The concept of selling directly to customers is fast becoming a popular route, completely eliminating the middle-man. There are several significant benefits to small businesses, including better control of the brand, as well as building meaningful relationships with customers. It is crucial for artisan producers, small farmers, and wineries to set a strategy in place that opens up a direct-to-consumer door.
You Have More Control over Brand and Product Image
One of the most significant benefits of selling direct-to-consumer is that you have better control of how customers perceive your brand, products, and reputation. With traditional models, retailers simply stock your product. With this, you lose the opportunity to talk directly to customers about your product or business. That leaves customers especially susceptible to different perceptions, ideas, and opinions about your brand based on what they experience in a store.
And since customers are constantly seeking an all-round experience with brands they interact with, you have complete control over how customers experience your product from start to finish.
Having a shipping option does not mean your business has to be directly responsible for the delivery. You have options that allow this extraordinary feature with little effort on your part.
You Build Meaningful Relationships with Your Customers
With this complete control of your brand, you are also opening up the opportunity to build relationships with your customers and learn more about what they require.
Having direct interactions with your customers through every step of their sale, you can gain insights that would not have been possible if you were working through a middleman. If customers seek an all-around experience with brands and businesses, your best shot is by working with them directly.
That being said, customers have certain expectations if you are looking to sell directly to them. If opening up the possibility of ordering your product online, directly from your business, here is what you need to ensure you have in place to make this a successful model for your business.
Customers are accustomed to eCommerce stores that constantly show innovation and efficiency, so they are quickly put off by an eCommerce store that doesn’t meet a high standard.
Maintain a Unique Product Image
In this highly competitive market, the probability of a few other businesses selling the same product as you are enormous. The quality or price of your product might lure customers to your business. However, you have to find an element of your product that stands out and makes you different.
Create and maintain a product image that stands out and offers something completely unique. You have to provide customers with something that will leave a lasting impression and entice them to return for future purchases.
They Need an Efficient Ecommerce Platform
If you’re looking to create an eCommerce site for your direct-to-consumer efforts, it is crucial to make this platform efficient and user-friendly. Customers are accustomed to efficient and innovative eCommerce stores. Therefore, they are quickly put off by an eCommerce store if it doesn’t meet their standards.
This should not discourage small businesses from setting up an eCommerce store. In fact, if your store is fast and effective, you are simply setting yourself apart from other small producers. Additionally, you’re offering customers an experience to ensure they return to your business.
Fortunately, Troly offers powerful CRM capabilities that store customers’ information and order history, making it easier than ever to give customers individual attention and create a loyal customer base. This is one of only dozens of Troly features that are centralized around helping small businesses. These features help increase their sale with ground-breaking technology.
There is a commitment-free, 30-day Trial available, allowing you to explore all of Troly’s features and capabilities, which can take your small business to new heights and get your direct-to-consumer journey started.
You Need to Offering Shipping Options
While this may seem obvious, many eCommerce sites don’t offer shipping but reply on a click-and-collect strategy. In today’s times, especially post-Covid, customers are seeking delivery options more than ever. If you don’t have an eCommerce platform and don’t offer delivery, you are subsequently alienating yourself from many potential customers.
Find a local courier company and set up a business relationship with them. This will take care of all your future deliveries. Most companies just need to be notified about a package. Thereafter, they will collect it from your business and deliver it to the customer. Having a shipping option does not mean your business has to be directly responsible for the delivery. You have options that allow this extraordinary feature with little effort on your part.
Your Customers Need to be Able to Track Their Order
As a business, you need to have several touch-points with your customers throughout their buying journey. Whether you are reaching out to them via email or direct message, there are a few times that you need to make contact with them. This is crucial for them to feel like a valued part of your business and not just another customer.
One of these touch-points is directly after a sale, where you notify a customer that their product is en route. This simple message sets them at ease and ensures a pleasant post-purchase feeling. A crucial part of this message is sending the customer a tracking code. This code offers them more control and knowledge about the parcel.
Fortunately, if you’re doing direct-to-consumer, you don’t have to do this manually when each customer orders. Instead, it can be automated via several email-marketing platforms. By setting up an automated email, you are able to scale this process and minimize your workload. Our article on 2022 Marketing Trends discusses automated messaging in more detail, with some thought-provoking stats.
Market Your Product
Social Media, email, and direct messaging have opened up a world of affordable but highly effective marketing techniques. Use these channels and platforms for marketing your product. Ensure your customers know that they are able to purchase products directly from you.
If you’re unsure where to start, check out our article on Tools for a Winning Digital Marketing Strategy.
