This is a question a lot of CPG companies I work with ask, and the answer is always yes.
If you have a CPG website and are available in stores, you need to have a way for customers to find you in-store.
The problem comes down to which one should you use, and will it cost an arm and a leg? And is that worth it? I’ll explain in this article.
The Benefits of Store Locators
Here are the major benefits of store locators, and why I always recommend CPG brands have one:
- Connects your online customers in-store
- Resource for people finding your product
- Ensures product availability
- Helps your marketing agency do their job
These are the primary benefits, and they are pretty straight forward.
Store locators help connect your online visitors, into in-store customers. The store locator shows them exactly where the product is near them, and how to get it.
They are an important resource for people that need or rely on your product. On the go, they can pull up the store locator and make sure they stop by on the way home.
Store locators can show your customers that you are readily available in-store and can urge them to purchase.
With the information of every store and state your product is in, this information can help your marketing agency geotarget and ensure they are not marketing in places where there is no product availability.
The Downsides of Store Locators
The main two problems with store locators are that they are generally outdated with information, and they can be quite costly.
Keeping store locators can be difficult to keep up to date as it usually syncs directly with the backend of your internal system. If it doesn’t, the store locator might require you to update where products are available. Either way, sending your customers to stores where they say your product is, but isn’t, can be a big problem.
Effective store locators are generally quite expensive, as they must work on both mobile and desktop and look beautiful. Depending on the framework you are working on, there are plugins and tools you can use, or just pay a company like Destini to do it all for you.
Hire Me To Consult your CPG Brand
With years of experience in the ever-changing world of digital marketing, I understand how important tools like this are to your company’s success, and I have the technical mind to build store locator apps that are specific to your brand.