How does my website help me grow sales?

The right website is an investment in your business. With SmartEtailing, the fundamental value proposition is that we automatically merchandise online the products you’ve invested in for your sales floor. Simply by connecting your point of sale, your website starts working to attract and convert local cyclists into customers.

And we aren’t just talking about online sales. We can grow your overall sales, in-store and online. The most common form of ROI our clients experience is a customer walking into your store and saying, “I saw on your website that you have the bike I want.” For decades, this has been the single most valuable contribution we make to our clients.

SmartEtailing client Shawn Fitzpatrick of Oxygen Bicycle Co experienced immediate results. “The new website is working already after just going live yesterday. A customer went on the website, looked at what we had in stock, came in an hour later and bought a $700 bike with $500 in accessories.”

Online selling is happening too. We’ve seen double digit growth in online sales for retailers across our network each of the last four years, significantly outpacing overall brick-and-mortar sales. This is a category of growth that progressive bike shops are capitalizing on in their local markets.

Last year, 33% of online sales across our network were for in-store pickup, validating that local bike shops can grow with local cyclists by offering the convenience of an online store.

Here’s why a SmartEtailing website can help your bike shop grow local sales.

More customers can find you

The shopping journey today starts with online search. A cyclist wants to buy something and they start the process of discovering the right product by using the internet.

Some consumers will go directly to the local bike shop when they want to buy something cycling related. This is the ideal scenario for a bike shop with a simple website or a Facebook page.

In a world where consumers physically go to a local retailer when they want to make a purchase, this less sophisticated solution works. These bike shops can be discovered by a shopper who types “bike shop near me” in the search bar. Unfortunately, only a small number of consumers shop this way.

Most shoppers think about the product they want first, not where they are going to get it. They type “electric bike” or “bicycle floor pump” into the search bar. This is where a more advanced website is necessary to attract local customers.