In an age where ecommerce giants rule
the business world, is there a place for small business owners or are they just
tumbleweeds moving with the wind? Check out these strategies to boost sales and
build customer relationships by creating a local feel to your small online
business.
While big companies have taken the
lead in business for a long time, smaller operations have started to leverage
strategies to show big business that there’s a new sheriff in town. With
slogans like Keep Austin Local, Think Local, Homegrown, Rely Local and The
Localist, many cities and states are promoting their local businesses, and
for good reason.
Studies show that local businesses help
build a community in many different ways: providing extra
support to the community, reducing environmental impact, creating better jobs,
investing in the community, putting taxes to good use and encouraging local
prosperity. So what does being a local business represent? And more
importantly, how do you create an online business that shouts “I’m Local!”?
Having an online business can make
you global, but taking a local approach can be a more sustainable and lucrative
strategy in the long run. Here are three areas that can boost your local cred,
as well as some tips on how to improve them:
Your product is your passion
Expressing yourself as a local
business means being rooted in a love of your product, and using that love to
create trust and loyalty with your customers. Local businesses often specialize
in one specific product area due to knowledge, interest and devotion to a
product, and this focused enthusiasm is exactly what big companies tend to
lack. So don’t be shy! Brag about yourself, your products and why you chose
that specific business.
Here are a couple ways to promote
your passion:
o Give your customers a bio: Tell your
customers about yourself and your product. Tell them why you chose to start
your business and emphasize your passion behind it. This is your chance to
create a connection with your customers. Share your similarities with customers
who are thinking about investing in your product. Your goal is to create
customer relationships rather than inspire a one-time purchase.
o Let them know you’re the expert: Let your customers know how knowledgeable you are about your
products. Sharing your expertise and devotion gains a customer’s trust. You can
do this by including biographies of your skilled team members (while also
mentioning their local roots), adding photos of your team in the field and
keeping a newsletter with relevant and up-to-date product information.
o Promote products that are made locally: Where was your product made and how was it made? Are you making
custom products or was it made somewhere in the U.S.? Providing information on
where and how your product was made, especially if it’s a custom product, is a
big advantage. Big ecommerce companies usually don’t show their products’
original location or manufacturer, so know that customers appreciate and feel
secure when buying from a familiar and local manufacturer.
Utilize internet and email tools
Local businesses secure the majority
of customers from positive personal experiences in shop. When looking to
simulate the power of face-to-face interaction online, don’t fret: The internet
has your business covered. These internet tools and strategies will strengthen
your customer relationships and help display your interest toward your
customer’s happiness:
o Build hype through Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest: The internet is an ocean of tools for your online business, and
it’s up to you to use them. Just because you’re selling to customers across
state lines doesn’t mean you can’t provide them with local products. Use
Facebook and Twitter to promote new products and their development process with
examples like these: “Come see the new lineup of dresses created by our local
University fashion design graduates,” or “Check out our line of guitars made
from locally grown spruce and maple trees.” Create and post eye-catching boards
on Pinterest showing customers where you get your product from, who’s making it
and the unique process of how it’s made. If your customers can connect smiling
faces and alluring images to the product, it will turn the buying process into
a much more memorable experience.
o Get customers talking about your product: By now you’ve realized that showing your customers that you care
for them creates huge appeal toward your business. Creating product review
pages, a Q&A section, a blog or live chat page shows your customers that
they can get information directly from the owner. Although it’s tough to be
available for your customers 24×7, you can guarantee that their feedback will
be addressed and answered ASAP. This strategy helps you bond with your
customers and creates a personal and friendly experience for them. It
also strengthens your customer base; there’s no better way to increase brand
loyalty than by having a customer refer your product.
o Personalize your emails: Email can be used
for a wide variety of effective ecommerce strategies when tailored to meet your
customer’s needs, so be sure to use them to the fullest. Brand your
communications and make a couple references to your business’ locality, and
maybe even offer them promotional offers and coupons on local products after
you have a feel for what individual customers like.
Guarantee greatness
As a local business, another
advantage you have over ecommerce giants is something less concrete: a
guarantee. You can guarantee that each and every one of your products has been
inspected by someone who loves what they’re selling rather than someone who has
to meet a quota. Passion, confidence and quality assurance for your product all
revolve around a guarantee. Guaranteeing your product shows that you want
customer satisfaction.
Here are three reasons why product
guarantees will help give your online business that local vibe:
o A barrier to purchase is removed: Tasting, seeing and testing a product before you buy it pushes
most consumers to their point-of-purchase. As an online business, customers
only have the option to see photos and read descriptions of the product.
Provide a “100% Guarantee” image on your webpage. This shows confidence in your
product and assures customers that they can test the product before making a
final decision.
o Inspected by the owner: Providing an
x-point inspection to back your product builds assurance in your customers and
strengthens your selling power by personalizing the inspection. Include a
hand-signed inspection certificate from yourself or one of your trained expert
team members to ensure quality of your product and personalize the experience
by matching a name to it.
o They help promote strong business ethic: The web is a place where consumers are suspicious because they
can’t get hands-on experience with the product that they’re searching for. A
guarantee indicates that you’re more interested in providing customer value
rather than gaining profit. Even if a customer requests a product return, this
is an opportunity to build a relationship by showing your strong business
ethic. Be personable and stick to your word, and customers will appreciate the
fact that you’re in it for their best interest. In the long run, providing this
service can promote customer retention in what would have been a one-time
customer.
Promising a guarantee represents all
that is a local business. You’re delivering a product that you love selling and
making to a customer who will love using it just as much.
One of the biggest advantages of
buying from local businesses is that customers are contributing to the
community as a whole. If you buy local, then local will buy from you. This
notion helps weave and promote a big web of small businesses aimed at making
customers happy, rather than appearing like your focus is solely on profit.
Going up against the dominating ecommerce companies is tough, but as a
small online business you have a special set of skills that are unique to your
kind. By instituting passion, hard work and love for your product you can build
trust and strengthen customer relationships. By showing concern for your
customer’s happiness and being available for your customers, your online
business will flourish and be a prized addition to the selling power of going
local.
Happy selling!
-Akshay Raj, The Optima Kart
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