Google Research Proves Custom, Local Marketing A Must
By Hannah Ash, contributing writer
Newly released data by Google indicates that e-marketing and e-commerce optimization efforts are paying off for brick-and-mortar retailers. The research demonstrates that 50 percent of mobile shoppers are likely to visit a retailer after performing a commerce-based local search. The data also shows that this group of shoppers who find store information via mobile devices comes uniquely ready to shop: 18 percent of local-based commerce searches generate an in-store sale within one day of the consumer initiating the search.
The data shows that optimizing stores for mobile searching and shopping could come with big payoffs for brick-and-mortar retailers. An impressive 30 percent of shoppers responded that they would choose making an in store purchase over an online purchase if a store location was nearby; other factors that contributed to a shopper’s decision to buy in-store or online include speed of purchase and price. As brick-and-mortar retailers continue to craft fluid, omni-channel shopping experiences for consumers, they position themselves for substantially greater growth over one-channel only online retailers.
Google’s research gives retailers a glimpse at what mobile consumers want to see in terms of effective marketing. The report indicates that consumers what custom, local marketing, stating, “our findings show that four in five consumers want search ads to be customized to their city, ZIP code, or immediate surroundings.” The new research from Google is similar to research released by Deloitte, with the Deloitte report stating, “given this acceleration, we are at a tipping point in retail — a point where digital channels should no longer be considered a separate or distinct business. Instead, digital is fundamental to the entire business and the entire shopping experience, in and out of the store.” To be successful in today’s channel agnostic shopping climate, retailers must optimize all channels while creating marketing that directly addresses the unique needs one channel presents over another.