Introduce your business and tell us your story: How did you decide on what to sell, and how did you source your products?
We noticed a rising trend that looked like it could have longevity, discovered a niche that would appeal to a versatile customer base, and began with existing offline sales to friends and family before setting up a business on Shopify. Our products are made in the USA, using local independent contractors and suppliers.
你赚你的第一个销售如何?哪个频道are now generating the most traffic and sales for you?
Social media has been the main vehicle to spread the word about our company and bring about sales. Particularly Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Within one year of joining Instagram, we have gone from 0 followers to 42K loyal and engaged followers - and are continuously growing. Our interaction and collaborations with bloggers and other businesses has also help spread the word about our business and has aided in sales. Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest lead to the highest traffic and sales, as well as links directing traffic to our page via blogger websites.
Tell us about the back-end of your business. What tools and apps do you use to run your store? How do you handle shipping and fulfillment?
The Shippo app has been a godsend and has speeded up administrative tasks related shipping tremendously. Very simple and easy to use. The pre-order app has been extremely useful as well, as we often sell products that are made-to-order. The metrics in shopify have also been extremely helpful in managing our store. Shipping is handled internally.
What are your top recommendations for new store owners?
I definitely recommend Shopify as there are so many useful tools and apps that make things extremely simple and straightforward when managing your store. Utilizing social media outlets and staying active and engaged with your followers will help attract interest to your store. Make sure that your store and images accurately reflect your brand. Build mutually beneficial relationships with bloggers or other online shops who can help direct traffic to your store.