Many retailers are now having a hard time hitting their targets due to the convenience that eCommerce stores have to offer to consumers. Add the fact that the pandemic made people turn to online shopping. With more consumers doing their shopping online and demanding their purchases to be delivered instead, retail owners are now scrambling to find ways, so they can start competing with these online stores.
If you intend on fighting these online stores head-on, then you don’t want to make the following mistakes.
You Let Your Fear Stop You from Selling Online
Some business owners let their fear of the unknown stop them from achieving greater business results. For instance, many retailers are afraid to start selling online because they don’t have an idea of how it works, what to expect, and how to make it happen. Others are afraid of how much money they need to invest in before they can start selling and marketing online. The good news is, setting up and marketing an eCommerce store is now made even easier.
For one, you can use other eCommerce alternatives if you are not ready to start and your own separate online store just yet. You can choose to sell on Craig’s List, on a Facebook storefront, or even sign up on eBay. If you want your own store, you can outsource services to build your eCommerce store from scratch. You can even hire an eCommerce VA to manage and grow your store and digital marketing company to take care of your online marketing.
If you’re worried about deliveries, you can hire a reliable road freight service provider to take care of the shipping. You can find insured services that allow you to claim compensation in case of a delivery mishap. A quick internet research can help you find some of the best road freight providers in your area. You can add same-day shipping options to your consumers to entice them to buy from your store and eliminate the long wait.
You Don’t Keep up with the Latest Trends
Brick-and-mortar stores have one advantage over eCommerce stores. And that is your physical store. You may think people would rather do their shopping online just because it is more convenient to do so. But what many retail store owners fail to realize is that there are still many consumers who want the best of both worlds.
Large numbers of consumers belonging in Generation X, millennials, and Generation Y both prefer online shopping and in-store experiences. BOPIS or Buy Online, Pick Up in Store is this new hot trend where consumers shop and pay for their purchases online. But instead of choosing a shipping option, they are given the option to pick up their orders to a local store location. Just imagine how happy your local consumers will be if you start offering buy online and pick up in-store services. You can catch the attention of these three large consumer groups and also increase the foot traffic at the same time.
The same goes for improving your customer’s shopping experience. Once you start selling your products online, make sure you get to keep a lasting first impression by improving their checkout experience. Don’t simply lure customers to add items to their cart and leave them hanging during checkout. If you still force customers to sign up before letting them complete a purchase, you can experience tons of abandoned carts instead of boosting your conversions.
Your Social Media Marketing Needs a Makeover
Many companies started marketing their brand online by creating business pages on different social media sites. But simply putting your brand on such platforms and posting a few ads here and there won’t do much in boosting your retail store’s success. You will need to step up your social media marketing game if you want to achieve better conversions.
For one, it is not enough that you stick to a single channel. Check what social media sites your target audiences are using and spread your online presence on these sites. Take into consideration the best practices recommended for each site and keep an eye on your competitor’s marketing stunts. If you find it hard to do SMM on your own, consider letting the pros handle your social media marketing for you.
It can be hard to compete with online stores. But it is never an impossible task. Use your advantage in gaining new customers and keep your eyes on the latest online marketing trends. Don’t be afraid to start selling online and make sure to think about boosting customer experience. Also, use social media to your advantage.
