She’s called the “Shopify Queen” for a reason! Veronica Jeans, bestselling author of the Shopify Made Easy book series and member of Zoetica Media founder Kami Huyse’s Smart Social Mastery membership program, shared her secrets for helping businesses grow in today’s competitive marketplace at Social Media Breakfast of Houston.
A Strong Community Helps Grow Your eCommerce Store
The “big message I have,” says Veronica, “is that you have to grow your community when you have an e-commerce store. If you have a retail store where you tend to be in your store and you say ‘hi’ to everybody, you have a chat to them, they'll come back because they love you and they love your products, but in an e-commerce store nobody knows you.”
Unlike big retail presences like Amazon or eBay, smaller businesses therefore need to ensure prospective customers feel comfortable before they’re invited to buy. “They have to get to know you first before they will shop from you. They actually look at your story, they look at what your website looks like, they look at are you the expert of what you're selling,” she explains. “Then they buy from you.”
Simply put, “If you’re an eCommerce earner, you have to become more personable.”
Carefully Consider What You Want to Sell
If you’re just starting out on your entrepreneurial journey, Veronica recommends thinking carefully about the kind of business you want to begin.
“You have to to sell something that you're passionate about because it's like any business – you have to do it day in day out, you've got to communicate, you've got a market, you've got to be online, and it gets very boring, and and then the customers complain because something broke and then you have to, you know, make a decision to appease them. And so you have to be passionate about whatever you're selling whether it's services or products,” she says.
Choose Your eCommerce Platform Wisely
There are several online shopping carts on the market that small business owners can choose from.
Veronica initially selected Shopify because of its payment system, explaining that “Shopify was the first shopping platform to actually have an international payment system.” When she looked at it more closely, “I just fell in love. It was so easy, everything [was] so easy to set up, everything so clear. You didn't have to know HTML or any coding to actually set something up.”
She also loves its versatility. “Shopify is a shopping cart, it's a payment provider – so with a click you set up your payments – it's a website, it's a blog, and now they have email in it… and automation, and it has a marketing system, and you can sell your products from Shopify into Amazon, into Facebook, into Instagram.”
She notes that, “It's so important to actually have time to work on your business than in your business all the time,” and argues Shopify allows her to do that.
Entice Customers Who Have Abandoned Their Shopping Carts
Veronica explains that cart abandonment is fairly common, although understandably frustrating for business owners. She recommends setting up an email automation system to try to convert some of the abandoned carts into paying customers.
“You set up your system where it says, hey, you know you have these abandoned cartpeople and let's email them and say ‘hey, you've left something in your basket,’ and then you send them another email going ‘hey, we still love you, are you interested?’ and next time ‘okay, here, get 10% and please come and buy this thing from me,’” she explains. “So you're trying to persuade them to actually come back.”
“That’s what we have to do, we have to keep following up. And as we know, as marketers, how many touches a customer needs to actually come and buy from you…[is now] 21. People say it's seven or eight [touches] but it's not anymore because you've got so much information coming at you, you've got so many choices coming at you,” so now it requires more time and effort on part of marketers.
Apply the ‘Insider’s Club Formula'
Finally, Veronica suggests everyone become an expert at applying the ‘Insider’s Club Formula’ which she describes as “really building up your database of customers and making them feel special.”
The process involves “starting to market to people online, starting to communicate directly. Then you get them into your email list and you get them into your sphere of customers. Then you have to make them start feeling special and you start giving them special things.”
Next, “you have to create a VIP list where you make them feel really special so they're not like the plebs… they're not the special people – they get the cards, they get the discounts beforehand.”
The main thing to remember is to “keep communicating with people because everybody wants to feel part of a group… and we all want to feel special,” she says. “The only way [your customers] are going to talk about you is if you make them feel really special.”
Take YOUR Business to the Next Level with Kami’s Brand Voice Blueprint Workshop
If you enjoyed these business tips and insights, make sure to sign up for Kami’s free Brand Voice Blueprint Workshop: Attract and Captivate Dream Clients, a value-rich workshop showcasing what Smart Social Mastery members like Veronica get access to on a regular basis. In an upcoming workshop, you’ll learn how to craft a powerful brand voice that is uniquely you. Secure your spot.