Many physical retailers continue to resist e-commerce and they are hesitant to venture online. This is due to their fear that they'll dilute their existing business model or confuse customers, but they are also ignoring the fact that brick-and-mortar stores without an online presence are seriously risking failure. With the rising power of Amazon, eBay, Taobao, and the other online giants, a brick-and-mortar store that only has a physical location with no online presence will find it hard to survive in the current landscape.
Many small businesses fail because no one knows about their existence, and it is no use having the best products or services in the world without anyone knowing about it. Moreover, most web-enabled companies are so much more proactive with offering discounts, driving increased awareness and sales.
Therefore, if your brick-and-mortar store hasn't jumped into social media yet, you should consider doing so to amplify your brand awareness. Here's an infographic from SMS Store Traffic that outlines some of the opportunities for businesses in social, and how to utilize them to achieve the best results.
