Anyone who works in the retail industry will tell you that there has been a notable shift in the past few years from people shopping in stores to shopping online. This has meant that shop owners have had to adapt their business strategies in order to keep up with the times and secure sales from shoppers that are now more likely to go online. Therefore, if you have not yet created an online presence for your shop you may be missing out on business – but where do you start? Here, Nova Insurance provides three top tips:

Analyse your Business Strategy

Your business strategy may have served you well for a number of years, however if you are starting to see a decline in sales it may be time to analyse and adapt it. The first thing you need to decipher is whether it’s your actual selling strategy that needs changing or the products that you are offering your customers. Tastes change over the years so sometimes you need to re-evaluate your stock and potentially stop selling items that are not popular with your customers anymore. However, if your stock is selling well, just not in large enough quantities, it may be time to think about new ways to market to your customers.

When adapting your selling strategy the first thing you need to understand is the buying habits of your customers. For example, do they fall into certain categories such as age groups or gender? If so, their buying habits will differ from those in different demographics, so make sure you learn about them and then use this information when creating an online presence. For example, if your customers are in an older age bracket then they may be less likely to use social media to make a purchase and would rather use a simple website.

Setting up your Online Store

These days there’s a myriad of options when it comes to selling products online, which means that you will need to do some research to find out which one is right for you. If you have already figured out the buying habits of your customers this will help you decide the type of online selling platform that will work best for you, however even if you choose to set up a website, for example, there are still a number of choices you will need to make.

Luckily, as shopping online is now so popular, there are a number of companies and individuals out there who are able to provide advice and set up your site for you. Unfortunately, this does mean that you will need to part with a lump sum in order to get started, so make sure you have budgeted for this along with other outgoings such as rent on your premises and shop insurance. Remember, your actual shop shouldn’t suffer while you’re setting up your online one!

Reviews and Customer Service

One of the great things about having an online store is that it enables your customers to leave reviews of your products and your customer service. However, even though this can be extremely beneficial it’s also a double-edged sword as you open yourself up to criticism. This is why you should always make sure that you take complaints seriously and do everything you can to rectify any issues your customers may have.

On a positive note, by reading through reviews you will be able to determine which products are popular with your customers and which ones are not good value for money. This enables you to re-evaluate your stock on a more regular basis and therefore ensure that you are only offering your customers high quality goods. Don’t forget to also use your website to advertise your shop and encourage your customers to come visit you in store!

Setting your business up to sell products online may sound a bit daunting at first, however in the long-run it can have a positive effect on your income. If you are still unsure where to start have a quick search online for shops similar to yours and see what they are doing!

Photo [cropped] by Dressformer / CC BY-SA 3.0