Running an online pet store can be a rewarding business opportunity, but there are many things to think about before processing your first sale. If you want to be as efficient as possible, you should put time into brainstorming an ideal business plan so that you have a clear direction to take with each of your decisions.
Keep these tips in mind as you do.
1. Pick a Pet Industry Area That You Will Enjoy
Whether you want to get into retail food and supplies, online booking for grooming and boarding or providing resources for animal training, there are numerous pet industry areas to consider for your store.
To choose the one that is best for you, pick one that you will enjoy. Profit matters but not so much if you are bored with what you are doing.
2. Hire Animal-Loving Employees
After you launch your website and your business plans start becoming a reality, finding the right employees will be essential. With any area in the pet store industry, it is smart to hire animal-loving employees who will enjoy their jobs. Because your business is online-focused, hiring animal lovers with an IT background would probably be even better.
3. Invest in a Pet Store POS That Serves Your Needs
Not all pet store POS software is the same. For pet store businesses specifically, there are special considerations to think about. For example, finding a program that offers inventory management, smart ordering and simplified e-commerce is a must. With online pet stores in particular, product catalog capabilities are also critical.
4. Order Uncommon High-Quality Products
When many pet owners shop for their pets in-person, they do so at large department stores that offer a general inventory of popular pet product brands. With an online pet store, however, consumers typically expect more than what they would find at a supermarket. For this reason, you should order uncommon high-quality products that are appealing to your target audience.
5. Provide Thorough Training
Going back to the idea of hiring employees, after you hire an animal-loving staff to help manage your online store, it is then necessary to provide thorough training. If you plan on having remote employees, the need for training is arguably even more important. Without well-trained employees, it will be difficult to provide excellent customer service.
6. Send Pet Birthday Emails
Whenever you encounter a new customer, ask them about their pets. One thing you should definitely ask about is their pets’ birthdays so you can send a pet birthday card and treat around that date. Not only is this a super personalized way to give your customers a great experience, but it also shows how much you care about their pets.
7. Offer Coupons and Loyalty Rewards
If you put a lot of effort into making your online pet store awesome, you will get regular customers who return again and again. These are the types of customers who you should pay special attention to and offer loyalty rewards. In addition to collecting pet information, be sure to get the email contact information of your customers so you can regularly send coupons and other discount offers.
8. Stand Out From Competitors
What are your competitors doing? Do you even keep up with them? While you do not need to constantly compare your online pet store to others, you should regularly visit other online pet shops to see what they are up to.
Doing this is a good idea for brainstorming ideas as well as keeping up with your competitors. You should never try to copy your competitors, but instead, try to find ways to do what they are doing- but even better.
9. Create a Social Media Page
If you do not already have a social media page, now is the perfect time to create one. Customers love being able to interact with businesses as well as each other about businesses on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. You can even set up your social media page to answer customer questions to boost your customer service experience.
Running an online pet store can be an exciting endeavor. Following tips such as these can help you ensure yours is a success.