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So here’s a way: set up a subscription service.
Increasingly, larger e-tailers have gone to a model that arranges automatic shipments of products commonly replenish, such as shampoo, vitamins, and food. The ability to build this into an ordering system is extraordinary; it mirrors the way non-profits solicit a reliable stream of donations by the month or quarter. Dropping the price at a level you choose offers incentive for dedicated shoppers, and may be a great offset to the fairly good potential of repeat business. The big players in subscription services tend to be niche products. Home delivery entities such as Blue Apron, Dollar Shave Club, and Itsy are singularly focused on a single product line. But there is no reason it can’t apply to particular products in a larger inventory. Aside from replenishment, the curation model is another way to land future business. Delivering a curated collection of items, usually within a specific product category, forms a perma-relationship by offering discounts on collection items that endure and increase as the customer stays on board. These all sound tempting, especially as a way to garner loyalty. But are they feasible? Start with an understanding of which type or demographic of consumers use them. A recent study shows that the younger, wealthier among us are more keen on subscriptions. It makes sense; they can absorb the surprise of an auto-delivery deduction from their bank account or credit card. There are ways to ease the pain of remorseful purchases, or short-term financial crunches. Sending out reminder emails of an upcoming shipment is one. Liberal policies allowing shoppers to choose the frequency of delivery is another. Consider these stats when you ponder whether the subscription model is worth a try:
While the traditional subscription model is dedicated to a single product line, increasingly Amazon and other shopping portals provide a subscription option. Don’t be intimidated by that example; although you are far from reaching monumental growth and the status of a giant, there will be a progression of sub-models designed solely for the smaller seller. The first order of business is to choose a platform that fits with your size, product category, and objective. It’s imperative to find one that allows customization, but is affordable and user-friendly. For a good start, see a list here. Once this trendy subscription model takes hold, it may become old news for consumers, and a go-to method for them to save time through automatic re-ordering. Saying you were in early with your version might just be a point of pride. ADVANTAGES AND PITFALLS TO AVOID
Social media can be a double edged sword. It can hone in on target audiences, passing under their noses every second of the day, but it can also be an ineffective time-waster and, on the rare occasion, do more harm than good. So, whether a brand uses micro-influencers or a dedicated social media marketing service, it pays to understand how to portray oneself on social media correctly and efficiently. Below, we’ve put together a list of some of the greatest advantages and vital tips of promoting your brand through social media platforms and, just as importantly, a few common pitfalls to avoid. The Advantages of Using Social Media Social media outreach is an essential component of a marketing strategy for many brands. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and many others offer an accessible way for brands to reach their audience. What are some of the advantages of using social media? Let’s explore! It’s a Direct Connection to a Wider Audience Popular social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram have many Monthly Active Users (MAUs). Facebook alone has 2.9 billion MAUs, so it is usually the first social platform brands turn to. This can work to a brand’s advantage, getting as many eyes on your products and services as possible. Furthermore, it offers a direct connection that serves an audience’s curiosity and makes them more familiar with products and services. Influencer Marketing and Paid Ads Are More Affordable Influencer marketing and paid advertising offer brands a more economical approach to reaching said audience. You don’t need a big celebrity; a micro-influencer with a large following of your target audience will do the trick. It’s a great way for newer brands to make their name known. Not sure where to find an influencer relevant to your brand? Check out some of the top influencer marketing platforms like Upfluence, Grin and CreatorIQ and filter for your niche. Paid ads can also be tailored to slide into the social feeds and generate loyal followers who may eventually hit that “buy” button. Social Media Points Increases Shop Page and Website Visitors With a community of followers, a brand can alert them of promotions, sales and other offerings that lead them to a website and more importantly, a shop page! Whether the brand sells home decor or fine jewelry, a captivating image of the latest products can entice followers to pay a visit to a site, driving traffic and generating sales. Pitfalls to AvoidWith all the advantages that social media has to offer to grow a brand, it’s still a good idea to know what kind of pitfalls to avoid. Here are a few snags and snafus that can trip up a well-meaning social media marketing plan. Not Researching Your Target Audience Yes, one major advantage of social media is that a brand can reach a wider audience with multiple accounts. Still, you have to start somewhere. If you ignore data-driven details and metrics that help define your target audience, all your social media posts will fail to capture the attention of those that matter – your customers and clients! So, learn how to make your brand appeal to your audience from the get-go. Being on Every Social Media Platform New social media platforms are popping up practically every year: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest and the latest Snapchat and TikTok, among a few. If it seems overwhelming, you’re not wrong. But there’s an easy solution. Instead of trying to blanket them all and stretching the marketing department too thin, focus on the social media platforms that your target audience uses most. For example, Pinterest offers interior designers and homeowners a way to pin furniture and decor. Also, remember to align the style and tone of voice to the platform. For example, LinkedIn readers will appreciate a more professional angle. Becoming Over-Reliant on Automation Once your brand markets itself to its target audience, don’t forget to connect with followers on a more personal level. Automation offers a modern convenience of posting consistently, but real engagement begins when a brand replies to comments and answers questions, even under an influencer’s social media post. So hop into the brand accounts – on a weekly basis at least – to get involved with your followers and build that trust factor. Discover the Best Social Platform for Your Brand TodayTake advantage of everything social media has to offer. Join a social media platform – or two or three – and begin promoting your brand today. Research your target audience or simply learn more details on who that audience truly is. Just remember to avoid some of the common pitfalls mentioned above and align your message and tone to fit your brand. Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash Ecommerce Giant Amazon Launches New Social Media Tool
And taking the pulse of the younger generation of buyers has inspired Inspire – an Amazon quasi-social media app designed to mimic the popular TikTok. Not surprisingly, it’s an early hit.
Amazon Inspire began a rollout phase in early 2023, offering a downloadable app that in fact resembles the TikTok platform. TikTok is a video-centered app popular across a range of demographics, though it is mostly used by those under 40. That’s where the dollars are, say experts in ecommerce. And that’s where the Amazon future is headed. This intriguing and nuanced app offers so much more than just a small photo on their main website. Amazon shoppers can log in to Inspire directly through their phone-based Amazon app by launching a light bulb icon. It promises personalized content (made possible by a collection of prior shopping choices and probably a bit of data collection from social media use). Users may choose from more than 20 areas of interest such as gaming, beauty products, clothing, pet care, recreational pursuits, and beyond. Browsing the returns that pop up after you’ve chosen a sector, shoppers scroll through buttons to further customize a collection they may find interesting. The experience is similar to TikTok feeds, with engagement buttons and swiping actions that lead to promoted or favored items. This customization feature is perhaps the key selling point of both selling and buying on Inspire. It doesn’t require typing text into a search window. Product categories appear in launchable buttons, and they are diverse. Amazon hopes they will lead you to what you’re shopping for. What Amazon has not disclosed is how the app generates recommendations, except to say that it requires at least two recommendations before it appears as a promoted product. Content creators may enroll in the program to upload media, including video and photos connecting to thumbnail photos of Amazon listings they fancy. These contributors may earn commissions, depending on volume. Customer reviews, always a key element in online sales, are welcomed. Amazon Inspire is now available for use by all US consumers, and the jury is out on how this new, creative approach to a hybrid influencer/advertising function will play out. For now, it appears to be an ingenious method of following the lead in cultural and consumer trends as they develop on the internet. Interested in buying or selling on Inspire? Get more info here. The Who, What, Where’s, and Why’s of Business SmartS
That softens the blow of what we’re about to discuss. As long as you’re dealing with digits, start examining the core of your business by figuring out who buys what, and how often. In the trade, it’s referred to as “customer segmentation,” and it is a critical way to make your store thrive.
Customer segmentation works best when you pin down stats and demographic data from the top 20 percent of sales. Not of customers, of sales. If you have repeat customers, that’s great, but if their volume of purchases is not especially high, it’s not a helpful measure for future performance and growing a consumer base. We all know about customer conversion, or turning lookers into buyers. The conversion rate among all ecommerce sectors in 2022 was 3.65 percent. Studying the shared attributes of those buying across your site will guide you toward marketing more prospective customers. And unlike other strategies for growth, it can happen quickly. Targeted marketing in the 2020 decade is about as easy as it gets. Social media platforms are practically designed for this. Facebook (Meta), for example, provides an easy breakdown of the basics – age, location, ideology – but increasingly it allows businesses to gather data about their interests based on company sites and pages they have visited. With this knowledge in hand, your task is to match your product mix with those most likely to be intrigued. Facebook Ad Analytics Guide is one tool to help you dive into the art and science of zeroing in on potential customers. Its data reach is admirable: available are customer-reported statistics such as income, buying habits, buying likelihood, and other measures useful in figuring out who may be receptive to outreach. Kick off your segmentation efforts with these basics:
How to Assess Sales Tax Obligations in Ecommerce
The first reality to absorb is this: if you sell merchandise over the Internet and you have a physical presence in a “nexus,” or state, you are required to follow that jurisdiction’s sales tax laws – but only from customers who are subject to sales tax because of their residence in that state. Sounds pretty simple until you understand that there are 50 states to keep track of. Add to that the wonky official rule that if customers do not remit sales tax payments to sellers, they are technically required to pay them directly to their state. Don’t ask how that enforcement mechanism would work; truly, it’s anyone’s guess. Mostly only very high-end purchases would come to the attention of each state’s tax collector.
We’ll make it easy for you. Only five U.S. states do not impose a sales tax. They are Alaska, Oregon, Montana, Delaware, and New Hampshire. Now you know. But what is your obligation in terms of making sure your customers pay up? That’s more confusing. If you’re committed to avoiding future problems and doing the right thing at the outset, here are steps to take that will keep you in the clear:
Design Tips When You Don’t Own Your HomeMore then ever before, Americas are renting their homes. And while there are certainly perks to that choice, but there are a few drawbacks when it comes to your interior design. Namely, that you’ve got rules to follow. And while they’ll vary from one home or apartment to the next, generally, you can’t make big design changes. Don’t love the chandelier in the dining room? Not a lot you can do. Wishing you could add a ceiling fan in the bedroom? Probably not going to happen. And forget making wholesale changes to flooring… But that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything to really reinvent your space and make it feel a whole lot more unique and personalized to your taste. So, here are our best tips for creating a look you love: Patterns! From peel-and-stick wallpaper to create an accent wall, to funky throw pillows on the sofa, adding patterns in your home create instant texture and dimension. And don’t sleep on peel-and-stick tiles! They’re a great way to perk up a backsplash, add detail to bathroom, or even define and entryway. We love these Terrazzo tile decals from Chasing Paper.
Flooring! Sure, you can’t tear out that wall to wall carpeting and add hardwood, but you can certainly add area rugs that introduce personality and create a look that’s a whole lot more interesting than boring beige. We love Ruggable – they’re washable! – and come in tons of fun patterns, colors, and sizes. You don’t have to commit right away, start with a couple small rugs in the entry or kitchen and then when you love it, graduate to that 8x10 in your living or dining room to really make a statement. Something like this rug from Wayfair adds color and pattern, but you can go as subtle, or as bold, as you’d like here. Of course, there’s a ton you can do with decor – everything from bedding to upholstery to furniture style – to make you home feel like, well, home. What are your best tips and tricks? We want to hear about them in the comments. All images belong to their respective owners, each linked above.
Peruse the seemingly endless rows of tulips in a litany of colors, and buy bunches at the gift shops run by growers. And … then what? Well, pick a vase to show them off once you get home. It’s not rocket science, but it seems like a décor guru’s dream to pair their fave flower with a receptacle that brings it to life. We’ve found a few that whet our whistle, and work for budgets from meager to extravagant. three we love:
Be mindful of the sadly short seasonal life span of tulips. The premiere Skagit Valley variety stick around just a few weeks before growers harvest bulbs for future blooms. And maybe that’s a good thing. We appreciate them more when they make a timed appearance. Photo Credit: Pam Headridge Images belong to their respective owners, each linked above.
Ultimately your environment is personal; expressing your signature design statement may initiate with an “expert” idea, and drawing on that is inspiring.
Here’s what else these gurus of style have to say:
One reason newbies might let items sit in your virtual cart? Reluctance to sign up for an account. We all know building an identified account roster is a win-win for both sellers and consumers, with easy options for a quick checkout, and the ability to target promotions. But not everyone is eager to divulge tracked info including email address, phone number, or even a name, to a vendor that they don’t know well. The answer is to provide a seamless guest checkout system. Offer clear opt-in choices to be “remembered” by your site even in the absence of a formal sign-up. A subtle trick like that can work wonders for skeptical buyers.
Here are other ways to turn abandoned shopping carts into sales:
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