According to a 2017 study on ecommerce trends, 61% of shoppers are more likely to research brands before making a purchase. So while shoppers are on your site, it’s important to keep them there and give them more of a reason to buy your products. One strategic way of doing this is to capitalize on using a store finder or ‘where to buy’ application on your website. Besides what may seem obvious with this function (giving customers information into where they can buy your products), there are some other key benefits your brand may be missing out on if not installed.
Lost sales due to comparison shopping
Many brands lose business to competitors through comparison shopping. In a 2017 survey, 71% of shoppers believe they will get a better deal online than in stores, so it’s likely that they are going to shop around for the best one. Having a store finder that displays pricing and stock information for other retailers can help sales tremendously as it keeps potential buyers from starting a product search on a marketplace where they can compare and find competitive products.
Tip: Make sure your store finder technology is able to list pricing and stocking info in real-time so that you are giving customers the most accurate and up-to-date info.
Value-Added convenience
Today’s digitally connected and multi-channel shopping consumers always seem to be on the go either by surfing the web or physically out shopping. By having a store finder application on your website you are providing your shoppers with all the right ways to buy your products – your website, in store, or through other online channels. And by displaying all pricing, inventory and location information this is a major convenience that helps save your customer’s time and you are helping your customers find retailers who they may already be loyal to.
Tip: For further convenience, it is essential that your store finder is responsive for those mobile shoppers and can be geo-targeted to their location so that location results are showing near-buy retailers.
Channel support
Although not customer facing, by having a store finder that lists the location, pricing and stocking info of your key retailers, you’re offering more support to your channel partners. And if you are a brand that doesn’t have a shopping cart on your website to support resellers, a store finder is even more valuable to your business and your channel relationships. Eliminate cart abandonment due to comparison shopping and keep them coming back with a positive shopping experience.
A better online shopping experience
Enhancing your product detail pages with quality product content and images all make for a good online shopping experience, which can lead to sales. With the added convenience and functionality of a store finder, your product detail pages are set up for an even greater experience that can help keep customers coming back to your site, no matter the stage of their buying journey.
Tip: Ensure you are able to use your store finder technology to its full potential by tracking performance metrics.
When set-up with all the right information such as, real-time pricing and inventory, geo-targeting, and a responsive design, a store finder just may be the ultimate product closing tool.
Interested in adding a store finder or looking for other options? As a product content company, GfK Etilize has all of the data to easily crawl and match products with different identifiers on popular retail sites, to always show accurate products and inventory. We also automate the addition of new products as launches happen, to maximize sales on newer, best-selling
