Author: Ben Allen / Source: Marketing Insider Group The world of brick and mortar retail stores is not dead. In fact, having a physical l
The world of brick and mortar retail stores is not dead. In fact, having a physical location comes with a lot of perks that e-commerce sites simply cannot compete with. So, as many sites grow in popularity, it becomes financially tempting for companies to open up a physical store to sell their products to a local market and grow their business.
Thus, a problem arises: how can you market both sides of your business without them crippling each other? To pull it off, you have to combine the two storefronts into a singular marketing strategy and get customers to use both in their shopping experiences.
Matching the Brands
Your online shop and physical shop need to provide similar shopping experiences, and that starts with your branding. Your website needs to feel like your physical store and vice versa.
Everything about your storefront impacts your brand, from wall and flooring colors to what kind of building your store is in. For example, a steel building for a store can give a rustic theme to a store, while red brick can give an urban one. As you make choices on a physical store, try to thematically match as many things as you can to the brand of your online store.
As people compare your e-commerce to the retail experience, it should feel coherent. They should share things like color schemes, use the same language in marketing materials, and feature the same lines of products. Customers should be able to transition between the physical store and the website with zero confusion.
Combining the Benefits of Both Storefronts
There are clear benefits for shopping online and going to a store. Purchasing online lets consumers shop from the comfort of their own home and easily compare prices of similar products. Going to a store lets customers get a better feel for the product they are buying, and they don’t have to wait for their purchases to ship.
For example, if people buy products on your website and…
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