Questions & Answers
The final fortnight is finally here. ASuitThatFits.com founders
Warren Bennett and David Hathiramani have been answering your
questions on everything from e-commerce to conversion. Here are
their pearls of wisdom...
Q: What is considered to be the average
conversion rate for an ecommerce business retailing clothing and
footwear, and is it reasonable for me to expect to be above average
as we are targeting a "niche" market.
Mick Harwood, Scootssuitsandboots.com
Warren and
David say...
There are so many factors that contribute to a conversion rate
on a website which include the following:
1. The quality of traffic. If people are really interested in
the product, and have the intention to buy the product before
arriving at the page, you can expect the conversion rate to be much
higher for these customers.
2. The type of purchase. If someone has to spend a few hundred
pounds, they will be less likely to be tempted by an impulse
purchase compared to if someone is looking to purchase a £5
product.
3. Branding. If the brand is trusted, the conversion rate is
likely to be higher.
4. User flow. Essentially if the website gives the user what
they want, and gives good direction on what the next action is,
then the user experience will be great.
If you have three people who are definitely going to purchase, and
they come to your site and purchase, that is a conversion rate of
100%. If you have 103 people come, and four people purchase, that
is a lower conversion rate, but more sales. Therefore, you are
financially doing better.
Essentially, my advice is to not worry about the market conversion
rate so much. Instead focus on where you are, and make sure that is
tracked well, and make continual improvements. Consider getting as
much of the right traffic as possible and try to make yourselves
look as good as possible. There is no magic bullet, in my
experience, but if you keep chipping away at your weakest area, you
can have a large cumulative improvement over time.
Q: I recently launched a greeting card business - www.cardoons.co.uk - and I want to boost our
page rankings. Can you recommend a reasonable SEO provider and how
long should it take to rank highly?
Peter Langdon, Cardoons.co.uk
Warren and
David say...
Google and search engines focus on listing results that are
relevant to the searcher; in terms of ranking highly, it will be
based on you creating engaging, new and relevant content. There is
no secret to it, being passionate about what you are doing will
come out in your content, and the more of it you publish, the more
the search engines will take notice. If you need help you can work
with an SEO provider who can help you create the most relevant
content.
Q: From time to time I've looked into selling things on
eBay but can never find a reliable supplier. Where is the best
place to find suppliers to buy from?
Darren Kingman, Yngldn.co.uk
Warren and
David say...
In our experience, suppliers are best recommended through
trusted contacts. There is no substitute for meeting your supplier
face-to-face, this allows both parties to get to know and to feel
comfortable for one another. This is essential to build up the
level of trust required. If you cannot meet face-to-face, then find
a trusted agent who can.
Q: My problem is one of location. My business is on a
small Business Park in a small town in the Highlands of Scotland
(Dornoch). My question is: how can I drive customers to my door?
Word of mouth and repeat business is good, but I need new
customers. I advertise in two local papers on a weekly basis, I've
tried a 'sandwich board' on the main street, but customer comments
were 'you should have a sign on the High Street' - well, I do! I've
also tried advertising in various high profile tourist guides. The
only thing that seems to work is my own brochure that I have
distributed to tourist sites throughout the Highlands.
I Tweet and I have a presence on Facebook but the
trouble seems to be that most of the folk who actually take the
trouble to come into the shop (and then love it) are the sort of
folk who don't really 'do' social networking or the
internet.
What can I do to market my business better, to reach a
greater customer base?
Gavin Wright, SimplyTheBestinDornoch.co.uk
David and Warren say...
The key is to value feedback; you are clearly doing a
great job with your current customer base so ask them where they'd
like to see you and explore with them how encourage like-minded
people to visit your store or your website through word of mouth.
To gain a greater customer base, involve your customers in the
process as they will know best. Where do your customers socialise
and where else could you target them? Compose a detailed strategy
which includes where you can gain exposure both online and offline
and work with your current advocates to drive awareness.
From last week's mentor, Simon Duffy, founder of Bulldog
Natural Grooming:
Q: I have just started up a natural skin-care company.
What is the most cost-effective marketing tool for a small business
such as mine?
Emma Haywood, Eve
of St Agnes
Simon
says...
Competing with massive multinational companies who have huge
marketing budgets is very challenging. The worst thing you could do
is to try to recreate either their products or marketing tactics.
So avoid commodity synthetic formulations and conventional
expensive advertising!
The most important thing is to embrace what makes you different
and special. Firstly, focus on making amazing products. The quality
of your natural ingredients and the performance of your products
will be absolutely key in ensuring that people buy your products
many times, and also that they will want to tell their friends
about your brand.
Secondly, make sure you have amazing packaging. Depending on
which retailers you work with, the footfall past your shelf
position could be enormous. Think about your packaging as your best
opportunity to connect with potential shoppers.