Not In-Person? How to Personalize your Online Store
We love powering Farmers’ ordering and marketing—anything and everything that helps them streamline ordering and increase their customers’ purchasing and loyalty.
Today’s consumers have high expectations when it comes to engaging suppliers, companies and brands (like your Farm!). They assume they can reach businesses online through social or email and they are used to getting help while shopping (typically via a real-time chat). They are always evaluating and re-thinking what brands to buy from (based on their ongoing experience of a brand(s)!).
Even with stores that people visit in person—from grocery to clothing, even a bike shop or gym, today’s buyers expect to further engage with those businesses online. The coffee shop has an app and notifies me when it closes, and the gym helps me set goals and gives me a ‘good job’ text when I meet them. Online experiences represent your brand and should be engaging, even though it will not be ‘in-person.’ Today, it is important to combine both off-line and online interactions to build relationships, customer loyalty and ultimately to ensure ongoing sales.
We make sure a Farmer’s brand and shopping experience are online, accessible and present via email, social and a website. That handshake in person can (and should) continue to build through online engagement. If direct sales is your goal, you should be collecting emails of customers at any offline opportunity (farmers market, on-Farm store, event), so you can add your customers to an email list and invite them to follow you on Facebook and Instagram.
We are always looking for ways to make it easier for Farmers to engage customers regularly, to encourage ongoing sales. While customers may go to a store or farmers market and expect to engage in person, 99% of customers want a great shopping experience that is purely online and requires no actual engagement with a person. They don’t want to call or talk to a person, they just want to be able to browse and buy.
Even if you aren’t with buyers when they buy, those customers are still engaging with and experiencing your brand through the shopping experience. Here are 5 ways to ensure a positive and personal experience of your brand, when they are shopping from you online:
Custom categories or filters on your store enables you to group items in a way that makes sense to your customer. It makes it easy to find what they are looking for!
Chat—chat on your website is synonymous with real-time customer service. Your customers can see and know ‘help is at the ready’ whether they ask a question or not. That makes them feel good!
Beautiful photos of the items you are selling. Online shoppers need to be impressed with what they see, and need to look at items and think ‘I want that.’ Ugly, blurry or busy photos will cost you sales. Make sure you have beautiful photos of your items—use free online stock photos or take your own.
Keep it fresh! Make sure your inventory is current, add new items or new product options (try bundles or gift boxes—or add a subscription or volume discount). Post sale items from time to time.
Add a personal touch to your store with a Store Banner! Think of it as a bulletin board at the top of your store, giving customers valuable information or a hearty hello! Make it especially personal by adding emojis (they will be impressed!).