As eCommerce continues to grow, the construction materials industry has also seen more and more opportunities for success in online sales. In fact, there are plenty of reasons why construction material eCommerce can proliferate. In this post, we’ll highlight some of those reasons as well as provide tips on how you can succeed in selling your products online.
Skilled labor shortage
The skilled labor shortage is a problem that the construction industry has been dealing with for years, but it is also one of the biggest challenges in eCommerce.
To understand why this is so important, we must look at how the construction market operates. Construction materials are sold through distributors and suppliers who buy them from manufacturers and then sell them to contractors or builders.
The contractor or builder purchases these materials on a per-job basis, which means they get paid once they complete their work—and sometimes not even when things go wrong. It can take months to get paid for their job because of bureaucratic delays or disputes over what was built correctly (or not).
Still, ship internationally since many countries lack domestic manufacturing capabilities due to high labor costs compared to lower international prices, as well as government policies making imports easier/cheaper than exports, thus creating trade deficits.
Traditional retailers are struggling.
Traditional retailers are struggling to compete with online retailers. Online retailers can provide a better experience for customers, offering more products at lower prices and providing better customer service.
In addition, online retailers have a more comprehensive range of products than traditional retail stores.
Traditional retailers need help to compete with online retailers because they cannot provide the same experience or selection as eCommerce websites.
Online sales are growing at a faster rate than in-store sales.
There’s no denying it: eCommerce is growing faster than ever, and construction materials are no exception. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Commerce, online sales have been growing faster than in-store sales for years now—and there’s no sign that this trend will slow down anytime soon.
DIYers are finding it easier to find products online.
With the proliferation of DIY TV shows and podcasts, it’s no surprise that eCommerce is on the rise. Today, it’s easier than ever to find products online and learn how to use them before you commit to a purchase. Many buyers have become sophisticated consumers who know exactly what they want and what look they’re trying to achieve in their home decorating projects.
Further, eCommerce sites provide plenty of customization options that allow DIYers to make sure their purchases fit into their home décor perfectly. To illustrate, you can choose different wood finishes or stain colors for your furniture pieces so the finished product matches everything else in your room.
Grout and adhesive products are readily marketable online.
Grout and adhesive products are the perfect examples of construction materials that can succeed in eCommerce. These items are accessible to market online because they’re easy to ship, easy to use, and applicable to many projects.
Grout is a binding agent for several types of construction projects, such as tile work. It’s also great for sealing cracks in concrete floors, so you don’t have water damage or even mold growth down the line.
Adhesives work similarly but help keep things together by acting like glue in various applications: securing components during installation, preventing natural wear-and-tear from occurring over time (such as gluing old window frames shut), etc.
Additionally, adhesives come with an additional benefit—they’re usually formulated so that they don’t require any special equipment other than your hands and body weight. At the same time, they’re being applied (which means no expensive machinery is needed.).
Because these items are easy-to-ship items that can be used across almost all types of new home construction projects (as well as repairs), it makes sense why people would want them delivered straight into their own homes rather than having them brought out by professionals every time there’s something wrong with their house.
Niche brands can succeed in eCommerce more than in traditional stores.
In eCommerce, you can be a niche brand and still succeed. By focusing on a specific industry segment, whether it be plumbing, fencing, HVAC or any other specialized construction materials, you can tailor your offerings to meet the unique needs of customers within that particular field, establishing yourself as a trusted expert. Additionally, hiring an agency that specializes in contractor marketing can further enhance your chances of success.
Niche brands can reduce overhead costs and provide customers with a better experience than more prominent brands. By cutting out the middle person or going direct to consumers, you can reach new customers as well.
How to pick the right eCommerce platform for construction materials
To choose the right eCommerce platform for your construction materials business, you should consider how it will meet your needs.
- User experience: Do you want a simple site with minimal features? Or would you prefer more bells and whistles? If the latter sounds like you, look for a platform that allows users to quickly find what they’re looking for on the site while providing them with multiple ways of interacting with products.
- Functionality: Do you need an advanced search function that lets users filter products by several criteria at once? Is it helpful if customers could share their favorite products through social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest)? How about built-in delivery tracking to help keep customers informed about when their items arrive? These are all questions worth asking before deciding which software provider is best suited for your online store.
- Volume capacity: The eCommerce platform must have enough power behind its servers to handle high-traffic volumes without slowing down or crashing during peak hours.
Product reviews matter more than ever.
As a seller, you know that reviews are essential. They help build trust and drive sales by demonstrating your products’ value. In fact, 82% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends and family.
That’s why it’s vital to have a feedback system that allows customers to leave product reviews on your store’s site—and not just any old feedback system; an effective one.
Product reviews can tell what people like or dislike about your products, how they use them in their daily lives, where they want improvements made, and even who often uses them. These insights give companies valuable insight into how their products are being used—and can be leveraged for future development efforts (which we’ll talk about later).
Omnichannel marketing is essential.
The first step in an omnichannel marketing strategy is to create and maintain a robust online presence. You can only expect to succeed with one. For instance, your website is where it’s at if you want to build brand awareness.
Create engaging content that helps people understand what makes you different and worth following. Your blog should be updated regularly so customers can keep up with the latest news about your company and industry trends.
If you’re considering selling products on Amazon (or eBay), now’s the time to start building a strategy for those platforms too—and don’t forget about social media. Facebook Ads are great for targeting specific demographics and getting the word out about new products or sales events from time to time.
However, don’t forget Instagram Stories, too—they’re an excellent way to share behind-the-scenes photos from construction sites around town along with links back towards landing pages where people can learn more about what kind of work goes into building houses or apartments.
eCommerce offers the chance to provide better customer service.
With the recent rise of eCommerce, companies have an opportunity to provide a better customer experience. To succeed in eCommerce, you should focus on delivering a superior customer experience. You can do this by offering personalized service and products tailored to your customers’ needs.
Most people prefer shopping online because it’s convenient, fast, and saves time. However, some still prefer shopping at brick-and-mortar stores because they enjoy interacting with salespeople who can offer advice about products or help them choose what they need based on their preferences.
eCommerce also allows construction material companies to take advantage of technology such as chatbots which improve communication with clients by answering questions without having to visit websites or call centers first
The construction materials industry is following many of the same trends that other areas of eCommerce have experienced because of the Internet (and vice versa).
You may think that the construction materials industry is not where you would find eCommerce, but it’s not as out-of-reach as you might think.
The Internet is a great place to sell construction materials. Whether your business is selling directly on Amazon or your website, it’s easy to reach new customers through eCommerce. You can sell niche products or standard product lines and still find success in this area.
Online stores have made it easier to buy construction materials online than ever before. Before eCommerce became popular, people would have had to drive around town visiting several different places for them all together.
Now, there are plenty of online stores where shoppers can get everything they need from one source with just one click. This means less time wasted driving around town looking for supplies and more money saved on gas.
The web is also the perfect place for industry professionals to promote their services, and in turn be on the lookout for cost-effective materials to acquire to fulfill their professional obligations to the clients they win over. So operators that are using drywall invoicing software for contractors are likely already au fait with the advantages of acquiring materials digitally.
In conclusion
The construction materials industry is following many of the same trends that other areas of eCommerce have experienced because of the Internet (and vice versa). Consumers are researching the longer-skilled labor shortage, and traditional retailers are struggling.
Online sales are growing at a faster rate than in-store sales. In addition, DIYers are finding it easier to find products online. As a result, construction material brands can succeed in eCommerce just as quickly or even faster than traditional stores.
