Brick and mortar stores were, at some point, the gold standard for business. Fast forward to decades, and the e-commerce industry is giving in-store shopping a run for its money. It may be time for pool and spa companies to consider transitioning some sales into e-commerce and online shopping.

Brick and mortar stores are still going strong in many industries, including the pool and spa world.  

What’s keeping them healthy is that people get to see the physical product before paying for delivery, eliminating the risk of buying low-quality, fake, or damaged products. Without shifting completely into e-commerce, there are some ways that pool and spa companies can leverage e-commerce to save time, money, and labor costs. 

Benefits of E-Commerce for Pool and Spa Companies 

Here are a few of the reasons that businesses and consumers love shopping online:

• 24/7 shopping 
• Money and time saving 
• Convenience 
• Scalability and flexibility
• Easy performance tracking. 

Add a pandemic to the mix, and the scales tip drastically in favor of e-commerce. 

According to the CDC, there is a very low risk of coronavirus spread from products or packages shipped over days or weeks at ambient temperature. 

Not to mention the lockdown, which has affected most physical stores. 

These are just some of the reasons why businesses are shifting to e-commerce at an unprecedented rate.

Today’s pool and spa customers want to research and shop for products online and go into a physical store to complete their purchase in-store.

As a small business, you have an opportunity to capitalize on the current environment and combine your brick and mortar business with e-commerce options. 

Not sure how to go about this? 

No worries! We’ve got you covered.

Transitioning to an Online Business 

There are many factors to consider when it comes to transitioning your brick and mortar store into e-commerce. Digital marketing, online stores, and website sales tools are some things that can help you make the shift.

Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Create excellent visual content that showcases your products. Go beyond pictures. Custom videos go a long way in creating a good impression. 
• Add educational content such as e-books to inform your potential clients about your products. 
• Make it easy for your customers to buy products online or request a curbside pickup. 
• Live video chat can help you provide quality customer support.
• Chat automation enables you to respond to your potential clients even when you’re not available.
• Website sales tools can help your customers make the right purchasing decision from your website, saving you thousands in commission.
• Interactive video enables your website visitors to take a virtual tour of your showroom or learn about your company. 

Here are the steps you can take to shift your pool & spa sales to e-commerce

1. Do a feasibility study/market research 

A quick study of the lay of the land should give you an idea of what you’re about to get into. Find your target audience and focus on them.

2. Create a user-friendly website  

Your website should be optimized for mobile and have an easy-to-use interface. Create a blog where you post relevant content on your business.   

For instance, “Tips on caring for your pool, Benefits of a hot tub, In-ground vs. above ground pools” are some great topic ideas in this niche. 

Ensure your posts are search engine optimized, especially for a local audience.  

Pro-tip: your blog posts should always be engaging. 

3. Figure out the logistics for curbside pickup, delivery, and returns

Make a plan for how you’re going to deliver your products and organize your curbside pickups and returns.  

4. Hire a pool and spa marketing agency to promote online sales

Hiring an in-house marketing team can be expensive. Whether you want a content creator/blog post writer, website handler, social media manager, Google Ads manager, or anything else related to pool and spa marketing, you can save money by hiring professionals. 

An experienced digital marketing team will help you promote your online store with Google Ads, Facebook Ads, social media posts, website tools and more. They can also help you manage your online reputation with automated review monitoring and collection, chat tools, directory listings and more.

Pool Marketing Site offers monthly marketing plans for pool and spa businesses to save time and money. For less than the cost of a part-time, entry-level employee, you’ll get a team of 26 digital marketing professionals who specialize in the pool and spa industry. 

5. Rent a self-storage unit 

If you decide to downsize your brick and mortar store, you might need a new place to keep your product inventory. 

Hot tubs and other pool equipment require a lot of space, so you’ll probably need to rent a storage unit or facility.

6. Add e-commerce to your website 

By adding a water care and maintenance store to your website, you’ll enable your customers to buy your products from the comfort of home. This is especially important during a pandemic. These days, e-commerce is a must for any retailer that sells water care and maintenance products. 

Take it one step at a time. The world has gone digital, and you want to change with it. As a pool and spa company, shifting into e-commerce is likely to earn you more sales and lower your labor costs significantly. 

To start shifting your pool and spa business into e-commerce, contact us today! 

About Small Screen Producer

Small Screen Producer is dedicated to designing and creating your company’s total web and online presence. As the leading innovator of digital media in the pool and spa industry, we have the experience to capitalize on your unique strengths to help your business succeed. Our goal is to help you Position, Pursue, Promote, and Protect your business.

We offer a complete line of digital marketing solutions to custom pool builders and pool and spa retailers. These include website design, website development, Google Ad services, Facebook and Instagram Ad services, lead generation tools, email marketing, social media management, reputation management, content marketing, technical services, blog services, copywriting, and comprehensive monthly plans to take your online marketing and advertising off to the next level and off your to-do list.  

Contact us today to learn more about boosting your company’s revenue through our four pillars of success that will Position, Pursue, Promote, and Protect your business.

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