GoAntiques “If you fail to work at it and cultivate it and maintain it, you could be leaving a great deal of money on the table”. – Entrepreneur.com
Building Trust With Buyers, Online
This month’s newsletter will come as a four-part series on Storefront Renovation, just in time for the Holidays.
Many dealers may be unaware of the impact an online storefront has on his/her online sales. There are key differences between traditional sales methods and online buying patterns which we thought GoAntiques dealers would value. Because we will cover all key aspects of a storefront, we have broken it into a 4-week series, making it easier to digest and implement.
Part One focuses on the importance of creating a shopping environment that fosters buyer confidence necessary when deciding to purchase. Part Two begins a practical application, using your banner and storefront description as your first tools in wooing the customer. In Part Three, we continue the practical application, detailing your Photos and Item Descriptions so that they can effectively replace a buyer’s hands-on shopping. We will also help you understand online pricing differences and strategies. Finally, Part Four on shipping strategies and communication with buyers, will round out the series, and give you a bit of time to rethink, revamp or renovate your Storefronts, so that they are ready for the holiday customers who are tired of standing in lines at the store.
So, grab a cup of coffee or tea, maybe a pen & paper, and jot down all your renovation ideas as we hand you the tools you need.
Did you know that, as of March of this year:
- Shoppers make 51% of their purchases online, compared to 48% in 2015?
- An American Hutrust study shows that an incredible 83% of buyers have said that they would gladly recommend to others a company that they trusted.
- Another study shows that 92% of shoppers rely on reviews and recommendations in deciding on where to shop. A recommendation is referred trust.
That’s why Jayson DeMers, founder of Audiencebloom (an online marketing agency) stressed the fact that:
“Shopping and ordering through a website is a vastly different experience…customers have less to go on when determining how comfortable they feel making a purchase. Consequently, it’s up to (online dealers) to quickly earn (customers’) trust and curb any skepticism”.
How Does This Apply to You?
Traditional brick & mortar stores engage browsers with visuals, touch, sound, smell, incorporating business elements that quietly state that theirs is a business that can be trusted. These include good lighting, professional signage, friendly shopkeepers, a clean storefront, full shelves & nice displays–all of which influence a shopper’s decision to purchase. Since the online shopping experience is virtual, it is important to adjust an online storefront in ways that will be commensurate with these, and positively influence each shopper quickly.
People do business with those that they like, know, and trust. Establishing trust in an online context is critical and must be established consciously. The fact is, online shoppers have vast choices and make very quick assessments of storefronts and products. They are, at any point in time, only a few quick clicks from moving to another site. This means that being a savvy dealer is more important than ever.
Establishing trust in the online marketplace begins with how your storefront, and your inventories are presented. On GoAntiques this is done through a quality storefront banner, and friendly & detailed storefront description; which will be covered in the next newsletter. Until then, we hope you’ve enjoyed this introductory issue and hope you are just as excited as we are to revamp your storefronts!
Best Regards,
The GoAntiques Team
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