Cyberspace, Aisle Five

 It doesn't take much study to know that in this day and age, practically every business of any significant size has built some type of internet presence.  For many organizations, this can be just an online business card to help the prospective consumer remember the business’s phone number and location.  But in this new century, the thought of running a business without a web page to back it up is pretty well out of the question.

But if you compare the two corporate worlds, the internet business environment and the world outside of cyberspace, there are some pretty major disparities.  Many businesses have learned to create what could be called parallel universes where their business processes are as sophisticated online as they are outside of cyberspace. Bookstores or concert ticket producers, for example, have struck that balance. Others have just not.

As the legitimacy of the internet as a valid marketplace and business tool becomes more understood, more and more businesses are learning that cyberspace can become another valuable part of an overall marketing plan that drives business to the store shelves directly from their internet web presence.  

So, just as that billboard or newspaper coupon program are just as much part of the businesses corporate plan, that online effort out there in on the corporate web site can become a vital part of the stores operation so much so that the store manager will come to depend on the sales driven by the internet.  To that store manager, cyberspace on aisle five will be an integral part of their commercial success plan.

There’s a mechanism that businesses will go through to utilize the internet as a way of capturing web traffic and turning that into shop traffic.  Let me be clear, one notion that should be obvious but is the key to converting cyber visitors to in store shoppers is this - Internet Shoppers are People Too!

When a business person looks at those strange internet traffic reports that tell them that they web site has X number of “hits” and that Z number of web browsers went to Y number of web pages, all of that cyberspace mumbo jumbo just means that X number of PEOPLE were on your web site and looked at Y number of products or web page advertisements or services.  And those PEOPLE are the same living, breathing humans that will walk in the front door of your store and buy items and services from you.

All we've got to do is figure out how to get those Internet shoppers off of their computers and into the stores.  And more and more you are seeing a growing trend of internet promos that are geared to bring the customers feet down in the shop environment.  Some amazing ways to achieve this include......

* Internet coupons redeemable only in the retail shop.* Online sales that can be picked up in-store.  Many internet shoppers want to get the product delivered to their home.  So you will have to “sweeten the pot” by making shipping charges out of the question or by adding a promotion if the consumer picks up his or her item in person.* Competitions.  Do we need to add?* By advertising special activities to be held at the store.  You can plan a big internet promotion campaign for a book signing of an author or celebrity that will happen live at the store itself.  The higher sales will cover the expense of the campaign and the in store event. 

If your web site is regularly offering promotions that create positive incentives for the customer to come to the business, before long a customer base of loyal consumers will become accustomed to first looking online to see what the big deal is this week and then going to the store to cash in.  That kind of continual momentum is what makes such a synergy such a success and what makes shoppers flock to your retail location and hunt for "cyberspace on aisle five."

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