3 Differences Between Brick & Mortar and E-commerce Marketing

Marketing a small business involves a high degree of personalization across several factors. Everything from industry, location, size, and business model can impact how you tailor your brand’s marketing. The distinction between marketing a brick-and-mortar store versus marketing an e-commerce store is often overlooked, but it’s a critical piece of your marketing strategy that shouldn’t be ignored. There are some huge differences between physical locations and internet-only brands, and you’d do well to keep those in mind when developing your brand’s marketing strategy.

Local vs. Global

One of the most prominent differences between a brick-and-mortar store and an e-commerce store is their target locations. Most e-commerce stores likely aren’t truly global, but regardless, they can sell their wares to a much larger geographic area than the local coffee shop ever could.

As a result of this difference, brick-and-mortar stores focus their marketing efforts on different tactics. Billboards and branded posters can be helpful for e-commerce stores, but you’re far more likely to encounter them near specific store locations. Think of a coffee shop putting up branded billboards or posters around town. Conversely, paid Google Ad campaigns across the entirety of the U.S. wouldn’t be a great marketing tactic for a coffee shop based in Holland, MI. However, if that coffee shop had an e-commerce store that could ship whole beans across the U.S., paid Google Ad campaigns across the states could be a valid option.

Keyword Targeting

The keywords you target as a brand will vary tremendously depending on whether you’re a brick-and-mortar or e-commerce store. An e-commerce store will have many more opportunities to target different sets of keywords, so long as the keywords are relevant and come from geographic areas where the e-commerce store can ship. A physical location store can target those exact keywords, but also needs to focus on local SEO and consider what types of long-tail localized keywords are relevant.

For instance, imagine an e-commerce store that ships specialty and novelty coffee around the U.S. and a local coffee shop in Holland, MI. The local coffee shop might want to rank for “coffee shops” on Google, but it’s likely a better use of effort and marketing dollars to write content around “coffee shops in Holland, MI.” Given how targeted it is, it’ll be much easier to rank for this keyword and likely more cost-effective as well.

The example above is fictitious, but the principle is universal. Focusing on local keywords through your content and SEO will produce better results if you’re a physical location. Search engine optimization takes time and marketing dollars—albeit less than other marketing tactics—so it’s best to start with the keywords that are most relevant to both your business and the local area.

Value Propositions

The value propositions of a brick-and-mortar location will be massively different from those of a digital storefront. A brick-and-mortar location, especially if the brand is locally owned, might emphasize itself as a pillar of the community. You’ve probably seen elements of this around your own hometown. Think of a local pizzeria highlighting how many years it’s been based in the area.

An e-commerce storefront, in contrast, might highlight other value propositions. Free shipping, expedited turnaround times, and national coverage might be the key selling points a digital store uses in its marketing materials. The two can also coexist within the same brand’s value propositions across different media tactics.

For example, if our fictional coffee shop in Holland, MI, expanded to multiple locations across the Midwest, it might highlight its local Michigan roots in billboards and posters across West Michigan. Conversely, their ad campaigns might promote “free shipping on orders over $50” when serving ads to customers across the U.S. The two aren’t mutually exclusive, so be sure to think through which value proposition is best for you and your brand.

Partner With JSL Marketing & Web Design

Marketing is a discipline with established rules of thumb and guidelines, but it is also a highly individualized approach. No two small businesses are alike, and each brand needs to be marketed based on its unique goals, historic context, strategic situation, and local market. If you’re looking for a full-service digital marketing agency to help take your marketing to the next level, look no further than JSL Marketing & Web Design.

Our process puts your business at the heart of everything we do. Your business’s story is unique—let us help you tell it in your own words. That’s why we never use templated marketing plans. Instead, we work with you to understand your goals and the best way to achieve them. From that conversation, we build a customized marketing strategy that will get your brand where it needs to go!

Your needs are highly unique, so why not partner with a full-service digital marketing agency that tailors its services to what you need? Depending on your consultation and goals, our team might recommend:

• Web Development
• Content Marketing
• Social Media Management
• Email Marketing
• Videography & Photography
• SEO
• Pay-Per-Click Advertising
• Brand Collateral
• & More!

Contact us today for your free consultation!