Setting Yourself Apart from Competitors with Your Small Business
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The internet is a highly competitive sales arena. Think about it this way. Say you drove 20 minutes to get to a store and then spent an additional 25 minutes shopping in the store to find what you need. When you get up to the checkout counter you ask if the store can gift wrap the items for you and include a personalized note. If the clerk says no, odds are you aren’t going to put the items back, jump in your car and head off to another store that does gift wrap after you have already spent so much time and energy at this store.
Online is a very different playing field. A person can arrive at your site in a matter of seconds instead of 20 minutes. The can quickly browse around your site and see a) if there is anything they want to buy and b) if you offer services like gift wrapping or shipping to another address. If they are shopping for a gift for someone who lives in another part of the country and they see that you don’t gift wrap, they may just click away from your site and quickly find someone else who does.
That’s obviously just a hypothetical example, but the point I am trying to make is that in the online marketplace you need to go above and beyond to stand apart from your competitors. You need to think of every need your customers may have and provide a solution for them. You need to make their shopping experience with you something that they will remember so they will come back and shop with you again and again.
Following are some suggestions of services that you can provide that your competition may not:
1. Gift Wrapping and Gift Shipping
You can either charge for this service (a small amount) or offer it for free.
2. Same Day Shipping
If you know you will be shipping everyday, be sure to put that on your website. People don’t want to wait around forever for a package, so if they know you will ship it the day they order it they will be more likely to place the order.
3. Shipping Choices
Offer customers a choice of shipping methods. For instance, if you ship through the post office, you can let them choose First Class Mail, Priority Mail, or Express Mail so they can get the package when they need it. Be sure to charge enough for shipping to cover your costs, but don’t overcharge on shipping (many stores do) as a way to try to earn extra money. High shipping charges will drive customers away in droves.
Another idea is if your item is small enough and doesn’t cost much to ship you can offer free shipping for First Class Mail. You can add the cost of the shipping into the price of the item (usually around $0.70 for small items) and people will still think they are getting great deal with free shipping.
4. Pretty Packaging
This is less for getting first-time buyers and more for turning those first-time buyers into repeat buyers. When you ship an item package it nicely. Wrap it in pretty tissue paper. Maybe put it in a small organza bag before you pack it (they are really cheap but look classy), or come up with some unique way of packing your items that makes them fun to open. If people feel like they are getting an indulgent gift when they shop from you, they’ll likely come back when they feel like treating themselves again. Plus, it increases the perceived value of your merchandise because you took the time to package it so carefully and prettily.
5. Excellent Customer Service
If a customer emails you with a question, answer the email right away. Always keep customers updated on the status of their order. Send an email confirming your received their payment, and then send another email (with tracking info if possible) to let them know their item has shipped. Because people can’t meet you in person, it is important to make them feel that they can trust you and that they are placing their order with a “good person” any way you can.
6. Content is Everything
Your goal is not just to get people to your website, but to get them to stick around at your website for awhile. The longer they stay, the more likely they are to purchase something. This is called making your website “sticky”. If you do it right, it also means that people may just come back for your content time and again and wind up purchasing from you while they are there.
Some ideas for sticky content: interesting articles, quizzes, tips on choosing jewelry for their face shape or body shape/size, jokes or games, fashion trend reports, etc. With everything you add to your website, try to tie it in to your products somehow. You want your website content to act as a funnel, pointing your customer always in the direction of making a sale, but without making them feel like they are being sold to. Check out a site like http://www.alloy.com for ideas on how to accomplish this.
Brainstorm some other ideas of what you might like from a store when you are shopping online, or of things that would make you feel special after you had purchased an item and make you want to buy more. Make an effort to include those things in the shopping experience you provide for your customers and you will make lifelong customers.