Buy Products Efficiently, Sell Services Profitably: The Growing Role of E-Commerce in Pest Management

We’ve become a nation of online buyers. Proof? Adobe reported record retail web sales on Black Friday ($3.34 billion) and Cyber Monday ($3.39 billion) 2016, representing year-over-year increases of 21.6 percent and 10.2 percent, respectively. Mobile sales represented about a third of these sales, breaking the $1 billion mark each day. One more stat: Nearly 10 million more Americans bought online (108.5 million) than in stores (99.1 million) over the 2016 Black Friday weekend, said the National Retail Federation.

Why is the shift to online buying relevant to the pest management industry and, more specifically, to your business? Two reasons: 
(1) People buy online because it’s fast and convenient. That holds true in business buying as well as personal buying. Are you taking advantage of the benefits of buying chemicals and other products online? 
(2) Many of the consumers who are shopping on Black Friday, Cyber Monday and 363 other days of the year are also great prospects for pest management services. Giving them the opportunity to buy and schedule your services online could lead to a significant boost in your business. 

Why More PMPs Are Buying Online. For many PMPs, and business people across industries, online purchasing begins with personal buying. That experience often leads to business buying. 

“The volume and demand of customers wanting to place orders online increases for us every year as people become more comfortable with e-commerce,” says Karl Kisner, vice president of marketing of global pest management distributor Univar Environmental Sciences. “This inspired us to incorporate new e-commerce capabilities into our Online Store, which we re-launched last March. Our new website ensures we meet the needs of every customer, whether a one-person company or a business with 1,000-plus trucks.” 

Kevin Burns, chief development officer for Atlanta-based Arrow Exterminators, a 1,600-truck organization, says that all of the company’s product purchases are made online — a dramatic shift from five or 10 years ago, when most purchases were made over the phone or in person at the warehouse. He says he appreciates that the Univar Online Store delivers products directly to each of Arrow’s 98 service centers. “Improvements in technology have increased convenience and sped up delivery times, making online buying the most efficient solution for us,” he explains. “In addition, all orders are confirmed in real time via email and/or tracking so we know what we are to receive and when it will be delivered. If a product is going to be delayed, we know right away and can make other arrangements.”

Jason Eicher’s company, Southlake, Texas-based Versacor Enterprises, buys 95 percent of its products online, with the other 5 percent purchased by phone and picked up in person. “We like the convenience, efficiency and accuracy of online purchasing,” Eicher says. “Rather than inventory materials, we have our service specialists place a monthly order with our branch administration team, who order the products through the Univar Online Store. Our service team associates pick up the orders from their local distributor or have them shipped directly to their local branch office. This process enables our branch administrators to ensure that our approved material list is current and that each order is consistent with the approved list.”

Other companies, like Ryno Pest Control in Snyder, Texas, use online buying selectively. “I still prefer human interaction — talking with my chemical representative — when I order products, because I have more of an opportunity to discuss current products and any new ones becoming available to the industry,” explains owner Ryan Colvin, who continues to purchase about 90 percent of the company’s chemicals by phone or in person. “I do appreciate the convenience of online shopping, though. I use it mostly after hours and on weekends.”

Why Customer Want to Buy Your Products Online. Online retail sales have experienced 14- to 17-percent growth each year since 2010, now standing at approximately $342 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The important millennial demographic is driving this shift, says the June 2016 UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper report, as 18- to 34-year-olds are making 54 percent of their purchases online, compared to 49 percent by non-millennials.

But really — buying pest control services online? You bet. Think about all of the people who really can’t call during the day, because they don’t want their colleagues to hear them on the phone talking about their cockroach issue or bed bug nightmares. If they can go to your competitor and order service online, don’t you think they’ll do that?

“We want to give potential customers every opportunity to do business with us,” says Bobby Jenkins, president of ABC Home & Commercial Services in Austin, Texas, who added “Click to Buy” functionality to his website several months ago. “If they want to order by phone or in person, we give them that option. But today we also have to cater to the person who wants to order service at 2 a.m. while sitting at home in their PJs. I believe wholeheartedly that the more convenient you make the experience, the higher the probability that you will become the customer’s vendor of choice.”