Online Sales
Two central Victorian businesswomen – Suzanne Carroll from Cool Clutch and Elise Brown from Fair Dinkum Dogs - who sell their products primarily online, came together for a cuppa and a chat to share their experiences and some great tips.
Watch this 35 minute video or read a summary of the key points below.
A few stats to get us thinking:
Online sales are growing at an even faster pace than ever. It is here to stay!
Most online sales take place on a mobile device. Make sure your platform views well on a smart phone.
Social Media is an effective way to reach customers world wide
There are choices when it comes to platforms!
Which platform?
Having used multiple platforms in the past both Suzanne and Elise agreed that Shopify is the best when it comes to retail (can also be used for services). It has heaps of support, is easy to use, and has lots of plug ins.
Suzanne created a Shopify store in 24 hours. ‘It is so much easier in the back end, to make discount codes and create orders. ‘They’ve nailed how to work a website and I absolutely love it.’ It integrates so well; it steps you through everything and is really user friendly. You can do it yourself and don’t need to pay a programmer to do everything for you.’
Elise loves Shopify’s support not always found on other platforms. ‘At 10.30pm at night I can be watching a how-to video or chatting to a Shopify person through chatbox messaging.’ She also loves the way it connects. ‘If all your products are on Shopify you can connect to eBay and Amazon. It’s a simple 10 minute set up process. One advert goes out to so many sources. The connectivity is great.’
Elise is also excited about the future. ‘At the moment they are experimenting with new things like pointing your camera at the boot of the car and it will tell you if it will fit the pram you are looking at buying!’
While Shopify is currently number one in the world with over 1 million users, there are still many other options and it is horses for courses. With minimal sales and lots of promotional images, Kerry uses Squarespace. Rebecca is happy with WooCommerce.
Tech Support
Trust in your website designer essential but beware their recommendation towards a platform that is simply what they are familiar with. Ensure they will be with you for the long haul and will be available when things go wrong. Nothing worse than customers trying to buy and a glitch in the system.
Maintaining
Don’t start an online platform and expect it to work itself. You still have to live and breathe your business, even an online one.
There is no end destination in creating an online platform. It is a continuing journey as you tweak it, add to it, and create content.
Attracting customers
The less steps there are for a customer, the more likely you are to end up with a sale.
Speed of your page loading is crucial for customers. Anything more than 2 seconds is too long. If programmers put in too many plug ins it can slow down the site.
There are so many different ways to bring customers to your website. Facebook Ads, Google Ads, while others like Rebecca work the social media groups and relevant pages, ie. Australian Made.
Fees on transactions are expenses to build into your budget but, while 5% may be considered high by some people, it is nothing compared to 50% wholesale if your goods are sold through a physical shop front.
Being a spokesperson for your brand is important says Suzanne. People want to buy a brand they know and love, agrees Elise.
You are the face of your brand Kerry reminded everyone. Be your authentic self. Tell your truthful story. A big selling point. Doesn’t have to be professional. People love it.
Teams are essential says Suzanne. ‘You can’t be everything. Know your weaknesses and employ help.’ But Elise cautions, even with a professional team in place, you have to keep your hands on the wheel otherwise things can go wrong. Yes, Suzanne agrees. ‘You know your business best.’
Understanding what works with what is important. Facebook and Instagram have preferred plug ins but don’t work well with competitors like You Tube.
Facebook SHOPS has been announced by Facebook. Purchase through Facebook and Instagram. Launched in the USA and soon coming to Australia. Payment will be enabled. Existing SHOP goes through to your website.
Obviously, a ploy to keep us on Facebook rather than going to external websites but brings us back to the fact that the less steps for customers, the more likely to make a sale.
Facebook Live With’ another great tool Elise is looking forward to trying.
Elise uses Canva to custom create images of products for Shopify. 2048 square size for shopify, import photo, delete existing background and make it a nice white background. This is a Pro service, not the free service. Suzanne uses Photoshop.
Rebecca from Leroy Mac Designs shared how most of her sales are generated through Facebook. Consistently commenting and plugging her name. It takes time though.
Amy from CohunaCo talked about the value of Facebook Live Video – 100 percent converted. No-one likes doing it but it is so engaging. Lunch times with locals segment every Friday has been the most fun, rough as guts, a bit of banter, engaged a wide audience. 1-2k views and we only have a population of 2k. Messages from all over the world.
Payment Options
Some customers are wary of providing their credit card details and prefer a safe payment option that they are familiar with. They often pick one and stick with it. TRUST is important when it comes to making a sale and there is evidence that customers pull out of a sale when their option is not provided. For that reason Elise offers a variety of payment platforms.
Upskilling Yourself
‘Don’t stress about earning a dollar for every hour you work. Like a nurse going to a university we also have to train ourselves,’ says Elise. ‘We have to keep learning and keep innovating. A lot of it is free, but we still have to put the time in to educate ourselves as well as create content. It all takes time and I am forcing myself not to feel guilty.’
Watch videos on You Tube and do online tutorials to learn how to do stuff. You can do it!
ASBAS Australian Small Business Advisory Service - $55 fee to get unlimited webinars recommended by Suzanne and Amy. Two free hours of mentoring with an expert of your choice as well. Business Resilience Program 4 hours of free virtual mentoring at present.
Digital Champions Grant – Federal program (currently not open).
Facebook Gift Guide – accessed through the Digital Champions program. 30 businesses Australia wide to profile in the lead up to Christmas.
Facebook Community Boost – Instagram. Tell people who you are and what you do advises Rebecca. Helps you get selected for these opportunities.
Elise recommends applying for the Facebook Boost Leaders Network for entrepreneurs
Everyone was thanked for their thoughts and contributions to what was a really interesting session.
‘I don’t have any products to sell but I want to get a Shopify site after listening tonight,’ Amy laughed. Her aim is to share this knowledge with her local business community.
Robyn from Beehave spoke about her next challenge being to attract customers to her newly established Shopify website and is encouraged that she will have to step out of her comfort zone. She is looking forward to linking the platform to other selling platforms.
KERRY ANDERSON: Founder of the Operation Next Gen program and author of ‘Entrepreneurship: It’s Everybody’s Business,’ Kerry works with small businesses and rural communities to help them embrace new opportunities. In 2018 she was named as one of Australia’s Top 50 Regional Agents of Change. READ MORE