College bookstore websites have always been important. However, due to COVID-19 the college store website became the primary connection bookstores have with students. South Central College Book Store has worked hard to ensure that its website offers students easy access to current information, detailed how-to instructions and every product a student could buy in the store.
With more traffic being divided between brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers, it’s important that your store is ready to meet expectations both in-store and online. Think about the in-store experience for your shoppers. Where do most shoppers go when they come in? What are your bestselling products? By contemplating how in-store traffic patterns work, you can improve your website, make it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for, and improve the in-store and online experience.
Georgia Southern University Store knows the importance of a user-friendly website that piques student interest. The college store site must appeal to students, alumni and parents alike. In the current state of the retail and education industries, providing easily accessible ways to purchase merchandise, technology and course materials is more important than ever before.
With the increase in online learning, getting faculty adoptions has become an even bigger challenge for college stores. It’s also a critical part of the process for getting more low-cost course materials and providing students with cost-saving options. Many stores have had success by reaching out to campus administrators for help.
In 2020, Mount Aloysius College Bookstore once again saw an increase in textbook and merchandise sales. This relatively small college store with one full-time employee has been able to make smart updates to its website, procedures and offerings that have resulted in regaining market share.
As John Donne famously wrote, “No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” Just like we are all connected, the college store is part of the greater campus community. Strong campus relationships can help stores in a variety of ways, such as bringing new store opportunities, improving student communication or ensuring on-time faculty adoptions.
Over the course of 2020, eCommerce sites became even more important for college store success. Suddenly, it was essential that most of the store’s merchandise and products were available and easily accessible online. We recently sat down with Joe Buskirk, Coordinator for the College Store, Harford Community College, to discuss how they were able to quickly update their site to better serve students and the campus community.
How do search engines determine whether or not to direct traffic to your site? Physical location, search terms, products, ratings, clicks, etc. all impact where your college store ends up in the search results. However, there are things you can do to help boost where you fall in the search results. It is called Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
When Lower Columbia College Bookstore’s Director of Enterprise Services Alyssa Milano-Hightower, MBA, found out that the bookstore’s collegiate retail system would no longer be supported, she knew they had to move fast to find a new system provider. The store selected MBS Store Technology Solutions because the system would improve functionality and was economical.
Once again, a new term is upon us and it is likely that most college stores will be directing as much student traffic online as possible. How is rush different online and how can you be sure that students continue to have the level of service from the store that they expect? We have collected three tips to help boost your rush this term.
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