Whether they are located in a major city, an outlying suburb or a rural area,…
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How Top Showrooms Have Changed Their Website Strategy
Whether they are located in a major city, an outlying suburb or a rural area, the finalists in the Showroom of the Year competition have certain best practices in common. This week, the focus is on how they approach their websites.
In doing research for this article, I performed my own random sample of lighting stores nationwide using the keywords “lamp shop,” “lighting store” and “lighting showroom” in Google, Yelp, Houzz and other sites. First of all, I was checking to see how many of those stores had a website (all did) and second, whether that website went deeper than a static welcome page (most, but not all, did). Of the latter, I’d say 97% of the websites I visited showed available products — many supplied prices, some featured brand names, more than 30% had a “Wish List” function and roughly 60% offered a “shopping cart.” These are all great improvements in comparison to where the industry stood 10 years ago.
When I drilled down into each site, however, there are little foibles that can detract from the customer experience. A common problem I had was broken links when clicking on various sections of a site. Another pitfall is the appearance of dated material, specifically blog posts that are dated 2022, 2023, etc. Offering a blog that contains helpful content is terrific; not updating it regularly is not. (If periodic updates aren’t realistic, it’s probably best to remove the reference to previous years.) Â
Since my preliminary findings showed there is still a need for lighting retailers to finetune their website messaging, I turned to this year’s finalists of the upcoming Showroom of the Year (SOTY) competition to see how they are utilizing their websites. Below are some commonalities.
Continual updating is a necessity
Even if a store is the only lighting showroom in a 100-mile radius, it still battles fierce competition since a consumer-friendly e-commerce website can easily win a sale over the most experienced lighting salespeople in a brick-and-mortar showroom due to convenience.Â
To sum up what this year’s SOTY finalists told judges: upgrading your website isn’t cheap, it’s not easy, and it can be filled with unforeseen challenges. That said, it is probably the number one investment showrooms should make this year (if they haven’t already) because the internet is so critical to today’s consumers.Â
And while price shopping is a primary reason consumers look at lighting showrooms’ websites, it’s not the only one. The internet also provides a valuable service that ranks almost as high with consumers as price — saving time. According to numerous published surveys, more than 75% of shoppers look for products online before shopping in person. This holds true even if a brick-and-mortar store is located nearby. Survey results indicate that the majority of shoppers visit a store’s website first and if they find that site to be easy to navigate and informative, 45% said they will make the drive to visit that store.
In that regard, the old adage “Time is money” still holds true. Retailers that save consumers time by providing the information they need to quickly and easily decide on a purchase are the ones with a better shot of winning that sale.
Tweak your website’s function to meet consumer needs
As Tammy Dalton, marketing director of Accent Lighting in Wichita, Kansas, noted, “Our website functions as an extension of our showroom — allowing customers to browse collections, explore brands, and research products before they visit. We focus on clear navigation, strong product categories, and educational content that helps customers make confident decisions.”
Cindy Herrin, general manager-lighting for Construction Resources (CR), which has two showrooms in Georgia, stated, “Our showrooms have embraced a digital footprint at POS allowing customers to explore and share options from their phone or tablet while in the showroom and even make wish lists directly tied to the Lights America platform.”
In addition to a robust website that includes a price-match guarantee and free shipping on any order over $100, Nashville-based Hermitage Design has “integrated interactive digital workstations in-store that allow clients to browse an endless aisle of products, expanding beyond physical inventory while maintaining curated control. This integration bridges tactile showroom experience with digital depth, improving engagement and shortening the decision cycle,” according to Daniella Fleischer, senior vice president of marketing.
Due to its location, Kilohana Lighting & Fans in Hawaii has a unique situation from showrooms on the mainland. Homeowners and design professionals who are involved in building or remodeling projects in the Hawaiian islands browse the same etailers and manufacturers as the rest of the country — but they don’t find out that a manufacturer or internet seller does not ship to Hawaii until they are going through the check out process. This leads to a lot of customer frustration, according to owner and founder Susan Irie. Â
To lessen that pain point, Irie is in the process of relaunching her website to only shows products that can be shipped to – or are already available – in Hawaii. This extra step has been challenging to implement, Irie said, and necessitated rebuilding the website from scratch. The end result, however, will be a much better experience for customers. In addition, Kilohana Lighting maintains several warehouses to simplify the shipping process within Hawaii as well as from the mainland.
In tandem with its newly launched trade program, Draper, Utah-based Lighting Design has developed a dedicated website exclusively for its trade partners that provides streamlined access to exclusive resources, product information, pricing, and tools designed to support professionals’ businesses and simplify the lighting process. “The trade site mirrors the consumer-facing site in serving partners with the same seamless experience, but is tailored to professional needs,” Maegan Eyre, marketing coordinator, told SOTY judges.
Lighting Design’s trade program is substantial; it already includes 350+ trade partners from all over the United States. “Supported by a dedicated and growing internal team, the trade program has strengthened relationships with builders, designers, and contractors to create a collaborative network that expands Lighting Design’s reach and impact,” Eyre stated.
Lighting Design is currently undertaking “a major website refresh” that will “elevate the online experience, streamline product discovery, and provide enhanced resources for both homeowners and trade professionals.” Â
One Source Lighting in Billings, Montana, has become a shopping destination for the entire region. “Billings is a hub for much of Montana and northern Wyoming,” Lauri Patterson told judges. Realizing that its customers will need to drive a good distance to stop in, One Source aims to provide as much relevant information as possible on its site.
“Our website serves as a gateway to the showroom, making it easy for customers to learn about our services, explore product categories, and schedule visits,” Patterson said. “By combining digital engagement with the in-person experience of our showroom, we create a seamless journey that inspires customers online and then invites them to see and experience lighting in person.”
Allison Hilliard at Chicago-based Lightology explained that the company’s website is designed “to bring our showroom experience to life online. We embrace digital platforms as a powerful way to connect with our audience, showcase our ever-evolving product offerings, and tell the stories behind the brands we carry.”
Tune in next week, when the SOTY finalists share which AI and tech tools they are using for their back-end operations.
The winners of the Showroom of the Year (SOTY) Awards in each revenue category will be announced live at Lightovation on Thursday, June 25 at 6 p.m. on the Main Stage of Trade Mart 3 Loft.
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