In every industry, more and more of the customer journey is taking place online. The same is true for the furniture shopping experience. Whether that journey starts on a mobile device, browsing a website and asking questions about current inventory, or a Google search for customer reviews to find out if a new couch will stand up to pets and kids, the customer experience touches at least one digital touchpoint. And for furniture shoppers, more than 50% of shoppers say they complete their entire shopping experience online. To increase your market share and capture new leads, furniture stores need to show up where customers are looking for them—at every stage of the customer journey. Consider the following marketing tools and templates you can use to capture new leads:
Marketing Tool #1: Add web chat to your website.
One of the key ways to increase your market share is to offer an easy, frictionless way to connect with your furniture store as customers browse your site online. More than 40% of website visitors from a desktop computer and 50% from a mobile device expect your business to offer a live web chat option.
And offering a live chat option directly impacts your store’s bottom line. Leads that engage with a web chat option on your site are nearly 3x as likely to convert compared to website visitors that bypass the option altogether. Plus, when a business implements a live chat, they bring in a 48% increase in revenue per chat hour and a 40% increase in conversion rate.
As customers search your website for information, a web chat option can connect them with the right answers (store hours, contact information, current inventory, etc.) or customer service representative for more complex questions, like delivery options.
Implementing a chat feature on your website enables furniture shoppers to receive personal, helpful information in real time. You can use AI to provide humanlike responses to FAQs 24/7, initiate transactions, or connect with a local sales rep. The best chat options convert all conversations to text messages so shoppers can keep talking to your store while on the go.
Marketing Tool #2: Ask for customer reviews.
Reading reviews is standard for most customers in their furniture shopping journey. In fact, 23% of consumers say they have read an online review in the last day, 46% of consumers have read an online review in the last 3 days, and 65% have read an online review in the last week. Online reviews are so important to consumers that 70% say they consider them more trustworthy than traditional advertising.
How can online reviews expand your market share? More reviews can increase your chances of showing up higher in online search results. And by showing up higher in search, you’re likely to get more clicks from potential customers to your site. Data shows that 75% of all clicks go to the top 3 – 5 search results. Plus, more reviews can sway customers to drive even farther to visit your store in person. Around 50% of consumers are willing to travel farther and pay more to visit a business with higher reviews.
But to increase your total reviews, furniture stores need to ask customers for more reviews. You can make this step easy for customers with a post-purchase review request that’s sent in a channel they already prefer to use—via text message. A simple review request invite can make it easy for customers to leave a review (and sign up to receive even more communication from your store via text). Be sure to include a direct link to the site where you want the review and always thank the customer for their time.
Only 36% of small businesses invest in reviews, so prioritizing this effort can greatly impact your store’s online search result ranking.
Example review invite request:
Thanks for your purchase, Shawn. Can you help Grover’s Jewelry Co. grow by taking 30 seconds to leave a review? (link)
- (Google Review) Carson helped me find the perfect new table for our kitchen. Great customer service.
- We’re happy to hear that. Thanks for the review!
Marketing Tool #3: Implement better customer marketing strategies.
Customers research brands, products, and services now, more than ever. And for furniture shoppers, research is a critical part of the customer journey. In addition to generating reviews of your business, consider implementing other options to educate and engage your customers, including product videos on your website, podcasts, webinars, or blogs. Each tactic and form of content can help you become a local source of expertise, provide valuable information, and nurture relationships with customers.
Furniture stores could consider writing a blog post of tips for setting up an ideal work-from-home office with links to your products and hosting it on your site. And a mattress store could host a medical professional on a podcast to explain the importance and benefits of sleep.
Beyond providing educational content for customers on your website, add in the option to opt-in for text updates and communication from your business. 61% of customers believe that surprise gifts and offers are the best ways brands can engage with them. Show that you value your customers by sending periodic promos and offers via text message. Plus, text messages are much more likely to be acted on than emails, direct mail, or ads. Interacting with customers via text can improve customer satisfaction rates and increase conversion through your website or an in-store visit.
Example:
- It’s officially Fall! Celebrate the season with 25% off of all living room sets. The sale goes through the weekend. Come in to check out our current inventory or click this link <link>.
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