Customer Service Is Important Before And After A Sale

We recently introduced you to Matthew Phillips, owner of Essential Wonders, a burgeoning online coffee business with $500,000 in annual sales.  Besides immense product knowledge, Matthew prides himself on his store’s customer service, not only before a sale but after.  “We want to make sure every customer is 100% satisfied,” says Matthew.

Low prices, free shipping

First things first.  Essential Wonders offers low prices and free shipping on everything it sells through its web store. 

Warranty policy

Besides promising free lifetime technical support, Essential Wonders does in-house repairs.  “If a product breaks in six months, most companies will tell you to call the manufacturer.  Essential Wonders is an authorized repair facility for every product we carry.  If you buy a coffee maker, and six months later it breaks, I have the authority to repair it and send it back to you.  We’ll replace it or send you the part, or if it needs to get back to the manufacturer, we’ll call and arrange it for you.”

Immediate service

“My name is right on the storefront, so people can call and ask to speak to me directly.  If there’s a problem I want people to know that they can get to us right away.”

Feedback

"We tell every customer to call us back and tell us how he liked the product and what we should change. We say, 'I don’t want you to be a one-time customer, I want you to come back and buy from me.  We want lifelong customers.'  And the amount of thanks we get is incredible.  People know we’re taking care of them.”  

Drive Sales with Customer Reviews

Matthew Phillips, owner of Essential Wonders, tried three different web store solutions before he finally found ProStores.  Since 2006, he’s stuck with eBay's ecommerce software because of its “price, versatility, and ease of use,” he says.

One easy, versatile add-on tool Matthew recommends is PowerReviews Express - the same product review software used by big retailers, like REI, Brookstone, and Toys “R” Us, to collect and display customer product reviews.  Because Matthew sells his own brand of coffee, he says “the review program was something we really longed for,” and he was excited when it became available to ProStores merchants earlier this year. 

Since implementing PowerReviews, Matthew has started to see better conversion rates.  Studies show that shoppers will choose one store over another because it offers reviews.  Sixty-five percent use reviews before making buying decisions, and more than 80 percent actually prefer reading reviews than doing research in a store.  Reviews also generate buyer loyalty.  By soliciting buyers for reviews with a follow-up email, Matthew gives them an opportunity to come back and buy more. 

PowerReviews Express has a super customer-friendly interface.  A Review Snapshot lets shoppers quickly find product pros and cons.  They can also find reviews written by people in their same demographic and, through the Verified Buyer badge, ensure ratings are posted by a person who has actually purchased the product.  Matt’s customers can upload images and videos to their own reviews, and help advertise his web store by posting their reviews on their own blogs.

PowerReviews Express is free for 30 days.  After that, it’s $29 a month.  

Online Retail to Climb 8 Percent This Holiday Shopping Season

With unemployment high and economic conditions murky, many retailers aren’t ready to raise their expectations for the upcoming holiday shopping season. But this week, Forrester Research delivered some welcome news for ecommerce merchants – especially with Cyber Monday just around the corner.

While overall retail sales are expected to remain relatively flat, Forrester predicts online retail sales during November and December will climb 8 percent to $44.7 billion, topping last year’s 5 percent increase and indicating a much-hoped-for warming trend. Analyst Sucharita Mulpuru dubbed the online space the “growth engine” of the retail industry and expects most online retailers to fare well.

Knowing shoppers plan to head online for gifts and gear this year, online retailers are expected to approach the season with strategies that respect the bottom line, such as setting price requirements for customers to qualify for free shipping. Reduced or slashed shipping costs continue to be a powerful draw for budget-conscious shoppers. In a recent report on online retail spending, ComScore’s Gian Fulgioni called free shipping an “increasingly essential promotion” and expects that e-tailers who shy away from such offers could be placing themselves at a disadvantage.

Forrester also anticipates that online retailers will try to step up user engagement with more product information and social networking capabilities.

What are your key selling strategies this holiday season? Feel free to share your tips and best practices in the comments below.
 

Help for Hybrid Moms

Last week we introduced you to mompreneur expert Stacey Smith, who gave us her top tips for mothers who want to be successful entrepreneurs.

If you’re thinking of opening a web store or trying to take your business to the next level, you may want to check out Stacey’s company Hybrid Mom. 

Hybrid Mom is a website and community for working and stay-at-home moms with personal and professional ambitions.  It publishes its own quarterly magazine about parenting and mompreneurship.  But if you want personal attention, Hybrid Mom also has a team of consultants that offers business advice and hands-on help.

“We get a range of clients,” says Stacey.  “I would say the majority is not really prepared to start a business.  They have a passion and the ability to create something, but they don’t have all the pieces.” 

When mompreneurs come to Hybrid Mom, Stacey and her team have a conversation with them to figure out their needs.  “Mom consultants” then help them implement their business plan, from sales and manufacturing to marketing and public relations.

Hybrid Mom consultants don’t just talk, they get their hands dirty, helping mothers deal with what Stacey sees as their biggest challenge – time management.  “It’s not just about giving them great tips.  There are a billion companies who can tell them how to do A to Z to get a business started.  That doesn’t support them with a true resource.  We put mompreneurs in the hands of people who can actually implement and complete those tasks for them.”

Hire Online

As we discovered in our last post, more women are now starting businesses compared to men.  Longtime mompreneur Elena Neitlich attributes the trend to a number of factors.  “We’ve had some good role models – strong women, like Martha Stewart, Mrs. Fields, and Julia Child.  Then, for better or for worse, we have women with their kids trapped in their house.  I happen to think it’s for the better.  Before the Internet, you couldn’t easily have a business.  You would have to bring your child with you – it would be difficult.” 

Now, with everything available online, mompreneurs can run every facet of their business from their home and find the help they need to get them started. 

If you need a personalized business plan and access to vetted, highly qualified “mom consultants,” don’t forget to check out Hybrid Mom, as we suggested last month.

A few other online sites help entrepreneurs connect with freelance professionals in a variety of fields.  Both Guru and Elance give you access to tens of thousands of freelancers with technical, marketing and business expertise.  They also have rating systems and escrow services so that you can decide whom to hire and ensure the work gets done before you pay. 

Elena, who sells books that she self-publishes, also recommends Lulu.  Lulu and another site Blurb publishes hardcover and paperback books.  You can publish books to sell, or books to give as thank you gifts to your best customers.

“I can write a book, get in touch with my designers through Elance, self-publish through Lulu, and have my stuff delivered to my door step,” says Elena.  “It’s a great time for women.” 

Ready, Fire, Aim

Twice as many women are now starting businesses compared to men, according mompreneur expert and owner of Hybrid Mom, Stacey Smith.  So we asked ProStores mompreneurs what advice they’d give to the many mothers who are joining their ranks.  Many of them encouraged their peers to reach out to each other, since their best resource is their own community.  A little bit of courage also helps.

“Just do it,” says Stephanie Vozza of The Organized Parent.  “I know a lot of women who have an idea, and they are frozen by fear or by the belief that the time isn’t right.  I don’t think there ever is a perfect time to start a business.  I have a friend whose boot camp instructor said to her, ‘You need to ready, fire, aim,’ instead of ready aim, fire.  I had no idea how to run a retail business; I didn’t even know what SEO was.  But if you have a passion you should try it, and surround yourself with people who will support and encourage you.”

Elena Neitlich of Moms on Edge agrees.  “Just have the courage to take the leap,” she says.  “Having an idea is wonderful, but it’s not enough.  It’s 10 percent; the other 90 is hard work and implementation.  Get help from people.  Don’t be afraid to ask.  I put myself out there; I ask the stupid questions; and I do a lot of research.  Information is power.  Above all, love your kids.  They come first.” 

 

 

Drive Repeat Business and Save Time With Automated Email Newsletters

Imagine being able to send your monthly email newsletter without having to write any of it.  That’s what Matthew Phillips, president of the web store Essential Wonders, does.  One of his favorite ProStores add-on tools is Sales in a Click.

The email marketing program fully automates your monthly newsletters.  You can choose your own content criteria and preferred schedule, and Sales in a Click automatically selects relevant articles, pulls in your categories and products, and assembles professional-looking emails.   Because the program provides its own magazine-style editorial content and matches your branded look, you don’t have to spend time writing and designing.

Every email helps drive sales by highlighting featured products and linking back to your web store.  Sales in a Click even takes your sales data and calculates how your monthly emails affect customer purchases.   

You can try Sales in a Click for free for 60 days.  After that, fees start at $9.95 per month.   

Make Your Store a Club

Excellent customer service helps eCommerce merchants cultivate repeat business, but creative product packaging doesn’t hurt either.  One way to keep customers coming back for more is to offer memberships and special subscription programs.

Cosmetics web store spalook has created an auto refill program offering 20 percent off refills, which means subscribers get every sixth purchase free.  Customers choose how often their shipments arrive and can cancel at any time.  It’s a win-win: Subscribers don’t have to think about replenishing daily-use products, and they get discounts on staples they’re going to buy anyway.  spalook insures their customers buy only from them. 

ProStores web store The Organized Parent recently introduced a subscription-based product called The Five-Minute Mom’s Club.  Owner Stephanie Vozza says she often gets calls from mothers who love her organizational products, but need help “using the right tools so whatever they purchase doesn’t become more clutter.”  Membership offers webinars, discounts, and personalized planning.  And it helps Stephanie maintain a stable of clients. 

Moms On Edge, the ProStores web store that sells products that promote good behavior in children, added a unique line in June – programs that certify moms to teach etiquette, arts and crafts, and financial management.  Customers who join receive training manuals, personalized consulting, business referrals, and members-only forums and seminars.  “I’m training women not only to develop great manners and self-esteem in children,” says owner Elena Neitlich, “but also to start their own home businesses.”  Those women then spread the word about Moms on Edge, nurturing a solid community of repeat customers.

Do you have a creative membership or subscription idea?  Share it in our Comments section.

 

Get Your Business PR-Ready

In the October issue of our eCommerce Currents newsletter, we offered ProStores customers the opportunity to participate in our PR efforts by sending us potential success stories we can share with the media. We’re impressed! As we expected, ProStores customers represent an accomplished community of business owners with inspiring stories to tell. With so many of you interested in PR, we’d like to offer a few tips on what makes a good story, and how to make sure you’re ready when a reporter calls.

A good story involves a number of factors. Does your business relate to something important happening in the news? Is your story part of a real trend, like the successful mompreneurs profiled recently on our blog? Do you have an inspiring human interest tale? One thing sure to catch a reporter’s eye: strong growth figures. Did they defy expectations? Even better.

If you want to share your story with us for PR purposes, let us know how fast and how much you’ve grown—and why. Tell us how you beat the odds to build your business during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Help us see how you’ve carved out a profitable niche or capitalized on a key trend. Explain how ProStores factored into your growth.

But remember, a great story doesn’t guarantee media coverage. Nor can you control the outcome after an interview. Reporters are telling a story, not trying to promote your business. The best thing to do is come prepared. How so? Consider:

1.       The backgrounder. Make sure all representations of your company (Web site, Facebook page, delicious page, etc.) are completely up to date. Good reporters will check you out before the interview.

2.       The message. Know what you want to say about your business. How do you want to be perceived? What do you want people to say about you? Jot down a few key points you’d like to get across to a reporter. It’s also helpful to have a list of “fast facts” handy about your business and industry, featuring market statistics, your own growth stats, etc.

3.       The interview. Don’t be afraid to show your personality. Give the reporter your full attention and stay focused as you speak. Remember your key points and look for ways to bring them into the conversation. If you make a statement, back it up with an example to bring it to life for the reporter. Example: “Our business has just taken off” becomes more compelling when you add “we’ve grown 30 percent just this quarter and we’ve had to bring on 10 new people just to keep up with the demand.”

4.       The visuals. Many media outlets will look to you to provide “art” for their story. Remember, photos can shape perceptions of your company. Do you have a professional-looking “head shot” of yourself in high resolution? You’ll also want creative shots of your products and compelling action shots of you or your employees at work. Thinking of springing for a professional shoot? Trust us, it’s worth it.  

And remember, avoid saying anything to a journalist that you wouldn’t want to see in print. Not every reporter will commit to going “off the record,” and sometimes what seems like a casual comment to you is incredibly interesting (and newsworthy) to a reporter. No need to be overly tight-lipped, just use your best judgment.

Create Success out of Unsuccessful Searches

This week we’ve been talking to mompreneur Stephanie Vozza of The Organized Parent about her techniques for driving traffic to her web store.  What happens once that traffic arrives?  She uses ProStores keyword features to turn that traffic into sales.

Stephanie has started to enter more detailed search keywords to help customers find what they want in her store.  For example, she now uses the keyword “zebra” for some of her products so that customers looking for that specific print can find all the items she carries.  

Another ProStores feature she loves is the unsuccessful search report.  “It’s really useful because I can see what someone was looking for and couldn’t find," says Stephanie.  "Then I figure out what I can do to help them find it.  Or maybe it’s a product that I don't carry but should; if everyone wants a certain type of tote bag that I don't offer, and I see that search term come up more than once, that’s something I need to look at.” 

Unsuccessful search reports can also point you to keywords you should add to your listings, including common misspellings and plurals.