Facebook notes on your business page your responsiveness to messages. People notice this. Being more responsive can win your more business.
Last week we posted about a new item on Facebook, with a link to a web page with more details and images of the item including a video. At 9pm that night, hours after the store had closed for the day, someone messaged us with a query. Our quick response won us a $200 sale and brought someone to the shop the next day, the first time they had shopped with us.
While we appreciate downtime to be with loved-ones and recharge, in retail today, more than ever before, downtime is less of an option if you want to win business when people want to shop.
It is not so long ago when we were debating retail trading in Australia. Without regulatory consideration, without political involvement, we now have 24/7 trading.
If you business is not accessible 24/7 you are 100% missing out on revenue. I say that with certainty based on the data I see for my businesses and for newsXpress businesses. You may be okay with that, and that is cool.
There are several types of 24/7 online purchases.
- Pure online with delivery to the customer or the person they are buying for.
- Online purchase and in-store pickup – this is click and collect.
- Online research, direct message to the store and arrangement to purchase but not through the website.
- Online research, making a decision to purchaase and then in-store visit to purchase over the counter.
Each of these is valuable. Each requires a website that is easily found and a social media presence connected to the website. In fact, multiple websites work even better but that is a topic for another day.
The thing is, online sales are growing at a rapid rate. In some newsagency related categories they are growing at a rate faster that any I speak with think. There are ways to use technology to engage with the online shopper 24/7.
Too many small business retailers think of a website serving their local area or the shoppers they see already. The reality is the real value of a website (or websites) is the people you sell to who would otherwise have no contact with your business. This is where retail businesses in small population locations can overachieve for their area. It is ow you can achieve a better return on inventory investment that merely by opening the doors of your shop.
Yes, this means being accessible during what would often be down-time. This is vital if you want to win business when people want to shop, if you want to maximise the profitability of your retail business.
Yes how time has flown and things have changed in the last 5-10years. I am noticing more and more an educated customer walking in (probably due to the research comment above) and have adjusted trading hours to be later in the day and longer on weekends to cater for this shift.
It is a very different marketplace Joe. Accessibility is key. I woke up this morning to $275.00 in overnight purchases. The goods have been paid for before they leave the shop vis post today. Sweet.