sell products online Archives - Attention Getting

by Gail Oliver, Small Business Marketing Consultant

Right now, every online shop I visit has the same old, broad-based categories – Mother’s Day Gifts, Grad Gifts, Easter Dresses…boring! When you have a potential buyer on your shop’s landing page, try to narrow in on their specific wants and needs and you may find you sell more.

I love the shop sections One Kings Lane comes up with so shoppers can narrow in on their specific decorating needs:

Best ways to get more sales

best ideas for shop categories

ModCloth also does a good job of helping shoppers find quickly what they are looking for, either by current fad or the decade they prefer for their vintage line:

ideas for shop sections online store

shop section ideas

What I love about Art.com, is something that I have always recommended. You have to show people how to use your products. On their landing page, they have 5 different shop sections that focus on where or how you want to display the art. Very original!

shop sections art online

shop sections art

Some Niche & Trendy Shop Category Suggestions:

You want shop sections that relate to current events or trends to capitalize on searches, as well as shop sections that help drill down to what your customers are really looking for.

Music Festival Fashion
Mad Men Style
Beach Vacation Necessities
Mothers Day Gifts for the Gardening Mom
Graduation Gifts for Nurses
Art Prints for a Minimalist Decor
Anti-aging Cream for Sensitive Skin

It can be very difficult to market your own business, so let me help. I offer a variety of very affordable services or inquire below. Regards, Gail.

If you sell online and are looking for some creative marketing ideas to help increase holiday sales at your online shop, try some of these:

Don’t Just Promote Gift Ideas

Position your products not just as potential gifts, but also sell as part of the holiday experience. For example, include a fly-out on the product photo that says, “Ideal Christmas Party Outfit” or “For the Holiday Table” or “Perfect for Santa Photo”.

Offer a Flat Shipping Rate

High shipping costs do turn customers away. However, if you can’t offer free shipping, then offer a “Holiday Flat Shipping Rate” such as $8 or $9.95. This way there are no surprises at checkout and no abandoned carts.

Screen shot 2013-12-08 at 7.31.57 PM

Add a Little Holiday Décor

I love these animated “snowing” photos on West Elm’s site and the holly decorations at Ones Kings Lane.

Allow for the Creation of a Wish List

Give customers the ability to make a wish list and email it to themselves or the potential gift giver. If you can’t do that, then encourage them to pin your products to their Christmas Gift Wish Board (if they don’t have one, you just gave them the idea).

Promote Gift Cards

You should have a separate listing for a gift card and at the end of each product listing remind buyers again with either a link or icon that tells the buyer, “Can’t Decide? Go for our Gift Card, available here…”.

Holiday Promotional Ideas for Your Online Shop

Create Gift Inspiration Boards

Get together with some other complimentary online stores (not competitive) and create a Gift Inspiration Board. Then all of you circulate it on your social media sites extending the reach of it even further.

Holiday Promotional Ideas for Your Online Shop

Gift Inspiration Board at Eat.Drink.Shop.Love

Get Found on Social Media

Use your hash tags when promoting your products on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest such as #gift, #Christmas, #GiftForHer, etc.

Holiday Promotional Ideas for Your Online Shop

Remind Buyers of Less Obvious Recipients

Not all gifts are for him or her. There are a lot of searches such as, “gifts for boyfriend’s parents”, “gifts for Dad who has everything”, “gift for employees” (get those volume sales!), and “ideas for stocking stuffers”.

Holiday Promotional Ideas for Your Online Shop

About Me

Do you need your Brand Story written or an SEO-Optimized Blog Post or a Personalized Business Consultation? As a 20+ year marketing professional and small business consultant, all of my services are super affordable.

I have consulted for thousands of small businesses since 2012, and my advice has been featured in the NY Times, Success Magazine, Yahoo Business, American Express, Big Commerce, Business2Community to name a few – so this is professional advice you can trust!

My Publicity Pitch service has also gotten my clients featured in Real Simple Magazine, Apartment Therapy, House Beautiful, Vanity Fair, Houzz, Martha Stewart, Glamour Magazine, LONNY, DesignMilk, Emmaline Bride,– just to name a few.