Why a Bricks and Mortar Business Desperately Needs Digital Marketing

While you can’t replace the brick-and-mortar storefront, brick-and-mortar businesses should consider incorporating a digital marketing strategy into their overall marketing strategy. While the physical world may be in decline, it’s still important to be technologically current. In fact, according to recent reports, 7,567 national retail locations have closed their doors this year, and that number is expected to top 12,000 by the end of the year.

As a small business owner, your resources are stretched thin and you have to prioritize the most important and effective strategies. Yet, about half of small businesses don’t have a website. They’re hesitant because of the costs and lack of necessity, but that’s not the only reason to neglect digital marketing. In fact, social media and the internet are here to stay, and ignoring them means squandering a substantial portion of your marketing power.

Today’s consumers don’t want to choose between an online experience and a physical one. Instead, they expect seamless experiences that let them make the right choice for their needs. In addition, brick-and-mortar retailers can enhance the value of their physical stores by complementing digital efforts. They can act as warehouses, showrooms, and community hubs at the same time. And when it comes to marketing, customers are using digital channels to tell retailers what they want. Therefore, a brick-and-mortar business must be attentive to what consumers are saying and respond accordingly.

In this world of hyper-customization, brick-and-mortar retailers have been forced to integrate their digital operations with their physical operations. Despite the fact that they had a hard time surviving before the global e-commerce epidemic hit, only a small percentage of those companies plan to keep integrating their physical and digital operations in the future. So why is it so important for brick-and-mortar businesses to embrace digital marketing?