Brick and Mortar Store - Website | Warrior Forum - The #1 Digital Marketing Forum & Marketplace

9 years ago

A website by itself means very little.

It's a billboard in a desert.

Are people searching online for this store?

How will visitors be arriving at it?

This is what you need to figure out first.

Then you can decide what to do with these visitors once they've arrived.

From what you're saying, it seems like some sort of incentive is needed to get the visitor to come from the website into the physical store.

So a coupon...

...a special offer...

...access to something they otherwise would not get without first visiting the site, and finding something they are able to redeem physically in the store.

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savidge4

9 years ago

I would say instead of doing what YOU think you should do, I would be looking at people that know what they are doing. I would be looking at Home Depot
and Lowes for sure. Maybe Ace etc.. also look at what the parallel business in your area are doing as compared to the big chains.

This is will give you the starting point for what you should be doing.

Originally Posted by Calreg11

Hello,

I am in the process of creating a website for a local hardware store. As of now there will be no sales through the website. However, the purpose of the site is to bring in more customers in the surrounding area.....

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chaotic squid

9 years ago

Umm...this is your first time doing a website and you immediately want to outsource it to 99 designs? Are you sure that you're qualified for the job?

You mentioned a blog, who will be maintaining that? Some small business owners will take to blogging, but in my experience most just don't have the time or resources. So make sure it's something that they really want and will be active with. No blog is better than an abandon blog.

I also agree with Jason about having a web coupon. have a coupon or discount that's exclusive on the website to get people in the store.

Also, you're talking about the website, but what about SEO, Adwords, or Facebook ads? Just having a website won't really do a whole lot, you need to have a marketing strategy that works with the website to bring more people to the store. Start thinking about other things like ad re-targeting (pixel for FB custom audience) or having an email sign-up on the website to capture email addresses.

Just building a website by itself is not going to do much. It's the marketing that goes on after that will help bring people to the store.

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Jason Kanigan

9 years ago

Originally Posted by chaotic squid

Umm...this is your first time doing a website and you immediately want to outsource it to 99 designs? Are you sure that you're qualified for the job?

You mentioned a blog, who will be maintaining that? Some small business owners will take to blogging, but in my experience most just don't have the time or resources. So make sure it's something that they really want and will be active with. No blog is better than an abandon blog.

I also agree with Jason about having a web coupon. have a coupon or discount that's exclusive on the website to get people in the store.

Also, you're talking about the website, but what about SEO, Adwords, or Facebook ads? Just having a website won't really do a whole lot, you need to have a marketing strategy that works with the website to bring more people to the store. Start thinking about other things like ad re-targeting (pixel for FB custom audience) or having an email sign-up on the website to capture email addresses.

Just building a website by itself is not going to do much. It's the marketing that goes on after that will help bring people to the store.

Agreed, I don't even want to talk about a blog yet lol

I've seen so many begin with the best of intentions, and then peter out after just a few months...

Unless it's built in to the BUDGET (I mean the Marketing Budget...does your client have one?) no one will keep a blog up.

If your client has a number of employees, it's possible to do a round robin blog requirement where every member has to write an entry once a month or every two months. But honestly while I think this idea has merit, in practice it's a little more difficult as most people cannot write well.

So there we return to the budget for an editor to run the posts through before approval.

Harbor Freight does a really good, relentless job of marketing their discount hardware products. Once you get on their list, they're emailing you once or twice a week with lots of purrty pictures of affordable tools to drop in and buy.

Marketing budget: Mail-out graphic designer/layout pro. Blog writer/editor. Traffic sources.

And your client had better be ready for some trial & error.

I am very careful of what I sell to whom for this reason. Newbies are So Eager to make that sale...but most of the time they miss all the requirements necessary to make the effort a success.

OP, make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew. Get a clear agreement and scope of supply in place before you begin the work, because you want that client to understand the website is not a panacea for their marketing problems. It's ONE element of many that need to be working together.

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bizgrower

9 years ago

Hate to be a bubble-burster, but I'd be leary of a local hardware store if there is a Lowe's or
Home Depot within 15 miles. In my neck of the woods, I have seen three long-time, local
hardware stores go under. A little Ace hardware in one of the three areas is till standing, but
a big local store went out of business.

It's very difficult for the little guys to compete on price, duh.

It's also very difficult to compete by trying to offer more service and knowledge. The big
chains offer the same labor pool more money, training, and benefits. The big chains do
a pretty good job on service and knowledge (I run a 33 room Hotel and go to a Lowe's,
or a Home Depot now, and often.) They have the resources to do how to work shops in store.

Your mileage may vary in your area. Hope he's an Ace, or in a some co-op for stock.

All that said, I have two suggestions:

1) If they have the budget and you have the skills, I'd consider how to videos on YouTube
instead of a blog. It will help with local SEO and Google Places.

2) I don't have first hand experience with 99 Designs, but do have experience with outsourcing.
Be careful of promised delivery times for your outsourced work. You are in with a line, perhaps a long one, with the outsourcers other clients.

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Oziboomer

9 years ago

Originally Posted by Calreg11

As of now there will be no sales through the website. However, the purpose of the site is to bring in more customers in the surrounding area.

The guys like Savidge and Jason Kanigan above have already provided some sons advice so I will add something else that will hopefully re-enforce what has already been suggested but take it further...

If the website is not for making sales whether that be through "actual online sales of product" or "selling the lead on the idea that you may have what they want" then there is no point in the website.

Your best route to go is to provide good content in relation to the top selling items or questions that the current prospects from the store currently are seeking....

...for example....

if there a regular sales of fencing supplies and people coming in asking about building a fence....

...you make a really great page on building fences...show photos....give requirement lists...etc..

Then you put a quote form on the page for prospects to enter "how many linear feet of fence do they need?"

You then PAY for advertising in Google adwords or Bing etc to send traffic to the page.

Repeat that for the top 20% of enquiries that the hardware store currently gets and double down on the advertising when you get the results dialled in.

You may find you get people coming in but if you provide great content for specific hardware requirements you may find like I have that you will get enquiries from far and wide and then you've just got to get the supply and shipment set up.

That will be a by-product of just setting up a useful content based site that targets the best customers you have right now.

Personally I wouldn't use an outsourced design service who probably provides generic solutions.

It requires far more attention if you want to benefit from the long-term and not just knock out a site with no future.

I'd go so far as it it should have ecommerce set up from the get go and also provide good local service and information.

I've done many similar sites now as I'm sure Savidge and others have and the money isn't in just setting it up now quickly but making sure you work with the client for the long term looking after their interests.

Thanks
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DABK

9 years ago

You got some great advice. I want to emphasize this:

the website is a tool.

It will work if you know how to use it.

Questions to ask before you build:

How will it be used? Where in the sale process?

What do you want people to do when they land on the home page?

What do you want them to do when they land on other pages?

How do people find the site? Where do they come from?

Will the site be promoted? How?

In my area, if I want nails, tools, seeds, hooks, drills, Home Depot and Lowes are at the top. Now and again, a local plumber or Ace-Like store is in the top 10.

Whatever page I open that belongs to Home Depot or Lowes has what I'm looking for and similar options and a way for me to check if it's in stock, to buy online.

The locals, they're not that good.

Once, I needed a tool for my sink... A local plumber's site had it. I didn't want to wait till it was shipped to me, so I went to the store.

The owner was there. He had no idea what I was talking about. I told him it's on his site, I showed him the page. He said, Nah. Why do you need that anyway. Just hire a plumber. Plumbers already have that kind of tool.

Long story to bring home the point: Talk to the owner. Make sure you understand what they want to do and where the site fits in their plans. Make sure where it fits in their plans makes sense. If you build it the way they want and it doesn't work the way they think it should (no matter how wrong their thinking) you get the blame.

Thanks
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Calreg11

9 years ago

These have all been great advice and what are some next steps in creating a website.
As of right now, it is a place holder for customers searching for a hardware store in the area. Luckily there is no lowes or home depot within a 30 min driving distance.

Originally Posted by DABK

You got some great advice. I want to emphasize this:

the website is a tool.

It will work if you know how to use it.

Questions to ask before you build:

How will it be used? Where in the sale process?

What do you want people to do when they land on the home page?

What do you want them to do when they land on other pages?

How do people find the site? Where do they come from?

Will the site be promoted? How?

As of right now the main purpose of the website is to have a place holder, so show people who are searching for a hardware store that there is one in the area. Luckily as of right now there is 16 reviews for the hardware store on Yelp.

Another main goal is to promote the business to commercial customers (ie construction workers, maintenance companies, etc). They may not be local but it would still be closer to drive to the hardware store than drive to a Home Depot or Lowes.

The purpose of the homepage will primarily be to show we exist. Then include articles, blog posts, etc in other areas of the website.

I do not have a design background, which is why i have been looking to outsource the design. As of now I am just using the "Local Business" theme on wordpress.

Thanks
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LeatherDropshipping

9 years ago

Originally Posted by Calreg11

As of right now the main purpose of the website is to have a place holder, so show people who are searching for a hardware store that there is one in the area. Luckily as of right now there is 16 reviews for the hardware store on Yelp.

While outside of the scope of your original question, I think you should may also consider building out their local business listing pages (Yahoo and G+) as they may be just as important to the business as the new website you are building.

I would recommend at a minimum that you help them claim their Google+ Business Page and build that out to include details like hours and a few photos.
https://www.google.com/business/ce/nrs2/

There are tons of articles on this topic if you google it.

I would also recommend you claim the Yahoo/Bing listing

https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/local-listings

Hope this helps!

Leather Drop Shipping

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savidge4

9 years ago

As this conversation progresses... I think there is a real focus ensuring the overall outcome is monetized.. and there is content centric idea that we all have. There are actually other ways to skin a cat. 84lumber.com comes to mind real fast.

84lumber... you will be hard pressed to find a price... you wont find stock availability... you CAN request a quote.. I always get a giggle when I see that page. ( Its a text box ) It is the exact OPPOSITE of everyone else in the industry... or the internet for that matter. Yet they grow as a company. unlike Ace and True Value that is closing stores here and there, or Home Depot or Lowes that is seeing year over losses ( for 3 years running I believe )

I think the OP has a good idea in drawing the Contractor.. you don't want to publish contractor rates for all to see. So delivery and service on that level is a whole other ball game.

I personally would shoot for the happy medium in this. I might not show prices and sell product.. but I would showcase product and departments ( seasonal )I would not be so concerned with a blog.

I would focus on a message sort of like "We will be there when you need us" hi-lite your strengths and down play the weaknesses. reinforce "Convenience" the whole right around the corner thing.. we will be there when you need us.

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Oziboomer

9 years ago

Originally Posted by savidge4

84lumber... you will be hard pressed to find a price... you wont find stock availability... you CAN request a quote.. I always get a giggle when I see that page. ( Its a text box ) It is the exact OPPOSITE of everyone else in the industry... or the internet for that matter.

Did you notice if you click the drop down menu to the left of the text box you open up a very detailed quoting system?

It is a great way to build a retargeting list even if the prospect doesn't complete the quote.

Has given me a few ideas on how to implement a similar dissection for another type of business I'm working on.

Thanks

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savidge4

9 years ago

Originally Posted by Oziboomer

Did you notice if you click the drop down menu to the left of the text box you open up a very detailed quoting system?

It is a great way to build a retargeting list even if the prospect doesn't complete the quote.

Has given me a few ideas on how to implement a similar dissection for another type of business I'm working on.

Thanks

Yes... quote targeting. need windows? Need a deck? Home Depot and Lowes have complicated Apps that do this stuff... ok well more. but it is far from this solution click click click send. Old school and efficient. again unlike anything else in the market space.

Now that we are looking at it.. might be a rough fit for your framing business no?

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Oziboomer

9 years ago

Originally Posted by savidge4

Yes... quote targeting. need windows? Need a deck? Home Depot and Lowes have complicated Apps that do this stuff... ok well more. but it is far from this solution click click click send. Old school and efficient. again unlike anything else in the market space.

Now that we are looking at it.. might be a rough fit for your framing business no?

Already have a pretty good system set up in the framing area but i was thinking for a couple of the other primarily B2B businesses that I have where I'd like the dissections and retargeting to be better without having to go down the email self-selection route that Digital Marketer promotes so heavily.

I'd prefer it to be a bit more un-noticible to my prospects.

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savidge4

9 years ago

Originally Posted by Oziboomer

Already have a pretty good system set up in the framing area but i was thinking for a couple of the other primarily B2B businesses that I have where I'd like the dissections and retargeting to be better without having to go down the email self-selection route that Digital Marketer promotes so heavily.

I'd prefer it to be a bit more un-noticible to my prospects.

I agree with you totally here. Get them in the funnel targeted already. My personal experience would more than indicate that entering into a funnel that dissects is far less effective than a funnel that is entered targeted already.

I think the problem is most people are so into the squeeze page mentality that they forget they have a whole website that they can develop as a "Funnel" that creates the dissection prior to the entry of the funnel.

Looking again at Lumber 84... you click a topic, and it directs you to a specific page or form in that case. I am working on a project right now that has 5 total avenues. The site is in essence the front end of the funnel. We do this... We have service options... which one most interests you? click here for more info on the option you have chosen.

Once they are in the funnel I can then focus on the main subject and provide value, and quietly remind them of the other 4 options. There is a bit more working parts, but the results, again as I have seen in my own experience creates a better overall user experience and conversion rate.

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Calreg11

9 years ago

I may ask for people's input once the site is done.
For the time being it is SBI Hardware | El Segundo, CA | (310) 322-4545

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savidge4 9 years ago

Originally Posted by Calreg11

I may ask for people's input once the site is done.
For the time being it is SBI Hardware | El Segundo, CA | (310) 322-4545

Battle #1 for you is understanding why you are not listed on https://www.doitbest.com/store_locations

#2 under NO circumstances do you link OFFSITE for content. You link offsite to say a manufacture site, but never as a source of content.

#3 in your footer. Lose the calendar. Ensure the address is in the left most position ( Make sure the company name is here as well ), then the map in the middle and in the right side add the social media icons and a place to get signed up for a newsletter. ( Get onto Home Depots news letter to get ideas for content here. you can use the do it best site to figure out the product of the week. )

#4 Probably in your best interest to use the Do it Best Logo Something like South Bay Industries Hardware a Proud Do It Best location or something.
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Jason Kanigan

9 years ago

Originally Posted by Calreg11

I may ask for people's input once the site is done.
For the time being it is SBI Hardware | El Segundo, CA | (310) 322-4545

Heh I know this theme. Decided not to use it on a plumber project.

I'm not sure it's the right one for a hardware store.

Definitely lose the footer calendar as Savidge recommended.

Get rid of the Ezine Articles image & link. Credibility Killer.

If you go to one of the other pages than the Home page, you'll see an ugly sidebar of posts and meta. I realize you're in "construction" mode but these have to be removed.

I do like the articles you have linked to on the front. Make sure they get featured images you can display on that home page as well.

How people read online vs in print is different. Adjust your line spacing accordingly. This is a lesson I've learned with my own blog.

If your budget permits, booking a 30 minute chat with someone who does web design all day long, like Savidge though he may be too expensive...though perhaps he could recommend someone, would help you. I think some pointers would give you direction and focus, which seem to be lacking in the design so far..

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Calreg11

9 years ago

I am very thankful for everyone having an input in the site.
Some of my takeaways is to look to hire another consultant after the basic framework is made out and the content is created.

Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan

Heh I know this theme. Decided not to use it on a plumber project.

I'm not sure it's the right one for a hardware store.

Definitely lose the footer calendar as Savidge recommended.

What theme did you end up going with?

Thanks
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AlexTee

9 years ago

Originally Posted by Calreg11

I am very thankful for everyone having an input in the site.
Some of my takeaways is to look to hire another consultant after the basic framework is made out and the content is created.

Save yourself some time and money...

You don't need to hire a consultant, just piggyback off Home Depot & Lowes. If you look at their sites, they are similar so just find a theme that gives you the same look...no need to reinvent the wheel!

Understand that a website alone is not going to draw new customers into the store.

IMHO, the best way to compete is "knowing how" and using all the different categories in Facebook PPC advertising (including retargeting) and Twitter PPC ads to bring in customers in the surrounding area.

For as little as $5/day you can test your campaigns on both platforms then scale up (pay more per day) when you get the results you are looking for.

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savidge4 9 years ago

Originally Posted by Calreg11

What theme did you end up going with?

I would follow along with what @AlexTee says... I would really consider the WooCommerce "StoreFront" theme. Some very minor adjustments and you could be in the Lowes, Home Depot or even 84 lumber layout.
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Oziboomer

9 years ago

Now that I look on you store location on Google earth I understand the name for the store South Bay INDUSTRIAL.

Are the industrial sites South of your store the real targets or are the residential units to the North the real target?

You are not talking beachfront apartments here.

Looks like the real money is in fixing problems that the residents of this largely industrial area have.

Maybe look at that.

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bizgrower

9 years ago

Originally Posted by Oziboomer

Now that I look on you store location on Google earth I understand the name for the store South Bay INDUSTRIAL.

Are the industrial sites South of your store the real targets or are the residential units to the North the real target?

You are not talking beachfront apartments here.

Looks like the real money is in fixing problems that the residents of this largely industrial area have.

Maybe look at that.

Using Google Earth from AU for a US business. Impressive! I had one company do that for
a Solar Power estimate for my hotel. Everybody else said they would send somebody by and they
never even showed. LOL

I was thinking that given the competitive climate of the hardware business, OP's client should
conquer consumer and commercial products or services which will be profitable for them for a long time.

This where you go from web designer to one business person helping another business person.
(My FreebieQueen moment: Tired of those who promote "offline consulting" that neglects the business knowledge and experience needed. Not saying that OP or anybody in the thread so far is in that category. OP seems like he's been around some. /rant)

Push the location and/or delivery services for people who drive those 8 miles per gallon trucks or SUVs,
and don't have the time to commute elsewhere. Maybe the drive to this hardware store is simply easier,
especially in winter with Snow, or Summer with construction projects.

I price my hotel higher in Winter than competing hotels because I am on the Denver International Airport side of the Continental Divide, and 12 usually easy miles to the nearest ski area. There are nicer Hotels on the other side of the Continental Divide which are also 12 miles to that ski area, but those are often difficult, or closed, miles during Winter.

Push/highlight the most profitable and popular services or products. How about paint, for example. Is there a Sherwin Williams (or other) paint store nearby? Would that be a good niche to push?
What other areas could be served better than any other direct, or sort of direct, competitor?

Dan

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Macshare

9 years ago

As a contractor, I am your clients most sought after customer. I will be buying lots more than the typical homeowner.

As someone above said, hardware stores are dinosaurs. The only reason I would go to one is if there wasn't a supply house, Home Depot, or Lowes nearby. Hardware stores have VERY limited stock and very high prices.

The only reason I go to HD or Lowes website is to look at their inventory (and sometimes to purchase directly from the website). Since your hardware store will not have an inventory on the website, there is no reason for me to go to it other than to find out the address and phone number, which Google should already be doing (you are working to get him in the 3-pack, right?).

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storejvz

9 years ago

One: the site is well designed, easy to see
Second, the content must be useful to the user.
Three: I think there will be more sites like you're doing, so how you can overcome them and create big plays from attracting customers, it is a good product, good product, how advertising 2 reports and incorporate it on to make sure you will succeed

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