When it comes to shopping, friction is not your friend. It not only inconveniences customers but also makes internal work less productive and more frustrating. Needless to say, no one benefits from a subpar shopping experience.
Combating this friction requires the right tools and systems, including those that will help streamline transactions and optimize interactions with your brand, online or otherwise. An advanced dealer and store locator platform may be exactly what your business needs to create the seamless omnichannel experience we all desire.
Defining the Omnichannel Experience
According to Pew Research, Americans generally prefer to shop in-store, but a third of Americans still use their mobile devices to make purchases at least once a week. That doesn’t even account for the amount of shoppers that use a desktop or other online channel to make purchases. To put it in perspective, 76 percent of U.S. adults say they buy things online using their phone while 69 percent claim to make purchases via desktop computer or laptop—which isn’t a huge difference.
All of this data implies that the majority of modern shoppers are using a combination of channels—spanning both brick-and-mortar and online shopping capabilities—to perform e-commerce tasks. Consumers benefit from this overarching buying preference, known as an omnichannel experience, because it minimizes friction throughout the buyer’s journey and creates consistency between channels.
One key element that enables this seamlessness is the use of an advanced store locator platform. The primary intention behind implementing locator software is to improve the customer experience from all angles, but encouraging a seamless experience is only the beginning.
5 Store Locator Features That Support an Omnichannel Experience
Creating a truly omnichannel experience means every customer’s interaction with your brand is cohesive, consistent, and ultimately satisfying—whether it occurs online or in person. To achieve this, business owners need to ensure their chosen locator software includes the features necessary to support and manage an omnichannel experience.
An effective and modern dealer and store locator offers:
1. Centralized Data for All Channels
A store locator plugin ensures your physical locations, hours, and contact information are consistent across your website, social media, and mobile app, providing a unified customer experience. Through integrations with popular business software like Salesforce and HubSpot, data is regularly synced and updated to ensure all information is consistently accurate across every channel.
2. Mobile-Optimized Search
Mobile-friendly pages and features allow customers to easily find locations while on the go, enhancing convenience and boosting user engagement. Any store locator plugins or other elements are optimized for use on mobile devices so business information is accessible virtually anywhere.
3. Product Availability by Location
In order to host a truly omnichannel experience, you should strive to make finding, learning about, and getting to your business locations as simple as logistically possible. Store locators can leverage geolocation capabilities to personalize search results based on the user's location, ensuring faster and more relevant results. Such tools also aid in creating targeted messaging via email or other channels based on location, as Bullseye did for Gaspari Nutrition. Additionally, integration with Google Maps or other mapping services provides users with real-time directions and traffic updates, making it easier for them to visit your store.
4. Diverse Check-Out Options
One way that robust locator software bridges the gap between online channels and in-person shopping is by providing a selection of transaction options that span both settings, including:
- Buy Online Pick Up In Store (BOPIS)
- Reserve Online Pickup In Store (ROPIS)
- Buy Online Return In Store (BORIS)
Implementing a successful omnichannel strategy requires purchase and return options like these that add convenience and streamline service. However, implementation isn’t always easy—associates need access to the right technology as well as staff training to efficiently process transactions. An advanced locator like Bullseye provides all the resources, onboarding, and knowledge necessary to operate the system and adapt it to specific business needs.
5. Detailed Analytics
In-depth analytics and automated reports mean business owners can track user interactions across channels—web, app, or social media—to understand where and how customers are searching for stores. This enables owners to fine-tune their marketing strategies according to changes in buying behavior or certain browser activity.
Step up Your Store Locator Game
Modern businesses need more than basic store locator capabilities to truly connect with their customers and optimize experiences across channels. Advanced features like those mentioned above help businesses gain measurable value from a locator, and Bullseye’s software offers so much more than a standard store locator plugin.
Are you getting maximum value from your locator software? Take our free locator assessment to learn what’s working and what needs improvement, and receive a detailed plan of action for your next website redesign.
