Innovative Strategies to Get Your Business Back on the Track of Success!
BY: Lisa Suttora Founder & CEO of WhatDoISell.com
If your recent sales results have been flat, you might be inclined to chock it up to the
winter doldrums or current economic conditions. Seasonal influences, the economy and
consumer trends can all influence the growth of your online sales.
But it’s important to realize that these factors only play a small part in the success of
your online business, they do not determine the outcome. There are many online retail
businesses that are thriving in today’s economy, but they aren’t achieving these stellar
results by keeping with the status quo.
So what is the difference in businesses that are thriving versus those that are simply
surviving? It’s their willingness to adapt and reinvent their business in conjunction with
the ever changing ecommerce landscape.
What worked last year in ecommerce is not what works this year. The market has changed,
customers have more choices online and their shopping expectations have become more
sophisticated and niche focused.
So if you’re selling the same products in the same manner this year as you were you were
last year, you can expect to see diminished results. Online sellers who are experiencing
growth in sales are doing so as a direct result of their willingness update and improve
their marketing strategies, improve their offerings and refine the U.S.P. (Unique Selling
Position) that they offer to their customers.
Fortunately, this approach to ecommerce is something that every online seller can and
should do. And it doesn’t take a lot of time or money either but it does take a plan.
These 5 innovative strategies will get your business back on the track of success in 2009!:
1. Focus on Multi-Functional Marketing. Today’s consumer wants to get value from every
purchase. And if there is more than one way for them to use your product, it’s a much
easier decision to make the purchase and justify an added expense. When you focus on multi-
functional marketing, a bike is not just a bike. It’s an eco-friendly way to get to get to
work, a great way to stay healthy, fun for the whole family and a distressing machine. A
bargain at twice the price!
2. Banish Me Too Marketing. Me Too Marketing occurs when you send out the same cookie
cutter emails to your customers that your competitors do, copy the same 20% off sale week
after week and brand your business to fit in as much as possible. Look for ways to market
your products so that your business will stand out. Make sales an event, not a routine
occurrence. What’s the unique factor in your business? No matter what you sell or where
you sell it, you want to bring a unique twist to the presentation of your products. And
that unique factor all starts with YOU! What do you bring to the table in your online
business?
3. Add Value to What You Sell. If you’re ready to increase your sales and improve your
profit margins immediately, your first course of action is to get out of the role of being
a commodity seller and step into the role of being a value seller. Contrary to popular
belief, becoming a value seller does not mean taking deep discounts on products and living
on razor thin profit margins. Becoming a value seller means providing extra value to your
customers at minimal cost to your business. The best way to add value to your products is
with information that enables them to maximize their investment in their purchase. Tip
sheets, how-to booklets, giving your customers creative ways to use your products, are all
ways to add value with minimal expense. Your customers will remember you and come back for
more!
4. Wrap Your Promotions Around Spring & Summer Seasonal Selling Holidays. Did you know
there are 10 seasonal selling holidays between May & August? Mother’s Day, Father’s Day,
graduation season, wedding season, and the start of vacation season are just a few examples
of seasonal selling holidays that you can wrap your marketing promotions around. For
example, a white garden trellis or the newest solar powered garden decorations are perfect
products to market to the thousands of people preparing for a backyard wedding!
5. Be Transparent. Of all the changes that have occurred in the ecommerce landscape over
the past year, the trend towards customers wanting to know who they are buying from is one
of the most pronounced. In online sales, the know, like and trust factor is the
determining factor in whether or not you will be their retailer of choice. Let your
customers know who you are. Include a personable bio of yourself and your business mission
statement in the About Us section of your website. If you sell pet products and are pet
lover, let your potential customers know that! By connecting with your customers around
common interests or common values, you’ll never have to do the hard sell again. Buying
from you will be the natural choice!
Ecommerce holds an abundance of opportunity for today’s online sellers if you are engaged
in being fluid and innovative in your sales and marketing strategies. And keep in mind,
when you’re energized about your business, your customers will be too!
About the Author: Lisa Suttora is an ecommerce expert and a recognized product trend
authority. She is the Founder & CEO of WhatDoISell.com. With a unique blend of more than 15
years of both online and offline retail merchandising experience, Lisa brings a fresh and
innovative approach to ecommerce strategies. Since 2004, WhatDoISell.com has provided
online entrepreneurs with the skills, knowledge and support they need to build unique,
thriving businesses in today’s top online marketplaces.
