The world of business has come a long way. In the past, people would visit a physical store to buy products. Today, entrepreneurs and consumers can meet online and pursue some business transactions.
The e-commerce industry has long been flourishing. During this pandemic, e-commerce sales have spiked. Due to the pandemic restrictions, consumers have heavily depended on online businesses.
For this reason, digital entrepreneurs have capitalized on the momentum brought about by the pandemic. Even physical stores that had a temporary shutdown have transitioned to click-and-mortar businesses.
For the uninitiated, a click-and-mortar business operates both offline and online. While it has a physical store, it also has an online store through its business website. Why? It’s a lot easier, more seamless, and more effective to reach out to customers online. That’s where digital marketing comes into the picture.
That said, here’s how to market your click-and-mortar business online:
1. Promote via your updated website
As a click-and-mortar store, you have started maintaining your business website. Your customers can visit your site, shop online, and place their orders. On the other side of the spectrum, you process their orders, get your items from your physical store, and deliver these products to your customers’ houses.
For this reason, update your business website. It is where you’ll promote your products or services, engage with your customers, and transact with them. When updating your site, always have the user experience (UX) in mind. Consider the UX features like streamlined elements, easy navigation, fast loading time, and mobile-friendliness.
2. Penetrate the search engine through SEM
Search engine marketing (SEM) is crucial for your click-and-mortar business. Its ultimate goal is to boost your online visibility and website traffic. Why? It isn’t enough to have a business website. Your site must stand out in a sea of digital competition on a highly saturated web. Here’s what you can do:
Search engine optimization (SEO)
Optimize your website, produce keyword-integrated content, and create links for your SEO campaign. When implemented successfully, you can earn the search engine results pages or SERP’s top ranking. But as a click-and-mortar business, don’t forget to employ local SEO by getting your business listed on online directories. That way, your local customers can easily and quickly find your business online.
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising
Produce PPC ads and bid their placements on SERP. For instance, create ads about your business indicating that you are certified to ISO 9001. You’ll be surprised at how many customers will click your ads and end up visiting your website. However, know that you must pay for every successful click, as PPC is a paid search.
3. Set customer outreach in place via email marketing
Emails have long been proven effective in business and marketing. Not only do people use emails for communicating with business stakeholders, but digital marketers also utilize them for their customer outreach. For email marketing, reach out to two markets: old and new customers.
First, send your regular customers an email informing them that you have online and physical stores. Offer them discounts and special deals if you must. On the other hand, conduct research to have a list of prospects. Once you have qualified leads, send them promotional emails in hopes that they get converted into actual customers.
4. Produce and publish relevant content with CTAs
As a click-and-mortar business, you cannot ignore the power of digital content marketing. Whether insightful articles, striking product photos, or compelling promotional videos, they resonate well with your target audience. However, make sure to include calls to action (CTAs). That way, you can guide your customers on what to do next, whether signing up online, subscribing to your channel, or placing their orders. Here’s what you can do:
Valuable articles
Start a blog on your website. Regularly produce and publish relevant articles. You can cover industry trends, product reviews, how-to blog posts, and so much more.
Product photography
Specialize in product photography if you’re looking to entice customers through images. From there, post them on your website, blog, and social media channels like Instagram.
Promotional video clips
Promote your products or services through your video marketing. However, make them fun, engaging, and valuable to persuade prospective customers.
5. Connect with your target customers and build relationships via social media
Digital marketing won’t be complete without the use of social media. As such, leverage the power of these channels to provide your click-and-mortar business with plenty of opportunities. Here’s what you can do for your social media marketing:
- Facebook: Post valuable content pieces or share your blog posts on Facebook. Doing so can spark customer engagement.
- Instagram: Get into product photography and post these striking images on Instagram. By doing so, you can entice some potential customers.
- Twitter: Have a strong following on this channel and post insightful content to establish your brand authority.
- LinkedIn: Build your network through LinkedIn by connecting with all stakeholders involved in your business. These include not only your customers and employees but also your suppliers, partners, and organizations.
At this point, you now know what it takes to market your click-and-mortar business online. Consider the digital marketing strategies recommended above, whether website, search engine, email, content, or social media marketing. Not only will they help you reach out to more customers, but these online campaigns will also provide you with plenty of business opportunities. From customer outreach and engagement to lead generation to sales conversion or customer acquisition, digital marketing is king!
