatically send discount coupons to your most loyal customers.
- Referral program encouraging your customers to bring in referrals.
The possibilities are enormous, the question for businesses will rather be the dosage of these techniques in order not to appear too aggressive and ultimately harm your image.
In conclusion
You have a store, a store or you propose a point of sale of the products which you produce? An e-commerce site is a great opportunity, not only commercial, but also an exciting field of exploration and creativity to develop your business.
If you wish to discuss this with us, please do not hesitate to contact us
Jean-Bernard Rossel - Talk to me
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