When we think of eCommerce, it’s easy to imagine that success is determined by the number of items added to a cart and checkout conversions. Yet, research shows that customers will spend hours on paint and design retailers’ websites, looking up products and searching for inspiration, then go to the store to make their final purchase. This is a phenomenon known as the digital “halo effect.”
Online and offline channels should both have a place in your marketing strategy. Some retailers assume that if a customer makes a purchase online, it stands to reason that they are less likely to buy in the store – but in reality, having an eCommerce site actually drives traffic through your door.
The digital halo effect describes the positive relationship between retailers’ physical, brick-and-mortar channel and their online click-and-mortar channel. They are not competing against one another, but are in fact, complementary to one another.
Colorize Inc., an independent paint retailer with two locations in upstate New York, successfully added an eCommerce site to their marketing mix in 2018. Since then, president and CEO Mike Coffey has been wowed by the impact of the digital halo effect on Colorize’s in-store foot traffic – and on its bottom line.
“Being a paint guy, the concept of the digital halo effect is tough to comprehend. Then you see it, your web traffic increases and shortly thereafter your in-store foot traffic increases. It changes from people telling you they found you by “driving by” to telling you they found you “online”. And next thing you’re seeing month over month double digit retail growth.”
Understanding the digital halo effect allows retailers to track the impact of their brand while enhancing the overall customer experience.
Today’s customers don’t see channels, only your brand.
Many of us prefer to think of our retail store and our eCommerce site as two different channels. But customers don’t see two separate channels – all they see is your brand. To them, it doesn’t really matter what vehicle drove them to arriving at a buying decision. All they expect is a seamless experience, whether interacting with you online or in your store.
Success means delivering an experience that helps them transition seamlessly from our sites to our store, and vice versa. Marketers call this an omni-channel strategy.
Related Post: How the Buyer Journey for Paint has Changed: Emily’s Journey
Paint retailers benefit from “reverse-showrooming”
Apparel retailers have been hit hard by a phenomenon called “showrooming.” This is when customers come in to the store to try on clothes for fit and size, only to end up ordering the outfit they want online (sometimes while still standing in the changing room!).
However, in other industries – including the paint business, thankfully – the opposite is true. Metrics show that customers spend countless hours on a retailer’s website, consuming articles, inspiration and product information, and within a day or two, come in to make a direct purchase at your counter.
Having a strong digital presence increases the chances of making the sale
Today, the customer’s journey for paint begins online and ends in the store. Having a strong digital presence increases our chances of being included as a stop on that customer’s next shopping trip.
If our sites are merely informational (location, hours, list of brands), we can’t satisfy the customer’s desire to narrow down their buying choices before visiting the store. However, if we design sites that are more engaging, convenient and supportive of their preferred buying experience, we win them over by being intuitive to their needs.
Measuring digital results still a challenge, but not impossible
One challenge for retailers is that it can be difficult and costly to measure the impact of digital marketing efforts on in-store sales without investing in expensive technology.
Our team has run experiments through posting blog posts on niche products. We’ve watched traffic spike on Google Analytics, engaged in live chats with a customer about a certain product and then days later, witnessed the transaction taking place for that product at our retail location. We know firsthand that eCommerce is a pathway to in-store purchasing.
If your company is investing in Search or Display advertising from Google, there is a way to measure the results from Google Ads with offline conversion tracking. There are some eligibility requirements, but it is simply a matter of ensuring your Google ads accounts is configured to measure store visits.
About PaintPass
Are you experiencing the digital halo effect in your retail business, or would like to learn more about how online and offline channels can work in tandem? Our team is always looking to connect with other retailers to share ideas: theteam@paintpass.ca
Looking for tips to keep your online presence relevant, grow your online paint sales and reach more customers? Check out our other blog posts.