Shoppers don’t search for brands online, they search for products in a particular location. In the US, more than half of all consumers carry out product research online, according to BIA Kelsey, Consumer Commerce Monitor 2014.
So if you’re a big brand without a locally optimized web presence, how are customers going to find you? They won’t, but even worse, they may find stores that sell your competitors products.
Mom & Me, a chain of maternity and kidswear stores run by Mahindra Retail Ltd, were losing out on online customers because they lacked a locally optimized website. Their corporate website had a store locator page, but they had no plans to set up store sites.
The pitch
Mom&Me was losing out on online customers because their website was not optimized for local search. The NowFloats solution could not only help them get discovered online but also use the online traffic to drive footfalls to their offline stores.
The plan
A pilot study done by NowFloats for Mom&Me generated 300-plus visitors to their website and landed the power search for primary keyword ‘baby products’.
Impressed by the numbers, the company’s in-house digital team onboarded 117 stores onto the NowFloats solution by July 2014. The logistics were simple – the NowFloats Boost business website can be created in just 13 minutes and sits on the company’s existing website (Mom&Me local store websites can now be accessed by clicking a ‘view’ button on the store locator page). SEO is automated and content on each website is optimized for local discovery.
The results
In a very short while the NowFloats solution started showing results and contributed to 6.58% of Mom&Me’s total online traffic. While the company was previously hesitant to integrate the solution with their corporate website, linking the two has helped optimize discovery for the corporate site as well. This omnichannel solution – increasing traffic to your local site, brand site and offline store – proves a win-win for any company.
NowFloats analytics help track whether sales targets are being met and help deliver quantifiable results, a further benefit of the platform.
The investment
The NowFloats solution can be white-labeled and requires very little technical integration. Only SMS, email and settings have to be customized. In terms of expense, it’s a one-time cost for onboarding franchisees calculated based on the number of stores. Long term, it remains a source of revenue.
How the solution works
As with any site seeking organic growth, the websites need to be updated regularly for the solution to work effectively. Updates recommended include information relevant to the target group (Travelling with baby/Kids? Do consider carrying a few baby safety accessories like a light-weight stroller frame with car seat and a baby-sling, as also a travel cot) as well as messages targeted at driving traffic to stores (“More for Me” festival — Flat 50% off on purchase of kids apparel of Rs 5000).
Websites can be updated centrally, with a master login ID, or locally, by a store manager. An annual content strategy is recommended that can be supported by RIA, a NowFloats’ Relationship Intelligence Agent that offers automated suggestions on content to be featured on the site. Mom&Me’s digital marketing team has chosen to update centrally, and a mechanism for scheduling updates via Facebook has been created for them.
The NowFloats created website also has a ‘Make An Enquiry’ section which provides the parent company with a local database. This can be used for targeted messaging, promotion or store-based loyalty programmes.
Conclusion
Big brands today cannot ignore the fact that their local operations will help expand both revenues and customer bases. According to IDC Retail Insights, the annual revenue of an average small business in the US is $3.6 million. But for those that have a strong online marketing presence, revenue increases to more than $5 million.
Mom&Me was losing business because they lacked a local online presence. With the NowFloats omnichannel solution, they have been able to drive online customers to their offline stores.
NowFloats solution features:
- Create multiple websites within a matter of minutes.
- The sites have auto SEO and are optimized for local discovery.
- They can be updated centrally, with a master login ID, or locally.
- Require minimal technical integration.
- Integrated with social media like Facebook, Twitter, etc.
- Create a local database.
- Generate offline and online leads for your stores
- A white-label solution.
You too can discover and reach new customers online and improve your bottom line. Ask us how.
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