A WordPress website is super easy to set up and maintain, and most importantly, is free. You will only need to pay for hosting the site and for your domain name. For this reason, it is extremely popular. 

In fact, as of the last quarter of 2024, it was estimated that more than 861 million websites across the world are built on WordPress, which is about 43.6% of all websites available on the internet. This tells us how popular WordPress is as a content management system.

If you are one of the thousands of business owners who run a WordPress site for your business, one of the most intelligent steps to take would be to add a WordPress store locator to your website. 

The customer of today is discerning and expects instant access to information, including directions to stores that are closest to their location. In fact, a Google study revealed that 

This demonstrates what a powerful impact location visibility can have on conversions. What exactly a store locator can do for your business is something we need to look at first.

Why Businesses Need a Store Locator on WordPress

We live in a fast-paced world, where everyone seems to be rushing about everywhere, all the time. Everything seems to be done on the go — conversations, eating, drinking, browsing, and purchasing. 

About 70% of digital interactions begin on a mobile device, with most of them focusing on location. In fact, searches for’near me” have increased by more than 500% in the past couple of years. Some examples of searches could be: ‘vegan restaurants near me’, ‘hydra facial near me’, ‘auto service garage near me’, and so on.

If you own more than one outlet, and especially if you have multiple branches, regardless of whether they are restaurant chains, retail stores, salons, service centres, or franchises, including a store locator on your website is absolutely essential for growth, and not simply convenient.

If you own multiple outlets whether it’s retail shops, restaurants, service centres, or franchise stores having a store locator isn’t just convenient, it’s essential for growth.

A store locator acts as a bridge between your online presence and your physical stores, driving valuable foot traffic and boosting sales. It puts your business on the map, literally.

Having a store locator plugin on your website can help your customers find your store branch or outlet that is closest to them, whether you have a web directory which lists local businesses or an online store that also has a brick-and-mortar presence.

The store locator plugin can be easily integrated with Google Maps and similar mapping services to offer navigation that is familiar, easy to use, and convenient. The store locator tool can also display your business hours, making it easy for customers to plan their visit.

What Makes LocateStore the Best Store Locator Plugin

With so many store locator plugins available in the market, why should you choose LocateStore? It is designed for simplicity and efficiency, making it the best local business plugin WordPress can have.

• Quick setup – Get started in minutes, no coding skills required.
• Google Sheets integration – Helps to manage hundreds of store locations without any manual entry.
• SEO-friendly – Ensures that your business show up in searches for local businesses.
• Customizable – Easily adjust brand colors, fonts, zoom level, and other elements to perfectly match your WordPress theme.

We saw above how popular WordPress sites are globally; with a plugin like LocateStore, you can certainly have a competitive edge by helping customers find you quickly.

How LocateStore Works with Google Sheets

One of the best features of LocateStore is that it is built on Google Sheets. Now what is special about that? Well, most businesses already use Google Sheets, making it super easy to integrate this plugin, and the best store locator Plugin. 

These are the advantages:

• Upload your store locations on a spreadsheet and import them in bulk
• When you make any edits in the sheet, the information is updated on the website in real time, as automatic syncing taken place
• The sheet can be edited and uploaded by any of your team members from any place at any time, and even by multiple members simultaneously

Key Benefits of Using LocateStore for Local Businesses

Improved visibility – A store locator widget ensures that you don’t lose potential customers who are searching for your stores near them.

Better customer trust – When you show your exact store locations, it helps to build credibility and increase your trustworthiness.

Boost conversions – With the added convenience, customers will be more likely to buy from you.

Drive More Foot Traffic: Make it effortless for customers to find and navigate to your stores, turning online browsers into in-store buyers and increasing sales.

Save Time and Resources: Manage everything from one Google Sheet add, edit, or remove locations in real-time without touching your website code.

Features That Make LocateStore Stand Out

LocateStore is not just another store locator plugin. It is designed with actual business needs in mind, and for businesses like yours. The Key features include:

• The Store locator widget can be embedded on any page of your WordPress site
• Integration with Google Maps that provides detailed navigation instructions to visitors
• Responsive design that allows mobile users to quickly find your store. Remember, 60% of all Google searches today come from mobile.
• Convenient filters and search options that allow customers to find your stores according to city, postcode, map location, or products and services offered.
• Customizable, so that you can ensure that it aligns with your overall website theme
• Manage hundreds of outlet locations in a few minutes thanks to the bulk import feature.
• Ideal for growing business and multi-location teams

Plugin Comparison: LocateStore vs. Others

This table clearly shows that bulk management is easy with LocateStore and that we can effortlessly update the sheets, which can be problematic with conventional plugins.

How a Store Locator Improves Customer Experience

In the competitive business landscape today, customer experience is of prime importance. A store locator app can drastically improve the way people interact with your brand.

Over 50% of customers say they are more likely to buy from businesses that make it easy to find store information online.

Instant directions are available from Google Maps integration; with 67% of smartphone users relying on Google Maps to navigate, this is a huge advantage.

With easy filters and search options, users can narrow results and find your store quickly, leading to happy customers. These convenient features can help boost conversions.

Also read: The WordPress StoreLocator Plugin to boost your In-Store Visits

Conclusion

Local search is exponentially increasing, making store locators necessary. As can be seen from the above facts, LocateStore is the ideal choice as a WordPress store locator plugin. Powered by Google Sheets, it is user-friendly and SEO ready, driving more traffic into your physical stores, providing customers a seamless experience, and helping you connect with customers faster.

Simplifying store discovery can help you increase visibility, attract more foot traffic, and boost sales — just what every business needs in this competitive scenario.

FAQs on WordPress Store Locator

1. What is the best store locator for WordPress?

LocateStore is the best store locator for WordPress because it’s quick, easy to use, and seamlessly connects with Google Sheets for effortless location management.

2. Is WordPress Store Locator free?

Many store locator plugins do have free versions; you must remember, though, that features are likely to be limited in the free version. LocateStore is an affordable option that includes all the essential features.

3. How to make a store locator on WordPress?

It is simple; you just have to install a plugin like LocateStore, and link it to your Google Sheets with all the store data. You can customize the design easily, and publish it on your site. You don’t need any coding skills, and the whole process can be done in a few minutes.

4. Can I bulk-import my store locations?

Yes. LocateStore enables the import of store locations in bulk directly from Google Sheets, which makes it super efficient for businesses that have multiple outlets.