Please note: if you come across any broken links while trying to access a free download, contact us and we will gladly send you what you need.
Times are changing.
To run a successful retail business, you need a website that provides the same excellent customer experience they get from your store.
Online shopping has grown and will continue to grow in 2021. Every independent retailer needs to use technology to connect with their customers online. According to NPR/Marist Poll, 69% of Americans shop online, and 25% of Americans shop online at least once per month. As Bob Negen, with WhizBang! Training puts it, every independent retail store owner needs to think of their store as “omni-experiential.” Consumers will experience your store through many different channels, and they need to receive the same excellent experience throughout all of them.
Related: Marketing for Independent Retailers
A solid online presence adds legitimacy to your business and drives traffic to your store.
We live in a digital era, and every business must have a solid digital presence to add legitimacy and drive traffic to your store. You can no longer get by with your old ’90s style generic brochure website. Customers routinely use the internet as an entry step in the marketplace for many products and service purchases. In this information age, they expect to find out anything they want to know instantly.
Here are the 9 things that every retail website must have:
At the bare minimum, your website needs to make it easy for your customers to contact you, get to know you, and shop with you.
Phone Number
Your phone number should be at the top of each page and clearly visible. Bonus points if it’s clickable and can make the call!
Basic Contact Information
Your address, store locations, email contact, and store hours need to be on every page.
Directions to your Store
Include a link that takes users to directions for your store.
Social Media Platforms
Links to all your social media pages should be accessible on every page.
Email List
Have an opt-in form so that customers can join your email list.
About Us Page
An about page with your store’s history or your personal story will help customers get to know you. Remember, customers want to shop with people they know, like, and trust!
Events
Have a schedule and details about your upcoming events.
Products and Brands
Even if you are not selling online, have a page with information about your products and brands you carry. Be sure to include logos, images, pricing, and keyword descriptions.
Mobile-Friendly Designs
Your website MUST be mobile-friendly. According to Forbes, mobile commerce expects to grow 68% by 2022.
There are many other things to think about: adding e-commerce, no dead-end pages, navigation is easy, writing blogs, and using lots of the keywords that consumers are searching on the internet to make your website rank high in search engines. But, with these first nine key points, you can kickstart your store’s brand and personality while providing your customers with the information they need most.
Ready to rethink your marketing this year? Join the WhizBang! Retail Marketing Club. Interactive monthly meetings provide marketing ideas and insights from Bob Negen and many more experts. Collaborate with fellow independent retailers and learn the best practices for social media marketing, technical tips, promotional ideas, and more! Try for one month for $49 and cancel anytime. If you’re tired of scrambling and are ready for some fantastic collaboration and inspiration, then the Retail Marketing Club is for you!
