Marketing Your Retail Store in the Internet Age

by Negen, Bob; Negen, Susan

• ISBN13: 9780470043936
• ISBN10: 0470043938
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-11-30
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

If you own and operate a small retail business, this guide will give you a proven system for marketing your store, allowing you to compete with online merchants and big-box stores alike. Full of fresh and innovative ideas for promoting small stores, it will show you how to create a great in-store experience and build loyal, long-lasting relationships with customers.

Author Biography

BOB NEGEN founded WhizBang! Training after owning an award-winning chain of kite stores for more than two decades. He has spent the last six years teaching other store owners and managers the nuts-and-bolts skills they need to run successful retail businesses. In his work as a speaker, author, and consultant, Bob shares the hard-earned lessons he learned along the way.

SUSAN NEGEN is cofounder of WhizBang! Training, where she takes the best of what she learned as an executive for department store giants Bloomingdale's and Macy's and applies it to the independent retail store.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction	1	(18)
Who Should Read This Book	2	(1)
Who Are Bob and Susan Negen and Why Should You Listen to Them?	3	(1)
The Bad News	4	(2)
The Good News	6	(1)
The New Millennium Merchant	7	(5)
The WhizBang! Marketing System: Four Steps to Higher Sales and Happier Customers	12	(2)
How to Use This Book	14	(5)
Step One: How to Get New Customers without Going Broke	19	(76)
Five Key Concepts for Getting New Customers	19	(11)
Key Concept #1: Be Willing to Pay to Get New Customers	19	(3)
Key Concept #2: Understand the Lifetime Value of a Customer	22	(1)
Key Concept #3: Break Even on the Front End, Break the Bank on the Back End	23	(1)
Key Concept #4: Apply the "Rule of Reciprocity"	24	(1)
Key Concept #5: Leverage the Power of Affinity Marketing	25	(5)
Six Low-Tech Tactics to Get New Customers without Going Broke	30	(34)
New Customer Tactic #1: Give Away Gift Certificates	30	(5)
New Customer Tactic #2: Send Endorsed Mailings	35	(2)
New Customer Tactic #3: Partner with a Charitable Cause	37	(11)
New Customer Tactic #4: Create a Referral System	48	(5)
New Customer Tactic #5: Engage in "Donut Marketing"	53	(1)
New Customer Tactic #6: Generate Publicity	54	(10)
Six High-Tech Tactics to Get New Customers	64	(31)
New Customer Tactic #7: Have a Great Website	64	(16)
New Customer Tactic #8: Seek Out Reciprocal Links	80	(2)
New Customer Tactic #9: Set Up Email Endorsements	82	(2)
New Customer Tactic #10: Ask Customers to Forward to a Friend	84	(2)
New Customer Tactic #11: Online User Groups and Chat Rooms	86	(2)
New Customer Tactic #12: Get Good Search Engine Placement	88	(7)
Special Section: The Traditional Media	95	(9)
Why Advertising Doesn't Usually Work for Independent Retailers and What You Can Do About It	95	(9)
Special Section: Copywriting for Retailers	104	(23)
Killer Copy: How to Write Messages That Sell	104	(21)
The Ten Commandments of Copywriting for Retailers	125	(2)
Step Two: Turn a First-Time Buyer into a Regular Customer	127	(28)
Two Key Concepts for Turning a First-Time Buyer into a Regular Customer	127	(4)
Key Concept #1: Lifetime Value of a Customer	127	(1)
Key Concept #2: The Big Switch	128	(3)
Three Low-Tech Tactics for Turning a First-Time Buyer into a Regular Customer	131	(15)
Turn Them into a Regular Customer Tactic #1: Give a Great First Experience in Your Store	131	(10)
Turn Them into a Regular Customer Tactic #2: Ask For Their Contact Information	141	(2)
Turn Them into a Regular Customer Tactic #3: Follow Up Immediately	143	(3)
Two High-Tech Tactics for Turning a First-Time Buyer into a Regular Customer	146	(9)
Turn Them into a Regular Customer Tactic #4: Have a Newsletter Sign-Up on Your Website	147	(2)
Turn Them into a Regular Customer Tactic #5: Create Automatic Welcome Emails	149	(6)
Step Three: Get Your Customers to Shop More Often	155	(70)
Two Key Concepts to Get Your Customers to Shop More Often	156	(6)
Key Concept #1: It's Your Responsibility to Be Remembered, Not Your Customer's Responsibility to Remember You	157	(2)
Key Concept #2: The Secret Strategy: Become a Broader Resource	159	(3)
Four Low-Tech Tactics to Get Your Customers to Shop More Often	162	(30)
Shop More Often Tactic #1: Have Lots of Promotions	162	(14)
Shop More Often Tactic #2: Have a Big, Bold, Preferred Customer Club	176	(10)
Shop More Often Tactic #3: Send Snail Mail	186	(4)
Shop More Often Tactic #4: Use Bag Stuffers and Bounce Backs	190	(2)
Four High-Tech Tactics to Get Your Customers to Shop More Often	192	(33)
Shop More Often Tactic #5: Manage Your Customer Database	192	(6)
Shop More Often Tactic #6: Use Email Marketing to Stay in Touch with Your Customers	198	(18)
Shop More Often Tactic #7: Make Your Website a Resource for Your Customers	216	(6)
Shop More Often Tactic #8: Use Email Campaigns to Sell Related Products	222	(3)
Step Four: Keep Your Customers for Life	225	(14)
Six Key Concepts to Keep Customers for Life	225	(7)
Key Concept #1: Keep Your Customers for as Many Years as Possible	225	(1)
Key Concept #2: Never Take Your Customers for Granted	226	(1)
Key Concept #3: Be Constant	227	(1)
Key Concept #4: Be Consistent	227	(1)
Key Concept #5: Keep Your Approach to Your Business Fresh and Exciting	228	(1)
Key Concept #6: What's a Customer Worth? Show Me the Money!	229	(3)
Three Terrific Tactics to Keep Customers for Life	232	(7)
Terrific Tactic #1: Build a Marketing Plan	232	(4)
Terrific Tactic #2: Track the Effectiveness of Your Marketing Efforts	236	(2)
Terrific Tactic #3: Fight "Perceived Indifference" Tooth and Nail	238	(1)
Conclusion	239	(2)
Index	241