Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
Commerce is commerce, whether it’s online or in-store. A recent national shopper study revealed that 81% of consumers research their planned purchases online before stepping into a store. For independent home improvement business owners, embracing this trend creates an opportunity to boost sales by meeting your customers online and seamlessly extending their shopping journey to an in-store experience with the potential for add-on sales.
Leading e-commerce sites are more than mere product listings—they are robust resources for product and project instruction, customer reviews and community engagement. By providing diverse and relatable content, you can build relationships with customers, quickly becoming a trusted, expert resource capable of guiding their buying decisions.
At Do it Best, we provide access to high-quality content for 1.62 million products, including 360-degree product views, how-to videos and customer reviews. This allows our members to focus on running their businesses and leading their teams, and not spend time finding the right content to engage their customers. They can showcase their complete in-store assortments online—and keep their customers engaged. High-quality content paired with a best-in-class platform is the difference maker.
This comprehensive approach enhances the customer shopping experience and drives sales. After the launch of their e-commerce microsite on the new Do it Best platform, one member experienced a 44% increase
in online sales within the first month alone. The new doitbest.com marks a strategic investment, providing a unified online presence for our members to thrive in a rapidly evolving marketplace.
Staying attuned to ever-changing trends is critical for continued success. Network with your peers to glean insights on building robust online and in-store connections, analyze digital ads for effective strategies and actively seek customer feedback. Ask your in-store customers how they use your website so you can better understand their shopping experiences. Finally, don’t be afraid to try something new—you may be the first to discover the next market-changing innovation.
4 Best Practices for E-Commerce Integration
- Show them what they want to see.
Maintaining a comprehensive, up-to-date display of in-stock products solidifies your business as a trusted, expert resource. - Cross-sell when you can.
Project lists suggesting complementary items can effectively drive add-on sales by guiding customers to relevant products even after their initial selection. - Use your experts—everywhere.
Displaying QR codes throughout the salesfloor that link to short Q&A videos provides customers with one-on-one interactions across platforms, including your website and social media channels. - Outsource where you can.
Partner with a proven, knowledgeable vendor to free you from the intricacies of managing your e-commerce platform.
