In the digital age, retail shops become more advanced and popular due to the influence of social media. Some shop owners are even using WordPress, Shopify, AliExpress, Amazon, or Alibaba to do their merchandising.
There are several retailing techniques today to drive the market online and persuade them to buy. Generally, there are 9 types of retail outlets which include specialty stores, supermarket, off-price retailer, department stores, hypermarket, convenience store, catalogue showroom, and discount store. Their similarities are the existence of a physical shop and performing merchandising business.
With the present entrepreneurial strategies today, some store owners can now sell even without a physical facility or an inventory. Some of these retailing shops include drop shipping, multi-level marketing, and sell-on-demand businesses.
By knowing all these retailing methods, you will have a better edge on how to strategize your store. You might be wondering how your physical shop can survive against the popularity of the online shops. To keep pace with the trend, you must learn how to cope with using these various techniques to hype up your shop and target your sales.
1. Mapped Your Store Location through Google
Mapping your shop location online can help you become visible to the public. Your customers will have a vicinity guide to find your physical store and drop by to purchase products. You can use the Google Store Locator to establish a legit address for your shop.
In this way, it will be very convenient for shoppers, especially for new customers. You may visit the Google site to understand and apply for their Locator feature. However, you need to have a Google account first and sign up for an API so that you can map your store in Google.
2. Spruce Up Your Store Front
An overall makeup is all you need to make your shop a great place to visit. Keep it neat and inspiring so that it will capture the attention of your customers. If it needs to do some repaints, then come up with regular maintenance to preserve the look. You may also put up some indoor plants to make your shop look refreshing.
Improve your lighting and background to create an amazing ambiance to your visitors. Make the furniture and fixtures align with your motif.
3. Use Social Media Influence
According to Oberlo.com, around 3.5 billion people worldwide are using social media for their daily living. This is a great statistic to lure your potential customers. You can post your products with their prices online and set up a response bot to entertain the customers while you’re away.
Nowadays, some people prefer using online to look for products and deliver them to their homes. Regardless of the shipping fees, they find it convenient and reasonable than going out of their house. For retail stores, it would be economic to use social media to increase your popularity and offer deliveries to your customers.
4. Try Consignment Sales via Online E-Commerce Platforms
Some of the best consignment partners are Amazon, Alibaba, AliExpress, and eBay. Since these retailing networks are well-established in the industry, many people know them already. You may also sell your products via their platform so that your products will reach your customers.
Let’s say, you’re a shop fitters Sydney expert and your business might only be popular around NSW. You may entice several customers from the other cities and states through selling via E-commerce retail stores. It allows you to scale a large sales volume and make your store popular in other places as well.
You can read their policies and guidelines for selling. In this way, you will know what to expect and how to manage your affiliate business relationship. It only entails a minimal commission for these e-commerce retailing network, so why not give it a try?
5. Create an Online Shop
If you prefer your online store, you may sign up and create using Shopify, Amazon FBA, Magento, Big Commerce, Weebly, Squarespace, or WordPress. In this way, you can personalize your shop and there is no need to pay for commissions on every sale.
However, you will need to pay for hosting fees, domain name, an SSL certificate for a legit establishment of the store online. You also need to familiarize yourself with various plugins that can help your merchandising business.
6. Improve your Ads through Digital Marketing
Social media is not the only digital marketing strategy that you can use for your store. You can even use several online campaigns to reach your target customers. Try signing up to YouTube and create a channel for your store. You may also create a website with an e-commerce plugin so that you can sell and use content in marketing your store.
By having a website, you may also promote discounts, sale events, and provide coupons for existing and new customers. Some store owners are also using PPC or pay per click ads to promote their products. Aside from PPC, you may also consult the FB Ads to help you spread your products online. Consider a referral program scheme to persuade existing customers in convincing others to buy.
