Ask anyone how they are these days and the standard response is often, ‘Good but busy’.
We’re all pushed for time and really appreciate anything that makes our lives easier. Things like online shopping have come as a godsend as it’s quick and convenient.
But not all businesses can run an online store (it’s just not feasible for all).
It’s perfectly ok to have order forms that you email to customers. However, if you’re asking your customer to print off a form, fill it out, scan it and email it back, you won’t win customers. That’s hard work!
Any business can do everything online (rather than the old mail-out the hard copy version), but make it work for you and your customer. Make sure your order form can be opened, filled out online, and emailed back – no printing, no scanning and no fussing.
If your ordering process is complicated and hard work – your customers won’t order a thing.
Grant knew he needed help to update his ordering system
As soon as we saw his ordering system, we knew it was clunky and would be time-consuming for a customer. Who wants to fill out real paperwork these days? It’s also not very cost-effect for a business to create printable product catalogues and send them out to customers (in the hope they’ll reorder).
Customers want a simple form to fill out. An easy, tick the boxes, enter my name and pay you form. Easy being the main aim.
Starting 2017 with fresh ideas, we helped Grant update his 2017 Product Catalogue. We created a fillable PDF form, complete with a decorative front cover and used his branding throughout.
Rapt with the result, Grant started using his new catalogue in January. (A snapshot of the cover and first page can be seen to the right).
Now he can email the product catalogue to his customers and they have an easy, online fillable form they can complete within minutes and send back.
He was so happy with his new product catalogue; Grant gave us a testimonial:
“It was that time of year again where we had to organise the formatting and printing of our Annual Product Catalogue. With some deliberation, we decided to attempt to offer this digitally. However, to do this, we needed to allow for the catalogue to be filled in online. Interim Business Solutions were able to provide us with a format to allow this and, our customers and we are delighted with the result. They have also helped us with our marketing to great effect using MailChimp.”
– Grant Rankin, Carawah Nursery
Is your customer ordering system easy to use?
If you’re thinking, ‘Hmmm, my ordering system is a tad old-school’, let’s have a chat about your options. At the end of the day, however you take orders, it’s MUST be easy for your customers, or they won’t bother.
Remember, everyone is busy, and simplicity is the key to retail success.
If your form isn’t fillable (meaning people can open it online and fill it out), you’re out of date. If your price list that you email to customers isn’t branded, you’re out of date. If you’re not making online sales, you’re out of date.
Contact us today and let’s see how we can update your business to make more sales.
P.S. Check out 60 Ways a VA (and team) Can Support You and Your Business.