The retail marketplace is rapidly changing, so it’s important to stay up to date with consumer trends and expectations. One current expectation is to have an ecommerce furniture business that mirrors your brick and mortar store.
The online furniture market is expected to grow by $84.26 billion USD between 2020 and 2024, so it’s important to take advantage of this opportunity now.
But before you implement this trending strategy, you may have questions you want to be answered. Below, we’ll discuss three reasons why you should consider adding or upgrading your furniture business’ ecommerce strategy.
Why Should You Shift Your Mindset on Furniture Ecommerce?
Here are just a few reasons why shifting to online and in-store ecommerce can benefit your furniture business.
1. To Grow Your Business and Expand Your Audience
Implementing a furniture ecommerce strategy will give you the opportunity to expand your whole business. For example, a potential customer is searching for a new living room set after hours and their favorite search engine brings them to your website. Since your furniture ecommerce store features your up-to-date inventory and gives this shopper the opportunity to make a purchase, this customer has the opportunity to move through the different stages of the online furniture shopping journey, all while your store is closed. Your furniture ecommerce store created this sales opportunity, that you may or may not have had otherwise.
Even if you don't have an online store, your customer’s shopping journey is likely to start online. By connecting with potential customers online, you have the opportunity to drive them to your store, whether it’s online, brick and mortar, or both.
2. To Drive Sales With Omnichannel Experiences
One way your business can benefit from an ecommerce store is through omnichannel experiences. By supporting your brick and mortar stores while creating an online presence, you can give your customers the flexibility they want.
For example, a customer may visit your store in person, save the items they want on your website, and then complete their purchase online once they have measured their space, evaluated their budget, or otherwise ensured this was the right purchase for them. This, of course, is just one example. There are a number of merchandising ecommerce strategies you can implement for your business that can drive sales, and improve your business overall.
While an omnichannel ecommerce business might present challenges — maintaining an accurate product inventory and securely storing customer data, for example — the right furniture ecommerce platform can manage those concerns so you can focus on running your business.
3. To Improve the Customer Experience
By adding an ecommerce segment to your furniture business, you can meet the customer where they are — whether that’s shopping on their phone at home, selecting the items in-store before they buy, or another experience altogether. Essentially, this allows customers to create the furniture shopping journey they want to have, improving their overall perspective of your business.
In addition, your customers are looking for an updated, customizable experience and with the right ecommerce platform, you’ll be able to give consumers the experience they expect. With the ability to learn things about your audience that you may not have been able to track or easily access before through reporting features of certain tools, you can present your customers with personalized recommendations, up-to-date order information, and quality content.
You can also personalize your online store to fit your specific audience.
For example, through data and analytics, you may know that your customers are mainly starting their experiences online. With this knowledge, you can update your marketing strategy to make sure those are the customers you’re connecting with — and that they know all of the omnichannel shopping options that are available to them.
Grow Your Business With an Omnichannel Shopping Experience
With both overall retail sales and ecommerce sales rising, you can get ahead of the competition by providing your customers with an omnichannel shopping experience that meets them where they are.
While you know there are numerous benefits to ecommerce furniture businesses, it can be difficult to know which furniture ecommerce platform is right for you. You may have questions about:
- The different types of platforms available — such as vertical ecommerce software vs. horizontal — and how they differ.
- The benefits of using a platform built specifically for furniture retailers.
- What kind of platform is best for a retail furniture ecommerce business like yours.
In our Competitor Comparison Guide, we provide detailed answers to these questions and more! Download our FREE guide to explore the options and find the best ecommerce platform for your business!
