Four methods all pool retailers should consider for organic growth

by arslan_ahmed | November 29, 2022 6:30 am

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By Rachael Pritz

The pandemic’s effect on the supply chain has created shortages in pool materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), plastic, concrete, and more, causing construction materials to increase in cost by more than 31 per cent over the past two years. In addition, an increase in fuel prices, pool chemicals, and a sharp rise in inflation has made it critical for pool businesses to save on costs and generate additional streams of revenue in 2023. Although the demand for outdoor living products continues to be strong, this is a unique time in the industry, and pool and spa retailers need to look at ways to grow their business organically so it can continue to flourish next season.

Handling more customers

Consumer expectations are at an all-time high, especially for convenient and timely service. If a business cannot currently meet the expectations of a growing number of customers, it needs to first put a plan in place to better position itself to take on new clients before figuring out how to gather new clients.

For example, a business should consider purchasing efficient software and systems to help save time and ensure record-keeping accuracy. Basic daily tasks should be quick and easy to execute. The business should establish clear and consistent communication protocols with field technicians. The business would also benefit from offering clients their preferred payment method, including online or mobile. These strategies will help enable pool and spa businesses to have additional bandwidth to set themselves up for growth, success, and satisfied customers.

Focusing on retail sales

For many pool and spa businesses, service work is the foundation of their business. However, there could also be a major opportunity to grow a pool service business with extra revenue from retail sales and upselling. Since service teams interact with customers daily, they can help customers get the most out of their pools by offering supplies and accessories from their retail operation as well.

Buying an extra route versus organic growth

There are three primary ways to find more customers to grow a pool service business:

• Partnerships with apartment/hotel owners, builders, and property managers.
• Purchasing pre-existing pool service routes from brokers or other pool service businesses.
• Using marketing and word-of-mouth to grow organically.

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There is no wrong answer to this, and pool and spa shop owners should choose what is right for their business. For example, if a shop already has solid marketing tools and software and does not want to spend the money on an existing route, owners may want to grow their pool service business organically. On the other hand, if a business’s marketing capabilities are underdeveloped and owners are looking for a quick, targeted way to bring in more customers, buying a route may be better.

Either way, a business should ensure it has the right software and tools to support these efforts. Route optimization, which should be built into a pool service software, is the best way to ensure field technicians maximize their time and can complete as many jobs as possible in one day. It also stores customer preferences, meaning it can always request their preferred technician at the right time, providing the best possible experience with a business. One should be sure the pool business software also offers a host of marketing features and tools to make running sales, loyalty programs, and marketing campaigns easier to execute.

Software to grow with pool and spa business

It is essential in today’s competitive marketplace to have business software designed specifically for pool and spa retailers and service providers. One which includes a host of features working together to grow a business easier, faster, and more effectively. With the right software, designed specifically for the industry, it will be much easier to add new locations and additional revenue streams to grow a business.

Methods for growing a pool and spa business organically

From loyalty programs and sales promotions to mobile solutions and e-commerce options, there are multiple tactics to grow a business organically from within.

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Experiment with promotions and sales

When searching for the right pool business software, be sure the system provides several features which make it easy to run sales or track the impact of advertising efforts. Features such as “event planner” modules allow business managers to set sale prices at specific dates, and they are automatically applied at checkout. This saves time and makes sales much easier to manage. The software will also log data to help businesses determine which products should go on sale and when to maximize the profitability of margins.

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Business owners should be sure to also include modules within software such as “sign design,” which are often integrated into the event planner and inventory components of software. This module lets inventory and sale savings information to be automatically populated for quick and easy sign creation. Businesses can also track how new customers know about the company, and which advertisements or coupons they used during a transaction to see which promotions are most popular. These features make it easier to try out new promotions and run sales to identify the most effective ways to draw in new customers and boost revenue.

Offer a loyalty program

The perfect time to start a loyalty rewards program is now. Customers appreciate the extra opportunity for a deal, and the pool business benefits from the uptick in repeat customers.

Pool and spa industry-specific software makes it easy to create and manage a loyalty program as they are built into the system. Many can also track purchase history to determine which customers are at risk, which are most loyal, and how a business can adjust marketing tactics to improve results continuously.

Do not miss upselling opportunities

Make sure to choose or use a software system capable of providing upselling alerts to remind staff to talk to customers about products they may also want or need. Business software should be able to identify products related to items currently in the shopping cart, so there is no guesswork or training required for employees to upsell.

These same software programs often list associated items, tracks inventory locations, and allow communication between multiple locations. These are all essential tools for assisting employees trying to make a sale. To further encourage staff to pursue upselling opportunities, consider creating incentives for high-performance sellers. Create a sense of competition by tracking sales through the software daily, weekly, or monthly, and keep it fun and lighthearted.

Embrace e-commerce

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Any e-commerce site should also be able to easily process credit cards directly through a business system to eliminate mistakes and ensure the correct end-of-day tally. Astute pool and spa businesses will invest in their e-commerce and payment systems so they can quickly add products and services to their e-store and start generating new winter sales immediately. This could also include down payments for products and services which are not available until next spring.

The goal is to retrain customers to use a store’s online shopping option as much as possible. Retailers can really take advantage of this, for example, by reminding customers they do not need to drive to the store to pick up spa chemicals when they can order for home delivery instead.

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Additionally, consumers are becoming comfortable with “auto-ship” options, especially for basics they use regularly around their home. This option allows users to set up repeating, automatic purchases for supplies they use at regular intervals. Hence, e-commerce sites should also make it easy for customers to choose an auto-ship option for all regular water treatment products and other essentials. This way, they never run out of what they need to keep their pools operating smoothly. Not only does this guarantee a regular revenue stream for a store, but it also assists with its purchasing, inventory, and more importantly, encourages customer loyalty and satisfaction. Retailers should include a small break in the price on all auto-ship options to incentivize clients to choose this option.

There are many simple ways for businesses to promote their online presence, doing everything from printing their website on all receipts, sending emails, direct mail, to even running Google ads. However, before doing too much promotion of an e-store, a company needs to be certain they have an e-commerce site ready to receive customers. This means having a shopping cart software feature, specifically for pool and spa businesses. This software feature should provide a fully equipped shopping experience, including an easy checkout with curbside pickup or delivery options. It is an excellent way to managing sales easier and for businesses to keep thriving during this unprecedented demand for all things pool, spa, and outdoor living.

By taking time out to improve a business’s e-commerce store and digital marketing efforts, retailers are also given the opportunity to provide customized offers to clients by knowing who bought what and when. This information is extremely helpful when trying to increase sales this winter and for next season as well. A powerful, integrated e-commerce site can also potentially help alleviate supply chain issues which will likely continue in the coming year.

Conclusion

Despite shortages in supplies, rising fuel, chemical prices, and overall inflation in day-to-day goods, there are still many ways to grow a pool and spa business organically from within.

Whether it be increasing a business’s reach with an e-store, adding new services, product lines, or adopting automation tools included in pool and spa industry software; all these methods provide managers with systems to seize opportunities to grow their business and increase profits moving into the 2023 season.

Author

Rachael Pritz has been active in the pool industry for more than 20 years, which has provided her with an all-encompassing expertise in the trade. She worked at a local pool store while pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh, Pa. With her technical skills and industry knowledge, she joined the launch of RB Retail & Service Solutions in Pittsburgh in 2003. She can be reached via email at rachael@rbcontrolsystems.com[7]. To learn more about RB Retail & Service Solutions software, go to www.rbretailandservicesolutions.com[8].

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/features/four-methods-all-pool-retailers-should-consider-for-organic-growth/

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