The online strategy helping newsagents win sales locally and interstate

Last year, newsXpress launched an integrated online strategy through multiple websites that are directly connected back to newsxpress businesses and promoted on Facebook and other social media platforms. The websites are also structured to appear high on Google and other rankings.

The websites are brand-focussed. That is, they promote the brand of the products ahead of the business name, as this is what people search for online.

The strategy was developed based on comprehensive research.

The result has been extraordinary. Each of the websites is generating new foot traffic in-store as well as online sales. People use the sites to find local stores with stock as well as to purchase online.

Daily, there are excellent sales where the goods are being shipped interstate to people who would otherwise have never purchased from the participating retailer.

While this is a newsXpress initiative for newsXpress members, the project demonstrates what is possible for locally owned tech-connected small business retailers. It proves  small business newsagents can be data compliant and they can be tech-enabled in a world class way.

I make this point about compliance and being tech-enabled as too often suppliers to the channel say newsagents are not compliant and not tech-enabled. My argument to them over the years has been give newsagents a commercial reason.

This integrated online strategy provides a compelling reason, and it works.

In one case, a newsagency located ten hours by road from the nearest capital city did more than $5,000 in sales online is a few weeks, to people who have never been to the shop and will never visit the shop, without spending a cent on extra stop, with 100% of freight costs covered, delivering bonus bottom line profit. This in a town challenged economically.

How 1,100 new customers found local newsXpress stores.

Over the last six weeks, more than 1,100 new customers purchased online from local newsXpress stores, spending tens of thousands of dollars. Already, some have been back to make more purchases.

In many cases, the new customers are interstate from the newsXpress store that fulfilled the order.

Half of the purchases were made when the shops were closed.

Customers happily paid packing and shipping costs.

People purchased to have goods delivered to them, delivered as a gift for someone else or to be held in-store for them to pick up.

This e-commerce strategy from newsXpress offers a genuine omnichannel retail experience.

newsXpress has five websites attracting new shoppers for newsXpress members. The group will launch more in 2016. The online sale process for newsXpress members is easy, structured and certain.

Here is what four of our newsXpress members have to say:

• The online strategy from newsXpress is amazing. I am shocked at how many sales I am getting for my suburban Melbourne shop. People are buying from us from all over Australia. And plenty of local people are finding out about our shop from the website too. This has changed my business. Katherine Yeunh, newsXpress Brandon Park (VIC).
• We are thrilled to win thousands of dollars of sales to people who live interstate. The newsXpress online strategy is helping us find new customers and increase the value of our regional Victoria based newsagency. David Brakey. newsXpress Bairnsdale (VIC).
• I have just sent off a $192.88 value order from my country town newsXpress business to Kew in Victoria. This online strategy is helping my small business find new customers I could never have found by myself. I love how easy this is working for me. Paige Noonan. newsXpress Minlaton (SA).
• Wow! The newsXpress online strategy has been an extraordinary boost to my business in regional Queensland. New sales every day to people who live interstate. But better still the website more locals find us. This is a winner for us. Narelle Cooper. newsXpress Walkerston (QLD).

The newsXpress online strategy is leading edge. There is nothing like it in Australia. The strategy links newsXpress stores, real time, to online sites that are at the top of Google searches. Through this newsXpress is putting newsXpress businesses from all over Australia in front of as many eyeballs as the big end of town.

Footnote: I am a Director of newsXpress Pty Ltd.