This is how to generate more showroom visits in the kitchen sector

Nobody buys a kitchen on impulse. It's a decision that takes months, during which people explore, compare, hesitate and only then visit a showroom. If your kitchen business only becomes visible at that final moment, you've already missed most of your potential customers. In this blog, we show how to guide the entire buying journey, from first inspiration to showroom appointment.

Your customer doesn't start with you. They start on Pinterest.

That's almost always how it goes. Someone decides their kitchen is due for replacement. Not replaced today, but sometime in the next twelve months. They open Pinterest. Search for 'modern kitchen inspiration'. Save twenty photos. Close Pinterest.

Three weeks later, they search Google: 'how much does a new kitchen cost on average?' They read two articles. Close Google.

Another month later, they type: 'kitchen studio Amsterdam showroom appointment'. Now they're ready to visit a showroom.

That whole journey takes six to twelve months. Most kitchen businesses only advertise at that final moment, at high cost per click, in a market full of competitors doing the same.

If you only advertise at the end point, you pay top price for a customer your competitors could just as easily have won. If you guide the whole journey, you already have a relationship by the time they arrive at the showroom.

Stage 1: inspiration. This is where the relationship begins.

For the kitchen sector, Instagram and Pinterest aren't optional channels. They're the starting point of the customer journey. Atmospheric videos of different kitchen styles, a tour of your showroom, an explanation of the difference between a straight kitchen and an L-shaped kitchen.

Meta Ads at this stage aren't meant to generate an appointment straight away. They're meant to link your name to the style and feeling the customer already has. So that when they're ready three months later, you're the first name that comes to mind.

Stage 2: comparison. This is where you win or lose.

In the comparison stage, the customer is actively looking for information. 'How much does a kitchen cost?', 'difference between a made-to-measure kitchen and an IKEA kitchen', 'which materials are the most sustainable?' If you're visible here with useful content, you build trust.

SEO is the channel that works best here: articles and pages that answer the questions people ask at this stage. No sales talk. Real information.

Supplemented with Google Ads on comparison keywords. 'Compare kitchen brands', 'made-to-measure kitchen vs IKEA cost'. People who type this are actively working on their decision. Being visible at that moment, with a page that makes that comparison honestly, is more valuable than ten ads at the end point.

Stage 3: decision. Now every second counts.

In the decision stage, the customer is ready. They want a showroom appointment. They type 'kitchen studio [your city]' or 'book a kitchen showroom appointment'. This is the moment for targeted Google Ads on decision keywords, with a direct link to a page where they can easily book an appointment. Not to the homepage. Not to a general page about kitchens. To a page that does one thing: arrange the appointment.

At this moment, the landing page is the difference between an appointment and a customer who chooses the competition after all. One clear headline, atmospheric but fast-loading photos of your showroom, a prominent button to book an appointment. No distractions, no menu of options, no scrolling. The appointment button is at the top.

The retargeting layer almost nobody uses

This is the layer with the highest ROAS, and the layer most retailers skip. People who have visited your website but haven't bought anything already know your brand. They've shown interest. They've had doubts or been distracted.

A targeted retargeting ad that reminds them of what they viewed, combined with a small trigger (limited availability, free shipping, a small discount), still wins over a large share of those visitors. At a fraction of the cost of attracting new visitors.

Retargeting is the answer for the customer who was almost ready but didn't call after all. A targeted ad that reminds them of your showroom, at the moment they're scrolling Instagram or reading the news again. No pushy offer. Just your name, your style, your showroom. So that the next time they're ready, you're still at the top of their list.

Bridging the long decision period with email

Someone who leaves their details on your website today won't buy a kitchen for another four months. During that time, you can stay silent or stay present. A well-designed email sequence keeps the relationship warm. Inspiration content per kitchen type, practical information about the buying process, an invitation for a showroom visit when the time is right. Not a sales email every week. But regular, relevant messages that make sure yours is the name they remember.

AI already knows which kitchen someone wants before they come to you

ChatGPT and Google Gemini are increasingly used in the exploration stage. 'Which kitchen style suits a modern flat?', 'what are the pros and cons of a composite worktop?'. If you're mentioned in those answers, you have an advantage no ad can buy.

GEO makes sure your name and expertise are picked up by AI tools in the exploration stage. It's the earliest step in the customer journey, and almost nobody in the Dutch kitchen sector is actively working on it yet.

What we see in practice

Kitchen studios with structurally full diaries advertise across the entire journey. They're present in the inspiration stage via Meta Ads. They win the comparison stage via SEO and informative content. They convert the decision stage via targeted Google Ads with a strong landing page. And they keep warm contacts active via email until they're ready.

Curious how DGTLbase approaches this for the retail sector? View our approach to retail marketing or get in touch directly.