online business - what works
DESCRIPTION
Robin Bickford from All4Baby tells us what strategies have worked for him and his business online. These slides accompany a webinar which will be available soon.TRANSCRIPT
Get a Business OnlineWebinar Series
Online Business – What Works?
How to Participate Today
• Open and close your Panel
• View, Select, and Test your audio
• Submit text questions
• Raise your hand
Organiser: Ann Halloran
Managing Director: In-TuitionEstablished 1989Supporting individuals and business owners though• Digital Marketing Programmes• Mentoring
Resource site:http://www.practical-management-skills.comhttp://www.get-a-business-online.com
Robin BickfordManaging Director
All4Baby
Outline of the Session
• Introduction• Online Business – Our journey• Choosing the best website package• Making the most from Social Media• Ecommerce
Introduction
• Set up in 2010 • Reasons for setting up the business
Online Business – Our Journey
• 1st Website• Problems:– Decision Rushed– Poor knowledge– Chosen for convenience
Biggest Mistake with 1st Website
Online Business – Our Journey
• 2nd Website• Choosing a new website provider• Problems with 2nd website
Biggest Mistake with 2nd Website
Online Business – Our Journey
• 3rd Website– 3 months of reviewing website options– 3 months of extensive testing– Testing of 6 different suppliers– Listed 47 points of what we needed
Why our Websites didn’t work
55% of customers 45% of customers
Why We Chose Volusion
• Express check out• Built in live chat • Built in Facebook Shop• No €5,000 upfront fee!
What Have we learned?
• Don’t pay upfront – pay monthly • Have full time website staff member• Research and testing• Take your time
Expectations from new website!
• Store traffic from website to increase 15%• Within 12 months, online sales to increase to
30% of total sales • Within 3 years, online sales to exceed offline
sales• Within 5 years online sales to double offline
sales
QUESTIONS?
Social Media in All4Baby 1 year ago
Robin – Facebook –What’s that?All4Baby Facebook – 218 likes
Social Media in All4Baby Now
• 9,079 likes and growing
How do you grow Social Media
Does Social Media Work
• Ecommerce sales increase• Increases footfall into the store• Facebook audience of 250,000 when we run a
competition • Gets repeat business
How to use Social Media
• Don’t be pushy• Add links to your website• A funny picture will get more likes than a
boring update• Competitions
QUESTIONS?
How to Handle Ecommerce
• Trust• Customer awareness• HTTPS• Payment options• Information• Quick & Simple
Benefits of Ecommerce?
• Direct Online Sales• Increases footfall• Increases awareness• Widens customer base• No haggling of prices
Negatives of Ecommerce
• Competitive pricing• Hard to compete against the multinationals• Very hard to measure non direct sales
Successes!
• Website sales (direct and indirect) contribute 6 figures to our total sales
• Our website sales have doubled over last years despite difficulties encountered
• New website is almost ready!
Recommendations
• Customise website yourself• Constantly update website• Carefully choose your website• Test drive several websites• Don’t pay in advance• Embrace Social Media • Jobsbridge scheme
And Finally
• Don’t give up on websites and social media• It takes time, patience and money, but does
pay off
QUESTIONS?
www.all4baby.iewww.in-tuition.ie