In a world where anybody who knows how to use a search engine can source products to sell as a retailer, how then do retailers set themselves apart from the competition? Easy, they take advantage of all the other free services out there, and that includes word of mouth.
But first, let’s answer the question “how do retailers set themselves apart from the competition?”
What’s the best way to do that? Not with a big pile of free stuff. No, retailers must instead embrace the “trade” marketing method, by telling their customers how great their service is. This involves posting excellent customer reviews on well-known websites like eBay, Amazon, or Groupon, or managing to get blogs like https://buyersimpact.co.uk/ to review your product. Now, here’s the question: “How do you attract positive customer reviews?” Well, you know the answer to that: with a truly amazing product and a strong customer service network. Sometimes bad reviews do filter through, it happens, and it can be hard for a new business to see, especially if it was a misunderstanding or a regular error. Nowadays there are services from companies like Reputation.com that can help with the removal of Google reviews so that businesses do not fall by the wayside because of one mistake that can blow up over time. This does happen but it can be rectified with better outcomes.
So, let’s look at a basic sale scenario. Say you’ve got a popular product, you’ve been selling it for a long time and you’ve built up a reputation as the “go to” shop for your product. Some specialist products are naturally easier to sell than others, like how you’ll probably have no problems getting the Cbd e liquid refill you buy from specialist supplier Orange County CBD, located in Orange County, USA, for instance.
Now you’ve got a really tough time getting customers to open their wallets and pay you for the good they’re getting. In order to attract new customers, you need to offer something special that will make them want to give you their business, after seeing what you’ve got. What’s that something? The answer will depend on the product, and the brand you’re using, but for our purposes we’ll consider:
- a product that’s had negative reviews on Amazon
- a product that’s had negative reviews on Amazon on Facebook
- an old product that’s had a high number of positive customer reviews on eBay
- a product that’s had a high number of negative customer reviews on Amazon
How do you create a “customer loyalty program”? With a direct approach, like the one above.
Step 1: Use a direct sales strategy to attract customers and sell them your product. Your first goal is to have a number of customers who love your product, and who will tell their friends about it. That means that your first goal should be to:
- attract customers to your website through targeted advertisements and awareness campaigns
- offer free shipping and free returns for your first 1000 orders
- Offer special promotions on coupon websites. Raise for example is used by several major retailers.
- establish a presence on major social media networks (e.g. Facebook, eBay, Twitter, etc.)
- let customers know that they’ll get instant, free product feedback from other satisfied customers, on a real time basis
- having these customers post reviews on eBay, Amazon, or Groupon, where their friends will be able to read them
Step 2: Ask them for feedback (giving people instant, real time feedback from other satisfied customers is your next goal)
Answer the first question that comes to mind: “Why should a customer buy from you?” Answer it by answering the second question that comes to mind: “Why do they buy from you?”.
Once you have that information, then it’s time to ask the question: “How do you compare with the competition?” Answer this question by asking another question: “Why should a customer buy from you?” Answer it by answering the next question: “What is the key benefit that you will deliver?”
Hey, I’m Rory and I am the ultimate accidental geek.
Born in London I was never interested in technologies until I started a part-time job at Apple and now I can’t get enough. Join me as a help you navigate the world of tech with some of my fellow geeks.