Web-based solutions, tools aim to boost dealers’ online presence
August 28/September 4: Volume 32, Issue 6
By Lindsay Baillie
Mohawk’s Omnify, a program introduced at the company’s Solutions conference last year, is beginning to make an impact on dealers’ online initiatives. The program, named for its ability to provide “omni-channel solutions,” aims to simplify digital marketing by capturing and tracking leads, and streamlining social media publishing and search engine marketing.
Specifically, Omnify was created to provide a number of solutions for dealers. Among them:
- Improve social reach and convert potential customers into qualified leads;
- Tailor the dealer’s digital storefront to engage consumers and promote enhanced content;
- Build and strengthen local reputation of retailers through rankings and reviews;
- Increase store visibility and improve search rankings, and
- Build trust and confidence with consumers.
“Omnify connects the [consumer’s] online and in-store experiences,” said Mollie Surratt, senior director, public relations and inbound marketing, Mohawk Industries. “Omnify is all about simple connected retail. It is an omni-channel solution empowering retailers to own their market in the digital space. It’s giving them the content, tools and reporting they need to take their digital marketing presence to the next level and drive more traffic into their stores.”
Retailers have provided positive feedback since the program’s launch. For instance, Harry Schillings, president of Houston-based Spring Carpets, is definitely seeing an increase in traffic due to Omnify. In fact, his store is recording an average of three call-in leads a day since the program’s launch.
One of Schillings’ favorite features about Omnify is its ability to record phone conversations between consumers and employees. “That little feature is absolutely priceless. On our website there is a contact button that allows the customer to call the store from her phone. When I had the chance to listen to these recordings I [discovered a shortcoming] in my business. We had a large void that I was able to fix, but I would have never found that flaw without listening to those voicemails.”
Schillings is not alone. Scott Allen, general manager, Carpet Corner, Kansas City, Mo., has also generated a great number of leads. “Since the Omnify site went live our customer contacts— specifically the number of folks requesting quotes—has increased to double what we were generating at a fraction of the cost. These are high-quality leads with a higher closing ratio than other Internet leads.”
In addition to seeing increases in quality leads, dealers like Adam Pace of Metro Floors, Lancaster, Calif., are already seeing a major return on investment. “Within the first month, the revenue off the sales [from these leads] has paid the cost of the program for the whole year.”
Mohawk is receiving recognition from not only its dealers but other companies as well, according to Seth Arnold, vice president of residential marketing. “We have some of the best companies in the digital space telling us we got the recipe right. When Mohawk is challenging some of these companies to up their game, that makes me feel like we’re pushing the envelope for the sake of our retailers. We have the power to fight hard for independent retailers so they have the tools they need to excel.”
Looking ahead, Mohawk is continuing to develop content and solutions for Omnify to further assist specialty retailers. As Austin Messerman, marketing brand manager, explains: “Our team is working on developing our advertising strategies in local markets as well as our content strategies—all of which will work together to make the tool more powerful and see that it continues to drive success for the retailers.”