GUEST EDITORIAL: YOU MIGHT NOT SELL ONLINE. BUT YOU STILL NEED TO READ THIS.

“I don’t sell online. So why should I advertise on the internet or spend money on my website?”

This question, asked recently by a friend who owns an independent menswear shop here in Florida, made me wonder how many others might be asking themselves the same thing.

Over the last decade, I’m sure you’ve had multiple conversations about what kind of investment, if any, you should be making in your website. You probably have something up now that’s minimal – no ecommerce, infrequent updates, and a few static pages about your history.

“It’s fine. We don’t sell online anyway.” I know you don’t. And this article isn’t meant to convince you to start selling online. In fact, I don’t think you should.

But you do need to enhance and actively update your website. And you do need to market online. If not, you’re missing out on new customers and new revenue. Allow me to explain.

Your Website is Their First Impression

Whether you like it or not, customers visiting your store for the first time will likely first find you online. And they’re going to judge you by their first impression – your website. Here’s what they’ll be looking for, consciously or subconsciously.

That you sell what they need. That you sell what’s in style. That you’re modern.

Yes, in a quick 30-second scan of your website, the customer will pre-validate your store before he or she decides to visit it. So you need to nail it.

 How do you nail your website?

Let’s start with the easy part. Your website is likely sitting on a platform that’s extremely user-friendly. I realize your college-aged daughter might handle it for you now. But she can easily train you. And it’s important for you to learn.

What will it cost you? To keep your website updated, the total cost will be about $400, the cost of a high-quality digital camera. A digital camera is all you need because the only changes you should worry about are new photos (along with some updated text). I recommend changing out your photos every 2-3 months. “Photos of what?” you ask.

Your mannequins. Your selection. Your people. Keep doing that. Just make it season appropriate. And update whatever text is in there to coincide with the photos. Make sure your website looks and feels updated. Reference the season and year that we’re in. Add some language about the current trends (Chat GPT is your friend here!) And you’re pretty much done.

 With Your Website Now Updated, It’s Time to Focus on Marketing Online.

Marketing online, better known as “digital marketing” is now just…marketing. Meaning there really is no other effective way to market.

You may currently send out a postcard here and there. But let’s face it. You don’t engage in traditional forms of ads. You’re not doing local cable TV ads. You’re not on any billboards. Nor should you be. They’d likely waste your money.

But you can no longer think of digital marketing as something reserved for ecommerce. It’s for everyone. Including you. And it also happens to be where your customers are.

So in terms of digital marketing, at a minimum, here’s what you should be doing:

(1) Set up your store’s account into Google Business Profile.

Google allows businesses to set up a free listing you can easily manage yourself. It’s called “Google Business Profile”. Once you’ve signed up (it takes just minutes), enter your hours of operation, address, phone number and most importantly, a description of what you sell.

Over time, your listing should start to accumulate reviews, especially if you incentivize customers to do so (e.g., “Thanks for shopping with us. Get $10 off your next order if you leave us a review on Google.”) Building your online reputation will help attract future customers.

Why Do It? Once you set up your Google Business Profile, residents, visitors and tourists who are using Google (especially on their phones) who type in terms related to your store, from “Men’s Stores near me” to “Men’s Suits” will be able to quickly find your listing. And again, it’s FREE! So why wouldn’t you do it?

(2) Run Paid Ads in Your Area.

Yep. You may not sell online but many of the people in your general geographic area likely do. And depending on the size of your area, you may be losing out on tens of thousands of searches a month.

Why Do It? Imagine someone who lives a mile away from your store is searching online for “Wool Sweaters” and willing to order from a brand or store on the other side of the country. Guess what?

He’s even happier to shop in person. So publish an ad that says: “Located right here in [your city], come shop men’s sweaters in person. The best brands and selections anywhere!” There’s a great chance he’ll stop by your store first to see if one can in fact touch, feel, try on and walk out with a sweater (and more!) that same day rather than take the risks and delay associated with ordering online.

You’re in an even better spot if your shop is in a smaller town. Local online ads, especially for menswear, are likely not competitive. The cost of Google ads is based on the competition for keyword searches. So if few others are competing for terms like “men’s suits” or “men’s jeans”, then the cost of your Google ads will be relatively low.

(3) Post on Social Media – But Know the Myths and the Reality

If you don’t already have social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram and if you’re brave, TikTok), now’s the time. It takes about 5 minutes to set up. Upload photos of your store a couple times a week and you’re all set.

But don’t assume your social media will bring in customers. It won’t. That’s because social media companies no longer show your company’s posts to most of your followers. Generally speaking, only 3-6 percent of your followers will actually see what you post.

Nonetheless, it’s critical to have a social media presence. Much like the reasons I gave for having a frequently-updated website, your social media presence is a form of pre-validation of your business.

(4) Sign Up with an Email Platform and Email Your Customers

If you’re still not emailing your customers (it’s 2024!), now is the time to start. It’s so easy and an almost-free way to market to them re: sales, new products or an event.

How you collect email addresses can be a marketing strategy itself. At checkout, consider creative things to say that might make your customer feel important (even if you say it to everyone). “Thanks for your order, Dave. We ask a small select group of customers if they want to join our email list for exclusive promotions not offered publicly.” Who doesn’t love a deal?

Time to Get to Work

These improvements to your online presence are inexpensive, easy to execute and impactful.  So take a deep breath and take a few minutes to make these changes. I promise they’ll absolutely have a positive return on your investment.

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Greg Shugar is owner/operator of Beau Ties of Vermont, a 30-year old made-in-America men’s accessories company. He also teaches Entrepreneurship at the College of Business at Florida Atlantic University. An ecommerce advisor for two decades, he can be reached at greg@beautiesltd.com.

Photo by PhotoMIX Company.