E-commerce is growing by leaps and bounds, driven largely by the proliferation of digital tools such as smartphones and tablets. And this trend is not going to slow down! Today, buying any product on the Internet is child’s play. And if you run a physical business, digital isn’t a danger – it’s an opportunity! So how can I make the most of online sales for my physical business? We’ll explain.
Creating and opening an online sales site: what’s at stake?
The Internet has revolutionised traditional commerce by offering freer and, above all, faster access to products and services. E-commerce has significantly changed the customer journey and the purchasing process. It has made it possible to avoid queuing at the checkout, travelling to different shops to find what you’re looking for, and complying with the opening hours of physical stores.
Digitalisation has profoundly transformed the retail system. The health crisis and confinements have accentuated this change, driving even more consumers towards online offerings (commerce, training, teleworking, etc.). Unable to travel and shop in person, the French have turned en masse to simpler, more accessible solutions. These circumstances have consolidated the position of online sales, with their thousands of virtual shops.
Why combine online and physical sales?
Today, the best strategy is to combine a physical business with e-commerce. Limiting yourself to a physical shop deprives the company of a huge potential customer base, particularly those who never pass the shop or have never heard of it.
This lack of online visibility can give an impression of a lack of modernity among young consumers, who are used to searching the Internet for information on services, products and customer reviews before visiting a shop. What’s more, 71% of users think they’ll find better prices online, which can be a deterrent to visiting physical shops!
In 2024 and in the years to come, it is therefore entirely possible to take advantage of online sales to attract new consumers and increase sales. By maximising your digital presence and adopting innovative strategies, you can not only survive in the face of Internet competition, you can thrive! It’s a synergy that benefits your business.
How develop an e-commerce strategy?
Step 1: Choose your e-commerce platform
To start selling online, you need a transactional website. You have two options:
- You already have a website: extensions can enable you to sell online. For example, on WordPress, the WooCommerce extension can add transactional functionality to your website.
- If you don’t yet have a website or if yours is obsolete: opt for platforms such as WordPress with WooCommerce, Shopify or Wix Ecommerce, which offer various online shop templates.
Step 2: Manage online inventory and stocks
You need to be able to change the list of available products easily. Start with your 20% best-selling products to simplify the transition. Once you are familiar with online sales and how to manage them, gradually add the other products. With two sales channels, it’s crucial to manage your inventory well, for example with a connected point-of-sale (POS) system: a good POS manages stocks and sales for your physical shop and your online business simultaneously.
Step 3: Handling and shipping
Next, online sales require you to plan the delivery of products to customers, what the costs will be, and which delivery companies you will be working with. You can also consider managing shipping and handling yourself if your sales volumes are moderate. If possible, set up online payment to simplify transactions and avoid unnecessary preparations.
Step 4: Optimising resources
Selling online means you’ll have to take on new tasks. So you’ll probably have to reorganise your team or take on new recruits to meet these needs. Train your employees as soon as possible. They will need to learn how to manage the online shop, inventory and online customer service.
Step 5: Digital marketing
To develop your online visibility, you need to create a strong, consistent brand image based on your offer and value proposition. This will enable you to effectively link online sales with physical commerce in the minds of your customers. You also need to target your prospects (men or women, age range, geographical area, profession, needs, etc.). There are then a number of levers you can use to optimise your conversion rates:
- Google advertising (paid search)
- Social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok)
- SEO (natural search engine optimisation)
- Influencer marketing
The web-to-store strategy to attract customers to physical stores
Web-to-store is a marketing strategy that attracts internet users to physical points of sale. It involves using digital channels (such as websites, mobile applications and social networks) to encourage potential customers to visit shops.
This approach combines the advantages of online sales (ease of searching for information and consulting customer reviews) with the strengths of traditional retailing, in particular the opportunity to see, touch and try out products before buying.
This is a very popular strategy for combining online and physical sales, for a number of reasons:
- Increased in-store traffic: online advertising campaigns (particularly location-based ads) target consumers in the vicinity of the shop. They encourage them to visit the point of sale to take advantage of special offers or limited-time promotions.
- Improved customer experience: customers can benefit from the best of both worlds – the convenience of online research and comparison combined with the opportunity to try out products in-store.
- Increased loyalty: integrated loyalty programmes, accessible both online and in-store, track purchases and reward customers to reinforce their commitment to the brand.
- Gather valuable data: online and in-store interactions enable you to collect data on buying behaviour, providing valuable insights for optimising your marketing campaigns.
5 examples of web-to-store strategies
1. The ‘available in shop’ option
One of the most effective web-to-store strategies is to synchronise stocks between the physical shop and the online shop. In this way, customers can see the same products available in both channels. To encourage your customers to buy in-store, it’s crucial to direct them to the nearest point of sale. This approach allows online shoppers to collect their purchases from distribution outlets where the products are in stock, thereby encouraging local purchases and supporting local businesses.
2. Click and Collect
Another growing practice in online sales is ‘click and collect’. This cross-channel strategy allows consumers to order online and collect their purchases immediately from a physical point of sale. Customers can choose a convenient time to collect their order, simply by using their order number. This approach optimises shop visits and often offers free or low-cost delivery. Payment can be made online when ordering or in-store when collecting the items.
3. The Drive service
Many retailers have also developed the Drive service, which gained momentum during the period of confinement when shops had to close. This service allows customers to pick up their purchases quickly without leaving their car, using order kiosks located close to the shop. The Drive offers a seamless customer experience and saves customers money as they no longer need to enter the shop. This option even surpasses home delivery, which can take several days and incur additional costs.
4. Exclusive in-store events promoted online
You can also organise exclusive in-store events, such as product launches, workshops or training sessions. Then use your online presence to promote these events and maximise local participation. We advise you to offer incentives such as gifts or special discounts for participants, to not only generate in-store traffic but also boost your brand awareness.
5. Offers valid in-store only
On your website, distribute special offers and digital coupons that can only be used in-store: this is an excellent option for encouraging on-site visits. These coupons can be presented on a smartphone or printed to simplify the process for the customer and reduce friction as much as possible. This strategy is particularly popular for boosting sales and monitoring the effectiveness of online campaigns (in particular by analysing coupon conversion rates).
