RETAIL ONLY
RETAIL COMMENT
WITH A BRIEF respite on the calendar from show upon show I’ve got an opportunity to get back to the real thrux of this column; playing Agony Aunt to the trade’s current concerns and flagging up anything of use to the frontline that I’ve spotted on my, often virtual, travels. With that in mind, let’s cover Google – everyone who owns a computer knows what that is. It’s the modern Yellow Pages for many and much more, for starters. Search for your bike shop and town and with any luck you’re listed. Did you know, however, that Google allows you to create a short profile on your store, add photos, directions, opening hours and generally do things that many years ago you’d have needed an advertising budget to achieve? Chosen entirely at random, yet a good example of what’s
achievable with just five minutes investment, look up Peter Hansford Cycles of Winchester. A clickable photo of the employees links through to the store’s website. It’s as easy as that to cement a good first impression and place the customer in a position to find out more, or start shopping.
“A good example of what’s achievable with five minutes investment is Peter Hansford Cycles, or Google+ early adopter and pioneer Zen Bikes...”
The service, in line with what competing social networks
are doing, is evolving too. With the launch of Google+, dedicated social media styled pages can be made to represent a business. Google says that its service will differentiate itself from competition by providing the ability to add a ‘+1’ link to their search results or marketing campaigns – furthering the reach of a page in social media terms and allowing firms to monitor visitor numbers and tagging rough locations to each. It’s more or less proven that, in this day and age, internet
research and reviews influence where customers spend their hard-earned and here’s the downside to not keeping tabs on your five minute investment. On my travels I’ve counted shops with multiple one star ratings attached to a few paragraphs of anger-fuelled spiel. One review of a London shop that I’ve recently read was
highly slanderous, yet hidden behind the ‘anonymous is hating’ moniker, what can a shop do to defend itself against what may well be just one poster with an axe to grind? Sound like I’ve got too much time on my hands? So have disgruntled customers. Worth keeping tabs on. You may have noticed a ‘+You’ tab appear at the head of
the search engine’s home page lately. Click that tab to get started and if you want further guidance on how to optimise your page, look up Zen Bikes, a business which Google has flagged up as a prime example of how to broaden your reach.
Mark.Sutton@
intentmedia.co.uk
IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE DEALER PROFILE: THE LOOT
50
Liverpool has a new boutique BMX shop created by the man behind the DUB brand. BikeBiz finds out more...
NEW PRODUCTS WHEELS AND INFLATION 52
BikeBiz sources eight new product highlights spanning new digital technology through winter ‘must haves’...
55
The nation’s top distributors share with us their wheel, tyre, tube and inflation goods in our guide on page 55...
The trade’s guide to sourcing stock, up-and-coming IBDs and the very latest products
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