Thank goodness for the advancement in online technology in these unprecedented times! How many of us have felt thankful for Zoom, Google Meet, Google Hangout & Houseparty (to name just a few) just to feel connected with our peers/loved ones & network groups??
Whether you’ve always been trading online, maybe new to ecommerce altogether or simply need a boost as to how to drive more sales online, as an Independent Retail Consultant, I can assure you this advice will help improve and strengthen your online presence & make your brand stand out!
These FIVE Tips will not only help improve your SEO, increase brand awareness & ultimately drive sales, but my particular focus for you is to spend some crucial time rebooting, refreshing & redefining who you are & what it is you do. And to be honest, I cant think of a more perfect time to re-emerge stronger from this dire situation we have all been forced into; giving time to shed the old & recreate the new. I certainly have spent time recently digging deep into what it is I am doing, how I present myself & what I could do to enhance my offer.
September will be the start of the biggest trading period in the year as we dare to approach second half towards Christmas!
So I recommend having a go at making some impactful changes regarding how you present yourself online NOW, so that you become the go-to for when the gifting season arises and/or if we’re all at home again for a second wave – yiiiiikes! you’ll have done the hard slog of reworking your online presence & be ready for the festive flurry!
1. Your brand journey & creative process
Be open – even more so now - talk about your brand journey – people are there to listen and they are interested in what you have to say. Make it relevant to your creative journey – what inspires & influences you to either make/sell what you do.
The creative process – how long does it take to make/put together – how do you do it? Show it!
Always relate your narrative to your creative process, the how & the why.
You can use Instagram to tell your story, its part of your ‘sales pitch’ to entice the customer to come to your website and purchase or to message you with an enquire to buy.
Shout about the nuances in your work.
Share how long it takes to make something, be informative & confidently educate.
Sometimes the simplest ‘did you know…’ triggers a purchase.
Remember, its obvious to you what you do but not so much to the prospective customer.
2. Focus on you – the reason why you started the brand – people love to buy into the person behind the brand.
Be bold & put up a pic of yourself on IG – why is it so important to you to do what you do & how you came to get into it. Talk about your passion, how you started in the first place, whats changed maybe because of lifestyle choices.
There’s not always a need for an emotional outpour – but if you think its relevant & it appeals to your customers (after all, some people like the full-on account & detail), then go for it, share! (but don’t feel like you need to if its not who you are).
Be authentic! The customer wants to engage in something real so they can associate it to their purchase.
3. Product features & benefits
There are so many brands doing similar things but WHY is your product the best? What makes your product so amazing?
Why should the customer choose YOUR product?
Be confident in educating people. DON’T BE SHY!
Now’s the chance to really focus on your product information highlighting the uniqueness of your brand & products.
Eg Did you know that xxx helps with…..
What is your USP….? Detail ingredients, colours, scents, textures…Try using language that explains its originality as follows:
Eg “So soft it feels like….”and “we chose this fabric because….”
“We love this product sitting so well with xxx product…”
“Our feature product this week is xxxx because xxx”
“We chose this design feature because…. “
Your knowledge of why your product is so great really allows you to stand out from the crowd!
4. Testamonials – you need them! Find the courage to ask your customers for a few sentences to share their experience of buying from you. Ask for reviews on specific products or services and link with the product page.
Offer a mini prize draw for their contribution on a certain product, one of my former clients, Brighton Beard Co do this so well. Create a promo offer for a review. Be creative in trying to get feedback as this could be the deal breaker for a sale from someone new!
Use your newsletter to collate reviews/responses to your services.
5. Be customer- centric. Is your website customer-centric? When it comes to selling online, it’s imperative you aim to give your customer a positive experience when purchasing.
How well do you know your customer & are you speaking to them in a tone they recognise & can relate to? It’s one thing to have a fab product, but another to sell it to the customer you think will need it/love it/want it!
Is your customer journey smooth & it’s easy to purchase?
Connect & engage with your customers! Are you sure you know who they are? It’s worth spending time getting to know your customer in order to make them feel special with offers, prizes, tips & be sure to keep them up to date with everything you do via newsletters & social media.
Building this strong bond & relationship will help maintain trust in your brand. If you know who you are targeting, you’ll know what they want before they even know it!
Create a customer profile! An invaluable and vital tool to have and utilise throughout your business.
Lockdown has been a shock to the system & catastrophic for so many different businesses of various products & services. Within my retail remit, I really want to try & turn the negative into a positive for many makers & brands by encouraging you to challenge yourselves & use this time wisely, tweaking, trialling & strengthening your online presence.
Be confident to initiate conversations and use communicating your whole story as part of the selling process.
You will be amazed at the response you will get!
GO FOR IT!!!!
I’m here to help with further guidance if you need support in achieving any of the above tasks. I work closely with brands of all sizes to help drive their online sales & brand presence. If you would like a more tailored approach to redefining who you are as a maker, brand or retailer, then I would love to chat about how we can make that difference together. Simply drop me a line and we can discuss options of ways of working.