As people return to freedom of movement with eased restrictions, store owners will be glad to see anyone walking into their shop – even if it’s simply out of interest. However, a person walking into the store with actual purchase intent is far more valuable.
Intent to purchase is an extraordinarily strong indicator of a potential sale, and the strength of intent is the metric we use to define a customer as a passive or active shopper.
Passive buyers are the browsers and window shoppers (both online and offline) who may have a real problem or need. They may show interest in a product or service and will even put effort into the sale – although not very much. They’re also likely to engage with multiple vendors. An active buyer is someone who is committed to buying a specific product or service, and is more likely to be a repeat customer.
| Changing a passive buyer into an active one is the ever-present goal of marketing and sales. There is a way to make this happen... |
It’s safe to say that searching for a product or service online before a customer actually engages with your business is the norm – this is known as ROPO (research online, purchase offline).
If your local business is found in an online search, there is a far greater chance of people visiting your store. Why? Because search equals intent. But there’s a catch. The search result (your business listing) must be informative and accurate.
Once a potential customer finds a product or service they’re interested in, they’ll be able to engage with a brand’s Google My Business (GMB) listing by either calling the store, visiting the brand’s website, or navigating to the physical location. They’re also able to click on a promotional post, ask a question, browse through reviews, and look at the operating hours, images, products and more – all without leaving the search environment.
| If your brand meets customers’ online search needs, you’ll be well on your way to converting passive shoppers into active buyers. |
Bottom line? Your brand needs to win the local search battle.
This means having digital locations that are professionally managed and optimised. Your brand will also need to create a consistent digital presence across your GMB listing, your own site’s store locator, Facebook, Apple Maps, WhatsApp, Uber and many more platforms that potential customers might be searching on.
How to meet these goals? Simple – with Location Bank.
Location Bank is a technology and service based performance business and what we do works. We can help you master local search, and convert passive shoppers into active buyers so you can make more sales.
