As business owners, we are all looking for ways to increase sales and overall foot traffic to our storefront. Especially when it comes to owning a brick and mortar, your sales instantly stop the second you lock the front door. Imagine if you could be making sales with the doors shut and the closed sign up... eCommerce is the solution!
Salon Specific
Let us talk about your salon. Think about your customer base, specifically your regular clients...How often are they visiting? If I had to guess, they are probably coming in about once a month. When it comes to the one off clients maybe once every three months. The reason I want to get you thinking here is because of the time spent away from your salon. They are clearly using beauty products whether it is shampoo + conditioner to face wash and hand cream, so why not provide them with these products. These clients come to you wanting to feel their best! They are going to take your advice as you steer them in the right direction. Also, they are more likely to buy products from you after a great experience! They will want to increase longevity of the satisfied product. Keep this in mind especially with stores like Target, Sephora and Amazon where such products are so easily accessible. If they do not want to buy products immediately after their treatment, it would be wise to provide an option for them to do so before they come back and see you, eCommerce! Afterall, without an online shopping cart to directly buy beauty supplies from, they will mostly end up on Amazon Prime. While it may seem tedious and time consuming, believe me it is not all that complicated. I have laid out a few important categories to help you maximize your online potential!
Increasing Sales through eCommerce
How many followers do you have on Facebook or Instagram? Imagine each of those followers making an average of two purchases a month from your store. You can literally turn your social following into an extra stream of revenue by incorporating an online shopping cart. They already follow you, so why not post merchandise and give them two clicks to make it theirs? Not to mention, the folks from out of town will be able to purchase your inventory from their couch miles and miles away. Lastly, the incorporation of this shopping cart will inevitably drive foot traffic into your store. For example, I am browsing Instagram looking for Christmas gifts, I then see your post of a new fur sweater or face cream. My mind immediately starts thinking, what else does this store have to offer? If I purchase the fur sweater for my mom, maybe I can grab something for my sister too... Hypothetically, I buy both on Instagram - they arrive to my house and everyone loves the new swag! They ask me where I got it, and now we are all headed to the brick and mortar. Yes, that may have seen like a silly story but guess what? It happened last week!
Check out a recent blog post on 10 Proven Ways to Get Sales on Your eCommerce Site
Keeping Clients Connected
Many may think an eCommerce platform only serves the purpose of selling merchandise online. However, such platforms enable you, the business owner, to engage with your clients in an entirely new fashion. Although, it may not be a face to face interaction, you can accomplish personal touch points that will hopefully turn into lifelong customers. Here are a few key marketing components you should keep an eye out for when selecting an eCommerce platform.
- Abandoned Shopping Carts
- Email Marketing
- “You also may like”
- Holiday emails
- ON SALE emails - discount codes and more
Sell Social - add your shopping cart to Instagram and Facebook!
No rerouting during the checkout process. As an avid online shopper, I can attest to the fact that potential customers, who are re-routed once or twice while trying to complete a purchase loose focus. For example, if I am browsing your Instagram page and see a pair of sunglasses I like, when I click BUY NOW, I literally want to buy them now. If I am directed to the merchant's website and then again to payment page, there you have lost me.
Beware: Not all eCommerce platforms will seamlessly integrate into all social platforms. Here is a list of a few that can:
I promise you, creating your online store will not be as time consuming as you may think! If anything, it will be worth your while - an eCommerce solution for your salon and spa will not only benefit the business, but the clients as well. It will allow customers to get what they need from you on their time while also increasing sales even when your doors are shut.
Payscape is here to help you to grow your business! Click here to learn more about how!
Sources: https://blog.booker.com/the-booker-blog/ecommerce-best-practices-for-the-beauty-industry
