Even more than any other channel, the local business space is changing at lightning speed. While the Internet has made it possible for small businesses to stay competitive with big brands, the rise of e-commerce and online reviews have made it much easier for customers to discover what they need and buy from alternative vendors. With so much change happening in the local space, businesses that don’t lean into the new model risk being left behind. Fortunately, a hyperlocal delivery model can help local businesses thrive by offering them access to additional resources and services befitting their needs. Read on to learn more about why you should use this model in your business and how you can get started today.
What is a Hyperlocal Delivery Model?
Hyperlocal delivery is any type of delivery that takes place between a business and its customers, and isn’t made via a more mass-market channel like e-commerce. Hyperlocal delivery channels are ideal for local businesses because they allow them to address the specific needs of their target customers more effectively than a more generic approach to selling. For example, let’s say your perfume shop is near a college campus. You may be able to sell more perfume to the students on campus if you offer them something unique and tailored to their specific needs. You can also use hyperlocal delivery channels to provide additional services and resources to your customers, including:
- - On-demand services, like dry cleaning, alterations, or repairs.
- - On-demand services, like yoga classes, or craft workshops.
- - On-demand services, like photo printing, or catering services.
The Benefits of a Hyperlocal Delivery Model for Local Businesses
Hyperlocal delivery offers numerous benefits for local businesses, but how does it specifically help them grow? Hyperlocal delivery channels can help local businesses stand out from the competition by providing more customized options than mass-market channels. For example, a local dry cleaner might notice that a certain type of clothing is hard to clean, or that some colors are much harder to get clean than others. By tailoring their services to these specific needs, they can provide better service to their customers while also growing their business. In fact, hyperlocal delivery can make up to 70% of a company’s profits by helping customers get the most out of their services and resources.
How to Use a Hyperlocal Delivery Model for Your Business
Now that you know what hyperlocal delivery is and how it can help your business grow, it’s time to get started! Hyperlocal delivery will be most effective for your business if you use the same channels you currently use for e-commerce and develop a strategy for how you’ll use them. If you don’t have a presence on social media, you can start building connections with your existing network to get the word out about your new model. Social media is a cheap and easy way to drive traffic to your website and boost your e-commerce sales. If you have an existing website, you can easily turn it into a hyperlocal delivery storefront with Shopify, an online store builder. Once your store is online, you can create a virtual storefront that looks just like your existing website, tailor it to your specific needs, and start selling hyperlocal products. Hyperlocal delivery can also be used to make software as a service (SaaS) products available for on demand. You can create a virtual storefront for your SaaS with a delivery button that your customers can click to access the software.
How to Start Using the Hyperlocal Delivery Model
Hyperlocal delivery is a strategy for the long term, so don’t rush into it. If you have a physical storefront, you can use your virtual storefront to start selling hyperlocal products. Otherwise, you’ll have to start without a physical storefront, like many e-commerce businesses do. Make sure you have all the right licenses, permits, and insurance coverage in place. Once you have a virtual storefront up and running, your customers can order and pay for their products just as they would online. You’ll receive the payment just like you would any other online transaction. Hyperlocal delivery requires all the same inventory-management systems and shipping tools you use for e-commerce.
How to Know When You’ve Successfully Launched a Hyperlocal Delivery Model
You can tell your customers that you offer hyperlocal delivery when you describe the types of resources or products you offer and where they’re located. For example, when you include information about a yoga studio’s location in your descriptions for on-demand services, your customers will know you’re offering hyperlocal delivery. You can also use this information to track the success of your model. You can use the same tools you use for other e-commerce channels to see how your hyperlocal delivery model is performing. Keep track of sales, costs, return rates, and other metrics to evaluate the success of your hyperlocal delivery model.
Wrapping Up
Hyperlocal delivery can be a great way to boost your sales and make more money. With a hyperlocal delivery model, you have the opportunity to provide customized options and tailor your offerings to fit the specific needs of your customers.
