Is Black Friday dead?

Is Black Friday dead?

Historically, Black Friday marked the kick off of Christmas sales. It’s a day on the calendar that followed Thanksgiving and the reason for it being called “Black Friday” was all the tyre marks that shoppers left on the road after they’d driven into town to grab themselves a bargain. 

Not surprisingly, marketers leveraged this and converted the holiday into an online shopping opportunity and Black Friday and Cyber Monday was created. 

Our clients have had significant success with Black Friday in the past: 

  • A client generated €1,000 PER MINUTE in revenue at launch during a Black Friday campaign. 
  • Another campaign generated over $US200,000 in just one weekend. 
  • And a client returned 22x ROAS on Facebook ads during Q4 promotions.

In 2018, Shopify merchants processed over $1.5B in sales over the BFCM 4 day period. Over $573M of that was on Black Friday alone. Close to 11,000 orders and $37M in sales was processed per minute during the peak sales time. 

But… we’re predicting this year might be different. 

Australians spent $50.46 Billion online in 2020 up 57% year-on-year and this year continues to grow. Australia Post just employed 4,000 additional people to keep up with demand and will be delivering on weekends for the rest of the year. Australia Post has been urging customers to do their Christmas shopping early this year, to avoid disappointment in delayed shipping times. Also, Covid has given people the opportunity to get super organised for Christmas shopping (because, what else are we going to do in lock down?!)

You may have noticed that online stores are updating their schedules to align with this and have been talking about Christmas already. 

And, we are actually recommending against doing a Black Friday sale.

What are we recommending instead? 

  1. Go early and have your one big promotion at the end of October or early November.
  2. Communicate to your customers that this is your one and only promotion before Christmas to create urgency.

In regards to the type of promotion you should be having, we recommend keeping it super simple. 

Work out an offer that is irresistible to your audience AND works for your business. 

The most popular offers are: 

  1. Site-wide discounts 
  2. Specific product discounts 
  3. Coupon codes 
  4. Free shipping on all orders
  5. Free shipping by order value 

Plan ahead  

Most ecommerce brands start planning in Q3. We held a Q4 planning workshop for our eComm Club members in August.  

If the year has gotten away from you and you’re only reading this in October, it’s not too late to capitalise on Q4! 

If you’d like a safe space to brainstorm ideas or workshop your strategy, come join our free group for Unstoppable eCommerce Entrepreneurs.

Megan Winter

Megan is an inspiring, brilliant and fun digital marketer and has worked with some of the fastest-growing eCommerce brands in the world.

Megan loves helping purpose-driven online store owners to make more income and achieve more impact. 

Talk to less people and make more sales

Talk to less people and make more sales

It may sound counterintuitive… 

talk to less people to make more sales but we assure you, it is one of the most powerful ways to sell more on your online store. 

Narrowing down your target audience is one of the most powerful ways to sell more on your online store. Here’s our most-loved resources on why, and how you can niche down on your ideal customer avatar. 

1. The uncomfortable truth about your ideal customer avatar

In this blog, we share an uncomfortable truth — you’re not clear enough on who your ideal customer is. You’ll also learn why FOMO is a big factor on why you’re not niching down and how you could be diluting your messaging if you don’t.

2. Getting clear on your ideal customer

In this episode, we’re going to help you define your ideal customer avatar. We also talk about how being specific with your target audience can help you create better human-to-human connections in your business. Get over your FOMO and niche down!

Click here to listen to the full episode.

3. 3 reasons why no one is buying your offer

Have you ever experienced offering a sale you thought was perfect but no one is buying like you expected? You may want to look into your audience. In this blog, we share how telling the wrong audience could be the reason why your offer is failing.

 

Now that you’ve learned the why’s, here are some blogs to give you ideas on how to apply this practically:

4. Stop leaving money on the table with Facebook Ads

There’s been a lot of chat about Facebook Ads not working anymore. But in this blog, you’ll learn that getting to know your audience will help you have successful campaigns. By getting clear on who your audience is, you won’t waste your money from targeting people who would never purchase your products.

5. How to write emails that actually make sales

In this blog, we share how knowing what your audience is interested in makes it easier to sell more online. Even sharing news + tips via email can convert into a purchase if you know the right thing to say to the right audience.

 

So there you have it — a compilation of our topics on why it’s important to narrow your target audience. Let us know what you think!

Want to learn more? 

  • Join our free Facebook Group for lots of free training and more great info. 
  • Want to deep dive into learning how to set these kinds of ads up for yourself? Check out our education program eComm Ignitor. 
  • Or if you want someone to do it for you, get in touch. We provide a done-for-you service to our clients.

Megan Winter

Megan is an inspiring, brilliant and fun digital marketer and has worked with some of the fastest-growing eCommerce brands in the world.

Megan loves helping purpose-driven online store owners to make more income and achieve more impact. 

The importance of packaging

The importance of packaging

Right now eCommerce is booming! August 2021 was the biggest month for Australia Post EVER, surpassing even Christmas last year! So while you may be running off your feet, or seeing a nice little increase it’s important to maintain your standard of quality, especially your packaging.

So why is packaging so important? 

Customer Experience

Yesterday I received 2 parcels in the mail, one was some tile samples and the other was a sparkly pink skirt I had been waiting for! I was obviously far more excited for my sparkly skirt! I’d been watching this brand on Instagram for ages, they have a range of fun, bright coloured clothing. One of those brands that makes you want to buy something just because it looks so fun! So although I had been a long time follower, this was my first time purchasing from them and I was excited! 

Then when the parcels arrived I first opened the tiles, they were in a cute branded brown box with a big pink sticker on it “Instagram Story your unboxing @tilecloud”. How clever is that? Right before you even open it they are encouraging you to whip out your phone and start filming their brand and products. Then on opening they had beautiful custom printed tissue paper and I could tell everything was wrapped with care. It also included a discount code for my order and some tips on planning my tile project. It was a really nice parcel to open even though it was just samples, I enjoyed the experience.

Now the package I was waiting for…. I expected it to come in really bright packaging as the brand is all about bright colours, but much to my surprise, and disappointment, it came in a black plastic postage bag. Now as an environmentally conscious consumer, this was the first disappointment.

Inside the skirt was wrapped in yet another plastic bag with a printed picking slip. It was clear this was either drop shipped or sent from a 3PL without much care.

I was going to write there was nothing else in the bag, however upon further inspection today when I picked it up for the photo I found 2 postcards inside, one with their returns policy and one had info about their business and a coupon for my next order. These were nice, but I didn’t notice them when I first opened the parcel yesterday.

 

Now don’t get me wrong, the skirt was awesome! They delivered on their promise, I purchased the skirt and they sent it to me, but I was left feeling very underwhelmed by the experience of receiving it. What I had perceived was a fun, bright brand delivered dull and boring plastic packaging with no pizazz! 

With so many people in lockdown we are looking to online shopping to fill the void of going to the shops and getting our retail therapy. When your customers receive their parcel you want them to have a great experience. Nice packaging, a handwritten note and maybe even a surprise as simple as a lollypop can make the experience of receiving their parcel enjoyable, which makes them want to do it again!  

Opening a nice eCommerce parcel is like opening a birthday present to yourself! It makes us feel special and we want to repeat the experience.

Gifting

This year Christmas shopping in person will be harder than ever for most of the country.. Instead of hitting the shops many people will be heading online to purchase for their friends and family. I want my friends to have that great experience from the parcel I send them, I certainly wouldn’t send them anything from the shop above – even though they may like the product.

So by offering a beautifully presented product you straight away put your best foot forward for people to think of giving that experience to someone else. Whenever I receive a great parcel I always make note that it would be a great gift for someone.

To make it even easier for people to use your store for gift giving, be sure to offer direct to recipient shipping with gift wrapping and a personalised message. Even if a store has a great product and nice packaging, I’m not going to waste money and resources shipping the product to me just so I can then wrap it and ship it on to my friend. I want something easy that I can just write the message and the store takes care of the rest. 

You can install a gift wrapping app on your website to make this process simple. 

I recently received a beautiful gift delivered straight from the store she purchased it from. It not only included a handwritten card with my friend’s message, but also a handwritten note from the business owner as well as an extra card and postcard as a surprise gift. The package came in a beautiful pink box and was sent in a biodegradable pink bag – very on brand!

User Generated Content

User generated content (content created by your customers) is great for building trust for your brand and provides you with free content for your socials.

When your customer receives their parcel is the perfect time to encourage them to take a photo or video and post it to their socials, tagging you. You can include a postcard, swing tag or sticker like TileCloud encouraging people to tag you. I recommend going one step further and incentivising them with a competition. 

They obviously like your product as they just purchased it so enticing them with the chance to win more, or a gift voucher is a great way to get them to go to the effort of posting. They will likely also put more thought into the quality of their photo or video.

Consider how much it would cost you for a lifestyle photoshoot each month. For the cost of a product or a gift voucher, I recommend at least $50, you can get a whole lot of customer photos and save yourself the cost.

Scratch does this very well. They are a subscription dog food company and if you post a photo of your dog with their delivery and tag them you could win your next box free (approx $80 value so worth the effort). They offer a weekly competition, however you could do monthly. 

It’s resulted in heaps of great customer pics like these.

Reduce Refunds

In order to reduce returns you can use your packaging to reinforce that your customer has made a good decision with their purchase. All the great info you told them in the lead up to their sale, on your socials and on your website can be mentioned again on your packaging. 

Scratch also does this well reminding the dog parent that the food is ethically sourced, fresher and grain free – all on the shipping box before they open it.

So hopefully this has you thinking about how your products are received. 

If you’re not sure where to start think about:

  • Sending parcels in a branded box or biodegradable bag
  • Using custom branded tissue paper rather than plastic bags (Try https://noissue.com.au/)
  • Include a thank you note 
  • Include a surprise such as a lolly or small product
  • Included something to encourage consumer generated content
  • Include a note such as “Think your friend would love this? We can ship your gifts direct and offer gift wrapping with a personalised note”

 

Oh sh*t this page doesn’t exist!

Our tech may have blundered but to be honest, it’s likely a human error (yep, my company is run by humans).

You may be able to find what you’re looking for with the links below. 

Or send me an email and a real person will get back to you.

Karyn x

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Mental Health for business owners

Mental Health for business owners

Today is  R U OK day, although we really should be asking each other this question every day, not just today.

Australians spent $50.46 Billion online in 2020 up 57% year-on-year and this year continues to grow. Australia Post just employed 4,000 additional people to keep up with demand and will be delivering on weekends for the rest of the year. You could say there’s no better time to have an online store. 

However, despite all the amazing figures, it’s also the hardest time to have an online store, especially if you’re stuck in lockdown. 

Juggling a business, home-schooling kids, supporting your family and being isolated from the ones you love is bloody tough and I know many of you are feeling the effects.

What many people don’t know is that I first started working for myself because I was suffering from depression and anxiety and could no longer work for someone else. I needed to do something that could still make me an income even if I couldn’t get out of bed some days. The freedom and flexibility of working for myself has certainly had many other benefits over the years, but this is what kicked off my entrepreneurial journey back in 2011. 

I’m here to tell you it’s OK not to be OK. It’s OK to reach out for support and it’s OK to say no to things you just can’t take on right now.

If you are your business and you wear all the hats then your business relies on you to succeed. Your business can only thrive if you look after yourself, and give yourself a break when you need it. As they say, you can’t pour from an empty cup.

It’s OK to take a break

If you aren’t coping right now, it’s OK to take a break. The country feels you and people understand it can’t always be business as usual. Your community, the right people, will understand if you need to put orders on hold for a while so you can look after yourself and your mental health. Trust me, it’s more important than any sale. 

There are a few ways to do this – you can be completely honest and communicate with your customers that the store is closing for a little while so you can take some RnR. Or if you’re just taking a short amount of time, such as a week, you can just make the shipping expectations clear so they know things will be a bit longer than usual. Taking a short break now, may stop you from having to take a much longer break later.

Find Your Community

Thanks to the internet, we can be more connected than ever, even though we are apart. Megan and I run this business together yet haven’t seen each other for nearly 2 years. Since we last caught up we’ve both had babies! 

We run a free Facebook group, Unstoppable eCommerce Entrepreneurs which is a safe space for online store owners to connect, learn and support each other. Sometimes just finding other people who are on the same journey as you can help. There may also be local community groups you can join online and who knows maybe one day you can even catch up with them in real life! 

Take time for yourself

Self care almost seems like a bit of a buzz word these days, but it really is so important. I know the idea of taking time for yourself can seem impossible if you’re homeschooling and juggling your business but even just an hour a week where you just do something for you can make a huge difference. Take a bath, read a book, meditate, whatever helps you rejuvenate. 

Turn off notifications

When you’re stressed, a phone buzzing with notifications of things you have to do only adds to your stress. Turn off your social media and email notifications and just make time to check them once a day. This will help you get into a routine and stop them interrupting you all through the day.

Checking your emails at set times during the day will also stop you having to put out fires all day long. I recommend checking them when you start your work for the day (not when you first wake up) and again in the afternoon. Avoid checking them all day long.

Exercise + eat healthy

It’s a vicious cycle that when we don’t feel great we start to go without the things that help us most – we skip that walk and we start turning to bad food (I know I do!). A healthy diet and exercise however is crucial for maintaining your mental and physical health. Try to go for a walk every day, even if it’s just around the block – the fresh air will do you a world of good.

Seek help

There is lots of help available if you are struggling, so please don’t go it alone. Beyond Blue has developed a program ‘NewAccess’ specifically for business owners. It’s a free and confidential mental health support service available to anyone aged 18 or over who owns a small business, from any industry including sole traders. You can find out more at https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/newaccess/newaccess-for-small-business-owners

From personal experience if you’re feeling down, or just not quite right please see your doctor. Life really can be so much better when you treat your mental health like you would any other illness.

If you are struggling and need help right now you can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Check in with others

Check in on your friends and family, send them a message, a fun photo or give them a call. Let them know you are thinking of them and help them find support if they need it. 

 

Oh sh*t this page doesn’t exist!

Our tech may have blundered but to be honest, it’s likely a human error (yep, my company is run by humans).

You may be able to find what you’re looking for with the links below. 

Or send me an email and a real person will get back to you.

Karyn x

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5 interviews with online store owners you don’t want to miss

5 interviews with online store owners you don’t want to miss

Over the past few months, we talked to a few successful online store owners we know about their journey from launching their businesses, how they dealt with struggles, and how they grew their brands.

We’re going to share them with you today, in case you missed them.

1. Idea to Online Store with Nic McClanachan

In this episode, we chat with Nic McClanachan, the founder of Dot on a Sock, an eCommerce business that sells socks with colour coded dots on the sole that makes them easy to find & simple to match. She shares how she turned a personal pain point into an opportunity, how she took her business off the ground, and did all of this (as a mum of 3 and running 2 other successful businesses) during the peak of the COVID lockdowns!

2. From Floundering to Happy Dancing With Christine Law From the Outdoor Table

In one of our recent podcasts, we invite Christine Law from The Outdoor Table to share how she grew her business to the point where it’s now starting to attract corporate interest. She also walks us through the steps she took to grow her business to where it is now and talks about the opportunities that have come her way… and how she made sure she was ready to seize them when they did.

3. ​​From Side Hustle to Main Hustle with Colleen from Ride Proud Clothing

We first met Colleen three years ago, when she joined the first round of Ignitor. Since then, her business has doubled in revenue and even found success in other countries.

She reveals what her business was like at the beginning and the steps she took to grow it. She also offers advice based on her own experiences of running an online clothing store. Click here to listen to the full episode.

4. Business Growth in Covid Times with Sarah from Glimmer Gear

In this episode, Sarah Lovison from Glimmer Gear Australia shares her journey from deciding whether to go into liquidation and close up shop to tripling her monthly revenue and launching a second business that sold out of stock in just three months!

She also shares how she went from attending 30 expos a year to growing her online store that now, she doesn’t have to attend a single one.

5. Influencer Marketing with Corbin from Three Warriors

We talk to Founder and CEO of Three Warriors, Corbin Halliday, about how he has used influencers to grow his brand from a little side-hustle to now having seven full-time employees.

He also shares how he approaches influencers, the red flags to look out for, how to measure the number of sales an influencer generates, why he doesn’t like the word “influencer” and why this mindset has been key to his success and how he has gained exposure from some of the world’s most famous celebrities – without paying a cent. Listen to the full episode here.

 

So there you have it – 5 great guest episodes with thriving online store owners that we don’t want you to miss.

Comment and let us know which one was your favourite.

Megan Winter

Megan is an inspiring, brilliant and fun digital marketer and has worked with some of the fastest-growing eCommerce brands in the world.

Megan loves helping purpose-driven online store owners to make more income and achieve more impact. 

Ditch the default for better conversions

Ditch the default for better conversions

Chances are when you first built your website you may have used a theme. 

Themes are a great way to build a good looking website and save you time and money. With a theme though comes many defaults which are often overlooked when editing.

I’ve talked about when it is important to colour between the lines but there are other times where it is important to ditch the default to make your website stand out from the crowd.

I’m talking about adding personality to your website with your brand voice and customising the little things that can make a big difference.

So let’s take a look at where you can ditch the default to make your website your own.

Menu

Ditch the stock standard menu of ‘Home, About, Shop, Contact’ and use the menu to highlight what it is that you sell. You can remove home as people can click the logo to get back there and the others can go in your footer. Then use up to 8 menu items to showcase your main categories such as ‘tops, bottoms, jewellery, accessories’ or ‘bathroom, kitchen, living, bedroom’.

Call to action buttons

As part of our suggested blueprint, your home page should have a featured hero image at the top with a headline and subheading underneath and a call to action button. The default button for most themes in “Shop”… um BORING! 

This is your time to add some personality and bring through your brand voice so consider a call to action that talks about the next step they are taking and what they are going to get from shopping with you rather than just “shop”. 

Update all the call to action buttons on your site to showcase your brand’s personality.

Here are some great examples:

Headings

There are a range of headings around your website such as “categories”, “sale items”, “blog”. Rename these to keep the brand voice strong throughout your whole site.

BigBiteEco does this very well throughout their home page to make it super clear what they are selling, without the boring. 

Default Theme Language

Some things are just standard with your theme, for instance most Shopify themes say “Tax included, shipping calculated at checkout” on the product page. 

In Australia all tax has to be included by law so it’s a waste of precious space saying that. It also makes no sense saying “shipping calculated at checkout” if you offer free shipping on your products as that will just confuse your customers.

To update this default text on a Shopify store simply go to Online Store > Themes > Actions > Edit Languages.

Search for the phrase you’re trying to change using the filter. Then simply override the default text with what you want it to say and save. Keep in mind this will update that text sitewide and is not product specific.

Leave the section blank to remove it all together.

Cart

Your shopping cart is another place full of default language.

You can use the same method as above to customise this and include important messages for your customers, provide actual shipping rates or let them know Afterpay is available at checkout. 

Natural Approach has used this to promote that Express and tracking upgrade options are available.

So there you have it, a few ways to customise your website to make it yours.

Let me know in the comments which changes you’re going to make.

Oh sh*t this page doesn’t exist!

Our tech may have blundered but to be honest, it’s likely a human error (yep, my company is run by humans).

You may be able to find what you’re looking for with the links below. 

Or send me an email and a real person will get back to you.

Karyn x

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