Over the last several years, countless research studies have reported that Internet usage is becoming an inseparable part of a consumer’s shopping journey. This seems like a no-brainer considering the growing availability of wireless technology, where new product reviews, price comparisons, deals and coupons are posted by the second. The percentage of shoppers who start their journey with an online search hovers at around 70%.[1] However, up to 63% of these shoppers are making the final purchase offline.[2]
That is a startling figure for digital marketers. After all, the biggest draw for any B2C business to market online is the ability to track ROI and optimize instantaneously, and yet, marketers are unable to tell whether over half of potential purchasers actually convert. Tracking through to an online purchase is simple enough, but what happens to the 63% of shoppers that decide to shop offline? Let’s explore some ways to connect online marketing tactics to offline purchases.
- Offer free shipping to nearest store location for pick-up
Facilitate a tracked conversion by providing the shopper with a free shipping incentive to their nearest store location. This can be especially effective for bulky items, like television sets, that are costly to ship. We are cheating a bit here by nudging the shopper to complete the purchase online. Most big box retailers, like Best Buy and Staples, have adopted this tactic. - Remind online site visitors to scan QR codes for special offers
Create a unique QR code for each marketing campaign, and then place messages throughout the online experience that instruct shoppers to scan QR codes that are visible on retail signage. Our client, Hitachi GST, has begun implementing QR codes, and analytics is a viable next step. It is most effective if a special discount is offered upon scanning so that shoppers learn over time that QR code = benefit. - Include a “buy in store” option
Add a secondary call-to-action button on product or check-out pages for shoppers to complete their purchases in-store. Offer to hold items for 5 days, and provide a unique identifier or reference number for the shopper to bring in-store, thus enabling tracking of a final conversion that started online. - Place in-store redeemable coupons on store locator page
Put coupons that can be used in-store only on offline-focused web pages (i.e., store locator page) in order to facilitate a tracked conversion. Grocers or supermarket chains like Safeway have successfully implemented this tactic as part of larger customer loyalty/reward programs. - List toll-free number as a method for purchase
Assign a unique toll-free phone number on landing pages that shoppers are directed to after clicking on a specific search/display marketing advertisement. This allows call-center sales to be traced back to the appropriate acquisition channel and advertisement. Our client, TDMG, has explored this type of tracking on mobile devices with click-to-call ads. - Conduct point-of-sale (POS) surveys
Ask the purchaser where the shopping journey began by building this question into POS / payment terminals.
Traditional and digital marketing clearly complement one another, but many companies still treat them as separate focus areas. Marketers who approach campaigns holistically by considering multiple channels are off to a good start. After all, that is exactly what consumers are doing—searching for product reviews, testing products in-store, comparing prices online—constantly shifting between channels and mediums to aid in the shopping decision-making process.
