A recent Lowe’s television commercial showcases a great case for the evolution of the consumer website and highlights the ways big brands are bringing tangible value to their customers without asking for anything in return. It’s a clever blend of content marketing, software as a service and consumer advertising that just works.
As consumers we know Lowe’s Home Improvement is a place to pick up items for our actual toolboxes – but now they’re offering consumers a home profile service that functions as a digital toolbox to manage home improvement needs.
Here’s a quick look at how the online toolbox works:
- Sign up for a free account online.
- Register your MyLowe’s card to view in-store purchases online. If you don’t have a card, order one online or pick it up at the store.
- Use folders and lists to save inspirational products, how-to’s, wish lists and other digital content to help you manage projects from idea to inception.
- Set reminders to buy items you need regularly or perform seasonal maintenance on items you own. You can set reminders from product pages or your purchase history.
- Create a Home Profile where you can add the spaces that make up your home and save everything from dimensions and paint colors to appliances and warranty information.
Taking retail websites to the next level
Remember when ecommerce was the freshest thing out there for retail websites? It looks like those days are over. Now we’re onto a radical new development: building a tool that is both free and has value to the customer while providing a parallel opportunity to advertise.
The art of the soft sell
Sell by helping, not pushing products. That means bringing consumers into a digital marketing funnel at other, less traditional points. Paid advertising may win conversions in the short term, but winning the hearts and minds of consumers requires more than a clever television ad or a targeted search campaign.
SAAS & the future of consumer websites
As retailers discover new ways to entice online consumers are those companies becoming a hybrid between SaaS and retail? Is the future of an entire industry pivoting to mobile apps, cloud-based tools and hyper-targeted digital marketing? We’ll keep our eyes out for more consumer-facing case studies.
