// by Colin
You may have heard about omnichannel marketing. The idea is to speak to customers with one voice, whether in-store, on your website, on social media or through traditional advertising. It’s not easy but is very powerful when you get it right.
Covid has led to an explosion in eCommerce, traditional retailers need to embrace this trend secure in the knowledge that having a physical presence on the high street puts you ahead of the competition. Your Local Enterprise Office wants you to go online and they will help you to do this with real support in the form of a €2,500 LEO Website Grant. We have put a brief guide together for retailers planning to make the move to eCommerce.
1. Think Mobile First.
Customers are constantly checking you out on the Internet. And increasingly they’re doing it with their smartphones. They’re also using their phones in-store to comparison shop and read product reviews. So, you have to make sure you’re website not only looks great but is also fully mobile responsive.
2. Work on your in-store experience.
Customers still like to visit stores to touch the merchandise, try it and get help from knowledgeable staff. You can use these desires to your advantage by having your sales staff accompany customers through your store. Besides offering advice, they can use a smartphone or a tablet to show the inventory you have on your e-commerce site. Then, they can make the transaction right there—taking an order for either a product on the shelf or from your site.
Research indicates consumers crave that kind of personalised service and it can be a major source of growth for your business. As well, hosting special events and offering fun stuff to do at your store will help make it a regular customer destination.
3. Get familiar with Webrooming.
Showrooming is when a shopper visits a store to check out a product but then purchases the product online. Webrooming is the opposite – consumers research products online before going into the store for a final evaluation and purchase.
Bricks-and-Mortar stores have a considerable advantage in this area as 69% of consumers Webroom, whilst 46% of shoppers Showroom. Retailers who sell on two marketplaces, in-store and online, generate 190% more in revenue than those who only sell only on a single marketplace.
4. Use the 80/20 Rule.
Offer only your top 20% best-selling products on your website to begin. A modest start will let you get the details right from technology to inventory to shipping and cross-channel marketing.
5. Get in Touch with our team for a free consultation.
At Ourside we build many eCommerce websites and are involved in the retail sector with hundreds of businesses across the country. We have the passion, knowledge and experience that you need to make your transition to eCommerce a successful one. Get in touch to arrange your free consultation.
Local Enterprise Office Online Trading Voucher – Need to Know.
The vouchers are targeted at businesses with the following profile:
- Currently, have a limited or no e-commerce presence
- 10 or fewer employees
- Turnover less than €2m
- Applicant business must be trading for at least 6 Months**
- Business must be located in the area covered by the LEO to whom they make their application i.e. LEOs cannot accept applications from businesses located outside their jurisdiction.
- Previous voucher recipients may apply for a second voucher.
- Previous voucher recipients cannot apply for a second voucher before they have submitted their final claim for their first voucher.
You can use the LEO Online Trading Voucher/ LEO Priming Grant to fund the following activities:
- IT consultation
- Development or upgrade of an e-commerce website
- Implementing Online payments or booking systems
- Purchase of internet-related software
- Purchase of online advertising (this purchase cannot make up any more than 30% of approved Voucher costs and can only be drawn down in one payment phase)
- Developing an app (or multiplatform webpages)
- Implementing a digital marketing strategy i.e. Social media marketing
- Consultation with ICT experts for early stage adopters of online strategy
- Training/skills development specifically to establish and manage an online trading activity
- Professional Photography costs (this purchase cannot make up any more than 80% of other approved voucher costs) i.e 80% of web development costs
**applicant business must provide clear proof of trading for a minimum of 6 months to their Local Enterprise Office
