When we rolled out the Nationwide Digital Rewards program at PrimeTime earlier this year, it was as if the stars of software had aligned for members. 

Previously, many retailers felt that they had to pick and choose among the products in the Retailer Web Services (RWS) product offering. But now, for the first time, the “stars” (WebFronts® Level 4, WebFronts® Review™, RetailDeck® and AdRocket™) had been bundled into one smart and affordable package. Nationwide Digital Rewards presented the industry’s only integrated suite of all the technology that independent retailers need to execute a complete digital marketing strategy.  

Since February, more than 450 retailers have taken advantage of Nationwide Digital Rewards and now have an all-in-one solution to compete and win in today’s digital-first retail environment.   

Retailers are experiencing the uptick in store performance by bundling a package of integrated products that talk to each other, are easy to learn and use, and are backed by a dedicated support team.  

But don’t take my word on it. Nationwide member Danielle Richards knows firsthand what it’s like to have a world-class website, online reputation management, in-store technology enablement and smart digital advertising “all under one umbrella,” as Danielle likes to call it. She is the operations manager of King & Bunny’s Appliance, a mainstay for nearly four decades in the community of Renton, Washington, home of the Boeing 737 factory. Family–owned, the 3,200-square-foot King & Bunny’s displays more than 200 major home appliances, all available for immediate delivery.      

When I heard about Danielle’s early success with the Digital Rewards program, I was particularly intrigued because she hadn’t been using any of the RWS software products for King & Bunny’s prior to signing up for the program. (Nationwide members that already have one or more of RWS’ digital products can take advantage of the bundle rebates by adding to and completing the suite for their business, receiving up to $548 a month in rebates.) I was not only interested in how the complete product suite was working for the store but also wanted to learn more about her onboarding process with all the technology.  

According to Danielle, King & Bunny’s had a lackluster digital marketing program prior to implementing the RWS product suite through the Digital Rewards program. 

“Our old website was lacking in features, and we couldn’t track the results of our online advertising,” Danielle explains. “So the Level 4 features alone are what sold us.”   

Soon after Danielle signed up for the program at the February show, an RWS representative reached out to her with a warm welcome that led to a productive discussion around creating the store’s new WebFronts Level 4 site. 

“There was a lot of back and forth on how we wanted to stand out, not have a cookie–cutter site,” Danielle recalls. “RWS worked with us 100% of the way, and I was highly impressed. They were very collaborative, and they always got back to me in a timely manner. RWS is exceptional – better than any other website provider I’ve worked with.”  

While design of the new site was underway, Danielle appreciated receiving one-on-one training on the site’s backend as well as on RetailDeck. She noted the separate training sessions were focused and hands-on through use of a screen-sharing platform.        

Within a month, the new, Level 4 www.kingandbunnys.com was live, complete with WebFronts Review. “The features are phenomenal,” Danielle says. “Having customer reviews on Google, Yelp and Facebook all on one page is great. Also, now we have the ability to solicit reviews when products have been delivered. And the way WebFronts Review is set up, ‘thumbs up’ and ‘thumbs down’ are directed to different areas, public and private, just where we’d want them to be when customers are happy or dissatisfied.”   

Danielle appreciates the integration of features such as WebFronts Review on the site. “Now, people stay on our site because everything’s there. We’re not having to send them elsewhere,” she says.  

Meanwhile, Danielle is using WebFronts marketing activity analytics to help track performance. “Before, we had to go through Google Analytics, and now everything’s on one page,” Danielle says. She also wants to maximize the Hot Prospects emails she receives via WebFronts. “We plan on incorporating a follow-up process into our marketing strategy to contact those who have expressed interest in specific products on our site,” she explains. 

As for AdRocket, which began running for King & Bunny’s by leveraging 11 free Whirlpool promotions (the store is an exclusive Whirlpool dealer), social media advertising has been particularly effective for the store. 

“Our monthly performance reports show more people drawn to the website and an increase in quote requests, which has drawn more people into the store,” Danielle says. “It’s a chain effect. 

“Having an integrated, complete digital product suite sets our store apart from the competition and gives us a stronger advantage,” she continues. “It has enhanced our marketing strategy by having everything under one umbrella with one person to contact. Through the Digital Rewards program, it saves us money on the software, and the money we are spending is a smart investment in our marketing strategy.” 

I want to thank Danielle for sharing her success in the program so far. Like all of our retailer customers, we are inspired by her success and remain committed to helping independent retailers compete and win in the digital age.