Selling shoes is not an easy task. Besides the high competition and competitive prices, shoes are items that have a very wide range of sizes to be considered at the time of purchase.
The Internet has been a major factor for the increase of stores in the market. With it you can sell through social networks and websites, and consequently cause the increase in the number of stores that bet on the footwear business. Facing these numbers you must be wondering how to differentiate yourself and sell more, right? Check out these tips.
1. Audience
First of all, it is important to evaluate who your audience is. When trying to sell to everyone, many entrepreneurs end up selling to no one! So make sure you focus on a specific niche of people. After that, it is time to identify what their pain is and become the solution.
Examples of niche you can choose:
According to age (children, elderly), women’s or sapato masculino, small or large sizes, shoe model, vegans, etc.
2. Good suppliers
Don’t be fooled into thinking that the best supplier is necessarily the cheapest. The loss you incur from returns and exchanges due to defects can be much higher than the amount you saved on the investment.
The ideal supplier should combine price, quality, delivery time, and reliability. Also give preference to those who offer partnerships, flexible payment terms, and special offers.
3. Good photos
When it comes to the Internet, social networks are your shop window, and photos are decisive in generating sales. This is the first, and perhaps only, visual contact your customer will have with the product before buying. That’s why the photos should enhance it and bring out as much detail as possible.
There is no point in selling an amazing product using photos that do not show how good it is. For this, always use a good device for shooting, good lighting, scenarios that match the aesthetics of your profile, and angles that favor it.
4. Social Network Presence
Do you already have an account on today’s top sales social networks? Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook… These platforms were not created as a way to sell to stores, but this function has become increasingly common through ads and business profiles.
If you are not yet using these networks, you are wasting your time! And those who think that it is enough to make 1 post every 2 weeks and no story are mistaken. If you don’t post, you won’t be remembered, so keep posting consistently and don’t neglect the stories.
Content
If you already post regularly, you may have noticed that your product photos are not engaging as much, right?
Think with the user’s head: he is not on Instagram to buy, suddenly he comes across a photo of shoes and there is nothing to encourage him to comment on anything.
Your post needs to draw attention, add value and give space for the user to engage. For example: phrases that the public can identify with, memes with situations that your public goes through, backstage, comparisons of your shoes with famous people…
Take this content to the stories as well. Because it is a more relaxed channel, abuse in showing the processes of the store, your life, create intimacy with the public, do “product battles” using polls! Use your creativity.
5. Have a good website
Having a website is very important because:
- It generates trust and security for the consumer;
- It professionalism the brand;
- It gives you the autonomy of not having to make the sale by direct or Whatsapp;
- It allows you to mark the price tag in your Instagram photos;
6. Stock
One of the biggest mistakes shoe shopkeepers make is not having control over the available quantity of each model, each size, each color, etc. Having a stock control is essential for a better administration of the units and to not run the risk of selling something that is no longer available.
7. Shipping options
Shipping is one of the big villains of internet sales. After all, who has never stopped buying something because the freight was too expensive? The way out for retailers is to use some strategies:
Embedding the average value of freight in the value of the product encourages your customer to prioritize your store at the time of purchase. Take into consideration the places where you sell most.
Extend lead times and deliver all orders together on the same day. You can make a route with the closest addresses and go from house to house using your own transport, or that of someone you trust. This method can be much cheaper than the post office, for example!
Having a “Free Shipping Day” in the store is one way to encourage buying. Calculate if your expected profit on this day outweighs the shipping costs. If so, making this kind of special condition will be an investment.
8. Payment options
It is very important to know the payment platforms in the market so that, in addition to favoring the customer, the merchant does not lose out. Each platform has different rates, installment conditions, and terms of receipt. Analyze all the possibilities and make the best choice.
Also be sure to study your customer. Understand the best payment methods to facilitate all processes and generate the maximum possible comfort for the buyer.
10. Customer service
Good customer service is what builds customer loyalty. It is what makes someone choose to buy from the smaller store, because they are friends with the owner, and not the multinational.
Friendliness, care, and charisma at the moment of sale are essential. The client may not remember what he bought from your store, but he will remember how you made him feel. That person will come back to buy again, and recommend your store to their friends!
Also Read: 7 Reasons Why M Should Start Wearing Viking Jewelry.
