In today’s world, most buying journeys begin online, and research by Google and Ipsos reveals that 46% of brick-and-mortar shoppers check store inventory online before going to make a local purchase. Because internet searches can channel a steady stream of customers into physical store locations, brands are looking for ways to capture search traffic and point them to retailers. And one of the simplest, most effective ways to do so is to add a store locator to your website. This post explores how a well-designed store locator can help boost your marketing efforts, what to look for in a high-performing store locator, and how to add a store locator to your website.

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Why a Store Locator?

Most store locators allow website visitors to enter their city or zip code into a form field and hit a search button to see a list of your store locations nearby. Some store locators are designed to show which stores sell particular products as well, enabling a potential customer to avoid driving around town looking for a specific product. Store locator search results can also include important details like the street addresses of store locations with contact information and driving directions.

Once a store locator has been embedded into your website, you can link to it on your social media pages, making it easy for customers to search your store locations right from their social media accounts. Announcing in-store incentives or contests via your social media channels can help motivate potential customers to begin the buying journey. Some store locators even offer features like custom links and tracking that make the store locator an excellent landing environment for digital marketing campaigns.

Check out these exceptional store locator examples for some inspiration.

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How to Choose a High-Performing Store Locator

There are a few things to keep in mind as you’re considering store locators for your business. A high-performing store locator will score high marks in the following three areas.

‍Solid customer support‍

Like any product or service, an important factor is a reputation for excellent customer service and support. Depending on the software, configuring and installing a store locator can be intimidating. Does the provider offer an easy way to get in touch for help when you need it? What do their current customers have to say about their experiences in online reviews? Is the store locator trusted by top brands?

Ease of use‍

Some store locators are easier to configure and install than others. The best store locators come with setup instructions that cater to those not familiar with configuring and installing web code. The highest-rated store locators are designed to work on all platforms and devices without requiring extra set-up steps. Additionally, the provider should offer the option of done-for-you setup and management if you would like them to set up and manage the store locator for you.

Options for customization ‍

Your website’s store locator should do more than display nearby store locations on a map. The interface should be customizable so it matches your branding and the look of your website. Also, your store locator should offer configuration settings like the ability to automatically detect user location and the option to link to online retailers.

Detailed tracking and reporting‍

Many store locators provide built-in tracking and reporting that provides valuable insights into consumer demand. The best store locators offer more detailed insights like potential gaps in your distribution. If your company is data-driven, it’s a good idea to choose a provider (like Grappos) who offers custom data exports so you can easily integrate and share the information within your sales and marketing organizations.

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How to Add a Store Locator to Your Website

Embedding a store locator into your website should be a straightforward process. Although the steps for installation may vary a bit depending on which provider you chose, the basic steps will be similar.

‍1. Add your store locations and products‍

After you’ve logged into your website store locator software, you can add your store locations and product data. Some store locators (like Grappos) will upload and update your data for you.

‍2. Configure your store locator‍

With your locations loaded, it’s time to configure your store locator appearance and functionality. You should have the following options: ‍

Styling. The style settings will dictate how your store locator appears to your customers. When configuring your store locator, it’s important to match the look and feel of the rest of your website so the locator feels on-brand. Colors, fonts, map styling, and images are just a few of the styling options available from most store locators.

Interface. The interface settings are where you select the store locator features that will be available to the user. Options include product filters, store type filters, search radius controls, the list of products available at each store, and more.

Additional settings. If your business offers direct-to-consumer sales, a link to your online store can be added to some store locators. You should also be able to offer users the option to purchase from delivery services like Drizly and Instacart. Some store locators allow you to create search links with predetermined parameters including a specific product, brand, location, or store type to make it easy to answer customer inquiries about specific products in their area.

Store locator configuration can be cumbersome, especially if you don’t have an in-house technical team to handle the details. If you choose a provider that offers a done-for-you option (like Grappos), they will do the heavy lifting for you, managing your store data and customizing your locator to align with the style of your brand and the unique needs of your business.

‍3. Embed your store locator‍

Now it’s time to take your store locator code and embed it into your website. You’ll need to log in to your website’s back end and copy and paste the store locator code into the container element you’ll be using to display it. If you’re not used to dealing with the back end of your business website, your provider should be available to guide you through the process of embedding your store locator code.

Adding a Store Locator to Your Website Should Be Simple

Embedding a store locator into your website will increase customer happiness and help more customers find your products nearby. Adding a store locator and styling it to match the existing design of your website doesn’t have to be complicated.

Setting up a Grappos store locator is easy. Want to see the Grappos store locator in action? Get a demo.

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