By Rebecca Haden
A Plus Educational, Harrison, Arkansas
Back to School season is upon us. After a tough year and a nervous year-end, teachers are getting back into their classrooms. If they’re going to buy, now’s the time they’ll do it.
Retailers have stores fully stocked and staffed, and now’s the time for us all to hang around waiting for the annual onslaught. Don’t waste the time between customers (if there still is some of that at your shop). Get some synergy going between your website and your store, for maximum results on both sides.
On your website…
- Make sure your address, hours, contact information and directions are up to date. It’s easy to overlook these updates, but some of your customers are once-a-year shoppers. If they can’t find your building, or can’t reach you, they’ll go elsewhere.
- Create a sense of urgency. A sale, the new stuff, essentials like planbooks or Mavalus Tape going fast – these are messages that can lure the teachers off their decks and into your store. Update your blog, your banners, or your featured items now.
- Rev up your e-mail list. This is the perfect time to invite your web visitors to add their names to your electronic newsletter list. Then do a small emailing to identify any bad e-mail addresses before you roll out your Back to School newsletter.
In your store…
- Train your staff to say, “Have you been to our website?” as they check customers out. It takes no extra time, and can get customers in the habit of shopping online between visits to your store. Even those who don’t go may feel you’re a cool up-to-date store just because they know you have a website.
- Print your web address (and your Twitter, Facebook, or other social media handles, too) on your receipts. Make simple bookmarks that say “Bookmark us! www.APlusEducational.com” with your web address.
- Answer complaints that you’re out of that favorite bulletin board set (or – the one I hate – that your borders look “picked over”) by sending the complainers online. Better yet, pull up your catalog if there’s a computer handy and help them place the order right then and there. You can’t please everyone, but this can really help customers feel that you’re taking care of them.
With your physical store and your website supporting each other, you win all around.
