the challenge Special Olympics Illinois (SOILL) is a storied organization with an incredible legacy. When they came to us with the goal of recruiting more athletes, volunteers and donors of all demographics—we grasped the opportunity to do something extraordinary. We...
the challenge Since 2007, the Golf for Injured Veterans Everywhere Foundation (GIVE) has been working tirelessly to improve the lives of Iowa’s military heroes through therapeutic golf instruction, social engagement, community outreach and more. The work they do and...
the challenge Next Door & Window is a titan of window and door replacement, a paragon of quality and service. But in a saturated market, prospective customers were looking through them, rather than at them.the solution Open the door to new clients by creating...
the challenge Oswald’s, Naperville’s oldest family-owned-and-operated pharmacy, has been a constant for families throughout the last 145 years. But as the store changed ownership to the next generation in the middle of a pandemic, they needed a new script to lead the...
the challenge Before America could run on Dunkin’, the Midwest market needed help to turn a Boston import into a hometown hero.the solution For over 20 years as a prolific Dunkin’ partner, we’ve perked up brand loyalty and kept excitement brewing in 53 markets all...
the challenge As economic development hit western Des Moines, investors largely ignored the City of Altoona, just to the east. They perceived it as a “small, sleepy town”, failing to see the potential just beneath the surface. But this wasn’t a boom waiting to happen:...
the challenge Tall order: take a 140 year old hardware brand, and honor its legacy while simultaneously swinging it into the future. Then, we heard a story about a 92 year old piece of hardware made for the Rockefeller family that still works like it’s brand new. the...
the challenge Scientel Solutions is up there with the world’s leading innovators, delivering high-tech solutions like Drone Defense and Smart City Infrastructure. They’re basically the James Bond-meets-MacGyver of tech companies. Unfortunately, when we first met them,...
the challenge “The Homestead” was ready to grow into a national autism organization, but the market perceived them as “small-time” and “local.”the solution Through emotional branding & strategic implementation, MACLYN rebranded the organization as “Balance Autism,”...
the challenge To achieve their ambitious goals and grow their audience, Avanade needs a creative partner who champions their brand while continuously pushing them to greater heights. o the question: What is Avanade about? the solution For nearly a decade, MACLYN has...
the challenge IMRIS was a life-saving surgical revolution with a limited market perception. But their perceived value as “just a tech company” was costing more than just revenue: it was time to remind the world what mattered. the solution MACLYN created “For the Human...
the challenge LABS had an awareness & perception problem. The target market perceived them as “intimidating” and “elite,” while their unique location hid them from public view: literally and figuratively.the solution We gave the gym some sick gains with “Chase Your...
the challenge BrownWinick is a law firm headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, home to some of the most respected attorneys in their respective fields. But in law, as in life, you’re only as good as your reputation: BrownWinick needed a new brand that lived up to theirs....
the challenge PAC-MAN Entertainment is an interdimensional realm of 8-bit awesome, boasting an arcade, bowling, full service restaurant, office meeting spaces, sports bar and more. BANDAI-NAMCO, (creators of the iconic ghost-chomping PAC-MAN) needed to broaden the...
the challenge Choose DuPage is the economic development alliance for DuPage County, Illinois. A public/private partnership between business and government leaders, their collective mission is to foster a business-friendly community while growing, attracting, and...
the challenge The Iowa Finance Authority makes life better for Iowans. It’s that simple. However, when we first started working with them in 2015, most people weren’t aware of the organization’s statewide programs or the impact they have on local communities. In order...
the challenge Wannemaker’s Home and Garden is Chicagoland’s best garden and home boutique – but as they looked to expand their customer base, the community pillar needed a fresh brand that was relevant to today’s customers while still honoring their roots.the solution...
As a marketing agency, we’re seeing today’s shoppers go digital like never before. Now, businesses of all sizes – including small shops that have traditionally been brick-and-mortar – are beginning to build online storefronts.
Easier said than done! Building an online storefront and marketing it can be intimidating, especially if you’re a small business and this is your first time diving into e-commerce. Where do you begin? What are the fundamentals of a good e-commerce experience? And once your online store is built… what next?
At MACLYN, we help small businesses build and market their online stores all the time, and we’ve learned plenty of lessons along the way.
Here are a few tips to help you rock e-commerce.
Tip #1: You don’t have to build your online store from scratch.
The first thing you should know about your online storefront is that you don’t have to build it from scratch. In fact, you shouldn’t! There are many great online storefront platforms that can seamlessly integrate into your website and be customized to your brand.
One industry leader in online business – our personal favorite – is Shopify. Shopify has packages that range from basic online storefronts to advanced features that scale to your business. As an all-in-one commerce platform, Shopify allows businesses to create online storefronts, sell products online or in-person, market products through digital integrations, and manage your inventory and shipping. It’s relatively easy to use. And, most importantly, it works.
Tip #2: Start by putting a limited inventory online.
If you’re an existing retailer with a large variety of inventory, and you’re just getting started in e-commerce, consider selling a limited number of products online to start.
Of course, you want to offer what people are looking to buy online, but that doesn’t mean you have to put your entire inventory online. You’ll save time and money by starting small and building from there.
Tip #3: Don’t just fill orders—create an order fulfillment strategy.
A LOT of things happen between the time a customer clicks ‘buy’ on you online store and when they actually receive their product. There’s the receiving, the processing, the packing, the picking, and the shipping. All these elements add up to Order Fulfillment.
By creating an Order Fulfillment Strategy – an outline of the process from purchase to shipping – you can tweak your formula to find new efficiencies, stay competitive and build customer loyalty.
Tip #4: How to set up your online store
Depending on how you build your online store – using Shopify or something similar –you will need to design and setup your storefront. This includes selecting a template, inserting your own custom branding, adding your inventory and more.
When you are setting up the store, it’s important to design it with user experience in mind. If you have a lot of products, think about how people will navigate the site and how they search for products.
You also need to add your inventory, including images and descriptions of what you are selling. For product images, you can use professional photography, vendor-supplied images, or take your own. In today’s world, you can find high-quality photo lights, or kits (like this) that will help enhance the quality.
You also need to set up your merchant services to process payment, add the online store to your website, and integrate your POS and inventory management system (if applicable).
Tip #5: Marketing online
Now that you’re built your online store, it’s time to market it! There are a variety of ways to market, and platforms like Shopify give you great tools to do this.
When marketing your online store, consider:
Google search campaigns for keywords related to your product.
Social media ad campaigns targeted to specific audiences.
Optimizing your product descriptions and online storefront for SEO, making it easy for people to find you when they are searching.
Utilizing automated tools in Shopify to run remarketing campaigns targeted based on what products consumers were searching, abandoned shopping cart email reminders, and more.
When all the pieces come together
There’s no one element that makes online marketing successful—it’s all about how the pieces fit together to build a seamless customer experience. That’s how you build loyalty, and that’s how you keep your customers coming back again and again.
Here’s an example of what happens when all the pieces come together:
A customer sees an engaging ad and clicks it.
They navigate your website easily – because of its stellar UX – and find just what they want.
They easily make their purchase.
They’re delivered the right product, on time, within their expectations.
Your customer sees another engaging ad. Since they were so happy with their experience last time, they click it and buy another product.
Pro tip: If you can’t deliver on it, don’t do it. A bad customer experience is worse than no experience at all.
Want a guide for the new normal?
We know this is tough, but we can help. As your total marketing partner, MACLYN helps you tackle the challenges you face in the new normal, like getting into e-commerce for the first time. We bring together marketing expertise, business sense and a deep understanding of technology to help your business meet its goals.