Everyone wants to know how to make more sales. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some of most successful stores and figure out what they have in common. All of these stores are doing very well.
- Splashy Art – abstract art
- Bargains Plus More – work boots
- Aylio – elastic exercise bands
- Modular CNC Technology – CNC routers and components
- Shoes Ever – fashion shoes
- Sassy Couture – animal print accessories
- TJ’s Kreations – bottlecaps for scrapbooking
- Catch the Bouquet – wedding dresses
- Retro Beer Items – beer-themed accessories
- Cutler Athletics – items by Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler
Browse through these sites. What lessons can be learned? Here are my thoughts.
Lesson 1: Pick a very specific field and be the BEST in the world at it.
The first thing I notice about all these stores is that they sell products with very specific audiences. They each sell in their own niche market and can therefore focus on being the best in their area. Many of these stores have a link to their own website with more information, or they have a blog. Customers know that they have come to a store where the owner has expertise and that creates a sense of trust. I think this the most important lesson to learn here.
Lesson 2: It takes time and patience. If you are ready to give up, give it more time.
The majority of these stores have been around for over a year. While a few of them brought existing customers when they started and were able to average $3000-$5000 in sales for their first six months in business, several in this list did not bring in any sales at all until they had been around for at least three months. One of these store owners got so frustrated by lack of sales that she was ready to close down, but then all of a sudden, sales started trickling in and she decided to give it more time. Good thing she did.
Lesson 3: A simple store design does the trick
Each of these stores has made simple but effective design customizations. They all use their own logo, and they have all modified their color scheme to match their products and the theme of the store. None of them have spent a big budget to hire a professional designer. If you think you need to spend a lot of time and money on your design, use that time to focus on lesson 1 instead.
Tags: stores