How Digital Marketing Can Help Your Home Supply Business Compete With Big-Box Retailers
By Hibu |
Competing with big-box home supply stores and building material merchants? Here’s how digital marketing helps your building and home improvement supplies business stay in the game.
When comparing your local building and home improvement materials business to a big-box competitor, you may feel like David facing Goliath. But let’s not forget: everyone loves an underdog.
Research shows that people prefer to shop small. That’s not exactly surprising. Maybe you can’t compete in terms of inventory, marketing budget, or brand recognition, but you offer something enticing that customers won’t find in a large-chain retailer — personal, local service.
That’s the message you need to get across, day in and day out. And there’s no better way to do that than with digital marketing. Your online presence allows you to foster a sense of community while reflecting your commitment to top-notch customer service.
These days, digital marketing isn’t “optional.”
In today’s business world, showcasing your services online is essential for success. The digital world provides the opportunity to get your message heard by a wider audience and compete effectively.
However, to many local business owners, the thought of “digital marketing” may sound daunting and time-consuming. We get it. Running a small business often requires you to wear many hats — and who needs another? But with a little help (the kind that Hibu provides!), you’ll find that you don’t have to wear the marketing hat while using digital to boost your bottom line in the process.
It all starts here…
Make sure you have an inviting, user-friendly website.
It’s often said that your website is your digital storefront. It has to be visually appealing and easy to navigate. When a customer or prospect visits your site, they want to find what they’re looking for quickly and seamlessly.
Here are a few basic tips:
- Use high-quality images to display your products. Include detailed descriptions and pricing.
- To keep potential customers engaged with your site, include interesting content. For instance, offer home maintenance tips or short videos on simple do-it-yourself projects.
- Make sure your site utilizes local SEO strategies. (More on that later.)
- Use simple navigation menus to present your content in a logical, easy-to-find method. Include links to pages for your product categories, “About Us” content, and contact info (store hours, location, etc.)
- Many people use their phones to browse, so make sure your site is designed to be mobile-friendly.
Bottom line: your website needs to get attention and induce action. When you partner with Hibu, we’ll work with you to apply best practices and ensure that your website is as powerful as possible.
[Related: 5 Smart Features Your Website Needs to Drive Revenue]
Use social media to engage with customers
Social media may well be the most interactive digital marketing tool today. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram provide the means to connect — and stay connected — with customers and the community. Create regular posts to:
- share DIY project ideas and informative tips
- showcase products in action
- promote seasonal sales
- show a behind-the-scenes look into your store
- introduce your team
Keep in mind that social media is most effective when you use it to interact with the people who see and comment on your posts. Be sure to respond promptly to messages. And while you’re at it, encourage customers to leave positive reviews in the comments. Word-of-mouth is still one of the most convincing kinds of advertising for local businesses.
[Related: How to use Facebook contests for small business marketing]
Email and text marketing can help build customer loyalty
As much as ever, email and text marketing are effective channels for nurturing customer relationships and driving sales. Here are some suggestions for using email to create and sustain customer engagement:
- Build your email list. Offer incentives, like discounts or early access to promotions, to customers who sign up for your email list.
- Give a reason to visit your website or store. When promoting online sales via email, offer in-store pickup options to encourage both online and physical store engagement.
- Run targeted campaigns. Segment your email list based on past purchases or demographics. You can target the people on your list with content that’s relative to their interests or needs. This helps to create customer loyalty.
- An email doesn’t always have to sell something. As we mentioned earlier when discussing your website, content is an important part of digital marketing — and it applies to emails as well. It’s not necessary (or even a good idea) to bombard subscribers with constant promotional emails. Offer useful information, like seasonal project guides, maintenance tips, or exclusive deals for loyal customers.
[Related: 3 Ways to Stay Engaged With Your Customers Without Spending More Time]
Local SEO helps more customers find you.
Here’s where Hibu can provide a big boost to your digital marketing efforts. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps your website rank higher in search results by using relevant keywords. In your case, you’re trying to attract local customers in search of home supply products.
We can help you optimize your website with location-specific keywords so potential customers searching for "Building supplies near me" or "home improvement materials [in your town]" can easily find you.
As we mentioned earlier, it’s important to encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. In addition to boosting credibility, testimonials also improve your local search rankings.
[Related: Does SEO Matter for Your Local Business’s Website?]
Keep your messaging relevant: track and analyze your results.
Okay, this is the technical part of digital marketing — but Hibu can handle it for you. We’ll help you track and analyze customer behavior – things like website traffic, call tracking, and total number of leads.
As a result, you’ll gain insight into key data, like which marketing channels drive the most traffic to your site. At Hibu, we can use this data to continually refine your digital marketing strategy based on real-time data.
By making informed, data-driven decisions, we can optimize your digital marketing efforts for maximum impact.
Level the playing field from now on.
While big-box stores have a larger physical footprint, you have what it takes to win the hearts and minds of local customers looking for the building and home improvement materials you provide. By embracing digital marketing, your home supply business can develop the brand awareness needed to stay relevant in the competitive landscape.
Hibu can help you employ these best practices so that you not only survive, but thrive when competing with big-box retailers.
Find out how digital marketing can help your home materials business stay competitive. Call Hibu at 877-237-6120 or complete our Get Started form for a free, no-obligation consultation.
