Editor’s note: Due to an email error, Richard Mason’s column did not appear in the Sunday, Feb. 24, edition. The full column is below.
I know there seems to be a wide gulf between what little mom and pop stores can do compared to what Amazon or any of the giant on-line stores can offer. However, the playing field can be made a little more even, if we counter the global competition with service and quality. I know when you can buy with one click it seems as if we’re so far behind the eight ball that we ‘ll never catch up, but we can, and we can do it by emulating exactly what the big international chains or Amazon are doing by doing it better.
Consider this: the very act of shopping is a multifaceted experience, but companies such as Amazon have tried to emasculate the shopping experience into a brain numbing one click event. We, the small mom and pop store owners, can beat them at their own game, and this is how we can do it: first we take away their exclusive use of the Internet by creating an Internet site that is so user friendly that it just reeks hometown shopping, and then we carefully insert local goods that aren’t available online from the big chains. Then we encourage friendly direct online communication. Arkansas Flag and Banner does an excellent job with internet customer relationships, and their employees will bend over backwards to help a potential customer. You have a question? Just click, and a real live Arkansas person will direct you to the right flag or banner. They beat Amazon’s one click shopping, hands down.
What we must do is embrace change instead of resisting it, and reach the new retail potential outlets for our merchandise to our advantage, and by adding the personal touch, beat them at their own game. So, if we, as small local store owners, are to not only survive, but grow and prosper, we must use the new technology and combine it with items that only come from personal service, something that is light years away from one click shopping.
I believe every retail store that caters to the public should have an internet sales department, and it can be as simple as having a high school senior look after it part time. Actually, that high school senior might just be the person who drives sales up to unheard of levels. A few years back, I played tennis while on vacation with one of the owners of Omaha Steaks, a family owned company that had zero internet back then. When one of the founder’s sons graduated from college, they put him in charge of the nearly non-existent internet sales, and as they say, “The rest is history.” Today Omaha Steak’s internet sales are off the charts.
I know trying to build up an internet presence from scratch can seem to be a daunting experience, but the results will be well worth the effort. Don’t try to invent what is already available from internet developers who can save you a lot of time and money by using programs that are available and can be modified to fit your budget and particular store. And don’t whatever you do, consider the various social media sites as something to be ignored. Almost every one of your customers or potential customers are on one or more sites. You can get scads of free advertising by posting on Facebook or Instagram, and don’t overlook the focused advertising available on search engines such as Bing or Google. Remember, word of mouth is one of if not the best advertising ways available along with store or restaurant reviews for driving up sales, and the social sites are the best place to get positive responses.
If you are a restaurant owner or have a store that could use a delivery service you can either create an internet site to drive delivery business or food from your store or join a service such as GrubHub or our local El Dorado Hitmeup to deliver restaurant food. Of course, by doing that you are beating the big boys at their own game, since you can add the personal service, they can’t ever have.
It goes without saying, if you are still hand writing tickets, you need to consider planning for a bankruptcy sale. What you have to realize is that speed in transactions trumps everything else. The customer may take thirty minutes to decide on a pair of socks, but they want almost an instantaneous check-out, and for your regular customers you can give them a one click and they have bought it. By building up a data base of your customer or potential customers, you have the tools to offer one click buying, delivery within the city, and direct marketing via the Internet.
A good profitable store will have a set of internet customers that you can market by offering free shipping, no hassle returns, and first choice of sale items. Your local customers should be treated with special care and catered to with special in-store promotions such as monthly wine and cheese receptions, a day of customers only sales before the general public can shop. Many stores recognize customer’s birthdays, do special orders, and offer free Christmas wrapping of packages. One thing a good store never does is say the word “no”. Such as “No public restrooms.”
A good merchant or restaurant owner won’t just do the minimum upgrade into technology but will strive to make all facets of the internet work for them. That means to make your entire life driven by the latest “Social Media” and immerse yourself every day in new technology. If the store where you buy groceries has self-check use it, because one day some of the new barcode services will be needed in your store.
However, most of us need help with a whole host of items connected to internet marketing, self-checkouts, and point of sale closures. There are numerous individuals that for a reasonable amount of money can help you immensely when you are trying to get up and running with any one of several internet programs. Need a help source? Consider this source: I’m a writer and I have written at last count, 25 full length novels and non-fiction books. Because I just like to write, I don’t waste my time with traditional publishers, literary agents, and promotions, so to get published with the least amount of effort and money, I went to the internet. There is an internet site called freelancers.com, and it will connect you, the employer, with freelancers around the world. I had four edited manuscripts I wanted to get published, have quality covers, and have the books put on Amazon. I put the request for bids on Freelancers and in a couple of weeks I had 8 offers. Only one was from the USA. I picked one from Australia, and he in turn picked an illustrator (from India) to do the cover. Freelancer only releases the funds agreed to after you have approved the work done. So what I’m saying is to join the rush to involve technology, and if you need help, it’s out there..
Richard H. Mason of El Dorado is a syndicated columnist and author and former president of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation and the state Pollution Control & Ecology Commission. He may be reached by email at richard@ gibraltarenergy.com .