The 2018 Innovative Electrical Retailing (IER) Awards Sponsored by Digital NRG
The IER awards are always a glamorous, yet business focused, day to celebrate the achievements of the independent electrical retailers.
This year, Digital NRG was very proud to be among the Lead Sponsors of the event.
New Format, New Venue
Launched in 1993, the IER awards were created to recognise the achievements of the local independent electrical and appliance retailers in the UK.
Independent appliance and electrical retailers have a difficult task. Their competitors are the huge “appliance stores” that try stock every type of appliance. The Independent retailer strives to match, and often better, the prices of the large National companies, offer a better range for the customer to choose from and do so without the huge space a warehouse offers or the buying power of a national – and the IER Awards recognises these “high street heroes” and “customer champions”.
The 26th anniversary of the event saw the best and brightest of the industry get together at the Park Plaza London Victoria Hotel to celebrate each other’s successes.
The format of the day was changed this year to allow networking and sharing of best practices with industry colleagues. A drinks reception (it was a celebration after all), and a modest luncheon was followed by the main award ceremony.
Why are Digital NRG involved with the Innovative Electrical Retailing Awards?
Digital NRG is the preferred digital marketing agency for many of the independent appliance retailers in the UK. We are delighted that, in our own small way, we have contributed to many of the individual retailers, as well as the independent sector as a whole, growing success. Digital NRG was delighted to be asked to be involved in the event are were only too pleased to sponsor the event
What digital marketing services do Digital NRG offer Appliance Retailers?
For over half a decade, Digital NRG has been working with “buying groups” as well as independent retailers to drive leads and customers to their website’s and retail stores.
For many independent appliance retailers, this was the first time they had access to the Omnichannel promotion of their products, allowing them to genuinely compete with the “big boys”. Omnichannel (also spelt omni-channel) is a multichannel approach to sales that seeks to provide the customer with a seamless shopping experience whether the customer is shopping online from a desktop or mobile device, by telephone or in a “bricks and mortar” store.
Digital NRG’s Omnichannel products include:
Appliance Retailer e-Commerce Websites
Every business understands it needs a professional website to represent their business, products and services online.
The challenge for appliance retailers and their websites is being able to display all of the products they offer and to keep the prices and stock levels up-to-date.
The website that Digital NRG has created for electrical appliance retailers is the solution for all of these issues.
In collaboration with all the major appliance manufacturers, Digital NRG has developed a database of over 6,000 appliances. This database is kept up-to-date by our in-house team and automatically uploaded to each retailer’s website, so they are offering the latest products and information to potential customers at all times.
The website also has the flexibility to allow retailers to add their own products and models.
Utilising a simple to use ‘tick box” system, each retailer can choose to display certain product types, models and even turn on/off manufacturers. Allowing the freedom for each retailer to display the products they wish on their website.
A similar, easy to use, system is in place to individually or bulk update each products retail price.
This means the retailer has a fully functioning e-commerce website, with up-to-date information and yet they only have to spend a few minutes a week reviewing and making any minor changes, as opposed to hours or days keeping the website information accurate.
The website has functionality that helps drive enquiries and sales – delivery cost calculator, reviews, sharing on social media and buying guides.
The online shopper can also easily choose additional services such as “installation” of the new appliance and “disposal” of the existing appliance.
Each product has the features of the product, clear imagery and, where available, a video demonstrating the product. This allows the customer to make an informed decision on the appliance model that is right for their needs.
As the administration of the product database is shared across 100’s of independent retailers the cost of the website is so affordable that even the most modest sized appliance retailer can afford this highly-effective marketing website.
Appliance Retailer Website Optimisation
Website optimisation or search engine optimisation (often abbreviated to “SEO”) is the ongoing process of getting a website found, by potential customers, in search engines, such as Google.
When a customer searches for information on a product or is looking to purchase a specific model, a retailer will want their website found on the list. The specialist SEO service for appliance retailers offered by Digital NRG delivers this.
Working with so many independent appliance retailers over the last 5-years Digital NRG has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in the search terms people use to research and buy appliances. We apply this knowledge to each of the retailer’s websites to help them get more customers through their website and showroom. Our aim is to get them ahead of the local competition, so they become the natural choice in their area for people to buy appliances.
Although the website will work well right “out of the box” the optional SEO service is the key to dominating the local market and driving up sales.
Appliance Retailer Website Promotion Through Google
Digital NRG offers a number of advertising opportunities, via Google, to generate sales. Digital NRG is an official “Google Premier Partner”. This status indicates that Digital NRG has, and continues to generate, a good “return on investment” for their clients. It also means that Digital NRG has access to tools that lesser marketing agencies have available and certainly ones not available to the independent appliance retailer trying to manage their own Google Marketing.
The 3 key Google products are the best for driving appliance sales:
Pay Per Click – Google Adwords or Google Pay Per Click (often abbreviated to “PPC”) has an instant impact on sales and gives your products a much larger reach in terms of geographical area as well as exposure in your local market with instant first-page listings on Google. Pay per click allows you to purchase listings that appear at the top of organic search results. You will only be charged for when a user goes through to your website. So, being visible at the top of the search results will mean more interested visitors and potential customers coming to your website at a cost that makes business sense.
Google Remarketing –You have done the work and spent the money on advertising. However, not every visitor to the website will buy – but you know they are interested in your product. Remarketing to these customers continually reminds them of your offering. After a determined length of time (relevant to the products usual buying cycle) offering a discount or simply reminding them of the product, will bring them back to your website. Remarketing drives up the conversion rate of your sales and has a huge impact on the return of advertising spend. If 3% of your website visitors buy from you and a low-cost remarketing campaign adds a further 3% of sales, you have DOUBLED your conversion rate, sales revenue and profits.
Digital NRG utilises remarketing heavily for our appliance retailers. We are also helping Google in developing and testing “Google Local Shopping” an even more relevant product for online sales for appliance retailers with an e-Commerce website as well as local “bricks and mortar” retail businesses.
Google Shopping – Google Shopping displays images, brief details and review scores of relevant products to the search made by the potential customer. The images and Google Shopping advertisements are placed above the natural search results. Google Shopping allows retailers of all sizes to compete with larger retailers and national companies.
Digital NRG has over 500 Google Adwords customers, many with Google Shopping campaigns. We are experts in creating and managing effective shopping campaigns that generate sales. Our team has experience in campaigns for low-cost, high-volume products as well as high-price and low-volume.
Driving Enquiries to Appliance Retailers
Digital NRG is very proud of the enquiries, sales and increased revenues that they have helped achieve for local and national independent appliance retailers.
The digital marketing products and services Digital NRG provide with websites, SEO and PPC have seen individual retailers sell in excess of £1M worth of appliances. This has been done by utilising the best of the modern digital world in conjunction with what the retailers do best – offer great advice to customers, have a huge range of products to choose from, at competitive prices.
Although the website will generate online sales, appliance retailers tell us that the success of the website, SEO and PPC is more than just online sales. Although the website is designed and built so that it is easy to buy a product online, most customers prefer to speak with an expert to get advice and/or to see and touch the product. Digital NRG’s services ensure the local business is found in search engines, like Google, highlight the huge range the retailer offers and clearly displays the competitive pricing. All of which drives more telephone enquiries and visitors to the store. A significant increase in telephone calls and footfall are the main reason retailers have seen an increase in sales and revenues.
Innovative Electrical Retailing Awards 2019
Congratulations to all the winners of an IER award in 2018. Like many of the local and regional appliance retailers, Digital NRG will not be “resting on our laurels” and look forward to helping individual retailers, the buying groups and the industry as a whole move “onwards and upwards” again. We hope to have even more clients winning awards at the IER Awards 2019 – we look forward to seeing you there!
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