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Posts Tagged ‘blogging’

Is she a secret blogger…or him over there…or that other one?

Posted in economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , , on September 28, 2010| 3 Comments »

Do you have avid fans of your shop who are bloggers?

Yoo-hoo, any of you BLOG?

You may, without even knowing it. Have you tried asking recently?

Then asking them to blog about your shop? Even going so far as to having (more…)

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Pretty Pictures: Getting your name out there.

Posted in Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , on September 16, 2010| 5 Comments »

From a vast collection of interesting shots of consignment, resale, thrift and even (gasp!) “new” stores, some crafty ideas about how to make a photo of your shop (on your web site, in your blog, on FB, in a brochure or on a postcard of your business card or heck, even on a T-shirt) be doubly useful by including your name in the  picture.

Make your shop shots do double duty.

Without further ado, and with (more…)

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Are you boring the sox off your potential customers?

Posted in Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , , , on September 11, 2010| 6 Comments »

Consignment, resale and thrift shops have ever-changing selection, and that’s a strong selling point visually, in the photos we use on our web sites and blogs.

Alas, sometimes though, when we’re taking photos of our shop, we bore the sox off our customers.

Just taking a quick shot (more…)

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Step 4: Now that your resale shop is freshened up, let’s freshen up the till, shall we?

Posted in Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , on August 26, 2010| 2 Comments »

Here’s the pay off in Freshening up your shop, after you’ve managed Step 1 and Step 2 and Step 3.

Sell it!

Time to celebrate in your consignment shop!

Now that you've done all the work of stomping on the grapes, it's time to celebrate with a little bubbly and a whole lot of shoppers!

Once a new manager, new sales team, or new owner feels like there’s some significant upgrading of the consignment, thrift, or resale shop visible and working,

it’s time to sell the shop

… as in sell it to potential customers/ suppliers. This will involve not only advertising and social media outlets (you have been (more…)

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“How long you been here?”

Posted in economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , on July 29, 2010| 4 Comments »

The most frustrating question a consignment shop owner can hearOne of the more frustrating questions any consignment or resale shopkeeper can hear is “How long you been here?” It’s even more frustrating to know that every day, there are potential customers who need to be reached.

Well, get used to it. “How long you been here?” is going to be heard in your shop forever.

I mean forever. Every single day, no matter how established your business is, there are new people you need to attract, people who just BECAME potential clients.

  • Maybe they didn’t need what you sell ’til just now.
  • Maybe they didn’t know what you sell, and how it could be of value to them, until they happened across your business while doing something else. (The theory behind locating near other places which attract your target market.)
  • Maybe they’re in a madcap, girls’-afternoon-out mood and willing to explore new shopping experiences.
  • And just maybe, they recently arrived in your market area, moving to town or simply passing through.

You  have to, 24/7, let everyone know about your business and what it can offer to them. You have to hit ’em when and where they are in need of your goods.

Let me tell you a story.

A few days ago, we decided to go out to lunch. Since we’d be in the neighborhood, and I’d heard good things about a certain restaurant, I thought that would be a good choice. But I was unsure if they did lunch. So I googled them. Found lots of rave reviews, which whetted my appetite. Found their web site, too.

Without the hours or phone number on it. Out of 5 possible links, 3 were completely blank. Nothing. Main page? Cute music and slide show, no address, phone, hours, or even what type of business this was.

Went back to Google, found their phone number on another site, called them. The nice fellow who answered the phone at 11am said no, no lunch, open at 4. When I remarked that the restaurant’s web site was woefully inadequate, he said “The web site is a work in progress.”

Well, duh.

LIFE is a work in progress, yet alone a business or its web site. Is that any reason to handicap a potential client from becoming a customer? Why would not the first thing on that web site be who, where, when, and even what the business is?

Of course, no one can afford to blanket the earth with signs, ads, Facebook and Twitter,bag-stuffers and billboards. The wise shopkeeper balances the effort and money involved to choose her marketing strategies. Not being discover-able on the Internet is a major marketing flaw. Especially when the Internet is the biggest advertising bargain around.

Is your business similarly handicapping your next customer? When they get the urge to go looking for a lunch restaurant, or a place to go back-to-school shopping or to find that wonderful Halloween costume idea...will they be led to your business? Think about how customers look for businesses that will fulfill their immediate needs. Will they find you? Will they find the info and the impetus to visit you?

Business literature abounds in ideas to “keep” your business number one. Here’s what resalers had to say about that. And here’s even more ideas. But alas, I don’t see as much energy and imagination going in to attracting the never-been-in-before customer.Glad to DISCOVER you! is what you want to hear in your resale shop

Choose your marketing tools wisely, considering not only your current clientele, but your potential audience. If it’s true that less than 15% 0f possible shoppers shop resale (and even fewer remember to shop secondhand first!) , what are you doing to tempt, lure and attract those who have never been in?

How do YOU turn “How long you been here?” into “I’m so glad I FOUND you!”?

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