The Offline to Online Connection

Even if you offer goods and services that people prefer to purchase in person—and if the transaction occurs offline—a good Web site can still be your top sales tool.

(One of our clients, an American restaurant chain called Bubba Gump, offers next-day delivery of cooked crustaceans to doorstep. Web site product shots and descriptions prompt heavy salivation. Even if people don't bite on home delivery, it reinforces their brand and gets more diners into their restaurants.)

Increasingly, sales of all types begin with an Internet search. A Microsoft-sponsored survey found that more than nine out of 10 online shoppers who eventually purchased in brick-and-mortar stores used the Internet to research purchases. My firm, a service company, attributes half of all our new business directly to our Web representation. Undoubtedly, consumers' familiarity with your offerings benefits you: these shoppers are primed to buy, know more about you, and are less likely to return their purchases.

As the Internet matures, the online-offline sales correlation gets clearer. Net researcher eMarketer puts 2007 US retail ecommerce sales at $136 billion, but believes online research influenced in-store sales of $471 billion. This means that for every dollar in online sales, the Internet influenced $3.45 of store sales!

Researcher Forrester figures the Web directly influences about 16 percent of purchases, and in four years will influence $1 trillion of in-store sales. Wow. Who wouldn't want to leverage the online-offline correlation?

Online product and service descriptions, images, reviews, price comparisons, advertised specials, store locations, complementary info and complimentary downloads—all these attract and sell for you. At the very least, a basic i.e. brochure site—properly built and even modestly marketed—gets you in the game. For optimum results, a unified campaign of graphical ads (for branding) and text ads (for targeting your market; the ads appear in response to user searches) can't be beat. Any retailer who isn't considering the online channel to promote offline sales—and online sales too—will miss out on an enormous opportunity.

Although an economic downturn (depending who you talk to) may mean customers are cutting back, affluent shoppers form the core of online buyers. The better off will keep on buying, though they will look harder for value—be it in cost savings, brand status, convenience, etc.—which you will need to articulate and convey.

So, whether or not you offer an online shopping cart, consider these steps to help make your online presence pay off:

Define your target market(s) and online goals.
Get a Web site audit to determine its usability, 'findability', comparative quality, and online opportunities.
Invest in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to ensure your new or existing site performs well.
Consider paid marketing e.g. online ads to achieve ROI far beyond that of traditional media.
List your site in shopping directories, upload your products to shopping search engines and link to complementary sites.
Offer online coupons and other goodies to lure shoppers to your place of business.

Increasingly, the research and purchase process is moving online, including for products and services picked up at a place of business. The trend is fuelled by demographics, technology, improved customer satisfaction rates, our desire for convenience, lower prices, the ultimate selection…. . Just imagine (ulp!) how our teenagers will embrace the Net (and our credit cards if we let them).

In closing—and at the risk of leaving you in a funk—flash ahead to gas at $2.25 a litre. That drive to the mall is going to be tough to justify—especially when most everything can be researched, sourced, purchased and arranged to be delivered to our doorsteps, via the Internet. Just like deep fried shrimp.

(Submitted by Seth Klapman for 'Business Thompson Okanagan' July 2008 issue)

Have you any questions or comments? Can we help you at all with your Internet-based marketing needs? Please contact:

Seth Klapman, Marketing
Acro Media Inc.
103 - 2303 Leckie Road
Kelowna, BC, CANADA
V1X 6Y5
tel: 250.763.8884
fax: 250.763.6936

Acro Media Inc. (acromediainc.com) is an interactive agency that professionally delivers four main solution sets:

Ecommerce solutions—for product sales.
Corporate sites—for lead generation.
Showcase design—for brand building.
Portal sites—for community building and member services.

With a decade’s experience and team of 33, Acro Media ably provides:

Acro Media guarantees their work, and builds W3C valid search engine friendly Web sites.

The Offline to Online Connection July 15, 2008 Kelowna, BC
The Offline to Online Connection Even if you offer goods and services that people prefer to purchase in person—and if the transaction occurs offline—a good Web site can still be your top sales tool. (One of our clients, an American restaurant chain called Bubba Gump, offers next-day delivery of cooked crustaceans to doorstep. Web site product shots and descriptions prompt heavy salivation. Even if people don't bite on home delivery, it reinforces their brand and gets more diners into their restaurants.) Increasingly, sales of all types begin with an Internet search. A Microsoft-sponsored survey found that more than nine out of 10 online shoppers who eventually purchased in brick-and-mortar stores used the Internet to research purchases. My firm, a service company, attributes half of all our new business directly to our Web representation. Undoubtedly, consumers' familiarity with your offerings benefits you: these shoppers are primed to buy, know more about you, and are less likely to return their purchases. As the Internet matures, the online-offline sales correlation gets clearer. Net researcher eMarketer puts 2007 US retail ecommerce sales at $136 billion, but believes online research influenced in-store sales of $471 billion. This means that for every dollar in online sales, the Internet influenced $3.45 of store sales! Researcher Forrester figures the Web directly influences about 16 percent of purchases, and in four years will influence $1 trillion of in-store sales. Wow. Who wouldn't want to leverage the online-offline correlation? Online product and service descriptions, images, reviews, price comparisons, advertised specials, store locations, complementary info and complimentary downloads—all these attract and sell for you. At the very least, a basic i.e. brochure site—properly built and even modestly marketed—gets you in the game. For optimum results, a unified campaign of graphical ads (for branding) and text ads (for targeting your market; the ads appear in response to user searches) can't be beat. Any retailer who isn't considering the online channel to promote offline sales—and online sales too—will miss out on an enormous opportunity. Although an economic downturn (depending who you talk to) may mean customers are cutting back, affluent shoppers form the core of online buyers. The better off will keep on buying, though they will look harder for value—be it in cost savings, brand status, convenience, etc.—which you will need to articulate and convey. So, whether or not you offer an online shopping cart, consider these steps to help make your online presence pay off: Define your target market(s) and online goals. Get a Web site audit to determine its usability, 'findability', comparative quality, and online opportunities. Invest in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to ensure your new or existing site performs well. Consider paid marketing e.g. online ads to achieve ROI far beyond that of traditional media. List your site in shopping directories, upload your products to shopping search engines and link to complementary sites. Offer online coupons and other goodies to lure shoppers to your place of business. Increasingly, the research and purchase process is moving online, including for products and services picked up at a place of business. The trend is fuelled by demographics, technology, improved customer satisfaction rates, our desire for convenience, lower prices, the ultimate selection…. . Just imagine (ulp!) how our teenagers will embrace the Net (and our credit cards if we let them). In closing—and at the risk of leaving you in a funk—flash ahead to gas at $2.25 a litre. That drive to the mall is going to be tough to justify—especially when most everything can be researched, sourced, purchased and arranged to be delivered to our doorsteps, via the Internet. Just like deep fried shrimp. (Submitted by Seth Klapman for 'Business Thompson Okanagan' July 2008 issue) Have you any questions or comments? Can we help you at all with your Internet-based marketing needs? Please contact: Seth Klapman, Marketing Acro Media Inc. 103 - 2303 Leckie Road Kelowna, BC, CANADA V1X 6Y5 tel: 250.763.8884 fax: 250.763.6936 Acro Media Inc. (acromediainc.com) is an interactive agency that professionally delivers four main solution sets: Ecommerce solutions—for product sales. Corporate sites—for lead generation. Showcase design—for brand building. Portal sites—for community building and member services. With a decade’s experience and team of 33, Acro Media ably provides: Web site design & development. Ecommerce & software integration. CMS & dynamic Web site solutions. Internet marketing & SEO. Online branding & corporate identity. Flash, interactive & motion design. Acro Media guarantees their work, and builds W3C valid search engine friendly Web sites.
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