Another year is coming to a close, and that leaves many of us reflecting on 2017.
It was a big year here on the Shopify Retail blog, mostly thanks to our growing list of loyal readers. While we published hundreds of articles this year to help educate and inspire merchants on their retail journey, there are a few that resonated with our readers most.
After studying the data, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 of the year’s most popular articles.
10. Why All Sale Signs Are Red: The Science of Color in Retail
What if I told you the color scheme you choose to decorate your retail store with or the color palette for your website and logo could impact your sales and influence whether customers are enticed to make a purchase from you or not?
The psychology of color and the way we human beings interact with and react to our environment in accordance to color is a science that has been rigorously tested and applied and something that has been studied for hundreds of years. So, isn't it about time you started using some of the findings to your advantage?
Whether your store and merchandise displays need a new paint job, or whether you're deciding the theme for your next seasonal window display, this post will give you a solid understanding of how color impacts consumer purchase decisions.
Read Why All Sale Signs Are Red: The Science of Color in Retail.
9. 7 Retailers Who Are Embracing Modern Customer Service
Customer relations and service depend heavily on what retailers communicate to the people who buy their products. And ways, methods, and channels of communication have radically changed in recent years.
As a result, the relationship between a business and its customers doesn’t look the same today as it did even 10 years ago. That means the way you deliver your customer service shouldn’t look the same today as it did in the past, either.
Serving your customers in unique, fresh ways can boost brand loyalty and encourage new, inquisitive customers to experience what you offer for themselves. It can become part of your differentiator, setting you apart from your competitors.
Read 7 Retailers Who Are Embracing Modern Customer Service.
8. 3 Retailers Share Their Top 6 Black Friday Cyber Monday Success Tips
As you know, the opportunities to make bank (and big bucks) thanks to BFCM are tremendous for any retailer. For starters, the National Retail Federation expects holiday retail sales in November and December (excluding automobiles, gasoline, and restaurants) to increase between 3.6 and 4% for a total of $678.75 billion to $682 billion, up from $655.8 billion last year.
And as we saw in this post-BFCM breakdown, a subset of Shopify merchants experienced 3+% more orders than usual over BFCM weekend in 2016. And at its peak, the Shopify platform processed a staggering $555,716 in transactions in a single minute.
Learn how to navigate your way to a successful Black Friday Cyber Monday and take notes, especially if you’re doing it for the first time.
Read 3 Retailers Share Their Top 6 Black Friday Cyber Monday Success Tips.
7. 3 Time-Tested Retail Sales Promotions That Drive Foot Traffic and Build Loyalty
How do you entice people to buy more from your store? What do you do when you want customers to make purchases more frequently, or in greater volume, or if you're looking to boost business during slow hours and more?
Whatever your goal may be as a retailer, by creating a time-sensitive sales promotions and having a good grasp on your target customer demographic, you'll be able to incentivize the right actions, get them to respond, and grow your business in the process.
In this post, we look at three retail sales promotion techniques that are worth their weight in gold when implemented effectively. They are:
- Promotional pricing
- Point-of-purchase displays
- Loyalty programs
So, the next time you're stuck as to how you can increase sales, get new customers, or retain existing ones, you'll have no trouble turning to the perfect promotion strategy for your goal.
Read 3 Time-Tested Retail Sales Promotions That Drive Foot Traffic and Build Loyalty.
6. 4 Tips To Help You Sell More in Retail, Backed By Science and Bob the Builder
As a small business owner with a retail store, you probably spend a lot of resources getting people to walk through your doors. But, what do you do once they're in?
Chances are, more often than not, you leave it up to chance, luck, or good fortune to determine whether that prospective customer will buy something or not.
Or perhaps you've got a way with words, or have hired someone who you can't help but admire when it comes to their ability to make a sale, perhaps calling it an art, or an innate talent they were probably born with.
However, instead of leaving your retail sales to chance or talent, you can alternatively rely on a science that you can teach to your staff or apply yourself.
Read 4 Tips To Help You Sell More in Retail, Backed By Science and Bob the Builder.
5. How To Create Retail Store Interiors That Get People To Purchase Your Products
Retail has been around for a long time and one thing we know is that there are a lot of different approaches when it comes to designing the interior layout of your store. However, there are also some common design strategies that all retailers can employ that lead to generating more sales for your business.
Designing your retail store's interior is a topic that we've been looking at recently in an effort to help boutique merchants be more successful and thrive in today's digital era. From telling your brand's story and creating immersive experiences, to putting together head-turning window displays and signage essentials, when it comes to retail, the devil really is in the details, and we want you to get the basics down pat.
Read How To Create Retail Store Interiors That Get People To Purchase Your Products.
4. How to Make A Terrarium: Turning Tiny Ecosystems Into a Blooming Business
When it comes to sprucing up a home, one item in particular is a home décor staple: plants. But if you’re like me and don’t exactly possess a green thumb, then learning how to make a terrarium can be a great green alternative to the typical houseplant.
Terrariums, or tiny plant ecosystems built in a bottle or other glass container, have long been enjoyed as low-maintenance indoor gardens. While the terrarium has enjoyed a lengthy history, they are part of an ongoing trend. Consumers are spending more on home décor than ever, and terrariums certainly fall into this category. According to one projection from Research and Markets, the décor market is expected to garner $664 billion by 2020. And what motivated maker wouldn’t want to get a slice of that massive pie?
As far as handmade décor goes, terrariums are one of the most low-cost, low-maintenance items you can create in your home to resell. For prospective business owners looking for a new product idea or crafty makers who want another income stream, terrariums are a potential solution.
Read How to Make A Terrarium: Turning Tiny Ecosystems Into a Blooming Business.
3. 10 Retail Experts Share Their #1 Tip for Marketing and Growing Your Store
As a small business owner with a retail store, it can be easy to hit a slump and feel frustrated when sales are down or when you're just not getting enough foot traffic.
It's time like these when you'd like to be able to consult with an expert and get help turning your store around. Even if it's just for a single piece of advice that you can put into action right away. Luckily for you, we've collected ten pieces of advice for that exact purpose.
Read 10 Retail Experts Share Their #1 Tip for Marketing and Growing Your Store.
2. Visual Merchandising 101: How to Create Store Designs With High-Converting Displays
When you're diving into the world of retail either through a pop-up shop or your own boutique retail store, one of the key sales metrics you're going to want to focus on is "sales per square footage," which is the average revenue a retail business generates for every square foot of sales space.
Essentially, your "retail space" has to be your most productive and most efficient salesperson, and how you go about optimizing your sales space for maximum revenue is to employ the art and science of visual merchandising.
Yes, the discipline requires a sense of aesthetic, but remember that it's also a science, which means that it's a tried and true method that has been studied with results to show for it, results that you can replicate and recreate for your own store.
Read Visual Merchandising 101: How to Create Store Designs With High-Converting Displays.
1. 9 Strategies for Profitably Pricing Your Retail Products
One of the most exciting and nerve-wracking aspects of retail is determining what price to sell your products at. Pricing is both an art and a science that requires an experimental attitude coupled with an intuitive feel for how you want your brand and by extension your products to be perceived.
Price your products too low and you might get a ton of sales but you might find yourself going under when you tally up your expenses at the end of the month.
When you price your products too high, you might give off an aura of luxury, prestige, and exclusivity thereby attracting a more well-off clientele which is smaller in number but makes up for volume by purchasing your products at the higher price. However, what if you're in an area where the demographic is especially price-sensitive, then what will you do?
Read 9 Strategies for Profitably Pricing Your Retail Products.
What’re Your Thoughts?
We’d love to hear about your favorite retail-focused blog posts from 2017. Share your thoughts in the comments below.
