Hello everybody,
Some sellers complain, on MISI Forum that they have many
views but no sales! Did you ever thought
what might be the problem and so many people are visiting your store, and
checking on your products but they do not buy? MISI and MYMISI do extensive
marketing to bring potential buyers to you, but they cannot force them to buy
from you!
The following notes, worth your attention, in order to see
your sales skyrocketing on MISI and MYMISI.
1. You do not have
enough items.
A sparse storefront
with less than a page of listings looks abandoned and untrustworthy. While
there are always some exceptions, generally a robust store with at least 2 or
more pages to browse through translates that you are keeping your stock updated
and tended to.
Your product
photography “could use some work.”
Blurry photos, photos with too much distracting background
clutter, and images with flash glare spots are not doing your products any
favors. Even fairly decent photos could be replaced with high-quality, more
enticing images to up your sales. MISI-MYMISI is a very visual selling platform
(with a frequent rate of being bookmarked to Pinterest), and so better photos
almost always equals more sales.
When an item expires without selling, consider trying some
new photos for the next go-round. Sometimes all it takes is trying out a
cleaner background, placing the item on a model (if it is wearable), or
otherwise showing the item “in action” or with better lighting.
You forgot to include
dimensions.
It can be hard to tell from a photograph, even one taken
next to a standard-sized object such as a dime or ruler, just how large or
small a product is. Whenever possible, include dimensions that are easy to spot
in your product descriptions. Plus, if you want to go above and beyond, include
them in cm and inches to appease all onlookers. The less work you make people
have to do or think about, the more likely they are to buy.
Your descriptions are
lacking.
Sure your necklace may be pretty, but simply telling me
“Pretty necklace, 16 inches” isn’t really convincing enough. I want to know
what it is made out of, who it would be a good gift for, and what type of
fabric it would look fantastic against. Flesh out your descriptions with plenty
of features AND benefits and your potential customers will be that much more
likely to see themselves owning it.
You just got started.
If it’s only been a week and you’re wondering why you’re not
rolling in MISI-MYMISI sales then, uhm, you need to be more patient my friend.
These things take time. It can take some time to get yourself established and
building trust with your fans and potential customers. Like snowballs, we all
start small.
You’re not on social
media.
No, I am not advocating that you start spending [read:
wasting] hours of your daily time on Facebook or Twitter, but I am recognizing
that social media can be a valuable channel to bring customers back to your MISI-MYMISI
shop. Pinterest and Instagram especially, due to their mostly visual nature.
If you think your target customers are there, then having a
presence on specified social media platforms can bring in customers who may not
otherwise be perusing MISI-MYMISI for handmade trinkets to purchase. Just make
sure you are being strategic about your time on social media, as it is too
valuable to waste on distractions and notifications.
Your items do not
stand out.
If you are selling the same bracelet as at least 12 other
Sellers on MISI-MYMISI, then you are competing on price. (That is a race to the
bottom you really do not want to be a part of.) Being unique and different is
the easiest and most sincere way to direct browsers to your MISI-MYMISI shop.
And when other less creative sellers catch on and start copying you? You will
already be developing and listing even more unique and different products for
them to scramble over.
You are not being
featured outside of MISI-MYMISI.
Outside-of-MISI-MYMISI features have the potential to bring
in hundreds of targeted eyeballs directly to your MISI-MYMISI shop. If your
stats are dwindling, or you simply want to expand your reach, consider reaching
out to bloggers and websites that feature MISI-MYMISI sellers for interviews,
giveaways, or product reviews.
You are not
optimizing your titles.
In order to be found within MISI-MYMISI’s relevant search
algorithm, you have to be using titles and tags that people are actually typing
into the search bar when trying to find items similar to yours. Try as best you
can to think of your product from a browser’s point of view. If you sell
handbags for example, people are more likely to be typing in “Red Leather Tote
Bag” into the search bar instead of “Sophia Leather Darling.”
You are cramming too much into your titles.
To maximize your chances of being found, choose different
keyword phrases for different products to emphasize which ones will be found
and ranked for different search terms. If you try to stuff every possible
keyword and search phrase into a single title, it is confusing to buyers and
makes you look more like a robot than a seller. It makes more sense to cover
more ground with multiple products than relying simply on one to get found by
everyone.
Your target market is
not clear.
People like to step into a shop–even an online one–and think
to themselves, “This place is for me!” If your target market is too scattered,
however, then buyers are likely to get confused and overwhelmed. If you serve
two or more completely different target markets, you may want to consider
opening up a second MISI-MYMISI shop to make your individual shop’s branding
more cohesive.
You ignore your
current customers.
Acquiring new customers is great — but it is just as
important (even more so, in fact) to nurture your current customers. By
providing your best quality of customer service, you can insure not only repeat
business, but word-of-mouth recommendations (which are far more trustworthy
than any self-promotion you could do on your part.)
Making your current customers feel appreciated and taken
care of goes a long way towards building up your reputation as a quality seller
of great products.
You do not accept
custom orders.
Often times browsers will LOVE something they find in your
shop, only they wish they could get it in a different color, size, or quantity
than they see listed. Accepting custom orders from these people can make a
measurable difference in your sales, and can even allow you to charge a premium
price for the additional labor involved.
Your shop is all over
the place.
A cohesive shop not only speaks of a strong brand, but keeps
the browser from feeling overwhelmed with scattered product options. A little
tailoring and trimming goes a long way towards presenting a more fluid
storefront.
You have not listed
anything new in a loooooong time.
Even if your products are great, there are always going to
be previous customers and fans who want to see what else you can bring to the
table. Fresh products can spruce up your shop and possibly bring the option
that is just what some of your fans have been waiting for.
You never talk about
your shop in person.
Whenever you can: blab about your MISI-MYMISI store. Word-of-mouth
is huge, and that includes word-of-mouth coming from you! Always carry business
cards, and pass them out whenever the opportunity arises. If you are
embarrassed to talk about your MISI-MYMISI shop, how can you expect other
people to do it for you? Bring it up whenever the opportunity arises, and
really become your own #1 fan. The trust you express in your own business
instills trust in others to make purchases.
You do not network
with other sellers.
There is power in the ability to work with other sellers.
What we can accomplish together is exponential compared to what we can do on
our own. Do not be afraid to reach out for advice or to offer help in the MISI-MYMISI
forums, on teams, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook groups, or in-person. There is a
lot we could learn from each other, and plenty of collaboration possibilities
available. Not to mention, being a work-from-home seller can get rather lonely
after a while, and networking can offer a sense of community and camaraderie
that you may feel a sense of lack in currently.
You are not blogging.
Blogging for your business is a gradual, but very possible
way to build trust with your potential customers, establish yourself as an
authority, and bring in the sales. By providing the kind of content that your
target customers will be enthralled with, you will be able to sell your
products to your audience in a non-salesy way that actually keep your products
moving from the shelves. There is a finesse and art to blogging, but the best
way to learn it is by starting now and consistently keeping it up.
You are not tracking
where the views are coming from.
MISI-MYMISI’s STATS feature makes it pretty easy to see
where your visitors are coming from. This lets you know, for example, if all
the time you’ve been plugging into Twitter is actually bringing in the eyeballs
you think it is. And if not? Trial and error will help you decide with
activities bring the best results.
Just remember: not all traffic is created equal. You do not
want to get so obsessed with numbers that you start trying to pull in traffic
from anywhere and everywhere just to watch them go up. What’s important is that
those numbers are representing members of your Ideal Customer audience, so that
they are the most likely to actually purchase from you.
Your shop looks
neglected.
If you still have “Christmas SALE” written in your shop
banner even though it is well past March, it looks like you are not tending to
your shop as you should be. Just as with the sparse listings mentioned above,
this will make browsers feel less trustworthy of you as a seller, and therefore
be that much more less likely to buy.
You take your sweet
time to ship.
Unless you specifically state long shipping times in your
shop policies, announcement, and each and every product description, people
expect their items to be sent out right away. We are an impatient bunch, and
with sites like Amazon offering next-day shipping options, the competition is
fierce. Sending out orders as soon as possible will make a huge difference in
your shop’s credibility, and how you are viewed from a customer service
perspective.
You look like a
faceless corporation.
Most shoppers on MISI-MYMISI want the personal touch of
buying form an individual, or at least from a small company. If everything
looks like it has been taken from a stock photo website, and there is little to
no voice in your written content, you may be getting confused with a massive
reseller as a brand. A few personal touches, sprinkled in your product
descriptions, photography, and packaging can go a long way in having you
recognized as the one-of-a-kind individual you are.
You copy other
sellers.
If you think people can’t tell, they can. Sure, you may get
a few sales riding on someone else’s coattails, but not for long, and not from
the kind of loyal customers you want to be attracting. Stick to being original,
unique and freshly YOU and you’re bound to find more success that you can
actually feel proud of.
You do not pay
attention to suggestions.
If you have customers who frequently say, “Oooh, you should
make this!” and you are consistently setting your phasers to ignore, then you
are basically ignoring potentially reliable revenue streams. Sure, there are
going to be a few ideas that are brought to your attention that you will
instinctively know aren’t a good fit for your brand, but at least take the time
to consider each one and the possibility of what offering it could do for your
shop.
You’re breaking
copyright or trademark laws.
Once again, please be original. Come up with your own shyte.
If you get in trouble breaking either copyright or trademark laws it could cost
you a lot more than your MISI-MYMISI shop getting shut down. It’s not worth the
risk and it doesn’t make you look very good either. Become a fan of your own
stuff, and that enthusiasm will spread to your customers. Really.
Your prices are too
low.
When your prices are deeply discounted the average passerby
will probably think “what’s wrong with this product” or possibly, they will
assume that you aren’t really shipping from the region you claim you are, or
that your manufacturing process isn’t as you state. All of these things may be
contributing to unsold inventory, without even mentioning the the fact that you
could be setting yourself up to go out of business through net losses if your
stuff actually was to sell. All important to consider.
Your prices are too
high.
This is rarely the case although many sellers instantly go
to this as the potential reason for their lack of sales.
It makes more sense to re-phrase: your prices are too high
for the customers you are targeting.
There, that’s better.
If you want to continue to sell at the more affluent prices
then you need to be targeting a more affluent market via your promotion and
branding. If you tend to have branding that focuses more on the bargain
hunters, such as frequent sales or discounts, then you may need to calculate
what options you have for bringing your average anchor price lower.
You forget to respond
to messages.
Even if the answer is no to a particular question or custom
request, the proper customer-service-oriented response is to reply back
courtesy, preferably within 24 hours.
You’re waiting
instead of working.
The sales come in when you’re busy taking action. Whether or
not their are orders flowing, continue to create and design your products,
promote and market, and develop your brand. Too often sellers will take a
specific action – and then waste time waiting to see the results. The results
are going to come whether or not you are refreshing your stats page every few
minutes instead of working on blog posts or product lines. Yes, keep track and
measure the results of your actions, but don’t let the stats distract you from
pressing forward. As they say, success likes to find you working.
You aren’t offering
combined shipping.
Offering a discount or free shipping on additional items can
be a huge incentive for your customers to purchase more than one thing when
they buy from your store. A flat rate or low-add-on cost simply makes sense,
especially from the customer’s point-of-view. If your items are super heavy,
consider adding some of the shipping cost into the cost o your items rather
than completely within the shipping rate, as a massive sticker shock there can
be a major turn-off.
You’re making it all
about YOU.
Yes you want your unique personality, story, and brand to
shine through your shop. However, at the end of the day, your potential
customers want to know what’s in it for THEM. Stick to emphasizing what THEY’LL
get out of working with you and owning your products, and hone in on the
details that matter most to them, not you.
You don’t offer multiple payment options.
While PayPal will probably remain the most popular online
payment method, there are still several people who would rather use their
credit card, or even send in a money order to make a purchase. If you can, more
options usually means more potential sales for your MISI-MYMISI shop, so
provide as many as you can and feel secure doing.
You don’t have an
avatar image.
Now that just looks shady. Build instant trust by posting up
your face or at least your logo or a product image.
There. Much better.
You haven’t filled
out your shop policies.
While it’s true that most people won’t read these (unless
they’re making a very expensive purchase), many will often click over for a
quick glance. If the spaces are blank, your trustworthiness instantly drops to
near non-existence.
Your “trendy”
products are outdated.
If you are selling on-trend items, then you will need to pay
close attention to the fluctuations of what’s HOT and what’s NOT. If you’re
still selling MySpace spoof items, for example, then you probably aren’t being
sought-after in the searches. Unless you’re going for the nostalgic route, of
course.
Your shop is flooded
with spelling and grammar mistakes.
Mistakes happen. I know, I happen to be one of
the worst offenders of not noticing a glaring headline mistake until much later
(or having to be told.) However, it does pay to take a second to read over your
descriptions, titles, and check your tags before hitting the publish button.
Too many “human mistakes” will make you appear unprofessional
Make sure you receive our newsletter
We send several newsletters to our sellers, with tips and precious information. Make sure that you receive them, and they do not end to your junk folder.
Contact us and we will give you a ton of advice how to promote your store effectively, without spending money and most important without spending precious time. Read our blogs, and visit our forum, You will also find precious advice on how to increase your sales. If something is not clear, please ask- we will be more than happy to answer your questions, and you will help the MISI- MYMISI community as well.
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