“Click” and Mortar is also known as Bricks and Clicks and is a hybrid business model where a company has two channels of developing customers - both a physical storefront or location and a web site. For example you might sell sporting goods equipment in Chicago, Illinois and you may have a business of the same name online, selling the same or a broader offering of sporting goods equipment.

For our purposes here at EBS, we’ll be focusing on click and mortar businesses that are small – perhaps one or two physical locations and a varied level of online presence.

This business model can be used in many different ways.

• You might sell items online and allow for on-site pickup or show sample items in a physical location and offer electronic ordering and delivery.

• You might operate the online business almost independently of the store but use the same Poin of Sale, accounting, inventory and other software systems to run both businesses.

• You might use the physical location to drive traffic to the website or use your website to drive traffic to your brick and mortar storefront.

• You might have significant local events relating to your business that the web can help promote and support.

Obviously there are tons of scenarios out there – but you get the idea.

Click and Mortar works for a number of reasons – the most important being that creating an online presence after you have been established as a brick and mortar entity effectively builds on what you already know. You know about your audience, you know about your products and you probably know how to run one kind of business already.

Now, in most cases, the successful people in this business model have an established storefront and then expand into the online world. They already have systems in place to handle the growth and with the right tools, it can be a way to expand without increasing your overhead (with another store) and it can be an effective marketing tool for the already up and running brick part of your business.

Supplier networks and distribution channels will already be established and those partners will be excited at the idea of expansion with an already trusted retailer. Additionally, if you capitalize on your brand identity within your niche marketplace you can use your local reputation as a subject matter expert to propel your online presence.

In some cases, you’ll even have an existing customer base that you can leverage – which is a great luxury.

Now, click and mortar may sound awesome, but there are challenges that they face that are unique to many others.

Of course, they can all be overcome with smart use of software, tools, technology and marketing techniques that can serve both markets and by truly engaging in your own self created business community. In all things, the key is to get and stay organized and then your bricks and clicks can support each other into growth and expansion!

Read about a company considering the transition from Brick and Mortar to Clicks and Bricks and find more about the Click and Mortar business model here in eCommerce.