Benefits of Store Locator in WordPress

WordPress is an open-source, user-friendly, and easy-to-use platform used to build all kinds of websites, including e-commerce sites, and hence, one of the most widely used as well. While it’s great to use this platform to establish a presence online, how can you use it to boost foot traffic to your physical stores?

Sometimes, customers may want to browse online and reserve products, but still prefer to visit your store to see the product before buying. This is where a WordPress store locator becomes essential, a tool that connects your digital and physical stores seamlessly and conveniently.

In this blog, we will talk about why you must have a store locator on your WordPress store, the ideal store locator widget, and the way to implement it effectively to get maximum benefits.

Key Features of a WordPress Store Locator?

Any good store locator tool includes these features:

• Location Search: This allows customers to search for stores by city, postcode, specific radius, etc.
• Customizable Store Information: Enables you to include details that are specific to individual stores, like hours of operation, products sold, inventory available, and reviews
• Mobile Optimization: This ensures that the store locator tool runs as efficiently and smoothly on tablets and smartphones as it does on computers
• Automatic Geolocation: This feature helps users to automatically locate the store that is closest to them by detecting the location of their device

Why a Store Locator for Your WordPress Website Matters

Today, customers often browse the net to search for the nearest restaurants, service centers, clinics, car dealerships, supermarkets, and more, to reduce commute and save time.

They also search stores that sell specific products, which are nearest to their location; they then physically inspect or try the product before they finalize their purchase. 

When you operate a business that has multiple locations, whether they are restaurants,

retail shops, salons, clinics, service centers, or franchise outlets having a store locator on your website is not optional anymore; it’s an absolute must-have.

A WordPress store locator helps customers easily find the closest branch or outlet of your business. In a huge country like the U.S., where customers often travel quite a bit to shop, a store locator can help to bridge the gap between online browsing and discovery and physical in-store visits. This can help you convert casual website visitors into actual customers walking into your stores.

Below, we will explore the many benefits of including a store locator on your WordPress site in detail.

Key Benefits of a Store Locator on WordPress Websites

1. Boost Your Local Search Visibility and SEO

When you mention the address, phone number, and hours of operation for every branch or outlet on the map page, search engine bots identify it as location-specific content. This is what helps your site to appear in “near me” searches, which are generally used by people who actually intend to visit a store. 

When you have a dedicated store locator page with structured data, search engines are able to index each store location quickly, easily, and accurately. This significantly improves discoverability, as compared to a mere static list of store addresses. 

For businesses in the US, where local SEO can make a huge difference, especially for brands in multiple cities or states, this feature offers a major advantage.

2. Increases Foot Traffic and In-Store Sales

An effective store locator like LocateStore makes it easy for customers to find your nearest branch or outlet, leading to more store visits and opportunities for sales.

Businesses that use store locators report that 76% of people who search for a store selling specific products using the “near me” feature are more likely to visit that store within 24 hours. 

The greater the convenience, the more confidence customers are likely to have in your business. This is especially true when people want to actually see, touch, or try a product before buying. This is very common in apparel, accessories, furniture, electronics, and auto accessories. 

Talking to a sales executive helps them understand a product better. In a car dealership, for example, they can get detailed information on its features and go for a test drive. In an appliance store, they can see a physical demo of the performance of a TV or a food processor. A store locator thus helps reduce friction and improve the likelihood of conversion. 

3. Enhances User Experience: Simple, Faster, More Convenient

A store locator allows customers to find the nearest branch, outlet, or office with a few clicks, rather than manually searching for store addresses, calling customer support, or depending completely on Google search. 

Reliable store locator plugins allow users to filter stores by criteria, like city, postcode, services offered, hours of working, and so on. This is especially useful if you run a business with several branches, varied services, or have different hours of operation. 

When it is integrated properly into your WordPress site or theme, the store locator can match your brand styling efficiently, delivering a smooth, professional experience to your customers rather than a clunky add-on. 

4. Builds Trust and Credibility with Customers

Displaying the complete details of every store or outlet, like address, contact number, business hours, and more, is an indication of transparency. For most customers, it signals that your business is real, reliable, and can be easily reached. 

If your store locator shows additional information like which of your branches offer “buy online, pick up in store”/ BOPIS services, or “Open 24 hours”, customers will greatly appreciate the clarity and convenience. This helps build loyalty and creates a positive brand perception. 

5. Simplifies Management of Multiple Locations 

For businesses that have several branches, that too across cities or states, a store locator plugin makes location management a breeze. You can easily maintain records of store addresses, update or delete information, or even import/export store data in bulk through CSV, Google Sheets, and more.

LocateStore is built entirely on Google Sheets, which makes it super easy for you to add, modify or delete store information, allowing multiple team members to collaborate simultaneously, at any time, and from anywhere.

Instead of maintaining a long static list that is difficult to update and is prone to errors, you can just have a central place to manage all your stores. This simplifies maintenance, reducing your effort and ensuring consistency. 

6. Helps Bridge Online & Offline Shopping: A True Omni-Channel Benefit

A WordPress store locator like LocateStore creates a smooth link between online discovery and physical shopping for businesses. This includes businesses with websites simply for the purpose of brand building but only sell offline, those that have online and several physical stores and those online businesses that are seeking to expand into offline sales. 

When customers see products online, they simply look for stores they can visit, walk in, and make a purchase. This synergy can help boost conversions and increase average order value, especially when you offer in-depth product guidance through your staff, product demos, and convenient services like “buy online, pick up in store.” 

When customers get to experience great service in your outlets or branches, they will automatically become your brand advocates. And a store locator is the best way to direct them to your physical stores.

Promoting Your WordPress Store Locator

When your store locator is live, here is how you can promote it:

• Add it to Your Homepage or Site Menu: Ensure that the store locator can be easily accessed from your site’s homepage or the main navigation menu.
• Run Local Ads: Use geo-targeted ads to direct more attention to your physical locations.
• Email Campaigns: Inform your customers that they can now find your stores quickly and easily with the new locator feature on your website.

Which WordPress Store Locator Plugin Should You Use?

There is no doubt that as a business with online and offline stores, you must have a store locator tool on your website. Here are some of the best store locator plugins you might consider:

LocateStore

It is built on Google Sheets and driven by Mapbox, ensuring quick loading, flexibility, full customization, and affordability. It is also very user-friendly, requiring no coding skills to use. LocateStore scales smoothly as your business grows; whether you have 5 stores or 500, it will continue to work just as efficiently. This makes it ideal for small businesses on a growth curve. LocateStore also offers multiple language support, driving directions, and custom map pins.

WP Store Locator

A popular plugin that supports unlimited stores, custom map markers, driving directions, and allows users to filter by radius, the WP Store Locator is compatible with multilingual sites as well. 

StoreMapper

This tool can be quickly set up without coding and is SEO-friendly. It works with popular page builders like Gutenberg and Elementor, and has customizable maps and markers. 

Agile Store Locator

It is good for businesses that need custom fields, multilingual support, attractive map markers, and single-store pages with complete store details. 

Why U.S. Businesses Shouldn’t Ignore Store Locators

Most shoppers in the US tend to search on their mobile devices to find nearby stores first to find products and services they want. As mobile usage and near me searches increase, convenience and local SEO are more important than ever. Only a store locator tool can help you meet these customer expectations and make your brand visible, accessible, and user-friendly.

For a country like US that has a large geographical spread, many cities and states, a single “contact us” or “about us” page listing all stores may not suffice. A smart, interactive store locator map ensures that your audience finds the nearest branch with ease, regardless of where they are in the US. A store locator like LocateStore today is a growth enabler and not restricted to being a store finder.

Also read: How to Add Store Locator in WordPress – A Complete Guide

Conclusion

Including a WordPress store locator like LocateStore on your site is an easy and effective way to let customers know all your locations at one go. By making it easier for customers to find the location of all your stores, you’ll deliver an excellent shopping experience, boost foot traffic, and drive more sales, increasing revenues.

FAQs 

What are the benefits of using WordPress?

WordPress is an open-source, user-friendly platform, and anyone with no coding skills can also build a simple website by just using the drag-and-drop feature.

Which is the best WordPress store locator plugin?

While there are several store locator tools available, LocateStore is ideal for small businesses that are on a growing curve, as it scales easily, is flexible and customizable, and offers affordable pricing tiers.

How can a store locator increase sales?

Store locators help customers find the nearest store or branch easily, increasing business credibility and helping build trust in the brand.

Is a store locator useful for businesses with multiple branches?

A store locator tool like LocateStore is most useful for a store with multiple branches, as it lists the address, business hours, and contact details of all stores, allowing customers to see which one is closest to them.