Where did you get your couch from? Certainly not from an online store was it? Did you have to search through the 5-6 furniture stores in your area to find what you like? Were you able to find what you were looking for?
It is amazing how the fact of an online presence for any company is so important now. When asked for the first place to look for anything, most people would answer online, or a specific way of searching for the item online (i.e. google, ebay, craigslist to name a few).
Just last week, after conversing with one of our store associate, she indicated that the customers found our store by Google. Apparently the couple were looking to purchase a sofa bed or a futon for a potential guestroom, and found our store given that it was the only location listed within the 15 mile radius from where they had lived. Through research into SEO (search engine optimization), Google as well as most businesses dealing with SEO will tell you that most internet shopper NEVER gets to the second page of a search. The usual breakdown shows 80-85% of shoppers only visit results on the first page, while the rest is spread among the second page and less than 1% from the third page on.
What does that mean to you or me?
Well, what it means is that most potential customers will not go to more than 3 stores to purchase what they are looking for. Yes, it is true that customers will purchase based on pricing when comparing between stores, but they buy based on potential benefits (i.e. features that cater to their needs). This is why it is very important to have a website, or some sort of online presence set up, to be even considered for those comparisons. Whether if it is a website, or as simple as a Google map store information.
There are many sites and blogs that discuss how to utilize SEO to generate additional hits to your online content, that would include Facebook, and even Yelp!
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