When I first started talking about health food stores incorporating and emphasizing e-commerce in their brick-and-mortar businesses at the beginning of COVID-19, I have to admit, I didn’t think it would still be a factor a couple of years later.

But here we are, and e-commerce and an online presence is still as important, more so than ever before.

There are a few things that I have seen work extremely well, in my own experience, when it comes to successfully blending online and brick-and-mortar retail, and I wanted to take some time to share that information with all of you.

Keep Your Social Media Game Strong

Have you noticed a difference in your outreach via social media? It wasn’t too long ago that many stores considered updating their Instagram and Facebook presence as an afterthought to the “real work” of keeping the store staffed and updated. I don’t think we have the luxury of thinking that way anymore. There really isn’t any way to ignore social media these days and still be considered a business that is available to your customers.

Most people go to their smartphones first when they want to look up a business. Your store will appear current and available to their needs if you continue to update posts consistently, talk about promotions, highlight your in-store experts and keep customers engaged on a regular basis.

So, I encourage you to keep at it. Let your customers know about everything new that’s happening in your store—seasonal promos, new products and general health info. There’s plenty to share out there.

As just one example, while Zoom meetings were a novelty at first, they have now become commonplace for connecting with groups. It may be one way for your store to re-introduce educational events in a way that allows more people to attend than they could before. Combining an online class with special product sales to attendees makes it even more appealing. Done properly, your virtual classes or educational events can become something your customers look forward to joining. For all that, if you have members of your team who want to share videos of themselves cooking up their favorite healthy meal, by all means share it. Let’s face it—seeing something personalized and friendly from one of their favorite stores is exactly what your customers need right now.

Plus, Instagram and Facebook are the perfect platforms to announce any changes in store hours, reassure customers about COVID-19 store procedures and, in general, let them know you’re ready to help.

Update Your Store’s Website Often

Just as important as keeping your social media game strong is keeping your store’s website up-to-date with the latest promotions, new product introductions, and news about special events. If you or a member of your team have a blog on your site, make sure to update it about every other day or so.

Give Online Promotions a Twist

If your online store has become a destination in its own right, you may want to reward returning customers with special deals that pop up on your store’s website from time to time. You could build excitement about the possibilities of online-only specials through your social media outlets. For instance, posting something like “check our site for specials today—click on the link in our bio” on Instagram, lets your online shoppers know that they’re part of something special.

Make it Easy to Buy Your Products Online

The best online shopping experiences are the ones customers don’t have to think about. If you have returning customers, their ability to reorder should be a simple one. In fact, it may be time to consider setting them up with automatically recurring orders, especially for customers who fully embraced your store’s online model during the past two years. They may be likely to want to continue ordering from the comfort of their home, but from a local store they trust.

Stay Connected and Respond Quickly to Customer Concerns

Whether shopping online or in-person, getting an honest, friendly and timely response is always appreciated. Keeping your online customers informed of any order delays should be treated with the same importance as if that individual were standing right there in front of you. Even if the news isn’t positive—if you’re out of stock on an item and don’t know when it will be back, for instance—nobody wants to be kept guessing as to the status of their order. Online Q&A and order status updates are really just an extension of the practice you do when anyone walks through the doors of your business.

Keep the Curbside Pickup Option

I find myself repeating this advice often, but you never know how important it can be for a customer to have curbside as an option. Everyone has their own level of risk they want to take, and for some of your customers, curbside pickup is still the preferred way for them to shop. It’s important to meet people where they are and to do so in a way that invokes the golden rule to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I recommend you continue to offer curbside pickup or, if possible, in-town delivery. For the foreseeable future, there’s probably always going to be some kind of hybrid of brick-and-mortar, online and pickup for health food stores. Many customers have come to appreciate this option.

Some Changes Are Worth Keeping

Merging your brick-and-mortar store with online commerce (and continuing to offer it as an option) is well worth the effort. I’m aware of the fact that there is extra cost involved regarding time, salary, stocking, bookkeeping and management. But if we’ve learned anything during these past couple of years, it’s that there’s a lot being asked of retailers—and that to survive and thrive, you must be able to keep up with the changes. An online presence can do a lot to keep your store viable during good times and bad, and I believe it is one of the best ways of keeping a business robust and current through changing times. VR

A highly regarded leader in the natural products industry, Terry Lemerond is founder and president of EuroPharma, Inc. He also founded Enzymatic Therapy, Inc. and PhytoPharmica, Inc. and is currently co-owner of the Terry Naturally Health Food Stores in Green Bay & Suamico, WI, which recently won its eighth consecutive consumer choice award as “Best of the Bay.” With more than 50 years in the natural products industry, Lemerond has researched and developed more than 400 nutritional and botanical formulations that continue to be top-selling products in the market. Lemerond shares his wealth of experience and knowledge in health and nutrition through his educational programs, including a weekly radio show and newsletter, podcasts, webinars, and personal speaking engagements. He is author of thirteen books, including Seven Keys to Vibrant Health, Seven Keys to Unlimited Personal Achievement and 50+ Natural Health Secrets.