EDITOR’S COMMENT Jack Cheeseman


Let’s get digital 12


April 2023 ertonline.co.uk


best navigate web and social media platforms to reach their customer base and help drive sales. I’ve seen a few examples of this in action over


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the past couple of months where independent dealers have been sharing a lot of brilliant content, so I thought I would share a couple with you… Northern Ireland-based Donaghy Bros posted a ‘welcome’ video to announce the opening of its new Limavady showroom. The footage included a walk-round showing all the departments it has and the brands on display – a really simple but effective way of showcasing to potential new customers what they can expect upon visiting in person. This was followed not long after with another similar video of the same showroom, but this time annotated with key facts about the store, what it offers, and how much the retailer has invested in the refurbishment project. This demonstrates its commitment to serving the local community. Another one is HBH Woolacotts down in South


his latest issue of ERT brings you a feature about online retailing; industry experts share their advice on how electrical retailers can


West England. I recently saw a post on LinkedIn showing its latest Easter-themed TV advert, and the retailer’s YouTube channel is full of other content including product demos, seasonal promotions and showroom walk-throughs. And who could forget Wades in Cambridgeshire!


Director, Luke Gammons, has become a social media star in his own right – hosting the Wades Weekly Vlog (video blog) covering a huge variety of topics to help build brand awareness and drive traffic to his website and store. The numbers don’t lie – Wades has over 720 subscribers on YouTube and the latest vlog is episode 75 (in which Luke explains why he’s rearranged the shop counter to a more prominent position – better to greet and serve customers, he says). The explosion of TikTok in the past year has


also provided yet another platform for businesses to interact with their (mainly younger) audience. Wades is a prime example, boasting nearly 30,000 followers! But I know other indies are doing more of this short-form video content as well. So what’s my point to all this? Well, turn to this


month’s online feature on page 32 to find out more! I think it’s safe to say that if you’re not doing this kind of thing already… then you really should be. Perhaps not daily or weekly because it can be time-consuming, but creating video content is straightforward and needn’t seem like a chore. The end result can be highly effective! As Daniel Todaro points out in this issue, it’s estimated that 21 per cent of UK retail purchases are expected to take place online in 2023. So while there’s still a huge amount of business to be done in store, your showroom and your online presence need to complement each other in a way like never before. Many more shoppers looking to make a significant purchase will now research online before actually buying, so online content needs to boost engagement and create a useful and informative customer journey that ends with a direct sale – whether it’s digital or physical.


Email the editor at jackcheeseman@ertonline.co.uk What do you think ?


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