MODERN MARKETING be looking at their websites as if they were a high end retail store that caters to a more discerning clientele .
Imagine if you were to look at most websites , maybe your own , as if they were an actual retail store and you were paying tens of thousands of dollars a month for rent .
Would your website look the same ?
Would you still do business the way you do ?
Would you treat browsers or first time shoppers the same ?
Would you treat your existing customers the same ?
Would you sell products the same way that you do now ?
There are a hundred different questions you need to ask yourself about this , but for now let ’ s look at different ideas to spice up your website and drive quality , paying clients into your new store .
Think about all the retail stores you frequent in your city . Which ones of them stand out ? Which ones would you go out of your way to visit and buy from ? Sadly , there aren ’ t too many of them around . In Calgary , where I live , there are a few that cater to their clients and make it an unforgettable experience … but in a city of over a million people , you ’ d think there would be more than a few .
Some ideas to make your store more attractive to buyers :
The first thing you should do is have a person dedicated to making shopping with you more enjoyable . A marketing assistant or coordinator whose job it is to help you implement all the marketing ideas you create .
You can draw one name a week from your new buyers list . That person would get their name put up on your site as the customer of the week ( with photo – much like an employee of the week ). Give them a surprise or two – maybe some simple acts of kindness they are not quite used to . Simple things can make a huge impact with your clients . They just aren ’ t used to getting anything remotely resembling quality service these days ; this gives you the chance to be the one and only person who treats them like gold .
Everyone loves a good laugh . Add a small box on your main page that has a joke of the day ( keep them clean ). You can even have your customers submit their best joke . Do a weekly draw for the best joke and give them a gift certificate for
future purchases .
Treat them like royalty . If there is any way possible you can leverage technology to have repeat shoppers either login for future purchases , or have cookies on their computer that tells your store they are repeat customers … use it ! By having your web site recognize them by first name ( even by past purchases as well ), you create a bond that is not easily broken .
High Point University is very fortunate to have president Nido Qubein on board . A master of marketing ( and Chairman of The Great Harvest Bread Company ), Nido has established High Point as one of the top universities in the nation .
In the past 2 years , campus visits have grown 70 %, and enrollments are up 63 % ( while tuitions have increased proportionately ). 3 of his treat-them-like-royalty secrets : ( 1 ) When a family books in for a visit they are greeted with personalized parking stalls ( their names on the
November 2016 ModernBusiness 25