Story from BizReport
In a recent study from Internet Engine, researchers found that ecommerce-only sites, such as Amazon.com, were out-performing brick-and-mortar store websites by a 3 to 1 margin. The study found that even manufacturers were better utilizing search marketing than retailers. Why? A big part of the problem is the message of brick-and-mortar websites.
According to the most recent internet marketing studies, online shopping hubs appeared in about 30% of keyword search queries.
Selling on the Internet is different than selling in-store," said the owner of Internet Engine. "If you look at the large brick-and-mortar websites, their brand is at the forefront of their online presence. But, they aren't putting the product brands at the forefront."
Brick-Mortar-StoresTo better engage consumers, many consultants suggest putting key product brands at the center of any online campaign. Offering in-store pickup is another way for brick-and-mortar stores to pick up some of the online shopping slack. The best way to garner consumers' attention, though, is through content.
First, the content has to be product centered. Give consumers - and search engines - the information needed to return the right search query results. Second, make the site easy to read for consumers and for search engines and finally, include the right links. Being part of the right online community is a huge step for retailers trying to reach a specific community - online moms, gamers, fishing dads, etc. Branding is important online and offline, but the content has to stand up to the pressure of search engine algorithms.
"We've found that brick-and-mortar stores can do well with paid listings. They know how to advertise or sponsor a keyword, they struggle with SEO copywriting and optimizing content for top organic keyword positions."
