How do you encourage offline customers to make the switch online?

5 June 2017

Getting your customers to do business online can bring a whole host of benefits, including reduced overheads, faster transactions and increased repeat business.

But how do you encourage existing offline customers to make the switch?

This is a question we’re often asked by our clients at Wida Group, which is why we’ve lined up our top tips to help you take the right approach.

1. Respect tradition

It’s no use targeting offline customers with digital marketing techniques - if they aren’t spending time online then you won’t be able to reach them. Traditional offline methods, such as getting customers to sign up to an exclusive e-newsletter during a transaction are more likely to draw attention.

2. Provide an incentive

Think about what rewards you can provide your customers online that you can’t offline - and if there aren’t any, ask what new benefits you could offer. Web-only promotions such as coupons and codes are a great way of tempting those lingering offline loyalists.

If you’re a manufacturer or merchant, offering online-only support, product information and sales training to traders can also encourage engagement.

3. Keep it simple

A key reason for customers refusing to switch to online business is that they find the internet too difficult to use - even more so if they’re always on the move. Creating a responsive website that is easy-to-navigate on any device is an effective tactic that solves both of these problems.

Create a One-Stop Shop

What if your customers could not only buy online, but also access their accounts, pay invoices and view order history, all from one place. By securely integrating your website with your ERP and/or other operations, you will provide the ultimate motive for offline customers to come and do business online.

Here at Wida, we specialise in building websites that can integrate seamlessly with both your online and offline business operations.

If you’d like to find out more about how we can help to bring your customers online, call us today on 0115 921 4797, or fill in the form below.