Even though many people think so, digital and physical are not completely opposite and separate worlds, and when we talk about sales, it is essential that they work together to win customers and deliver an ever-improving experience, and that is precisely what drive-to-store is about.
This technique, which is very popular in retail, aims to boost sales by combining physical and digital, and investing in this strategy will certainly make a difference for your business. Follow along!
What is drive-to-store?
Drive-to-Store is a strategy that integrates online and offline environments to attract customers to your physical store. Through marketing initiatives such as local searches, email marketing, social media, or advertising, you spark customer interest in your products or services and encourage them to visit your store for a complete and personalized experience.
The drive-to-store concept is simple: use online to bring customers offline . In the physical store, customers can see products up close, ask questions to specialists, and complete the purchase. This integration offers several benefits for you and your customers, such as increased sales, loyalty, and much more.
Although it may seem contradictory, people are increasingly making their purchases online – which makes this strategy so assertive , as people use the internet as a way to research before making purchases:
- Two studies commissioned by Google Brazil indicate that the habit of consuming online and researching before making purchases — digital or physical — is consolidated in Brazil.
- One of the surveys, conducted by the consultancy firm Offerwise, with 2,000 consumers, shows that 9 out of 10 Brazilians consulted started researching before purchasing a product.
In other words, people are constantly searching for information to make decisions, and they leave their homes every day to go about their daily routines, maintaining direct contact with physical stores.
3 Pillars of Drive to Store: The Connection Between Digital and Physical
For this connection to truly be made, three main pillars are needed to offer experience, personalization, and data to understand which customers should be targeted in this strategy.
1. Omnichannel
Omnichannel is a strategy that integrates online and offline channels, offering a seamless and consistent shopping experience to customers. This strategy manages demand and audiences regardless of the channel, providing the same context and offering a single experience, even across diverse interactions.
This pillar is crucial for drive-to-store; after all, consumers can't expect vastly different experiences online than in-store. Consider a practical example: a customer, during their lunch break, walks down the street and pops into a few stores to browse products for their home. When they return to the store, they search for the product they're interested in online to learn more about specifications and price comparisons.
More than that, the potential customer contacts us via WhatsApp to ask questions and, seeing the advantages of closing the deal, returns to the store later to actually complete their purchase.
Simply put, there were many interactions with the same brand, in a short space of time, across different channels, and this is where omnichannel is crucial. If a company has this consolidated strategy, it offers customers a seamless experience and fluidity, regardless of when and where they interact with the brand.
2. Personalization
Being a drive-to-store isn't just about creating generic content to reach the largest number of people, but rather about tailoring offers and information according to your consumer's profile and preferences.
People want to feel valued and special to your business, and to truly deliver an experience, you need to invest in personalization. Knowing your customer, using data strategically, and mapping their pain points and needs is crucial at this point, and personalization is a key to brand success.
From the moment a brand is first discovered through to after-sales, the entire customer journey must be monitored so that the company not only makes sales, but also truly offers the best personalized solutions and possibilities for the public.
3. Geolocation
Geolocation is the ability to identify and track the geographic position of an object, person, or device in real time using signals such as GPS, cell phone towers, IP addresses, or Wi-Fi.
This possibility is crucial for drive-to-store marketing, after all, you need to know who and where the people who interact with your brand are to target them with communications and benefits.
How does drive-to-store work as a sales strategy?
As we've said, drive-to-store is a great tool for businesses and also provides consumers with greater choice and benefits. The connection between digital and physical is increasingly strong and valued by customers, especially when it comes to connecting consumers with brands/companies.
Thinking about searching near me, drive-to-store makes even more sense. After all, people are looking for products and solutions that, when found quickly, can be accessed in person, combining convenience for the customer and sales for the business.
Since 2017, Google has been reporting on the trend of searches for "near me," and in that year alone, searches using the term "near me" grew by 75%. In other words, search engines are also guides for people to find services, products, and establishments in their area, and you need ways for the algorithm to find your business so it's visible to the public.
Drive-to-store for businesses
- Increased in-store traffic: Through targeted campaigns, companies can attract more consumers to their physical stores. By targeting ads to people who are physically close to a store, more people become aware of your brand and its solutions, consequently increasing sales opportunities.
- Increased sales: With more consumers entering your stores, the chances of sales increase. Furthermore, drive-to-store strategies can include incentives for consumers to make repeat purchases, such as discount coupons or exclusive offers. This can lead to higher conversion rates and an increase in your audience's average purchase value.
- Increased customer loyalty: By offering positive experiences to consumers who visit their websites and physical stores, companies can improve and deepen their customer relationships. Satisfied customers are more likely to return, become loyal to your brand, and may even become brand ambassadors.
- Strengthening your brand: By focusing your efforts on being more visible online and encouraging customers to visit your physical store, you'll likely see increased brand visibility and recognition among consumers, which can lead to increased preference for your business.
Drive-to-store for consumers
- Easier and more complete shopping experience: With this strategy, consumers gain insights into their research and receive increasingly more information, regardless of the channel they choose to access, making their experiences with brands increasingly satisfying.
- Algorithm-based decisions: When searching, especially near me, consumers can make faster, more assertive decisions with the help of technology. On Google, for example, when searching for a business/solution, the answers given are based on location, rating, number of reviews, and reviews responded to . This way, the algorithm delivers what it deems to be the best decision-making option for the customer.
- Personalized service: The trend toward online and offline interactions increases personalization for customers, and brands gain insight into their preferences, interests, and history. This means consumers are increasingly becoming more individualized in their purchases.
How to implement a successful Drive to Store strategy?
Now that you know more about drive-to-store, its pillars, and benefits, we've compiled some best practices to help your strategy deliver great results for your brand. Follow along and reflect on how they can be implemented:
1. Optimize your website and online platforms for mobile devices
Cell phones are like extensions of consumers and we cannot deny that when we talk about the public's experience with the brand.
Smartphones are already the main means of purchasing in global e-commerce: according to a study , 72% of consumers use mobile devices to make purchases, including when they are in physical stores.
In other words, you need to keep this in mind and work to ensure your website and app offer a good experience for your audience. Responsive design, including considerations for loading time, adaptability to different sizes and formats, and easy and intuitive navigation are essential.
Facilitate your customer's relationship through navigation so that searching for information about your products/services or purchasing from your brand through smartphones and tablets is not a difficulty.
2. Use geotargeting
As we said, geolocation is one of the pillars of drive-to-store and the company needs to stand out in this area, which cannot be forgotten. After all, according to a survey conducted by the National Confederation of Store Managers (CNDL) and the Credit Protection Service (SPC), 77% of consumers prefer to make their purchases close to where they live.
To achieve this, two strategies can be used: investing in ads to stand out in ads and investing in your organic content.
For paid advertising, it's crucial to know your audience well. After all, you need to convey your message well, not just appear in searches for the sake of appearing. Make your delivery clear and find ways to draw the public's attention to your brand.
When it comes to investing organically, a Local SEO is crucial for your business. This is how search engines optimize content for search engines, taking into account the geolocation of the device performing the search. This means your business can be listed for free—if relevant.
To achieve this, it's crucial to invest in your Google My Business profile so the algorithm can search for information and understand why your business should be displayed. Remember that a complete Google My Business profile helps your business reach the top three of the local pack, and according to Moz , an optimized profile on the platform has a 25.12% impact on the Local Pack.
3. Create personalized campaigns and encourage customers
You need to attract the right people, and so, following another pillar, you need personalization. Knowing your customers and delivering what they expect is a key differentiator for standing out online and offline.
For drive-to-store, it's important to consider rewards. People are more likely to make decisions when they see some kind of benefit from their action. Therefore, offering personalized vouchers for in-store purchases, combining online and offline discounts, and other initiatives are important ways to connect with your audience in both worlds.
4. Integrate social networks
As we've said, you need to be omnichannel, so pay attention and integrate your social media. Know where your customers are and be there, offering content, information, sales, personalization, and experience.
More than that, remember to have strategies to integrate your channels and communication, that is, no matter where your customer decides to look for you, they will find the same experience about your brand.
Drive-to-store statistics:
- 90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a physical store. (BrightLocal)
- 85% of consumers consider online reviews an important factor when choosing a place to do business (BirdEye 2021)
- 50% of consumers who search online visit a physical store within 24 hours . (Think With Google)
- 72% of people who conduct a local search online will visit a store within 5 miles of their current location. (Gartner)
- 86% of customers use Google Maps to find local businesses . (Google)
- 28% of all local searches result in a purchase . (e-Marketer)
- 50% of consumers who search online visit a physical store within 24 hours. (Google)
- 70% of consumers who visit a physical store after researching online end up buying something. (Forrester Research)
- Drive-to-Store can increase foot traffic in physical stores by up to 30%. (eMarketer)
- Drive to Store can increase sales conversions by up to 20%. (eMarketer)
- The sales conversion rate in physical stores is 10 times higher than in online stores. (Shopify)
- The average purchase value in physical stores is 20% higher than in online stores. (Forrester Research)
Conclusion
You can see how important drive-to-store is for your sales, right? Aligning digital and physical strategies is crucial to engaging your audience and attracting customers in a variety of ways.
To achieve this, investing in experience is the best way to impact people and attract more and more customers for your business.
How does your physical store connect with your online communication, and vice versa? Now that you know more about this topic, reflect on your strategies, and understand how we can help you on this journey!
