How Updated is Your Store’s Window?

Thanks to technology the way we do business has changed over the past few years. Businesses present themselves to their customers in vastly different ways than they did 50, 10, and even 5 years ago. They say change is good.

However, if you are not making changes to keep up with the times, the times will pass you by.  Truer words couldn’t be spoken regarding your website and how your business presents itself.  Before we talk about what you can do now, let’s look at where we came from.

Let’s head back to the 1950’s era.  Downtowns were thriving and were a cultural hub.  Windows showcased the latest fashions, and people stood on street corners wearing breadboards and shouting messages to passersby. All in an effort to entice more customers to try out their goods or walk into their store.

Today downtowns are being revitalized, but it is a far cry from the days when you went downtown to get everything you needed and wanted.  What led to this turndown of downtown? Shopping malls opened up in the suburbs of most cities.  About 30 years ago we saw the explosion of shopping malls sweep across the country, forever changing the way we shopped.

Shopping malls were the place where you could hang out, shop, eat, play games, and have your picture taken with Santa Claus… while avoiding nature’s elements.  Stores still dressed up windows, but department stores like Sears, J.C. Penny’s, and Macy’s advertised and got customers to the malls. Once in the malls the shopping options were endless. It was the place for one stop shopping.

Eventually malls made way for strip centers and lifestyle centers, but there was another giant on the horizon that would change consumerism like never before… the internet. 

Online shopping has forever changed the way people do business.  However, while the venue is different… many things about your storefront remain the same.  In the same way stores would change their windows and their advertising to attract new customers, the company website is now the front door.  It is now your window and your advertising.  It is your chance to showcase yourself, not only locally, but to the world. 

You wouldn’t leave your store window unchanged for years on end, would you?  Your website deserves the same type of upkeep.  It needs to stay fresh and up to date.  Your content needs to be current and ever-changing.  Companies that are staying on top of their new “window” to the world are reaping the benefits.  Customers stay longer on your website with new content and Google seeks out sites that are well maintained. You win and see a return on your investment when you give your website the same treatment you would give your physical surroundings.

Whether you would like to make some minor changes to your website, update your website to ExpressionEngine Content Management, or create a brand new website from the ground up...we can help you make your website great.