In the world of e-commerce, there are many, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stand out. To stand out you need to know what you are up against, and this requires checking out the competition. Competition is healthy, especially when your competition is doing well. That may surprise you, but it means that your market is full of interested buyers. People want to buy the items in your market, and that means that there is more than enough to go around. You can succeed, especially if you find something that will draw your audience in and convince them to make the sale. First, let’s take a look at what your competition is up to and understand what is important when building your boutique’s website.
Take a look at 2-3 local boutique in your areas online presence. Check to see if they have Instagram, Facebook, a website, Pinterest, email marketing, Snapchat, Tumblr, and more. Once you have found these sites, take a look at how frequently they post. Do they only post product pictures on Instagram? Do they also incorporate funny memes, inspiring quotes, holiday-related messages? The point is not to copy these stores, but rather to understand how these stores are communicating with their audiences.
Now do this same exercise but instead look at 2-3 large online stores. If you can’t think of any a quick Google search of “cute clothes” should steer you in the right direction. Take note of the same types of messages that these stores are using to communicate to their audiences. Once again, do not take notes to copy these stores but focus on how frequently they post, the types of things they post, and which posts seem to be more successful than others.
Your boutique is going to have it’s own style and unique personality so there is no reason to copy these already established boutiques. Your boutique is not (yet!) a giant retail store complete with 20 + marketing & social media teams that have ten years of graphic design and branding experience. I don’t say all of this to make you feel bad about yourself, but rather to realize that your audience will choose YOU because they believe in YOU. They believe in what you stand for, and they are attracted to your style. They are interested in learning about your lifestyle and what you have to offer. A face behind a brand can make a difference in attracting your audience. Consider ways that you can incorporate more of YOU into YOUR boutique.
Additional things to take note of when observing your competition:
- What does the front page of their website include?
- Do they have an About Me page?
- Read through the Shipping and Returns section.
- How do you as a customer contact this particular store with questions?
- Do they have an area for customers to review their products?
- What do they include in their product descriptions?
- Are their models all posing the same way against the same background?
- Who do you think their target audience is?
- What type of products do they sell? Do they sell multiple types of products including accessories?
- Do they have a free shipping minimum?
- Do they have a blog section?
- How easy is it to locate their social media pages?
- What makes you attracted to this website? What makes you turned off by this website?
- Did they have a pop up to capture email subscribers? Did the pop up include a discount code?
- Do they have a sale section?
- What is the price range of the majority of their products?
- Try searching for a yellow dress, is it easy to use their search capabilities?
- What ways can you sort through their products and how many products display on each page?
- What makes them stand out?
- Can you find out who the owner or president/CEO is? What information does the store share about this individual? Can you tell much about his/her personality?
Understanding what stores typically do/ do not include on their website will help you to understand what type of information you MUST include (shipping/return policy) and the standard at which people expect from stores while shopping online. Too many new business owners open up shop online and wonder why they don’t receive any sales when they have grammatical errors and fail to allow customers to contact them with questions.
Your website does not have to compete with the big names when you open, but it does need to look professional. Review the Website Must Haves Checklist and trust that you can bring your personality into your shop to attract YOUR perfect audience.