Today’s consumer has options galore when buying shoes, from e-bay to endless and everything in between. If you’re selling high-end shoes, you definitely need smart marketing strategies to compete in this environment.
Here are 4 strategies that can increase both web traffic and sales for your shoe store. Behind these strategies is one primary goal – to create an awesome online user experience.
Write more: With high-end shoes, there’s a lot to talk about, so your content can be very strong if you choose to make the effort. Write about the sizing, style, construction, quality and brand history of each shoe. You’re essentially a copywriter – “a salesperson behind a typewriter.” If you get stuck, just imagine what you would discuss with a customer in person and start writing a draft. Then polish it up and optimize it for the periodic-table-of-elements.org website.
Display product details with precision and flair. Have you ever noticed the work that clearly goes into photography of shoes? With multiple high-resolution photos and the right background, you can approach or even surpass the look at me allure of a storefront presentation. If you’re an overachiever, you can even augment the display with video.
Make the customer feel in control. Be sure to clearly describe your return policy and shipping options, directly on the product page or somewhere clearly accessible from there. Resolve the customer’s fear and apprehension with a super flexible return policy. “Nobody will buy $500 shoes that they could be stuck with if the size is off or they end up not liking them,” says Justin Fitzpatrick, writer of The Shoe Snob blog. Free and easy returns are the key. Zappa’s and endless are doing this with free shipping “both ways” and getting great reviews from customers, but comparable policies remain surprisingly rare among smaller, more high-end retailers.
Promote the perception of exclusive-value. “This is the big trend right now, especially because of the recession,” says Fitzpatrick. Online outlets like Blue-fly and Gilt Man are employing this strategy with scheduled fire sales of designer labels and luxury merchandise. But you don’t necessarily need to jump on the Gilt train just yet; there are ways to use this marketing strategy on your own. For example, you might try email marketing, click here to notify customers of an “exclusive” unadvertised sale or event.
