Right, let’s get straight into it. Today, I want to talk to you about something that has been absolutely game-changing for my business and for so many others and that is all about balancing e-commerce, physical retail and TV sales.
I know it sounds like a juggle and believe me, it can be, but when you get it right, it’s like watching all the gears of a machine move perfectly together.
Now, most of you know that I started Crafter’s Companion with one product, my little envelope making tool. Today we have a global online store, a physical store here in the UK and we sell on TV shopping channels in the UK, the US and across Europe. It didn’t happen overnight and it didn’t happen by accident. So here’s what I’ve learned along the way.
First things first, e-commerce is your foundation but it is not the full picture.
Online’s brilliant, right? It’s quick, scalable and gives you direct access to your customers. You can test products, run promotions, track every click. It’s powerful and it’s a no-brainer but if you only sell online, you could be missing out on customers who want that hands-on experience.
So crafters, for example, love touching products, seeing demos and chatting to people and that’s where our TV shows and our shops come in. They bring the experience to life.
Now we’ve got a store in Evesham that our customers absolutely love. For them, it’s not a shop, it’s like a creative hub, it’s a day out. We run workshops, demo new tools and connect with the customers face to face. When someone walks in, they’re not just buying glue and card stock, they’re joining and being a part of our community and that’s the magic of physical retail. It helps you build brand loyalty in a way that’s much harder to do online.
But, and this is a big but, you’ve got to be strategic. Bricks and mortar is expensive, the retail landscape in the UK is challenging and I know this firsthand. Please don’t just open the shop because you fancy it, open one if you know that your customers are there you know they’ll come to buy from you and you’ve got a plan to engage them.
Now let’s talk about TV sales. People are always surprised when I say that we’ve sold millions and millions through the shopping channels but TV gives you something really powerful and that’s time.
You’ve got five, 10, 20 minutes to tell the story of your product and to get that feeling across to your customers. And, I always say you sell the sizzle, not the sausage. On TV, you can demo, answer questions and build excitement. It’s like the ultimate product pitch and the audience is sitting there, cuppa in hand and ready to buy. But, TV only works if the rest of your business is aligned so once the customer sees you on air, they can look you up online.
So your website, your socials, your packaging, it all has to tell the same story. This is where the omnichannel approach comes in. You can’t run your online store with one tone of voice, have your shop staff saying something else, and then your TV presenters doing their own thing. That just confuses people, and confused customers do not buy anything. Your brand has to be consistent across all of the touch points, that means pricing offers, visuals and messaging, they all need to sing from the same hymn sheet because you’re building trust and trust comes from consistency.
Now here’s the key, it’s not about online versus retail versus TV, it’s about how they work together. For example, we often launch products on TV first because it creates a buzz. They’re available to buy them online through our site or partners and we feature them in our in-store demos. Our email marketing connects the dots and social media keeps the momentum going.
So think about your customer’s journey. They might see you on Instagram, visit your shop, buy online, and then come back for a workshop later. That’s not just the transaction, that’s the relationship, that’s loyalty and when you’re smart with your strategy, every channel drives sales across the board.
So here’s my message to you, don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.
E-commerce is essential, yes, but it’s not everything. Find ways to connect with your customers wherever they are, online, high street, on the telly. Do it with purpose, do it with a plan and above all, do it with the heart and hustle that makes your business truly yours. That is what’s going to make the difference. Omnichannel can be the most powerful thing in your business, but you need to work cohesively. You need to be in control and have a strategy for each one of the channels and then bring those strategies together.
If you are just a single channel business and you’re thinking about expanding out into multiple channels, I hope you’ll take heed of a lot of stuff I’ve said. It might be that you don’t have physical bricks and mortar retail or you don’t sell on a TV shopping channel, but you do have opportunities to sell your products via other ways than just e-commerce or on the internet.
Think about how all those different channels can work together, how you can link them, how you have that consistent tone of voice, how you use one to drive the next, how it’s all integrated and that will be the key to a successful omni-channel retail strategy.
Good luck with it, and if you found this useful, let me know. Leave comments, let me know if you’ve got any questions or if you’re thinking about moving into other areas, I’m here for you.
This is why I wanted these videos to exist, so that I can give you all the advice that I’ve had over the years. So keep your questions coming, and I’ll do my best to support all of you!