There’s no denying that the pandemic has created several setbacks, forever changing the wine industry. Moving forward and embracing these changes is crucial for the survival of any wine-business. Not only do you want to maintain your wine sales, but also increase them.
The good news is that the pandemic has significantly boosted alcohol sales as more individuals choose to drink at home. According to SipSource, the sales of premium wine brands has increased more than any other category, which is excellent news for the industry.
So, while wine sales have not slowed down but have merely changed, here are five ways you can maintain wine sales during the Pandemic.
1. Get involved with Virtual Tastings
Virtual wine tasting is a trend that soared in 2020. Essentially, it allows people to enjoy wine and have a tasting experience in the comfort of their own home. This basic-outline has been perceived in many different ways by each winery and has proven to work exceptionally well.
The process is relatively simple: have the customers’ wine delivered and connect with them via Skype or Zoom. This allows your winery to provide a tasting experience while the customers are safe and comfortable at home.
It is a way of connecting with your customers innovatively while you maintain (and boost) your wine sales.
2. Improve your Online Presence
The importance of an online presence cannot be emphasized enough, especially during a pandemic. While more customers turn to online browsing, purchases, and recommendations, your winery must expand online.
An online presence is vital for several reasons.
1. It will ensure greater accessibility to your business.
In this digital age, customers are constantly looking online for business hours, menus, tasting options, contact details and customer reviews.
2. This online presence also means you can showcase your wines to hundreds of thousands of potential customers. It is one of the most affordable ways to provide insight into exactly what wines and tasting experiences you can offer the customer.
3. And most importantly, along with brand awareness, having an online presence means you can connect with your customers in ways that were never possible before.
This online presence is what will ensure clients stay aware of your brand and continue to purchase wine. If you want to connect with your customers online, we highly suggest our article on connecting with customers online.
3. Sell Wine with E-commerce to maintain your wine sales
To solidify how more individuals are moving online, the industry has seen a massive increase in online wine sales.
For some perspective, Winc saw a direct-to-consumer membership signup increase of 578%. Additionally, other wine powerhouses, like Vivino, saw an increase of 162% in a single day while Acker Wines saw a spike of 50% in online sales.
What does that all mean? It means that, if you want to continue making sales during the pandemic, it is crucial to sell wine where customers are buying. This is where e-commerce will allow massive sales for your winery.
The importance of e-commerce is one of the greatest things we saw in 2020. Read more about the lessons we’ve learnt selling wine in 2020.
When implementing this E-commerce feature, it is crucial that you focus on swift and efficient delivery too. A survey done by Digital Commerce 360 found that customers who were buying online abandoned their cart because the delivery time was too long. This means that there is a great expectation placed on delivery and efficiency.
Add a Booking Feature to your Site
With all the strict regulations regarding social distancing, now is the time to optimize your online booking feature. To go hand-in-hand with the importance of your digital presence is your booking accessibility.
Ensure that customers are able to make a booking on your website easily, quickly, and with all the information they require. This will ensure that even during this time of uncertainty, customers will be able to know precisely how and when they can visit your establishment.
While we are all cautious during this time, you want to ensure customers still visit your winery. And by making it easier for them to get to your winery, you’ll increase the likelihood of their visit and potential sales.
Add an Online Chat Tool to Maintain Wine Sales
There are so many features that can personalize every single aspect of your business – which will give you the edge you need.
One of these personalized features is adding a chat-box feature on your website and social media platforms. This allows direct contact with the customers to get all the answers they need directly from an actual person.
While the digital age has brought significant progress, it has also impersonalized several customers’ interactions. These chat-boxes allow you to personalize their experience and connect on a greater level with your customers.
You will definitely reap the rewards of this new level of connectivity and personalization.
These are some of the critical things you should consider if you want to maintain your wine sales during the pandemic. There is so much research and statistics that reinforce the importance of all five of these tactics. If you’re looking for more ways to get more sales or even improve your bottom line, Troly has a range of resources available for you to check out.
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