The terms local SEO and local commerce often coincide with the ROPO effect. The main idea behind these concepts is to present retail stores online and to make products available at these locations easy to find online. Even if a local store doesn’t have an online store, it’s crucial to still have some sort of internet presence available that communicates offers to potential customers.
Some of the most important information that needs to be included here is:
- A complete product portfolio
- The availability of the different items
- Directions and parking information
- Options for making reservations (telephone/online reservations)
On the IONOS My Website page much of this information can be integrated and made available in just a few clicks with the help of practical business web apps. Some retailers even go one step further.
A good example is illustrated by the ready-to-assemble furniture giant, IKEA. Their website enables users to check the availability of each and every product at the location nearest to them. Customers are able to print out a list of items from their basket, and this list will then contain the precise location of these items at the storage hall from the branch of your choosing.
In addition to a soundly thought-out web presence, finding the right online marketing strategy also plays an important role in getting the desired results from the ROPO effect. Local search ads are especially important here, as this is the only way that customers are able to find out that the store exists in the first place. So-called local SEO seeks to increase the search engine ranking of regional companies or offers.