A Store Near Me: The online presence that outranks, outshines and outlasts the competition.

By Keegan Edwards

Research online, buy offline behavior is on the rise. In fact, 82% of smartphone users conduct online research on their phones before making purchases in a store. The way your business looks online is literally attracting or deterring potential customers every single day.

This book outlines the proven strategies used by over 1,500 retail stores just like you to improve their online presence and increase sales. These strategies are built for small business owners so the advice is affordable, practical and relevant.

The author takes you on a step by step journey through the six key pillars of your online presence. You will discover powerful best practices to improve your website, social media, email marketing, online reviews, local SEO and paid advertising efforts.

Discover the powerful six pillar web presence that is guaranteed to help you grow your business.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Apr 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098304607

Book preview

© Keegan Edwards 2020

ISBN: 978-1-09830-459-1

eBook ISBN: 978-1-09830-460-7

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Dedicated to small business owners everywhere.

Contents

Introduction

Six Pillars of Digital Presence

The First Pillar - Websites

Why does my business need a strong website?

Demystifying the Technical Aspects of a Website

Choosing a Website Platform

Ensuring User Security

Anatomy of a Quality Website

Ecommerce vs Informational Website

Web Apps & Plugins

Website Accessibility

The Second Pillar - Social Media

Why does my business need Social Media?

Content Strategies for Major Social Platforms

The Third Pillar - Email Marketing

The CSTR Approach

Fourth Pillar - Online Reviews

Major Platforms

Gathering Reviews

Negative Reviews

Fifth Pillar - Local SEO

Technical SEO

Content Strategy SEO

Sixth Pillar - Paid Traffic on Facebook & Google

Digital Ads Terminology

Google Ads

Facebook Ads

Common Strategies

The Six Pillars

Digital Operations

Picking Vendors

In-source vs. Out-source

Building a Website

Social Media

Email Marketing

Reviews

SEO

Paid Traffic

Training

Budgets, Strategies, Pitfalls & Ideas

Conclusion

Acknowledgments

Glossary

Bibliography

About the Author

Introduction

I pulled into an empty parking lot. The barren lot seemed unusual for a sunny Saturday afternoon. I glanced at the plaza across the street. Harris Teeters, Starbucks and Sports Clips were teeming with activity. Yet, I was the only one in the parking lot at Devine’s Jewelers.

I was searching for an engagement ring, and Google maps sent me this direction.

Inside, Devine’s was a beautiful store. The salesperson greeted me with a smile and warm welcome. The owner walked out to introduce himself. This was the exact experience I was hoping for. Like many first-time diamond buyers, I had no idea where to start. Days earlier, I started my research online. Blue Nile, an ecommerce jeweler, was the first place I looked. After all, they were the first result when I searched Engagement Rings on Google. But, I soon discovered that there was a whole lot more about buying an engagement ring than I realized. As I tried to navigate the difference between carat, cut, clarity and color something became clear. I needed help.

I knew I needed an expert. I need an independent retailer.

Devine’s got lucky that day. They happened to be the closest store to me when I typed jewelry stores near me into Google maps. But something happened inside Devine’s that day that startled me.

After chatting with the owner of the store, Gary, for a few minutes, something dawned on him. He didn’t know how I arrived at his store that day. He looked at me and asked, So Keegan, how did you find out about us? My first instinct was to give him a high five. It’s always a great idea to ask new faces how they found out about your business. That was great until we went further into the conversation.

Oh, Google maps, I responded, I was running errands and decided to see if there was a jewelry store close by.

Gary’s eyes lit up. Wow, that’s amazing! Ha, he said with a chuckle. I looked up from the jewelry case. I left a passing glance with the younger store associate who seemed to hide rolling eyes. Gary continued, I hear all about Twitter and those things all the time. It’s amazing.

Sure is, I said. Do you do a lot online to market the store?

No, we don’t keep up with those types of things here. But people find us using Twitter and all that from time to time though. I’m always amazed when they do.

Our conversation continued for a few minutes. I looked at some diamonds and a few settings. Yet, my mind was elsewhere. The back of my mind was racing. "Do I say something? I thought, Is this an appropriate moment to switch into education mode?" You see, Gary was like the hundreds of retailers I’ve spoken with during my career. He had it all going for his business. He had a beautiful store. His staff was knowledgeable and well trained. They carried a great selection and had a beautiful showroom. He had everything consumers want in a jeweler and they’d been in business for years. But the parking lot was empty. According to Forbes, the online jewelry market is growing by 5% per year. Not only did Gary lack a plan to capture the growth in online sales, but he also didn’t even market the brick and mortar online.

Even my own buyer journey began with a search online. The first result was an ad for the e-retailer Blue Nile. It’s hard to even quantify the potential Blue Nile has to crush our nation’s mom and pop jewelers.

Gary got lucky that day. I was across the street from his store when I typed in jewelry store near me. Most of the time, retailers don’t get so lucky.

I bowed out of the store without continuing the buyer’s journey with Devine’s. My mind was back on independent retailers.

Digital Presence

Back in my car, out of curiosity, I pulled out my phone. Devine’s lacked a website, a Facebook page, and a Twitter account. Nothing came up in Google when I searched for them. Their entire online presence amounted to their Google My Business page. The one I found on Google maps. An excellent small business was nearly invisible on the busiest highway in the world. The internet. It’s not Gary’s fault he confused Twitter with Google maps. After all, I didn’t know the difference between color and clarity. But I knew it had a big impact on the diamond.

I bought my engagement ring from a different independent retailer several weeks later. I’ll never forget what the owner said to me after I purchased the ring from them. As I left the store with my engagement ring in hand, she said something that struck me.

Best wishes on your proposal, and when you can, please leave us a review online, on Facebook or Google. Those online reviews are so important for our business.

If you learn one lesson from this book, please let it be this. The best small businesses know digital marketing is important. These stores choose to make it a part of everyday operations. This decision to pay attention to digital marketing is leading to growth. The businesses that are embracing digital marketing and technology are still thriving. I want that for your business too. So, I wrote this book.

My Story

I’ve spent my entire career helping independent retailers with their local marketing. In college, I worked for a company that sold print advertising to retailers. The company published free publication papers, daily newspapers and circulars. I worked as a sales assistant. All summer I drove to stores and talked to store owners. I spoke with independent grocers, jewelers and pet stores about what type of ads they’d like to run. I met with contractors, groomers, car dealers and more. I spoke with just about every type of small business you can think of. I learned a lot from these small business owners.

After college, I joined New Media Retailer. We build websites, manage social media, create digital ads campaigns and build email blasts for stores. I helped found our ecommerce division from scratch. In the past ten years, our company has worked with over 1,500 store owners. I’ve attended close to a hundred independent retail trade shows. Even speaking at many of them.

Over the past ten years, I’ve noticed some recurring themes. There are universal questions and struggles when it comes to digital marketing. The goal of this book is to take a step forward. This book is an easy to use guide. We explore the essentials of digital marketing that impact independent retail stores. I’ll share stories from my experience seeing what’s worked and what has not. We’ll discuss budgets and pitfalls as well as opportunities. My goal is to help you put this information to work in your business.

Retail Today

In the physical world retail best practices seem more obvious. You wouldn’t build your brick and mortar store behind a stone wall. You wouldn’t let your storefront look outdated and run down. You wouldn’t let your shelves look empty or dark. You wouldn’t hire unprofessional salespeople. You wouldn’t keep all your inventory in cardboard boxes in the back of the store. Because, if you did, your parking lot would be empty on Saturdays.

So why do countless store owners all over the country do these things to their business on the internet?

Store built behind a stone wall = Poor local SEO

Rundown storefront = Outdated, non-mobile friendly homepage

Empty, dark shelves = No landing pages about the business and its services

Unprofessional salespeople = no Frequently Asked Questions pages, no online chat nor quick contact forms

Hide inventory in cardboard boxes = No product catalog online

Today, 88% of consumers research online before buying in a retail store. Moreover, near me searches in Google have grown by over 500% in the last few years. This means people are using their phones to search for specific things in specific areas. Searches like, jewelry store near me or Can I buy a Dewalt drill near me or Merrick dog food near me. These searches are so powerful that Google suggests them right away. Go ahead and try it. Open Google and type in hardware store or pet store into the search bar. Now, look at the drop-down of autofill suggestions. You will see near me, nearby or the name of your town or city. Looking for a nearby store is such a popular search term that Google autofills it immediately.

A consumer’s first step in the buying journey used to be calling a store or opening the yellow pages. In the past, the consumer may have driven right to your store. Today’s consumer is way too spoiled for all that. Now, the buying journey begins with Google. Consumers look for the item or store near them. Next, they evaluate your business online before deciding whether to visit your store.

As a store owner, you put a ton of work into your store every day. You buy and install beautiful lighting fixtures. You switch out end caps, train employees and organize shelves. Yet, how much effort do you put into your website?

Is your website secure? When was the last time you wrote a blog? Do you come up in Google for the products you sell in your area? You used to advertise in the yellow pages, you don’t anymore. Did you keep investing in marketing your business or did you stop altogether?

You invested in a professional retail space. Yet, potential new customers don’t see your store first. They see your website, social media pages and reviews. Then, they decide if they will visit your store. If your business looks unprofessional online, they never bother to visit in person.

Retail’s future

Almost every traditional retail industry is facing stiff competition from Amazon. To make matters worse, most independents face competition from an online retailer in their own industry. In pet, it’s Chewy.com. In jewelry, it’s Blue Nile. In furniture, it’s Wayfair. These e-retailers took their industries by storm. They are well funded and aggressive.

But, David beat Goliath. Why? He had the right weapon, and he knew how to use it.

Most store owners are great businesspeople, great community members and excellent retailers. But, they’re not digital marketers. When it comes to sweeping the floors of their online presence they don’t even know where to begin.

That was the inspiration for this book. The tools to compete and win are at the tips of independent retailer’s fingers. The goal of this book is to identify the tools to compete and succeed against big box and e-retail stores. We’ll identify the ways to put these digital marketing tools to work in your business. Then, we’ll explore cost-effective strategies for marketing your business online.

It’s not a retail apocalypse. It’s a retail transformation. The times are changing not imploding. Independent retailers need to incorporate technology into their businesses. We are in a period of adaptation. Those that transform with the times will not only survive but thrive. In fact, retail stores continue to grow in number. For every retail company closing stores, five are opening stores. There are more companies opening stores than closing stores. According to the Census Bureau, there was a net increase in the number of retail stores in the United States in 2018. Moreover, the growth in store openings is being driven by smaller stores with fewer than 5 employees. In fact, 98% of the retail industry is made up of small businesses. Retail opportunities for brick and mortar independent businesses are alive and well today.

Furthermore, retail companies that started as ecommerce only companies are opening brick and mortar stores. Warby Parker is a great example. This company started as an online-only eyeglass retailer. Now, they have opened almost 100 stores. The company views brick and mortar retail as a core function of its strategy. Why? Because online and in-store synergies are the key to a successful modern retail strategy. This company is not alone. Many companies that started with online retail are doing the exact same thing.

It’s time to stop reacting and create a plan. It’s time to put powerful digital marketing technology to work in your business. Pairing your brick and mortar store with a powerful online presence is key to long term success in retail. When you accomplish this, there will be a dynamic change in your trajectory.

Six Pillars of Digital Presence

To build your online presence you will draw on your brick and mortar experience. The intuition and business sense that leads to a great store will lead to a great online presence. In this book, I’ll introduce the six pillars of digital marketing. The six pillars are the digital manifestation of the physical foundations of a great retail business. Before we explore the digital version, let’s first look at the six pillars as they exist in the physical world.

Six Pillars of a Brick and Mortar Store’s Community Presence

The Store –The store is the hub of all activity. The physical store is where advertising efforts will attempt to send customers. It is the place where transactions can take place. The look and design of your store is the bedrock of your business. A great store is essential for building confidence and a positive customer experience.

Word of Mouth – Word of mouth is important for any business, especially local retailers. Store owners constantly strive to get the word out about their stores. Word of mouth about your products and services in your local community is a huge growth driver.

Promotional Material – Developing and distributing promotional materials is essential for driving sales. This includes coupons, bag stuffers, event flyers, business cards and more.

Reputation – Store owners take pride in their reputation. Building a strong reputation in your community can establish your store for generations. Stores build positive reputations for the way they treat customers and engage in their communities.

Location – Or... Location, Location, Location. Your business needs to be where people can find it. This means building your store on the main road in your town or near a highway with a lot of traffic.

Advertising – Getting your message out to new consumers is the lifeblood of growth for a store. Newspapers, radio stations and television have all understood this desire and offered paid avenues for businesses to put their message in front of consumers.

As a store owner, you already mastered many of these physical pillars. The difference now is that many of these pillars need an online component. Let’s look at these six pillars and try to identify their digital counterpoint.

The Six Physical Pillars and their Digital Components

The Store – Digital Counterpoint – Website.

Word of Mouth –Digital Counterpoint – Social Media.

Promotional Materials – Digital Counterpoint – Email Marketing.

Reputation – Digital Counterpoint – Online Reviews.

Location – Digital Counterpoint –SEO.

Advertising – Digital Counterpoint – Paid Traffic.

Digital marketing platforms are like the advertising mediums you’re already familiar with. These mediums exist online instead of in the physical space. We’ll examine each of these six pillars for digital success. My goal is to help you identify how to stand up each of these pillars of digital presence for your business.

The Six Digital Pillars

Website – A small business website is the hub of all other digital marketing assets. The website and domain owned by the store should be the online focal point of your business. Investing in your website is the baseline for all other digital marketing efforts.

Social Media –Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are essential for customer interaction and relationship building. The major social platforms have penetrated life worldwide. These platforms are an opportunity to tell the story that drives your business. Social media allows businesses to create digital word of mouth and brand awareness.

Email Marketing – Send relevant information to your customers on a consistent basis. Email blasts are an excellent way to communicate with customers. Use email marketing to communicate discounts, events, expert articles and industry news.

Reviews – 84% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Generating positive reviews online can have a significant impact on store traffic. Free platforms, like Google My Business, allow customers to share their experiences online.

SEO – Local search engine optimization (SEO) is critical to acquiring new customers. The first step in purchasing a product or service often involves a local search. Make sure your business shows up on Google. It’s where your customers look for products.

Paid Traffic – Facebook & Google built robust systems for advertising your business. Google, YouTube and Facebook are the three most trafficked websites on the internet. Advertise your business where potential customers spend their time.

With these pillars in place, your business is set to thrive. Yet, there is no single path to establishing each of these pillars. In fact, each one can look quite different depending on your business and your long-term goals.

In the following chapters, we’ll identify the different options for establishing each pillar. We’ll explore and answer questions like –

Do I need an ecommerce website or an informational website?

Which website platform is right for my business?

Should I spend money on Facebook advertising?

Who should handle social media?

How do I generate more online reviews for my business?

What social media platforms should I be using?

What is Google advertising?

Where do I find vendors to help with these services?

How do I judge the difference in quality between different digital marketing vendors?

How much time should my employees spend on my website or managing social media?

Now, let’s forge the path forward for your business.

The First Pillar - Websites

Your website is the cornerstone of your online presence. Think about your website the same way you think about your store. With a physical store, you want to build a great-looking storefront. You want it to be inviting. Then, you want as many people to see it as possible. That is the essence of a great website. A website should be clean, easy to navigate and well representative of your business.

Yet, this is hard to achieve. Web technology has improved in the last ten years. But it is still quite difficult to understand all the ins and outs of what makes a website great. Building a new website can sometimes create more questions than solutions. Questions such as – what makes a website valuable? How do you decide if your website should be informational or ecommerce? Why are there so many different website platforms? Why are there so many different agencies and apps? As we explore the first pillar of a digital presence, we’ll provide the tools so you can answer these questions.

To understand websites, we’ll begin by exploring the technical basics. The basics serve as your foundation for good decision making. We’ll discuss domain hosting and the value of domains in the strength of your website. Then we’ll discuss web hosting, software systems, and web security.

After we cover the technical basics of websites, we’ll discuss platforms. Platforms are the systems that you use to build your website. I’ll identify the popular website platforms available. We’ll cover the range of costs and some of the major differences between each platform.

Next, we’ll turn our attention to the anatomy of a quality website for a brick and mortar store. We will answer questions like, what pages should be included in my website? What is a good load time? Do I need a secure certificate?

The goal of this section is to understand websites in simple, understandable chunks. This will help you determine what works for your business. You will also be able to identify what you can improve and what you should change.

Why does my business need a strong website?

Small business owners have to react to their customers. Consumers research online before shopping in stores. That’s why stores need strong websites. To understand the need for a website we should first look at what consumers are doing. After all, if a website isn’t important to your consumers, then it wouldn’t be important to you or your business. However, websites are important to consumers! In fact, a retailer’s website may be one of the determining factors as to whether a customer visits your store at all. Yet, 29% of small businesses do not have a website.

Your Website