What Can Your Organization Learn from The Home Depot?

Let me start by saying, I work with churches. I am not certain that business and secular organizations should make a habit of taking business and marketing advice from church people. Most of us are not doing an exceptional job. It is likely because, for decades, the church didn't need to. Congregations opened their doors and people came in. But things have changed. The church, like many organizations, is trying to catch up. Maybe that is what you can learn from. I study businesses who have found a way to transition into the new digital reality and those who haven't. Sometimes I find wisdom that can help my organization and maybe yours too.

The Old Becomes New

So, what can we learn from the world’s largest home improvement retailer? The first Home Depot stores were opened in 1979 in Atlanta, Georgia. They celebrated the opening of their 100th store in 1989. Their first foray into eCommerce was in 2000. They were among the first brick-and-mortar retailers to roll out mobile apps; in-store, connected mobile devices; and in-store pickup and return of online purchases.

Home Depot, in general, sells some low-tech stuff. The last thing I bought there was solder wire and flux for soldering copper pipe. That is not a new, high-tech item.

What is new, and something that we can learn from, is the way The Home Depot has adopted a strategy that has embraced the new digital world while allowing their brick and mortar stores to thrive.

The Home Depot is mastering the omnichannel strategy. And, that is what we need to pay attention to. There have been many doomsday warnings about the future of brick-and-mortar stores. Online is taking over the world! Home Depot is among a number of companies that are leveraging their physical stores in a new online world.

A Brick and Mortar Institution

I am not sure where your organization sits, but the church has become a brick-and-mortar institution. There are some exceptions, but churches have buildings. Most church growth and marketing strategies (for those who have them) involve trying to get people to come to a place.

As I wrote about in my post, “Virtual Church, Are Online Digital Spaces Real Places,” the church has recently been rethinking what the “place” of church can look like. However, the thinking is still limited when it comes to embracing the new digital realm. It is still seen as a way to get someone to come to a place, even if the place has changed. Many other brick and mortar institution see the web in the same limited way. How can we use websites, social media, and other online tools to get people to come to us?

It’s All About Engagement

There is nothing wrong with inviting people to come to a place. However, as The Home Depot has learned, the physical place is not the only place to engage with people. They have also learned that the physical space and the digital space are different. There are things you can do in the physical space that you can’t do in the digital space and vice-versa. A true, effective strategy in this new digital world, embraces both and lets them work in harmony.

An Omnichannel Experience

Let’s say I am thinking of redoing the tile in my bathroom. (Which I am not. I have tiled a bathroom before and my knees told me to hire a professional next time.) I go to homedepot.com and type “tile” in the search bar.

Let’s look at the screenshot of this results page.

I go to this website a lot, so it remembers me. I can buy online but it is keeping me connected to my local store so I can check to see if something I want is in stock.

It reminds me that I can buy online and pick up at the store. If it is already in stock, I can usually pick it up the same day. If it is not in stock, they can usually get it within a couple of days.

Their online chat is always present and I have used it to ask questions about a product or get help finding something in stock nearby.

Oh yes, if I am new to this, and I want to do it myself, they will show me how.

If I scroll down a bit, I can see some examples of modern tile projects. This is a way to allow the website to expand upon what is possible in the store. It is also an attempt to attract people who are just looking for ideas.

Some more scrolling and we get the installation tutorial.

The Home Depot offers a four-part video series on prepping, setting, grouting, and caring for tiles. What is really great about this is that they offer this same training, but hands-on, in their stores. Think about how that is taking a “both/and” approach to brick-and-mortar and digital. The Home Depot wants to be the go-to place for home improvement whether you want to engage online or in-store.

The symbiotic relationship between physical and digital is apparent in the store as well. Signs remind customers that there are additional items available on the website. Announcements encourage visitors to download the app. The app, in addition to offering an online inventory, includes an in-store inventory. If I can’t find or don’t feel like talking to an associate, I can use my app to see if they have what I need and the exact aisle and bay where I can find it.

What about the Church?

Bear with me for a moment, while I talk about the church. Very few of them have made the jump to omnichannel. To make this same comparison, you might do some web searching in your organization's space. Maybe you already know someone doing this well. Take a look and compare and contrast with me.

From what I have seen, the church that has come closest to modeling the omnichannel approach is Life.Church. A clear indication of their commitment to this approach is their name. Life.Church is also their web address. Let’s look at their website.

Here is what I see:

The website immediately points to the church online.

This demonstrates the omnichannel approach featuring all physical locations and the online option as equals.

The online component is featured again through videos and podcasts.

The physical locations of the church are available right next to the online options.

A quick click of the “Menu” button in the top right corner drops down an even larger selection of resources.

You might want to go to Life.Church and click on some of these offerings. You will find a mix of resources and events that happen at physical locations alongside online and downloadable features. The objective is not simply to drive people to a church location but to encourage engagement and spiritual growth.

That is Great, But…

I know what you are thinking. Life.Church obviously has financial resources far beyond the average local church. Honestly, their organization is bigger than a lot of businesses out there. But remember, they didn’t start out this way. Life.Church started with 40 people in a garage.

The point of featuring The Home Depot and Life.Church is not to overwhelm you. This type of complex omnichannel presence is not something you can do overnight or even this year. But if your organization is going to thrive, you need to begin thinking about the way the world is changing. The Home Depot has. Toys ‘R’ Us did not.

Most of our churches and a whole lot of businesses have buildings. They are usually seen as a luxury or a burden. What if they were more? What if they could be a part of a strategy that embraced the brick and mortar and the digital?

What is the First Step?

What could be the first step for your organization? The Home Depot's offerings are overwhelming. But what is one thing you could offer online that could engage people where they are? Most of the time, it is giving something away in order to begin to build a relationship. Blogs can help people understand difficult concepts related to your field. If people engage with you that way, might they be more interested in what you offer down the road? Videos are easier than ever to produce. I recently saw a roofer in New Jersey who offered free videos showing simple repairs homeowners could tackle on their own. I imagine some of those people drop him a line when it is time for a professional.

But how about the bigger picture? What about finding ways to free up resources including money, staff, and even your own time to start thinking about and acting on strategies to move beyond the single channel way of doing things?

It may feel like a giant leap into the future. But, what about one tiny step?