seoplus+ is a Shopify Marketing Partner. This means Shopify refers their store owners to us when they need help with online marketing. We have spoken with hundreds of Shopify store owners.
And it is tough to get a store going.
We hear the same story over and over and over again. It goes like this….
I have my store set-up, I’m starting to get some traffic, but no one is buying anything. Can you help me?
There are a million things you can do to promote your store – blogging, Google AdWords, Facebook, Instagram, conversion rate optimization, and on and on.
But there is one thing I have seen work better than anything else – hands down, without a doubt!
What I have seen work best is face-to-face selling to get the ball rolling.
If you really believe in your product (this is a MUST) and you think people will love it, get in front of people any way you can and show them your product. Sell it to them face to face. Is this scary to you? That’s normal, but if you really believe in your product, your belief and passion should help push you out of your comfort zone.
I spoke with a guy last week. He sells $80 bags on Shopify. He has been in business for 6 weeks and he has sold over 50 bags!
The majority of his sales are face-to-face, but the smart thing he does is leveraging face-to-face to bring customers online – he gets their e-mail, he ask them to follow him on social media, and he stays in touch. He is building genuine relationships with his customers and he is selling a great product that he truly believes in.
Here are places you can start selling:
Places to sell
- Pop-ups – According to Wikipedia, a pop-up is a “trend of opening a short-term sales space.” This could be a kiosk in a mall, or a booth on the street. Just make sure you have the right permits and be creative.
- Hand out cards – Create some great flyers or business cards that will entice people to visit your store. You need a really good reason for them to visit the store. For example, we attended an Etsy event this weekend and we offered $250 Etsy gift card for visiting and following our Instagram account.
- Drop in to retailers – Take your product to retail stores that serve your customers. If they like your product, they might place an order right on the spot. Focus on independent stores as chains and big box stores probably aren’t likely to buy from a new unproven vendor.
- Get a table at events – Look at events in your area where your target clientele will be. One of my colleagues set-up a booth selling computer parts in the basement of a church and he ended up meeting a customer that has spent well over $20,000 with him over the years.
Best tactics once you’re there
- Give out cards and offer a discount if they come to your store – With Shopify stores, you can offer discount codes. Give everyone you meet a card with a discount code on it. Or come up with another compelling reason for them to visit your website.
- Ask people to follow you on social media (give them a reason) – The best way is to follow them and they will likely follow you back. Or just ask them to follow you.
- Ask for their honest feedback – Be humble and genuine. Tell people your story and ask for genuine feedback. I often see Shopify stores that will never generate any sales, but the owner has never asked for feedback so they don’t understand why people aren’t buying.
- Get their e-mails – Ask consumers for their e-mail address. Give them a good reason. For example – you have a new product coming out soon and you want to let them know about it.
At the end of the day, you need to really believe in your product, you need to get people’s attention (this is very tough to do online with a limited budget) and you need to be patient.
If you have a good product and you are genuine with people eventually your business will take off.
This isn’t going to be easy, but start now. Make a list of all the places you can sell your products and then take ACTION.
Good luck and let me know how this works for you.
