We launched online ordering a year ago this summer. Some benchmarks:
- Over 1000 unique online customers of whom about 700 checked the box allowing us to contact them by email with followup offers.
- Average order about $25 which is slightly below our store average. I attribute the lower average to offers we have made intended to drive first time online orders. During periods where we do not have these offers in the marketplace, the average order is in line with our store average.
- Online ordering is now a little more than 10% of sales. It took a year to get there.
Likes:
- We can speak directly to these people with new product ideas, offers etc by email more cost effectively than any other option we have to reach any group of customers.
- Unique one-time offers are really one-time offers. Who is using what offers, how often they order etc etc is completely transparent.
- Regular customers can break through the phone system and order without being on hold or getting a busy signal.
Dislikes:
- System does not recognize unconventional addresses like condo complex name and unit. It wants a street address that google maps recognizes. This does not work well in a resort area where the visitor has no idea what the address is. They just know that they are in “Storm Meadows C207”
- Difficult to make changes to the website. I have to get tech support involved so I can not make day to day changes to keep the site fresh for regular visitors. There is no place on the site to include information about our store, community, employees etc that might bring customers closer to us.