Give customers more options with online alternatives. Add links to online stores, delivery services like Instacart or DoorDash, or your own e-commerce website. These appear in your widget alongside location results, giving customers a way to shop online no matter where they search.
On This Page
- How Online Alternatives Work
- Adding an Online Alternative
- Targeting by Region
- Filtering by Tags
- Customizing the Widget Tab
- Use Cases
How Online Alternatives Work
When you add online alternatives, they appear in your locator widget in two places:
-
Alongside location results: When a search returns nearby locations, customers see tabs to switch between "Nearby Locations" and "Online Options". They can view physical stores or browse online shopping options.
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In the no-results area: When a search returns no nearby locations, your online alternatives appear below the no-results message. This gives customers a way to purchase even when no physical stores are nearby.
Online alternatives are perfect for:
- Linking to major retailers that carry your products (Amazon, Target, Walmart)
- Showing delivery services like Instacart, DoorDash, or Uber Eats
- Directing customers to your own online store
- Providing region-specific e-commerce options
Adding an Online Alternative
- Go to Online Alternatives in your dashboard
- You'll see the "Add New Online Store" form at the bottom of the page
- Fill in the fields:
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | The display name customers will see (e.g., "Shop on Amazon") |
| URL | Yes | The link where customers go when they click |
| Icon | No | Upload a logo or icon for visual recognition |
| Region | No | Limit this option to specific countries or regions |
| Priority | No | Control display order (higher numbers appear first) |
| Tags | No | Link to existing location tags for filter-based display |
- Click Add Online Store
Your new alternative appears immediately in the list and will show in your widget.
Uploading an Icon
Icons help customers recognize brands at a glance. To add an icon:
- Click Upload in the icon column
- Select a PNG, JPEG, or WebP image (max 2MB)
Use square images with transparent backgrounds for best results.
Priority and Ordering
The priority field controls the order in which alternatives appear. Alternatives with higher priority numbers appear first. If two alternatives have the same priority, they appear in the order they were added.
For example, if you want your own online store to always appear first, give it a priority of 10 while leaving others at 0.
Targeting by Region
Not all online options are available everywhere. You can limit alternatives to specific countries or regions so customers only see relevant options.
Setting a Region
- In the Region field, select a country from the dropdown
- For countries with states or provinces, a second dropdown appears to narrow it further
- Leave both empty for "Global" (shown everywhere)
When a customer searches your locator, Storepoint detects their search location and only shows alternatives that match. For example:
- An alternative set to "United States" only appears for searches in the US
- An alternative set to "Texas" only appears for searches in Texas
- An alternative with no region set appears for all searches worldwide
Region Targeting Examples
Here are some common ways to use region targeting:
Country-specific retailers: Link to Amazon.com for US searches and Amazon.co.uk for UK searches.
Regional delivery services: Show Instacart in regions where they operate and hide it elsewhere.
Local e-commerce: Direct Canadian customers to your Canadian store with local currency and shipping.
Filtering by Tags
If you use filters and tags in your locator, you can connect alternatives to specific tags. When customers apply filters, only alternatives matching their selected tags will appear.
Connecting Tags to Alternatives
- Look for the Tags field when adding or editing an alternative
- Select from your existing location tags using the dropdown
- Add multiple tags if needed by selecting additional ones
The alternative will only appear when a customer has selected at least one of the linked tags in their filter. If an alternative has no tags, it appears for all filter combinations.
Example: Product-Specific Online Options
A food brand might have locations tagged with "Organic", "Gluten-Free", and "Vegan". They could create alternatives like:
- "Buy Organic Online" linked to the "Organic" tag
- "Gluten-Free Shop" linked to the "Gluten-Free" tag
When a customer filters for "Organic" locations, they see the organic-specific online alternative. When they filter for "Gluten-Free", they see the gluten-free shop instead.
Customizing the Widget Tab
You can customize how the online alternatives tab appears in your widget.
Tab Icon
Change the icon that appears next to the tab label:
- Go to Online Alternatives
- Find the Widget Tab Settings panel on the right
- Select an icon from the dropdown (Shopping Cart, Globe, Truck, Store, and more)
- Your selection saves automatically
Tab Label
To change the text label (defaults to "Online Options"):
- Go to Widget Settings → Phrases
- Find the "Online Alternatives Title" phrase
- Enter your preferred text (e.g., "Shop Online", "Delivery Options", "Buy Now")
- Save your changes
Use Cases
- Delivery services: Link to Instacart, DoorDash, Uber Eats, or Grubhub. Use region targeting to show only services that deliver to each area.
- Major retailers: Connect to Amazon, Target, Walmart, or other retailers that carry your products.
- Your own store: Feature your e-commerce site with the highest priority so it appears first.
- International stores: Direct customers to region-specific stores with local currency and shipping.
Next Steps
- Set up filters and tags to connect alternatives with filter options
- Use Spotlight to show custom messages when no locations are found