Marketing Ideas I have Tried Recently

[katlupe]

I felt that I sell a top quality product on my website but was not getting nearly enough sales and could not understand why. So my husband added a survey contribution to it so that when someone puts something in their cart and does not buy, I can contact them and ask why. Oh sure, you get some of those would be buyers who give you the smart remarks. But.....I got lucky! One guy was a very intellectual type and I researched him on Google and found he was a writer and a scientist. So he sent me back a very detailed survey reply of why he did not complete his purchase.......that was what I needed! So the next few weeks I have worked on completely revamping my site following his critique of it. Now it is working!!!! I am getting lots of sales. In fact, I am running out of my inventory and have to reorder next week!!!!! :banana02:

Another thing I did was to add a points system to the site so when someone makes an account, purchases or refers another buyer who buys they get points in their account that will add up to money off their future purchases. People like that as it is like the rewards systems that credit cards offer.

In January we launched a marketing campaign by sending out postcards to buyers who might be interested in our product. The idea is to design a postcard that is eye catching to the targeted would be buyers so they pin it on a wall, use it for a bookmark or put it on their refrigerator. They want to keep it around and it will have your website on it. So that could take some time to see how they do. But you have to keep sending them out over and over.

I always offer Free Shipping so that is no obstacle to sales unless they are international. We have been working on bringing their prices down.

I have been working on changing my photos so they come in faster and look clear. We had some put on that did not look good. These I am doing myself and just bought a new computer that is more capable of my business work.

I have also posted articles on my site that are bringing people there. I get these articles free and have a contribution to cross sell my product on the bottom of the article page. Like ebay does.

Maybe this can help someone else. I know my sales are increasing and hope others here can get more sales too.

katlupe

[countrygurl]

so what the website so we can check it out

[katlupe]

Originally Posted by countrygurl

so what the website so we can check it out

I am still working on it. It is not done yet. I have more products to fix the listings on. Pictures and text needed updating. Making it simple, but informative about the products.

I am very happy with our optimization. We are coming up in the clusters as well as through out the first page on the search engines.

To have a successful site you have to spend your day working on it....constantly. Marketing is the key.

I have to put aside some of my day to work on my church's website also. So I am busy all day between the two of them as well as my blogs (several), my newer site (solar baby) is on the back burner for right now. I am in the process of editing videos to upload to my church site and that takes alot of time. That doesn't count the time spent on my household & barn chores! To top it off I am having to learn my new computer and the new Vista program.

My site is: http://www.larrylupole.com/catalog

katlupe

[clovis]

Neat site!!!!

It took a while to load, but I am on slow dial up.

Can I make a suggestion? The site is geared for those who know what kind of strings they want for their instrument. Can you put tabs on for Bluegrass, Jazz, Rock, Classical?

This might help those who are either new to instruments, or wanting to buy as a gift for someone. If I could click on Bluegrass, see the strings, and have discriptions, I think I would be more apt to buy, should I be looking for strings. These descriptions might say "Our #1 selling banjo string for both bluegrass and jazz. This string provides a brilliant tonal sound. For clawhammer players, see our product ABC-123."

Again, the site is set up for those who already know CM strings, and the quality they have.

You might also consider adding an "About Us" tab, and more importantly, an "About CM strings". You might even add a "Learning about Strings" tab that tells the difference in sound, longevity, etc.

One other marketing idea, and I hope you don't mind me being forward: A bumber sticker, or a sticker of any size might be good advertisement. At least 80% of Bluegrass players that I know put stickers on their hard shell cases. Your sticker could have the CM logo, your web site, and phone number. These cases are used and carried to festivals, shows and jam sessions every week. Why not have a point of reference for your product? So instead of a picker saying "someplace off the internet", he can say "right here is the place I order from".

Hope this helps.

Clove

[katlupe]

Originally Posted by clovis

Neat site!!!!

It took a while to load, but I am on slow dial up.

Can I make a suggestion? The site is geared for those who know what kind of strings they want for their instrument. Can you put tabs on for Bluegrass, Jazz, Rock, Classical?

This might help those who are either new to instruments, or wanting to buy as a gift for someone. If I could click on Bluegrass, see the strings, and have discriptions, I think I would be more apt to buy, should I be looking for strings. These descriptions might say "Our #1 selling banjo string for both bluegrass and jazz. This string provides a brilliant tonal sound. For clawhammer players, see our product ABC-123."

Again, the site is set up for those who already know CM strings, and the quality they have.

You might also consider adding an "About Us" tab, and more importantly, an "About CM strings". You might even add a "Learning about Strings" tab that tells the difference in sound, longevity, etc.

One other marketing idea, and I hope you don't mind me being forward: A bumber sticker, or a sticker of any size might be good advertisement. At least 80% of Bluegrass players that I know put stickers on their hard shell cases. Your sticker could have the CM logo, your web site, and phone number. These cases are used and carried to festivals, shows and jam sessions every week. Why not have a point of reference for your product? So instead of a picker saying "someplace off the internet", he can say "right here is the place I order from".

Hope this helps.

Clove

Clove,

Thanks for viewing it!

Thanks for the idea on the categories. We are working on that today. A good idea!

I have already been working on a page about Curt Mangan so that people will know who he is if they are not familar with his strings. And I am planning a article on there about the strings and all the details about them. Have to research alot to do it as I am not a musician myself, though my husband is, I am the writer. So thanks for mentioning it so I know I am on the right track! I have been doing every single guitar string photo over and adding more text in each listing. When I am finished with that I can move on to the other things.

After each sale we also send the customer a survey about two weeks later to see what they thought about their experience. All good so far! We are getting repeat sales which is a good sign too.

Thanks again for your input! Sorry about the slow loading.....we have dial up too I know how it is.

katlupe

[sisterpine]

Well you already helped me a great deal by talking about the survey! that is exactly the type of thing I need on my website too. I think i might even offer a discount card to be emailed out to those who take the time to fill out the survey to use on a future purchase? I can use all the help I can get to kee;p the online sales moving. A great idea , many thanks, sis

[katlupe]

The survey contribution is worth it. I have had great results with it. One survey is in the Recovered Cart sales which is when a would be buyer shops and puts things in their shopping cart and does not follow through with the purchase. Then in a week or two you send out the survey asking why they did not complete the purchase or come back. That one guy who answered honestly has caused me to make some changes that are making a BIG difference.

The other survey contribution is the one we send out after the buyer has received his purchase. So far......every one has been outstanding

Every sale from my site puts reward points in the customer's account toward their future purchases. My product is something that they will buy over and over.

If anyone is interested in doing a snail mail campaign, it is not as expensive as you think if you do the research online to build your own mailing list, which is what I did. You can purchase the mailing list for your markets from other places but they can be pricey and you can only use them once. Vista Print has some great prices on the postcards that I mailed out and I can't wait to do more. They are fun to design and I always use them and am very happy with their products. Even the stamps for my list didn't come to much since it was a postcard rate.

katlupe

[katlupe]

clovis, I need to thank you again for your ideas. We have implemented the bluegrass category. It will make it simpler for our bluegrass customers to find those strings. Thanks so much!

I found a real nice photo program that I downloaded for free and it works great. I love it. So I am making my photos come in quicker (for us dial up users) by lowering the dpis. The photos are still excellent. I used to use MGI and Inkscape, but this new photo program is called PaintNet and is like a combination of the two.

Your graphics on your site are very important. Don't think you can get by with a mediocre photo of your product. You want your would be buyer to feel like he/she is picking up the product in their hand and looking it over. They are very critical mainly because they can't do that.

katlupe

[clovis]

I love the changes!!!!

Just a couple of thoughts:

I think you should be more clear on what the buyer is getting. Is it a set of strings? Or just one string? I think each listing should say "package includes...."

I say this because my BIL is a bluegrass guitar/mandolin player. Strings would be a great gift. Since I don't know a thing about strings, I think it should be a little more clear for the novice, and what they are buying.

I also wonder if you should offer the same categories for rock, country and jazz? Even though the same strings will be sold in different categories, it might be worth adding.

Just some ideas; Hope I am not stepping on your toes.

Clove

[katlupe]

Our customer base is mainly serious guitar players. They know what they want and come looking for it. Guitar strings would be a hard gift for someone to buy unless the player told them exactly what they wanted. They are very particular.......I know I live with one!

The single string that is available is really only the bass ones. Normally when a player buys strings he buys a set. We just offer the single ones for bass players as their strings are more expensive. Most players will replace the whole set each time. When the photo comes up it will tell on it if it is 6 String, 5 String, 12 String right on the package. The package itself gives them all the information they need. At the top it tells the gauges in the package.

I don't want to make it too complicated. Keeping the categories simple. I know myself when I would go to a store with too many categories I get lost searching for what I want. Many ebay stores were like that. The same item in too many categories.

Thanks. Have a nice day!

katlupe