Fall 2019 Hardlines Strategies

ONLINE TRAFFIC

A Pointed Response Software Company Pointy Assisting Retailers Online

E ven for the

most entrenched brick-and-mortar

Pointy, which is partnering with Blish-Mize to better assist the wholesaler’s customers, can help you strengthen your online presence with each and every product you stock. By connecting a Pointy device to your barcode scanner and POS system, Pointy technology captures each item you sell or scan so it appears in a specialized Google listing, giving you a new, easy way to promote your in-store products on the internet. By using Pointy, a website dedicated to your business becomes populated automatically by each product going through your POS system. The items posted on that site are integrated into Google’s “See What’s in Store” feature, which gives online customers a quick look at the products you carry. In addition, the company’s software gives you real-time analytics to see how your products are performing online. This information allows you to compare online searches to in-store visits, a powerful metric that can help your future marketing efforts. home improvement store, an online presence is a key ingredient to success in the coming years. Do you need help getting your company information and products online? Blish-Mize, and software company Pointy, can help.

The Pointy box, which attaches to the scanner of a retailer’s POS system, recognizes each product purchased at a store and posts that information on a dedicated website.

According to Search Engine Watch, a website that analyzes the search engine industry, websites ranked No. 1 in Google results grab 36.4 percent of the traffic, which is a higher percentage than spots 2-5 combined. “Placement of a business on Google is important because people rarely move on past the first 10 results to view subsequent ones,” says Jody Maude, advertising and communications manager for Distribution America. “Psychologically, web visitors think the websites at the top of the search engine results page are more authentic, and therefore they’re more likely to earn your business and generate foot traffic into your store.” Having the products you carry and sell posted online is crucial to driving in-store traffic. Consumers are using smartphones and other connected devices to search for product selection before or during their in-store visits. The Research Online Buy Offline Economy study, published by

digital marketing company Bazaarvoice, says 82 percent of smartphone users consult their phones about purchases they are about to make in-store. Pointy offers setup support and troubleshooting for as long as you use the system and a 100 percent refund if you’re not totally satisfied in the first 90 days. With Pointy, retailers can connect with customers online more easily than ever. Special Offer Blish-Mize customers will have access to Pointy at a discounted rate. Stop by the Sales and Marketing Booth at the 2019 Fall Buying Market, or contact your sales representative for more information about this offer.

24 Fall 2019 • Hardlines Strategies