One key ingredient for successful email marketing campaigns is a solid database of customer email addresses. However, simply having a list of email addresses is not enough.

Retailers need to know how to leverage these lists to maximize the impact of their email marketing. Here are 10 tips to help gift shop retailers make the most of their customer email addresses:

1. BUILD AN OPT-IN LIST

Obtain email addresses through voluntary opt-in methods, such as sign-up forms on your website, in-store promotions or special events. Make sure customers understand the value they will receive by subscribing to your emails, such as exclusive discounts, new product updates or personalized recommendations.

2. SEGMENT YOUR EMAIL LIST

Divide your customer email addresses into different segments based on demographics, buying behavior or preferences. This allows you to tailor your content and promotions to specific groups, increasing relevance and engagement. Use customers’ names in email greetings and customize the content to their interests or purchase history. Personalization creates a sense of individual attention, making customers more likely to open and engage with your emails.

4. PROVIDE VALUABLE CONTENT

Offer useful and relevant information, such as gift- giving tips, holiday ideas or DIY projects. By providing value beyond promotional offers, you build trust with your audience and establish your shop as a go-to resource for all things gift-giving.

5. USE CATCHY SUBJECT LINES

Craft compelling subject lines that grab attention and entice recipients to open your emails. Avoid spammy language; focus on clear, concise and intriguing messages. Here is a great tool to test out a few subject lines: subjectline.com.

6. TIMING IS KEY

Experiment with different sending times and analyze open and click-through rates to determine the best timing for your audience. Consider factors like time zones, weekdays vs. weekends and specific occasions or holidays.

7. CREATE IRRESISTIBLE OFFERS

Provide exclusive discounts, limited-time promotions or loyalty rewards to encourage purchases and repeat business. Make your customers feel special by offering deals they can’t find elsewhere.

8. INCORPORATE EYE-CATCHING VISUALS

Use high-quality images and appealing design in your emails. Images of products, seasonal decorations or happy customers can captivate recipients and increase the chances of conversions.

9. OPTIMIZE FOR MOBILE

An increasing number of people check emails on smartphones and tablets, so make sure your email campaigns are mobile-friendly. Use responsive design and test your emails on different devices to guarantee a seamless user experience.

10. ANALYZE AND REFINE

Track the performance of your email campaigns using metrics like open rates, click-through rates and conversion rates. Analyze the data regularly to identify what works and what needs improvement, and make necessary adjustments to optimize your email marketing strategy.

Remember, building and maintaining a strong relationship with your customers is at the core of effective email marketing. When a customer trusts you enough to invite you into their inbox, make sure you’re respecting that by delivering content they want — and not overwhelming them with what they don’t. Implementing these 10 tips allows you to harness the power of customer email addresses to deliver targeted, personalized and engaging content that drives loyalty and boosts sales.

Looking for help with your email marketing? SmartSolutions works with specialty retailers and other businesses to develop comprehensive marketing plans, including email, social media and content. Learn more at smartsolutions.media.

The post 10 tips to maximize your email marketing appeared first on Gift Shop Magazine.

Here are 5 tips to get you movin’ and shakin’ in the right direction to build a brand that stands out from the crowd! 

1. THINK ABOUT THE EMOTION YOU WANT YOUR BRAND TO EVOKE 

It’s important to be able to connect with your customer on a deeper level. How you make a customer FEEL is what’s going to stand out in their mind and keep them a loyal customer and raving fan for life. Yes, it’s important to have cohesive brand colors, an on-point logo, and a visually appealing aesthetic, but really do some soul searching and dig deeper. It’s the emotion and how you make people feel after working with you, or purchasing from you, that’s going to stick out in their head and make you memorable. Start to curate the story behind what being memorable means for you, your business, and your brand. Then weave that story into literally every single thing you do! 

2. USE YOUR WORDS WISELY 

As a small business owner, it’s important to use every tool in your toolbox wisely, and your words are no exception! Every brand has a personality. Use words to really showcase that personality! How does your brand talk? What is your conversational tone? What about those phrases you’re constantly using? Think about how the wording on your packaging, product descriptions, even the way you engage with people via email or social media makes your potential customer feel. It always goes back to that emotion! 

3. TELL A STORY WITH YOUR PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY 

They say “a picture is worth a thousand words” and that couldn’t be more true. Make sure the look and feel of your pictures match with the vibe and emotion you want to showcase for your business. 

4. BE AUTHENTICALLY YOU! 

Small business doesn’t mean small dreams. If you’re a solo entrepreneur, wear all the hats in your business, then OWN it! There is something truly special about being the face behind your business, giving people the opportunity to connect with you. Needing to have a quality product is a given, but there are tons of quality products out there. Why should someone buy from YOU when they have tons of other options? The answer will always be YOU! 

Give people the opportunity to like, know and trust you, and they will always want to buy what you’re selling. Showing up as your authentic self on social media and providing value to your audience is always going to get you ahead of the game. Showing up to network at in-person events and being real and genuine is what’s going to leave a lasting impression on people. Be on a mission to SERVE (over a mission to selfishly only sell) and you will always come out on top. Putting yourself out there can make some feel self conscious, uneasy and super anxious. If you struggle with feeling this way, ask yourself: “do you want to allow yourself to feel embarrassed or do you want to grow your business?” You’re never going to grow if you don’t get a little uncomfortable, so get out there and make opportunities happen! Don’t wait for them to come to you. 

5. PUT THE NEEDS OF YOUR CUSTOMER ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE 

You might think it’s the glitz and glam that’s going to help you get the most sales, but that’s not true. While those key components will absolutely help, it’s going to be the relationship you make with your customers that will truly withstand the test of time. Keep the needs and wants of your customer top of mind ALWAYS. Approach your business with a servant’s heart and you will stand out among the sea of other small businesses. 

Want even more tips and support on how to Level up your product based business? Then you need to attend the Ultimate Product Party! 

The Ultimate Product Party (UPP) is an event for product-based business owners who are looking to scale their business and sell more products. Hosted at the Clayton House, a previously abandoned postal storage warehouse — what a match made in Heaven for a product-based business — in Scottsdale, Arizona. Over 20 educators will cover a different area of running and growing a product-based business. From legal, licensing, affiliate marketing, bookkeeping, email marketing, branding, manufacturing, and so much more, UPP will provide the tools you need to have a well-rounded, solid foundation for your product business. 

The goal is for participants to leave the Ultimate Product Party with a plan of attack to achieve your next business goals, new ideas to diversify your revenue, a solid understanding of your brand voice and aesthetic and a kick-ass network of women who get your life as a product based business owner and want to support you. 

The post Level Up Your Product Business Branding appeared first on Gift Shop Magazine.

Based on my experience in working with a variety of thrifty clients over the past decade, I have curated a simple set of rules to help maximize marketing dollars. Here are the top lessons learned in a decade-long quest to offer inventive ways to do more with less. 

Keep It Simple

I always tell my clients I would rather see them do one thing exceptionally well than participate in several marketing activities at a mediocre level. 

A website, Google My Business profile and a business page on at least one social media outlet are considered a must for businesses to maintain a digital storefront. Beyond that, you can really create your own rules. 

When building an integrated marketing plan, think through the ways to repurpose content across all marketing platforms. If you are creating a direct-mail campaign, make sure to use the same elements in your e-newsletter, social media, website and in-store displays. Also consider taking your top-performing social media posts and repurpose them by sending out weekly, bi-weekly or monthly emails. The key is to be consistent. 

Streamlined Branding

Remember, less is more in branding 99% of the time. A brand book with guidelines outlining the look, feel and tone of your brand is recommended. When building your brand, there are a few basic rules to help you focus on the bigger picture: professionally designed logo, a brand color palette and a set of fonts to be used for consistency. 

Inexpensive Resources for Marketing Success

Utilize Canva.com, an inexpensive resource, to help get your brand profile set up. The site has a user-friendly, professional account option for around $10/month that can help you create images, flyers, signage, videos and more. 

Other sites like Fiverr.com or DesignCrowd.com can help with your logo design at extremely affordable prices. 

You can also contact your local university’s marketing department. Often these departments like to provide students real-world marketing case studies, and you may be able to benefit from this. 

Have a Measurable Plan

You don’t need a fancy plan, it can be a simple outline in a spreadsheet, but it should outline all the marketing activities you need to accomplish on a monthly basis and tie those activities to both your marketing budget and measurable goals. A plan keeps you accountable. 

Include line items for website, e-marketing, social media, digital ads, direct mail, billboards, public relations, events and telemarketing (text or voice) activities to start. Each business typically has its own custom items to add to this list. Remember to build in ways to measure the results of each item. 

Focus On What Is Making You Money

Track how much each marketing element is costing you and which items are leading to sales. Every piece of marketing you create should be trackable. For example, use different coupon codes for mailed or digital campaigns and for each marketing channel. Pick the winners and invest more money in those! The goal is to bring in more sales than you are spending on marketing. 

The post Growing a Marketing Plan On a Budget appeared first on Gift Shop Magazine.

Text? Keep It Short

For Facebook and Instagram specifically, it is important that your organic posts keep the text to a minimum. This is because of somewhat-recent changes made to the social media platforms’ algorithms that place a higher emphasis on organic images and videos that will garner more engagement.

When posting to these platforms, make sure you’re keeping your text to a minimum of one to three sentences, at most. Also, avoid using links in the text, when possible on Facebook (you should NEVER use links in text on Instagram), instead using the rich link preview that Facebook provides.

Video, Video, Video

Did you know that social posts containing video see over 48% more engagement and interaction, with a share rate of 12x that of generic text and/or static image posts? That’s because social media algorithms place a higher priority on seeing organic, engaging video content above almost anything else.

If your store isn’t utilizing videos to tell your story, showcase your latest products and more, you’re missing out on valuable real estate in the social media news feed.

Engage Often

Another way you can help boost your company’s social media impressions is to drive engagement on your organic posts — and a good way to do this is by interacting with users who are interacting with you.

When someone comments on your video or post, don’t just leave them hanging — like and comment back! You can be witty, helpful or even complementary, just so long as you keep it professional (you don’t want your store to seem rude or unbecoming to current and potential customers). By engaging with those that are engaging with you, Facebook and Instagram’s algorithms will see a high-performing post, helping your content to show up higher in the news feed — and, in turn, bringing more engagement to engage with.

The post Increasing Your Social Media Reach appeared first on Gift Shop Magazine.

SPAMMING YOUR CUSTOMERS

One of the cardinal sins that many retailers commit when it comes to digital marketing is “spamming” their customers — continually inundating them with emails and social correspondence. Aside from the obvious privacy laws and FTC compliance issues that can arise from spamming your customers, it’s just bad business and will eventually drive them elsewhere.

The risks of “spamming” can be eliminated by mapping out your marketing strategies and promotions to make sure there is very little (if any) overlap. When sending promotional emails, for example, make sure there is a timeline that you are following — one that lays out specific dates for email sends, and a tactical approach to what’s being sent. This is the perfect way to make sure you’re sharing just the right amount of content with your audience.

POSTING TOO MUCH

Many retailers equate the amount of times a business posts on social media daily (or weekly) with the amount of people they will reach — and they couldn’t be more wrong.

While posting multiple times is a good way to stay engaged with your audience, the amount of posts has no weight on the amount of people you’ll reach in a news feed. Take Facebook, for example. The amount of times posted has nothing to do with your company page’s ability to reach a wide audience, but rather, the content you are sharing.

When you post multiple times at once, Facebook will show all of those posts to your audience in one grouping — totaling the same amount of exposure (or less) than if they were spread out. Therefore, what your page is sharing, and how you’re engaging with your audience on the content that is shared, is much more important than the amount of content being shared daily.

SHARING UNORIGINAL CONTENT

Going hand-in-hand with avoiding too many social posts is making sure you’re sharing organic, original content — arguably one of the most important pieces to an effective social media marketing strategy.

Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn have all announced news feed changes in recent years that prioritize organic, original content over articles and shares. On Facebook and LinkedIn, for example, native images with captions that engage users are seeing two and three-times the engagement rates of sharing a simple link with a short caption. On Instagram, the feeds are prioritizing content that is non-sponsored and highly engaged with, including likes and comments.

Make sure that, if you’re sharing articles and written content, you’re mixing in some pieces from your own company’s website as well. And if possible, share as much organic content as possible, including photos, graphics, videos or polls.

IGNORING ENGAGEMENT

Sometimes, when the focus gets shifted to content, business owners forget to keep up with the “social” side of social media — and the engagement that comes with it.

Responding to comments on an image or post, for example, is a great way to keep the conversation going, and gain favor with the social algorithms, like Facebook’s news feed. Keeping up on incoming messages through Facebook messenger and Instagram and Twitter’s “direct message” features are also vital to keeping up your company’s response rate — especially on Facebook, where it shows your response times directly on the page.

Social media is meant to be “social,” and should first and foremost always be centered around engaging with other users — keeping up with comments, messages, questions, concerns and more can help your company maintain a professional, yet positive, reputation on the various social channels.

About SmartSolutions

Joe Tacosik is a marketing specialist with SmartSolutions, a partner to Gift Shop. Our team of expert marketers bring their unique perspectives and diverse experiences together to provide a one-stop, full-service marketing solution to help your business thrive. For more information on how your company could benefit from a comprehensive marketing strategy, contact Joe at jtacosik@smartsolutions.media or visit https://smartsolutions.media today!

The post Top Marketing Trends to Avoid appeared first on Gift Shop Magazine.

Bundled products are perennial favorites around the holidays because they’re easy to grab, they often contain items everyone loves and they help speed up the shopping process. They’re also important right now, in this landscape of speed shopping and lower shopper volume than is typical this time of year.

Several retailers are successfully selling bundled products in their shops.

Waterlemon Kids is a party venue and boutique gift shop for children in La Grange, Illinois. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, they could no longer host parties, but knew parents would still want to have a celebration. They created the Bash Box as a solution to “bring the style and energy of a Waterlemon party” to the families who would otherwise celebrate at Waterlemon, according to Nina Makovski, owner of the shop and venue.

Within the clean, white boxes chosen not to compete with the brightly colored contents, Makovski and her team added a garland or banner, plates, cups and napkins, a birthday crown, candle and balloons. They also add a cello bag of candy with a matching ribbon and a personalized birthday card from the Waterlemon team.

Waterlemon opted to discount the Bash Boxes to incentivize the sales, which they chose to provide the feel of a good deal while maintaining profitability. The themes of these boxes encompass a wide range, including mermaids, unicorns, rainbows, dinosaurs, space and safari animals. Those with bigger groups can add additional place settings that match from the collection in-store. “We’ve been really pleased with how they’ve done,” Makovski said.

At Zinnia’s Gift Boutique in Scotts Valley, California, owner Dedra Bennett and her team created special care packages to thank medical workers as well as for Mother’s Day and Easter during the start of the pandemic. The kits often contained hand sanitizer, a face mask and some Easter candy. A mug or a book made an appearance in others.

After the kits started flying off the shelves in the spring, Bennett began to get phone calls asking how others could share the “packages of joy,” and they would order them for Easter, Mother’s Day or new babies. New baby kits got a cute outfit, stuffed animal, soft blanket and a book.

These kits are special in that they are often customized by the shopper with the help of the Zinnia’s team. To inspire shoppers, the Zinnia staff created storyboards to give suggestions of items that could go into bundles together — mixing together products from different sections of the store and suggesting different scents to use. They discount it if they can, based on the margins on the included items. Bennett even picks up snacks at Costco to add to the kits in order to save her customers an extra trip.

Recently, Zinnia’s was able to open up these kits for corporate gifting. Bennett attributes the success of the program to “Being open and nimble to hearing needs and responding, whether for grandma or mom or corporate; being open minded to the needs and listening to the community, not just saying this is what I did,” Bennett said. The Zinnia’s team is excited about the prospect of how these will perform in Q4 and how they can continue to inspire different customers to continue to bring light into others’ lives.

P. Graham Dunn is a retail inspirational home décor store, with two locations in Ohio, which also sells wholesale to 8000 other locations. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, they created Boredom Busters, kits filled with DIY items for kids or adults. They filled the kits with crafting items such as unadorned wood, paints and stencils. For the kids’ kits, they included puzzles, indoor activities and books.

With a slight discount and with reducing the number of aisles shoppers needed to walk through, the kits flew off the shelves. Many customers opted to pick them up curbside, too.

The wholesale collections are a bit different. They’re theme-based, such as for a pet, bathroom or black and white. Their ten or so categories of bundled products are now available in their catalog. “Shoppers might come in looking at one piece and buy several because they work for the theme,” said DeVon Miller, marketing manager at P. Graham Dunn. “This will probably be a growing strategy for us. We enjoy putting them together, they’re easy to promote and can have a vast variety of products. When we can do a bundle, it’s easier for them to understand and capture the variety of items we carry,” Miller continued.

The retail and wholesale makers at Rinse Bath & Body Co. have always carried gift sets that were boxed and ready to go. Besides just offering sets based on a scent theme, Rinse has bundles of products that sell better together than alone. “Put a bow on it, and it’ll sell,” said Heather Swanepoel, owner at Rinse. Including their shower bombs in a gift set opened Rinse up to more individual shower bomb sales than they had prior to including them in sets. They also include non-Rinse items such as socks in some bundles.

In previous holiday seasons, Rinse has offered sets at price points from $12 up to $100, and all of them sell well. This year, they will expand the offerings to over 200 different gift baskets, which are discounted online but the same price as the items sold separately in stores. They’ve also started offering complimentary gift bundling to those looking for something customized.

“They’re a great anchor piece to put around individual products as well. It inspires the shopper. Overall, they are excited to see that they don’t have to do the work, (they’re) super cute, great price point and increase sell-through,” Swanepoel said. With an average item price of $8, the bundles help increase the overall transaction average at Rinse’s retail locations.

Rinse is introducing the gift sets to wholesalers at market this year. And like Zinnia’s, Rinse offers the kits for corporate giving.

With the success other retailers have seen in bundled products — especially in this new normal of guests spending less time on average in a store — retailers should consider adding bundled products, kits and gift sets to their line-ups both to move products faster and as a service to guests this holiday season.

The post Put a Bow on It appeared first on Gift Shop Magazine.

Follow the rules and guidelines put in place by local, state and federal government officials, as well as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Each state and local municipality is handling the COVID-19 situation differently, and it is important retailers know and follow all local guidelines. To help reduce contact, retailers can:

• Implement social distancing measures.
• Install plexiglass at the checkout counter.
• Cash wrap to minimize contact during checkout.
• Mark floors to maintain the proper six fee of distance between shoppers.
• Face masks worn by employees and customers, if required by local mandates.
• Offer masks and gloves at the door to help customers adapt to new policies.

COMPREHENSIVE CLEANING

Retailers are now tasked with comprehensive cleaning and sanitization plans. Comprehensive cleaning measures should be in addition to any normal end-of-day cleaning that occurs.

• Use an EPA-approved disinfectant wipe or spray to sanitize the counter after a transaction or customer interaction on any area the customer came into contact with.
• Keep bottles of hand sanitizer placed at high-contact areas, such as customer service counters.
• After completing sanitizing procedures, employees should thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water.
• Change gloves after sanitization occurs, if possible.
• Develop end-of-day cleaning protocols by identifying high traffic areas in the store, countertops, cash wraps and displays and thoroughly disinfect each area with approved disinfecting sprays to help kill airborne bacteria.

INNOVATIVE DISPLAYS

When it comes to the product offering and in-store experience for customers, gone are the days (for now) of being able to have interactive, demonstrative displays.

• Adjust your product displays to minimize contact.
• Find new ways to display books and greeting cards so customers can read interior messages without handling the product.

CASHLESS TRANSACTIONS

Another way retailers can continue to evolve the retail experience in their locations is to shift to cashless transactions. Physical money can be a way to spread germs by default.

Finally, retailers should continue to offer curbside pickup options and delivery, if possible. While states are beginning to reopen, there are many that still do not feel comfortable venturing out into the public — and may not for a while. Offering curbside pickup and delivery is a great way to ensure your valued customers can continue to shop with your location while still feeling safe and secure with their decisions.

RESOURCES

For assistance retailers can turn to a variety of resources.

• Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting: CDC’s comprehensive document that outlines how to properly clean and sanitize public spaces. Visit coronavirus.gov.
• Operation Open Doors: NRF created this document to assist retailers and address everything from how to handle “refusal to work” or “requests for accommodations” from employees, and more.
• COVID-19 Retail Restrictions: NRF created this web page, which includes the details of local government ordinances. Visit NRF.com/resources/operation-open-doors for additional resource information.

The post Shopping Safely appeared first on Gift Shop Magazine.

SEO is a buzzword throughout business. It feels complicated, but it can be easier to comply than it may seem. SEO helps websites improve their search page ranking. This means that if the rules are followed, they will help your website move higher on the search results page, giving a much higher likelihood that your website will appear alongside other online retailers as well as your brick-and-mortar competition.

And that’s important for a few key reasons.

If you haven’t updated your website in a while, it might look outdated. If there aren’t recent posts, an updated copyright to show the current year or if the contact information, store hours and pictures of the interior are out of date, people will notice — and potential customers may think you are out of business.

This is especially important as the millennial generation becomes one of the most important shopping demographics both now and in years to come. As these tech-savvy shoppers start to make more money later in their careers, it will be increasingly important to capture them digitally through your website and search results. Plus, by keeping your digital identity strong, you’ll have an easier time reaching future generations.

Updated SEO enables more detail — hours, a photo of your shop, and key sections of your website — to appear with Google search results. Since Google has 88% of the search engine market share in North America, it is imperative that your results on Google search look great. The best part is that Bing and Yahoo, which have all but 1% of the remainder of the market share, generally follow most of the Google recommendations as well.

Google search recently changed its algorithm to help local businesses appear in results over national chains that may or may not have a brick-and-mortar store in your community. This means that while competition is less fierce from those big box stores or big chains, independent retailers need to work extra hard to capture the web traffic from both locals and visitors in the area, and visibility is important for people to find you.

A well-thought-out social media strategy is important. Social platforms that direct traffic to your website also help improve your Google rankings. According to eMarketer, 90.4% of millennials, 77.5% of Generation X and 48.2% of baby boomers are active social media users, making social media a portion of your advertising and marketing campaign that can’t be ignored. And you don’t necessarily need to be a web designer to fix some of the issues that might be putting you on the third or fourth page of a search.

The bottom line is that independent retailers can’t afford to neglect the latest SEO recommendation from Google.

HOW TO MAKE SEO WORK FOR YOU:

1. Stop keyword stuffing. A decade ago, the habit of including search terms (like boutique, gift store, names of merchandise, the store’s city) both as a list on the homepage and within the code was all the rage. We used to have to tell Google what we were about via listing keywords. However, that’s something that actually will “downrank” your website in results. Downranking is just what it sounds like — it lowers your position on the search results and might push you to later pages — and it’s exactly the opposite of what your business needs.

2. Connect your social media. You’re already doing a great job showing off your merchandise and your store’s personality on social media. If you haven’t already, add links to your social media on each page of your website.

3. Tell your story on your homepage. Google uses computer programs called “spiders” to read what you have on your website. From the text on your homepage, Google will figure out what your company does, if it is a gift shop, and what type of gifts you sell. It will learn where you are, your store’s contact information and other important details that can appear in search results. Aim for 300 words on your homepage to tell your shop’s story. Any pages with longer content should aim for at least 500 words.

4. Add your location and phone number to every page. Mobile currently accounts for over half of web searches, so make sure people can find your phone number and click on it to call you. Many shops are including hours in the webpage footer so that they are visible no matter what page visitors are looking at.

5. Update your website on a regular basis. Update images of inventory and displays, and talk about upcoming sales or events that are happening.

6. Consider adding a blog. Google can do a better job of placing your website in front of the right potential customers if you offer more details about what is happening at your store. A blog is a great place to do this. You can write about new amazing products you started carrying, events, ideas on the top gifts for kids or any other demographic you serve. It is a great place to share announcements, too, such as employee of the month or new partnerships with other local businesses. The blog can be personal (to the store) and share the store’s style and vibe.

7. Include great photography. Luckily, mobile devices are being equipped with excellent cameras that are perfect for the type of photography used in web and social media. When you’re ready to take a photo of a display or product, here are a few things to keep in mind. Think about how a shot should look before you take it. Focus on the items you’d like to showcase. Frame it well by keeping the camera square. Any images you use have the potential to show up not only with your store’s search result, but also in the Google Images results. When you upload the photos to your website, you will have a chance to describe them in what are known as “tags.” These are important fields that shouldn’t be overlooked, so be sure to describe your product with them!

One thing to note: While we live in a world of instant gratification, modifying your website to adhere to best SEO practice can take time. Once you begin applying these tactics and improvements to your website, it can take up to three months for the search results to reflect the work being done. The takeaway? It’s never too early to begin working on improving your website!

THE GOOGLE CHALLENGE: HOW ONE COMPANY CONTROLS NORTH AMERICAN WEB DESIGN

Google is so ubiquitous that the company name has become a verb in our everyday speech. It’s so important that other search engines have all but fallen by the wayside. So why aren’t we following their recommendations for website updates to work in hand with their algorithm changes?

That’s a great question. The bigger the chain, the bigger the budget for marketing and web design. However, independent shops can still keep up on many of the changes Google requires — as long as the store owners are paying attention to what experts recommend. If your website hasn’t been updated in a couple years, more changes will be required to ensure your website ends up in a respectable location in Google search results pages.

Depending on the framework on which your website is built and maintained, the changes could be simple or complex. They might require a designer to do some of the modifications, but others might be something gift shop owners can change; after all, the content — the part that visitors see — is nearly as important as the background that designers use.

SmartSolutions and Gift Shop are passionate about utilizing the power of communication to help you tell your company’s story. Our team of expert marketers brings unique perspectives and diverse experiences together to provide a one-stop, full-service marketing solution to help businesses thrive. Learn more at https:// smartsolutions.media. SmartSolutions is a subsidiary of Great American Media Services, publisher of Gift Shop.

The post Why SEO Matters for Specialty Retailers appeared first on Gift Shop Magazine.

LAYOUT

This is a notable challenge and one that cannot be eliminated even though it can sometimes be modified. Yet, if used correctly, it can feel much larger than it really is and provide ample room to merchandise effectively. Ray McKenzie is a retail professional and visitor experience expert. His experience in creating dynamic experiences, a background in business-to-business sales, and developing and implementing customer service plans for a variety of retail and museum settings has led him to train retailers across the country.

In a small footprint, every bit of available space should be used, he explained.

• Take advantage of vertical surfaces such as walls and tall shelves — use the tops to highlight unique/high ticket items or create beautiful displays on the top shelves and mass out stock on lower shelves for easy shopping, yet do not try to put in too many fixtures.
• Utilize versatile and moveable fixtures that are layered tightly to create more open walkways.
• Traffic flow is also important — consider where people line up to make purchases, if the store has areas for shoppers to stop and talk on the floor and how customers can navigate around one another inside the store. And once you visualize and note these patterns, adjustments may be made accordingly.
• Remember to maintain ADA standard spacing between fixtures.

>>ALSO SEE: Small but Powerful.

AESTHETICS

• Freshen space with paint — a fresh coat of paint can make a big difference.
• Same for fixtures — keep them clean and repaired. Change the paint color of a fixture and you change the entire look of a display.
• Use lighter and brighter colors to make the space feel brighter and more open, but he cautioned against using too many colors.

INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

Let’s face it, if you don’t have much floor space in the retail environment, the chances are there isn’t much room, if any, to stock as much inventory. So adopt the attitude of “work with what you got” attitude and utilize these key take-aways McKenzie offered.

• Planning is critical to success in any store but especially so in a small store — every inch of the store must be utilized to its best use.
• Know what your target sales per square footage and track what displays, fixtures, etc. are performing well.
• Be selective in the merchandise you buy for the store — carefully edit out product that doesn’t sell.

CURATED PRODUCT MIX

One way to enhance overall success in a small retail space is to curate an amazing product mix. To buy the right merchandise, you need to know your customer, what price points are the most appealing to shoppers in your store, and what products are your best-sellers. Knowing this information will assist you with developing a buying plan and even help with inventory management. By understanding what you sell the most of and keeping it stocked, you will be rewarded with continuing sales on the items that appeal most to your customers.

Additionally, merchandise displays are important for any brick-and-mortar location, as they draw in customers to interact with product. “Keep displays neat and balanced between one-of-a-kind items and massed out products,” McKenzie shared. Without an appealing display, a well-curated product mix may not perform as well as expected.

Even space-challenged stores can create a destination your customers can appreciate. A well-planned small space can still provide sales, engage customers and provide a positive shopping experience.

The post Great Things Come in Small Packages appeared first on Gift Shop Magazine.

Remember, the old adage: “Great things come in small packages?” Well it’s true. There are several things to consider with a small-spaced store, but the “wow” factor can still be achieved. Overall, there are three factors to consider: layout, inventory and product.

Layout

This is a notable challenge and one that cannot be eliminated even though it can sometimes be modified. Yet, retail space can feel much larger than it really is and provide ample room to merchandise effectively. Ray McKenzie is a retail professional and visitor experience expert. His experience in creating dynamic experiences, business-to-business sales, and developing and implementing customer service plans for a variety of retail and museum settings has led him to train retailers across the country.

In a small footprint, every bit of available space should be used, he explained. “Take advantage of vertical surfaces such as walls and tall shelves. Use the tops to highlight unique/high ticket items or create beautiful displays on the top shelves and mass out stock on lower adjustments may be made accordingly. Sometimes simply moving the checkout area is sufficient to improve the overall flow. Sometimes creating a smaller pay area enables a better flow and more room for merchandise shelves for easy shopping, yet do not try to put in too many fixtures.” he emphasized. “Utilize versatile and moveable fixtures that are layered tightly to create more open walkways.”

Traffic flow is also important. McKenzie suggested retailers consider where people line up to make purchases, if the store has areas for shoppers to stop and talk on the floor and how customers can navigate around one another inside the store. And once you visualize and note these patterns,

Although space may be tight, McKenzie said it is important to maintain ADA standard spacing between fixtures. “This not only ensures adequate space for those who need it but also keeps fixtures from crowding into each other. Walk the floor with a yardstick or wheelchair to make sure it is wide enough,” he said.

To improve a small footprint, consider revamping the store. Ponder the budget for such an undertaking and if there is money to modify the store calculate the return on investment. If there isn’t much money, use simple, yet effective ways to create change without a huge expense.

“Plan, plan, plan. With limited budgets it is important that the most critical challenges be addressed first,” McKenzie said. He suggested using paint as it “can have a dramatic effect on your store” without a significant cost. “White walls get dingy without you realizing it. A fresh coat of paint can make a big difference,” he said. “Same for fixtures. Keep them clean and repaired. Change the paint color of a fixture to change the entire look of a display.”

McKenzie stressed the use of lighter and brighter colors helps make the space feel brighter and more open, but he cautioned against using too many colors as the space should not appear too “busy.”

McKenzie noted that by keeping the store in good shape, it improves the look of the store and merchandise. “Dingy or aged stores will generally see a decline in sales. People want to buy from a shop that makes them feel like the product is fresh and new,” he emphasized.

When stores have money to modify the physical space, it may be beneficial to work with a consultant. “Sometimes it is essential to get an outside, neutral perspective on the performance of the store. Consultants bring a broader experience of what has worked, or not, at other institutions,” he said.

Inventory Management

Let’s face it, if you don’t have much floor space, the chances are there isn’t much room, if any, to stock inventory. So adopt the attitude of “work with what you got” attitude and utilize these key take-aways McKenzie offered. “The most important thing in running a small store is forethought. Planning is critical to success in any store but especially so in a small store. Every inch of the store must be utilized to its best use,” he said. “Know what your target sales per square footage is and track what displays, fixtures, etc. are performing or not. Be selective in the merchandise you buy for the store … carefully edit out product that doesn’t sell.”

Curated Product Mix

One way to enhance success in a small retail space is to curate an amazing product mix. To buy the right merchandise, you need to know your customer, what price points are the most appealing to shoppers in your store, and what products are your best-sellers. Knowing this information will assist you with developing a buying plan and even help with inventory management. By understanding what you sell the most of and keeping it stocked, you will be rewarded with continuing sales on the items that appeal most to your customers.

Additionally, merchandise displays are important for any brick-and-mortar location, as they draw in customers to interact with product. “Keep displays neat and balanced between one-of-a-kind items and massed out products,” McKenzie shared. Without an appealing display, a well-curated product mix may not perform as well as expected.

Even space-challenged stores can create a destination your customers can appreciate. A well-planned small space can provide sales, engage customers and provide a positive shopping experience.

If you have a small specialty shop, we’d love to see it! Submit information on your store, and we may share it online, in social media or in print.

The post Small Space, Big Appeal appeared first on Gift Shop Magazine.