WKBT La Crosse, WI-NewsChannel 8-Local Businesses Use Websites to Help Draw in Customers

Reported by Lara Reed

Local Businesses Use Websites to Help Draw in Customers

Reported by Lara Reed 
Email: lreed@wkbt.com

The National Retail Federation expects more than 96 million Americans to log onto the Internet to take advantage of Cyber Monday deals.

And while many local businesses say Cyber Monday isn't quite as big for them as national retailers, the Internet is still a valuable tool to help attract customers.

Sandy Taylor opened her shop, City Wear in downtown La Crosse, two years ago.  Her store website quickly followed.

"I use my website to help attract people to the store. I try to have pictures up so people can see what I have in the store before the come down," she says.

But because so many people like to shop online it's an avenue she just can't ignore.

"Truly, I still sell more in the store than off the website but it just gives me an extra, it's nice to be able to sell something while I'm sleeping in my bed at night or whatever," adds Taylor.

Other businesses, like Three Rivers Outdoors, have websites but don't offer online shopping for a number of reasons.

General Manager Sven Hoaglund says, "Partly, it's hard to manage it but you also lose that customer service, you lose that face to face connection that we have with all of our customers."

Instead the store uses its website to update its customers on what's happening at the store and even update them on product information and in turn then customers come in to get a good look at the merchandise.

Hoaglund says, "You can try on a couple pairs of shoes, try on a jacket, you can see what the color looks like on the actually jacket and not just what it looks like on the website."

Whether their customers can fill a shopping cart online, or not, these stores say their websites are an important business tool.