Online shopping has only intensified during the pandemic, where many people feel more comfortable shopping online than in-person. There’s no arguing with the convenience of online shopping – but wouldn’t you prefer they shopped your online store, instead of a big chain retailer? Read on to find out how you can take back your industry’s retail sales and bring in more passive income for your business!
Why Your Business Needs an Online Store to Compete
Believe it or not, your clients want to shop with your small business, instead of with a chain store! In a recent study, an overwhelming 93% of shoppers said they’d rather spend money with independent, local businesses like yours instead of online superstores. But to make those sales, you need to have an online store. Simply having a shop isn’t enough; you need to prioritize maintaining it.
Dedicate Time to Your Online Store
An online shop sounds like a lot of work for an already busy storefront, doesn’t it? The truth is, it’s easy! You don’t have to work very hard to get passive income from online shoppers, but you’ll definitely notice how it adds up to easy earnings. Here’s how to make your online store earn for you!
- Schedule a dedicated weekly block of “Virtual Shop” time for product updates and marketing.
- Spend time on product photos and descriptions, visiting manufacturer website for more detailed information.
- Organize your online store to make it easy for shoppers to find what they’re looking for, with your best-sellers situated at the top.
- Designate 2-3 days for packaging and shipping online sales.
3 Secret Weapons for Making More Online Sales
Speaking of passive income – you have three powerful secret sales boosters that you can immediately add to your store. Remember, the things shoppers want most this season are the 3 C’s: convenient, contactless, and cost-effective.
Product bundles give customers more bang for their buck – and allows you to move slow inventory from the shelves. Try pairing one hot seller with a few complementary slow movers and give customers added value while you make room for new products.
Curbside pickup appeals to customers who aren’t comfortable shopping in-store just yet – or customers in a hurry. This is also a great way to make an immediate sale and let the customer skip the shipping costs. Make sure to advertise on your online store “Skip the shipping – free curbside pickup for local purchases.”
Gift cards and digital gift certificates are the last-minute shopper’s saving grace – but they’re great for anytime shoppers, too. They’re a purchase that’s contactless from sale to redemption and can be spent however the recipient wishes. Even if the receiver never redeems them – your business gets the income immediately.
How to Market Your Retail Products Effectively
Create a monthly virtual product sales flyer to boost sales and attract new customers. Use your Vagaro email and text marketing to build, schedule, and send your holiday sales circular, then cross-post to social media to get more views. Make sure to include a CTA (Call to action) link that makes it easy for customers to shop directly from the flyer. For example, a brightly colored button under products that reads, “Buy Now.”
Team up with another local business to create irresistible packages that online shoppers don’t want to miss out on. The businesses don’t have to be related – in fact, teaming up with an unrelated business might even be an incentive to purchase. For example, you could create a “Girl’s Night In” package that includes face masks, conditioning treatments, and a discount code for take-out from a local restaurant.
Offer free shipping at a certain dollar threshold. The single biggest reason for online cart abandonment is unexpected extra fees, like taxes and shipping. Calculate the dollar threshold that makes it worthwhile to offer free shipping, that doesn’t cut into your bottom line. If you make the threshold too low, it can cut into profits, but if it’s too high, it might discourage sales. Remember, shoppers who know they’re getting free shipping are more likely to buy more, to get the most of their free shipping.
Your Online Store Is Part of Your Financial Future
Customers are looking for convenience, and the contactless experience of online shopping, but with the ability to support your small business, too. Your online store is an easy way to earn extra money without much extra work or having to carry more inventory. To survive in the future of retail, you’ve got to have an online store. Because the plain fact of the matter is this: if shoppers can’t find your online store, they’re going to buy their products somewhere else.
Building and maintaining your online store is a snap with Vagaro’s online cart. From marketing and payment processing to product shipping, we’ve got everything you need to get your online store up and earning for you in no time. Best of all: you get to keep 100% of your online sales – Vagaro charges no commissions for your online sales!
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