Own the Internet

September 13, 2012  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in on September 2012

I attend a lot of conferences and events in my position as publisher for Home Furnishings Business. Outside of the retailers, manufacturers, three-ring binders and name tags, there is another constant at most every event.

You don€™t have to look far, but if there are any seminars scheduled I guarantee you one topic of discussion is social media and the Internet. Let€™s face it, it€™s not going away anytime soon, and you better get on board if you haven€™t already. If you aren€™t participating, you are missing an opportunity.

The consumer has gotten a lot smarter, not necessarily on her own, but with the tools available online to her. In just a few clicks of a mouse, consumers can find out about a company€™s products from a number of places on the Web. Call me silly, but I want to have some say in the information they receive. By using your company Web site, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and whatever other platform I might have overlooked, you are the one providing information about your company and products. Tell them why you are the best retailer to do business with.
You are a local retailer and support local events. You deliver same-day, and they can be sitting on that new sofa watching the game tonight. Maybe you have lowest pricing every day and they have no need to wait for a sale.
Whatever it might be, you need to be the author of your story and the one providing information to engage your potential customers. It€™s much like how you would handle a customer when they walk in your door€”ask a few questions, provide relevant information and generate interest in an effort to close the sale. You do the same things with them online; the difference is the customer now has a key to your store 24/7. You wouldn€™t let someone walk in your door without acknowledging them, would you?
Social media is much the same. You need to acknowledge these customers because most expect you to have an online presence. Research has shown most consumers today review products and companies prior to ever walking in the door. If you aren€™t online, will they walk in your door?
Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are all great ways to grab your audience€™s attention. Posting pictures of products is an effective way of drawing customers into your brick and mortar. Pinterest is particularly good for showcasing your best inventory and can be integrated easily with your Twitter and Facebook accounts.
What about QR codes? Are you using them with your direct mail and print advertising? Everyone with a smart phone has a QR reader in their pocket (there is an app for that). QR codes provides quick and effortless access to your company€™s Web site. Besides convenience to the consumer, this capability increases the chance that contact with your advertisement will convert to a sale. This format will direct your customer to your Web site and explain the benefits in doing business with you€”provided you have told your story on your Web site.
Bottom line is, the world has changed, your customer is changing and your way of doing business must follow. If you are expecting different results, but not evolving€” well, you just need to get your head out of the sand. You don€™t need to be an expert; you just need to be active and engage your customer. I hope the following pages will give you a push in this direction.