Bottom Line Up Front: There’s never been a more crucial time for apparel decorators to uplevel their offerings — and that includes the technology behind them. If you’re not meeting consumer demand for e-commerce capabilities, then you’re not doing enough. Here’s how you get there.
It’s a new world out there. Everyone can agree on that. But instead of letting panic override you, or letting marveling distract you, you need to be taking action.
Because the thing is: sales don’t come to businesses who wait. They won’t be knocking on your door, asking why you’re sitting stagnant on the sidelines, and they won’t be checking up to make sure you’re still operating.
What they will be doing is knocking on the door of your competition. The competition that’s seen the changes in consumer needs and buying habits, that’s seen the limitations of the new world, and has pivoted accordingly.
And not only have they pivoted, but they’ve marketed the hell out of that pivot.
Survival in the new world comes down to three things: customer-centric technology, e-commerce capabilities, and digital marketing. And yes — you need all three to have a fighting chance.
Here’s how they all come into play.
Customer-Centric Technology
The key to earning new sales — and keeping old clients excited — is hooking them from the very first stage of the buying journey. That doesn’t mean by offering them the lowest outright prices or the most grandiose claims of past success.
It means by offering them something they can experience for themselves.
In other words: technology that puts them in the driver’s seat.
The decorated apparel industry is one that’s oriented around tactile products — and every customer that comes your way is looking for something specific, whether they know it or not. People have visions. They have ideas, vague or specific, of what they’d like to see and how they’d like to see it. It’s always your job to give them what they want, but if you can present it to them in innovative — and dare we say, interactive — ways, then that’s your differentiator.
That’s what will hook your customers, and that’s what will keep them coming back.
Because, as we all know, we’re never just selling products. We’re never just selling t-shirts. What we are selling is a solution — a way to increase brand exposure, to bring a community together, or to commemorate a shared experience.
And that solution doesn’t start when the product is made. It starts from the very first step of the buying process.
The technology you offer your customers is the driver of their experience — and the first marker of how they’ll judge the solution you’re giving them. So impress them.
Here are three customer-centric technology features available to you now:
Online Designer
Give your prospects the power to design their own products, based on their own vision, right there on your website. It’s interactive, it’s exciting, and it requires zero technological or design training — so anyone can do it. From anywhere. See Online Designer demo.
Online Pitch Stores
No more boring pitches made clunky with an assortment of PDF’s and papers — with Online Pitch Stores, you get to showcase exactly what’s on offer (with pre-designed products curated just for them), all while showing off your spiffy technological capabilities. That’s right: increased professionalism, engagement, and results are waiting. Learn more about Pitch Stores and see an example.
Online E-Commerce Stores
Not only do you have access to cutting-edge technology, but you’re actually offering your customers the exact same capabilities. With your access to Online Stores, you’re able to set up custom e-commerce stores for any customer to sell any product(s), and keep it up and running for any length of time. In the age of e-commerce, that’s an immediate showstopper. See a online store example.
That’s the first piece of the puzzle. Let’s head to the second.
E-Commerce Capabilities Galore
Like we just said: this is the age of e-commerce.
Pandemic aside, now that consumers en masse have gotten a taste for the ease and convenience that come with browsing, buying, and receiving goods without ever leaving their couch, they’re not going to let it go easily.
In fact, many won’t let it go at all.
So the first thing to understand if you’re looking to increase your sales in today’s world is this: e-commerce is here to stay. And its capabilities are only going to get more extensive, and more powerful.
With that said, adopting it into your business doesn’t have to be complicated. To be honest with you, it shouldn’t be. Good e-commerce capabilities are simple to implement, simple to navigate, and simple to control — so that should always be front of mind when you’re looking to expand your tech offerings.
Whether you go with InkSoft technology or not, the bottom line here is that e-commerce’s priority is your customers’ experience. If it’s not actively removing friction from the buying process, then it’s not doing what you need it to do.
Here’s a glimpse of how InkSoft technology works for your customers:
The Backbone is Simplicity: Whether they’re scrolling through your primary site or their new custom online store, browsing the offerings couldn’t be easier. Products are showcased clearly and “˜click-ably,’ custom copy is displayed at the top and bottom of the page, and the entire user experience is easy to navigate — from entry through to check-out. The point is for your customers, and their end-customers, to have the most straight-forward and effective buying journey possible. And that happens with simplicity.
Versatility, Start to Finish: As apparel decorators, you likely have customers from a wide range of industries. Their online stores should be as individual as they are. With our e-commerce technology, you have the power to set up custom online stores that really speak to each individual customer’s goals — from Pop-Up Stores to Evergreen Stores, Company Stores to Fundraising Stores, you can customize and customize again. Plus, with the power to add as much copy, media, and buttons as desired, each store has the power to really stand out.
Streamlined… Everything: No more administrative backlog. No more human errors. With our e-commerce technology taking care of all of the transaction details — and tracking analytics at the same time — your customers can rest assured that all of their orders will be received, filled, and distributed. While they keep their hands off the whole process.
Like we said: ease and convenience above all else. Prove that you can remove the friction and you’ll win the sale — it might not be as certain as a formula, but we’d bet that it’s pretty close.
Digital Marketing — Explained
Here’s the bad news: you could have the most incredible, customer-centric technology features in the world — and have the most seamless, effective e-commerce capabilities — but if you’re not telling people about it, it won’t matter.
Sure, you might have a few happy customers that you’ve worked with for years. But you won’t be winning new sales. At least, not in the quantities that you’re capable of.
So how do you get the word out? How do you reach a huge audience — and make sure that it’s the right audience? Simple. With digital marketing.
Just like the buying experience has moved online, so too has the marketing experience; businesses are putting more eggs into the digital basket because that’s where their consumers are looking. And your business should be no different.
Remember this: Your digital presence is everything.
When it comes to winning new customers and retaining old ones, your digital presence is the deciding factor. Are you easily searchable? Does your website evoke a sense of professionalism — and does it answer consumer questions right away? Are you active on social media, providing value and past project examples to prove your capabilities? Do you seem like a reputable business in the industry, or like you just started a few days ago?
These are the questions your consumers will be asking — whether they’re cognizant of it or not. So make sure you’re setting your business up for success. Because otherwise? The competition is just a click away.
Here’s how InkSoft helps get your digital marketing prowess into tip-top shape:
100% Shareability: The custom Online Stores you create for your customers have limitless marketing potential built in — because they can be shared, over and over again. And since your customers want to earn as many sales as possible too, they’ll be focused on getting that store out there — which helps get your business out there. With every Online Store having the capacity to reach new audiences, your brand exposure will skyrocket, helping you build up your digital community — and leave a real mark on the industry.
In-Depth Marketing Courses: At InkSoft, our number one goal is to help apparel decorators reach their fullest potential. That’s why we’ve invested so much into producing quick, easy-to-digest, relevant digital marketing courses that give you everything you need to position your business in the modern world — without any of the filler content. We teach you the basics behind Google Analytics & Google Ads, Facebook Marketing, and much more, so you can emerge prepared for anything. Oh, and it’s all 100% free.
Weekly, Industry-Specific Advice: When it comes to keeping up with the newest selling strategies and marketing techniques, we know that it’s more than a little difficult to find the time. You’ve got a lot on your plate — and we get that. Which is why we dig through all of the noise for you. Every week, we send apparel decorators the latest and most valuable pieces of industry-specific insight — plus snippets of advice straight from the experts — in order to set you up for success. The point is to get you informed, inspired, and acting quickly — so we sent these memos right to your inbox, so you can skim them and get back to work.
The Final Note
This is the final thing we’d like to say — and we all confidently stand by it.
When you have the right customer-centric technology, the right e-commerce capabilities, and the right digital marketing strategies in play, then you’re unstoppable. It’s as simple as that.
If you put in the work now to position your business as a valuable, innovative, forward-thinking industry mainstay, then you won’t have to always be searching for new sales opportunities. They’ll find you. And once they do, they won’t go anywhere else.
So that’s what we’ve got to say — and we’d implore you to think it over. To start brainstorming how your business can adapt to these new times. And to get in touch with us.
We exist to help businesses like yours achieve all that they can — simply, efficiently, and with our eyes on the long-game. Our technology is always changing to keep up with new innovations and consumer needs, so once you buy-in, you’re connected with the leading tech on the market — for good.
For a limited time, we’re offering apparel decorators the chance to take a personalized tour of InkSoft — including getting to know all of our features and capabilities, and having an InkSoft expert guide you through exactly what they can do for your business. Given your offerings, and given your goals.
And we’re offering that to you free of charge.
So reach out to us now. You have absolutely nothing to lose — and a whole lot of untapped selling potential to gain.
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