From the moment a customer encounters your product or brand, to the point they are ready to buy, there’s a bunch of things you can do to make sure their path to purchasing from you is a smooth one. Commonly known as a customer journey, there are distinct phases a customer travels through to reach you, and every point in that journey is both a point at which you could lose them, and an opportunity to make their journey easier.
1. Awareness
At the first stage of the journey, the aim is to cast a wide net, making potential customers aware of your brand, what you make, and what they can expect to find in your Felt shop. They’re likely to just be browsing at this point – your goal is to create interest in your products so they remember you when a need arises.
List your products on Felt
We’ve built a strong, loyal community of shoppers looking to purchase unique, locally made goods like yours. The more listings you have on Felt, the greater the chance they’ll notice you! Add new listings »
Be seen on social media
Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or another platform you use to promote your work, make the most of it!
Find me on Felt
Do people know they can find you on Felt? Felt offers resources to help you promote yourself as part of the Felt community. Order yours now »
Be featured
Throughout the year, the Felt team collates gift guides and collections, selecting items and shops to feature in our marketing emails and social media channels. Give yourself the best chance of being noticed. Learn more »
2. Findability
Your potential customer has a need or occasion to shop for, and an item in your Felt shop might just fit the bill. With most shoppers nowadays turning to the internet to research when they’re looking to buy, it needs to be as easy as possible for them to find your shop and products.
Use your shop address
Add your shop address to your social media profiles, business cards, and promotional materials to direct customers to your Felt shop. Learn more »
Optimise your shop for search
Both Felt and Google use the written content of your shop and listings to generate search results. Check your content with this in mind to improve your search rankings. Find out how »
List in the correct categories
When choosing categories for your listings, put yourself in your customer’s shoes – ask yourself which categories would they be looking at if searching for an item like yours.
Use your keywords
You can add up to ten keywords to each listing, which help shoppers find your item when searching on Felt – the more you add, the more likely you’ll be seen! Choose the best keywords »
Add your shop name
Check that your full shop name displays under your profile picture. This might be different to your shop address, so it can help reassure customers that they’re in the right place. Add your shop name »
3. Desire
It’s time to sell yourself and your products. Accentuate the positives – portray the benefits of your product, why it’s desirable and worthy of purchase. As customers aren’t able to see and hold your items physically like they could in a retail store, it’s super important to describe them well and answer any questions they may have.
Tell your story
How does your “about the maker” page look? If you find it hard to write about yourself, try answering these questions to get you started.
Review your descriptions
Good written descriptions help persuade a customer to make that purchase. Learn more about writing a great description »
Take great photos
Online, your photos are your shop front and a big part of your brand – give them a critical once-over and note where you can make improvements. Learn more about taking great photos »
Add a shop header
Your shop header is seen by all visitors to your shop. It’s a great place to promote your brand – selling yourself and your products to potential customers. Learn how to add a shop header »
Share what your customers say
Word of mouth is one of the most effective forms of marketing – customers trust it above almost all other information sources when purchasing. Build buyer confidence by sharing reviews and feedback from your previous buyers with your potential new customers.
4. Conversion
They love it, they know they want it, and they’re reaching for their wallet. Your job here is to remove any barriers or obstacles that could prevent them from completing their purchase. Don’t underestimate how easily a customer could be discouraged at this point – make it as smooth and seamless as possible.
Keep your shop well-stocked
Create new listings for stock you haven’t listed yet – a well-stocked shop is more attractive to customers, and gives them a greater variety to choose from. Stock up your shop »
List one item per listing
As a general rule, a listing is for showcasing one item. Listing multiple items under one listing can be confusing for the customer, and creates a need for additional communication at the checkout. We recommend creating a separate listing for each item to show your work to best advantage and keep the checkout process smooth and stress-free for the buyer.
Provide shipping information
Include all of the shipping methods you offer (for NZ and overseas). You can also offer free standard shipping to encourage customers to make a purchase! Add correct shipping information »
Show accurate quantities
Use the quantity on your listing to show how many of an item you have available. If your item is made to order, communicate this in your listing description and update the quantity to reflect how many items you are able to make on demand with the time and materials you have available. Update your listing quantities »
Make payment easy
Offer more than one payment option if you can, and make sure your payment details are correct. Review your payment options »
Check your work
Ensure that you’ve covered every detail in your listings to make it as easy as possible for your customers to buy. Check your listings are complete »
5. Advocacy
You’ve made a sale on Felt – congratulations! It’s almost time to celebrate, but there’s a little more work to do first. You want your new customer to become a returning customer and an advocate for your brand and your products. Build their confidence and trust post-purchase, so they feel good about sharing your Felt shop with their friends and followers, and want to repeat the experience themselves.
Make it a great experience
Orders are a chance to provide a unique, memorable experience for your customers, encouraging them to return and make repeat purchases! Read more »
Send a message to your customer
After you’ve shipped your customer’s order, send them a message via Felt! Thank them for their purchase, include parcel tracking details, and share your social media handles so they can follow you!
Place feedback for your customer
Placing feedback for your customer is another opportunity to thank them for their purchase, give them a compliment, or wish them well – and it has the added benefit of gently prompting them to leave feedback for you.
Include Find me on Felt branding
Remember those resources we mentioned earlier? Including them in orders you post is one way you can use them to promote yourself as part of the Felt community. Order yours now »
What simple steps can you take to make your customer’s path to purchase a smooth one?
