Q: How do you retain repeat business once the customer knows the site to go to and get paid if they go to the brick and mortar store, where you don’t get paid?
A: As far as repeat business, you need to create some sort of community or other value proposition that will give people a reason to come back to your site.
Maybe reviews of the products you’re featuring or some other unique angle that is compelling to visitors.
If your site merely exists as a go-between, nobody wants you or needs you. Don’t offer up a hurdle… offer up a solution.
Put yourself in a consumer’s shoes and think about whether you’d see any reason to return to your site. Does it add any value to the process? Is there any good reason to be there before moving on to the merchant site?
If you determine the answer is no, just nuke that site and start over.
And if they want to go to the brick and mortar store, there isn’t much you can do, aside from setting them up for a better experience. Accentuate convenience and cost savings by going through you.