For many small/local Calgary businesses, the thought of Amazon, Walmart, or Costco carrying the same products as you can be a stressful event. A Calgary resident highlighted his struggles with trying to buy local ended up wasting his time and did nothing but create frustration. Instead of being silent about this common small business problem, he put some effort into writing about the problem and ideas on how to fix it. You can and should read his full article here.
Amazon’s dominance looms large in Calgary and across Canada. With a staggering 40% of ecommerce market share in Canada, the e-commerce titan has undoubtedly reshaped consumer shopping behaviors and transformed the industry.
Approximately 50% of the products encountered on Amazon in the US are listed by small-to-medium businesses (SMBs), not Amazon itself. This revelation begs the question: Is Amazon a competitor or a marketplace? The answer lies in a delicate balance, where SMBs can leverage Amazon’s platform while simultaneously carving out their unique niche and fostering customer loyalty.
Personalization – do you even know your customer?
Personalized customer service creates differentiation for small businesses. While Amazon excels in efficiency and speed, it often falls short in delivering tailored experiences that resonate with individual customers. This presents a golden opportunity for local businesses in Calgary to shine.
Offering Customized Services
As a small business owner, you possess a distinct advantage: the ability to offer one-on-one customized services, a luxury that Amazon’s customers cannot enjoy. By focusing on customer support and actively listening to your clients, you can tailor your offerings to their unique needs and preferences. This personalized approach not only fosters a deeper connection with your customers but also sets you apart from the impersonal, one-size-fits-all experience often associated with e-commerce giants.
Personalization can manifest in various forms, from greeting customers by their names and following up on significant sales to meticulously analyzing each feedback and adapting your services accordingly. These small gestures can leave a lasting impression and cultivate a sense of loyalty that transcends mere transactions.
Implementing a Loyalty Program
A well-designed loyalty program is a powerful tool for rewarding repeat customers and fostering a steady stream of recurring revenue. If you haven’t already implemented one, now is the time to create a loyalty program that offers personalized treatment, exclusive discounts, and enticing offers to your most valued patrons.
Ensure that your customers learn about the loyalty program during their first interaction with your business, whether it’s an in-store visit or an online purchase. Amazon may offer deals, redeemable points, and shipping discounts, but a thoughtfully crafted loyalty program can outshine these incentives by catering to the unique needs and preferences of your customer base.
By elevating the customer experience through personalization and loyalty programs, you not only differentiate yourself from Amazon but also create a strong foundation for building lasting relationships with your customers.
Amplifying Brand Awareness and Online Presence
Visibility is important! To succeed, people need to know about your business, and this is where amplifying your brand awareness and online presence becomes crucial. While Amazon’s reach is undeniably vast, you can leverage your local roots and intimate knowledge of your community to carve out a niche and establish a strong brand identity.
Investing in SEO and Website Optimization
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a powerful tool that can propel your website to the top of search engine results, increasing your visibility and attracting potential customers. By optimizing your website for relevant keywords and ensuring a seamless user experience, you can position your business as a go-to destination for your target audience. We spoke with local SEO expert David Howse who not only has been helping businesses get on the top of Google searches, he designed and teaches the SEO course at Mount Royal University. According to Howse, paying a local SEO expert as little as $1200 a month can mean an extra $50,000 to $200,000 in revenue per month (a number he estimates from his local clients).
Additionally, consider listing your products on Amazon if your business model aligns with the platform’s requirements. While this may seem counterintuitive, it can actually serve as a strategic move, exposing your brand to Amazon’s vast customer base and potentially driving traffic to your website.
Leveraging Social Media Marketing
Social media platforms offer a unique opportunity to connect with your local community and build a strong online presence. Engage with your audience by sharing valuable content, responding to comments, and fostering a sense of community around your brand. Leverage the power of social media advertising to reach your target audience with precision, and consider partnering with local influencers or community leaders to amplify your message.
By increasing your brand awareness and online presence, you not only attract new customers but also lay the foundation for exploring markets beyond your immediate borders, positioning your business for long-term growth and success.
Mobile-First Marketing: Connecting with the On-the-Go Consumer
As consumers increasingly rely on their smartphones and tablets for research, shopping, and entertainment, it’s important for small businesses to embrace a mobile-first marketing strategy.
Optimizing for Mobile Users
Most online searches now originate from mobile devices, and modern applications have become platforms for advertising. While companies like Amazon market to a broad audience, you have a distinct advantage as a local business: an intimate understanding of your immediate customers and the platforms they frequent.
Optimize your website for mobile browsing, ensuring a seamless user experience across various devices and screen sizes. Leverage mobile-specific marketing techniques, such as location-based advertising and push notifications, to reach your target audience at the right time and place.
Bridging the Online and Offline Experiences
Mobile devices offer a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between online and offline shopping experiences. Encourage customers to engage with your brand through mobile apps or loyalty programs, providing them with exclusive offers, personalized recommendations, and seamless integration between their digital and physical interactions with your business.
By having a mobile-first mindset and leveraging the power of smartphones and tablets, you can connect with your customers in a meaningful way, fostering brand loyalty and creating a cohesive shopping experience that transcends traditional boundaries.
Harnessing the Power of Amazon: Setting Up Your Business on the Platform
While Amazon may be perceived as a formidable competitor, it can also serve as a valuable marketplace for small businesses. With over 1.1 million SMB accounts in the US Amazon store as of 2019, the platform offers a unique opportunity to leverage its existing logistics framework and reputation.
Meeting Amazon’s Requirements
To list your products on Amazon, you’ll need to meet the platform’s specific requirements and guidelines. This may include providing detailed product information, high-quality images, and adhering to Amazon’s policies regarding pricing, shipping, and customer service.
By optimizing your product listings for Amazon’s search algorithms and ensuring a seamless customer experience, you can increase your visibility and reach a broader audience, including local customers who prefer to shop on Amazon.
Leveraging Amazon’s Logistics and Reputation
One of the key advantages of selling on Amazon is access to its robust logistics and fulfillment infrastructure. By partnering with Amazon, you can benefit from their streamlined shipping processes, ensuring timely and reliable delivery of your products to customers.
Additionally, Amazon’s well-established reputation as an e-commerce powerhouse can lend credibility to your brand, especially for customers who may be unfamiliar with your business. By leveraging Amazon’s trusted platform, you can build confidence and trust among potential buyers, ultimately driving more sales and expanding your customer base.
However, it’s important to note that while Amazon offers a valuable opportunity, it should not be your sole focus. Diversifying your sales channels and maintaining a strong presence across multiple platforms is crucial for long-term success and resilience in the ever-changing e-commerce landscape.
Building a Tribe of Brand Ambassadors: The Power of Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Calgary is saturated with advertising and marketing messages, word-of-mouth marketing remains one of the most powerful and effective tools for small businesses. By fostering a community of loyal customers and empowering them to become brand ambassadors, you can tap into a potent force that can propel your business to new heights.
Delivering Exceptional Customer Service
The foundation of word-of-mouth marketing lies in delivering exceptional customer service. When customers feel valued, appreciated, and their needs are met or exceeded, they naturally become advocates for your brand. Encourage your team to go above and beyond, whether it’s through personalized recommendations, prompt and courteous assistance, or thoughtful gestures that leave a lasting impression.
Encouraging Customer Reviews and Testimonials
Customer reviews and testimonials are powerful endorsements that can influence purchasing decisions and build trust with potential customers. Make it easy for satisfied customers to share their experiences by providing convenient channels for leaving reviews, such as dedicated pages on your website or integrations with popular review platforms.
Additionally, consider incentivizing customers to leave reviews by offering discounts, loyalty rewards, or other incentives. However, it’s crucial to maintain transparency and authenticity, ensuring that all reviews are genuine and reflect the true experiences of your customers.
Fostering a Sense of Community
Building a strong community around your brand can cultivate a sense of belonging and loyalty among your customers. Engage with them through social media, host events or workshops, and create opportunities for them to connect with like-minded individuals who share a passion for your products or services.
By using a tribe of brand ambassadors and leveraging the power of word-of-mouth marketing, you can create a ripple effect that amplifies your brand’s reach and resonates with potential customers on a deeper level.
Embracing Niche Markets: Finding Your Unique Selling Proposition
In the face of Amazon’s vast product catalog and competitive pricing, it can be tempting for small businesses to try and compete head-on. However, this approach often leads to a race to the bottom, where profit margins are sacrificed in pursuit of undercutting the competition. Instead, embracing niche markets and finding your unique selling proposition (USP) can be a more sustainable and rewarding path.
Identifying Your Niche
Conducting thorough market research is crucial to identifying your niche. Look for gaps in the market, underserved customer segments, or areas where you can offer a unique twist on existing products or services. By catering to a specific niche, you can differentiate yourself from the competition and position your business as a go-to solution for a particular set of needs or preferences.
Developing Unique Products or Services
Once you’ve identified your niche, focus on developing unique products or services that cater to the specific needs and desires of your target audience. This could involve creating custom or personalized offerings, sourcing high-quality or ethically-produced materials, or incorporating innovative design elements that set your products apart.
Leveraging Exclusivity and Scarcity
Exclusivity and scarcity can be powerful drivers of customer interest and loyalty. Consider offering limited-edition products, exclusive collections, or limited-time promotions that create a sense of urgency and exclusivity for your customers. This not only adds value to your offerings but also fosters a sense of community and loyalty among your customer base.
By developing niche markets and finding your unique selling proposition, you can carve out a distinct space in the market, differentiate yourself from Amazon and other competitors, and build a loyal customer base that appreciates the unique value you bring to the table.
Mastering the Art of Pricing and Promotions
While Amazon’s competitive pricing and vast product selection can be intimidating, small businesses can leverage strategic pricing and promotional strategies to attract and retain customers without sacrificing profitability.
Competitive Pricing and Discounts
Offering competitive pricing and discounts can be an effective way to attract new customers and incentivize repeat business. However, it’s crucial to strike a balance between offering attractive deals and maintaining healthy profit margins. Consider implementing targeted discounts or promotions for specific products, minimum purchase amounts, or during special occasions or holidays.
Bundling and Value-Added Offerings
Instead of solely focusing on price-based competition, consider bundling your products or services with value-added offerings that enhance the overall customer experience. This could include complementary products, free shipping, extended warranties, or exclusive access to educational resources or community events.
Leveraging Scarcity and Exclusivity
As mentioned earlier, creating a sense of scarcity and exclusivity can be a powerful marketing tool. Limited-time sales, flash deals, or exclusive product launches can create a sense of urgency and drive customer engagement, while also allowing you to maintain desirable profit margins.
By mastering the art of pricing and promotions, you can attract and retain customers without engaging in a race to the bottom. Remember, while competitive pricing is important, it should not come at the expense of your business’s long-term sustainability and profitability.
Optimizing the Customer Journey: Making It Easy for the Customer
Offering a seamless and convenient customer experience can be a game-changer. By optimizing the customer journey and removing potential friction points, you can differentiate your business from Amazon and other competitors, fostering customer loyalty and driving repeat business.
Streamlining the Checkout Process
A complicated or convoluted checkout process can be a major deterrent for customers, leading to abandoned carts and lost sales. Streamline your checkout process by minimizing the number of steps, offering guest checkout options, and integrating multiple payment gateways to accommodate various customer preferences.
Offering Flexible Shipping and Delivery Options
While Amazon’s fast and free shipping options are alluring, small businesses can compete by offering flexible shipping and delivery options that cater to their customers’ unique needs. This could include offering local pickup options, expedited shipping for an additional fee, or partnering with reliable logistics providers to ensure timely and secure delivery.
Implementing a Hassle-Free Returns Process
A hassle-free returns process can be a significant differentiator for small businesses. Offer clear and straightforward return policies, provide pre-paid return labels, and make the process as seamless as possible for customers. Consider integrating returns management software or partnering with third-party logistics providers to streamline the process further.
By optimizing the customer journey and making it easy for customers to navigate your online store, complete their purchases, and handle returns or exchanges, you can foster a positive shopping experience that encourages customer loyalty and repeat business.
Cultivating Customer Loyalty: Building Lasting Relationships
Customer loyalty is a precious commodity. By building lasting relationships with your customers, you can create a loyal customer base that serves as a foundation for your business’s long-term success and resilience.
Encouraging and Leveraging Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are a powerful tool for building trust and credibility with potential customers. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews by providing convenient channels and incentives, such as discounts or loyalty rewards. Additionally, leverage positive reviews in your marketing efforts, showcasing the authentic experiences and testimonials of your loyal customers.
Implementing a Hassle-Free Returns Policy
A hassle-free returns policy can be a significant factor in cultivating customer loyalty. Offer clear and straightforward return policies, provide pre-paid return labels, and make the process as seamless as possible for customers. By prioritizing customer satisfaction and offering a hassle-free experience, you can build trust and foster long-lasting relationships with your customers.
Offering Unique and High-Quality Products
Offering unique and high-quality products can be a powerful differentiator. Invest in sourcing premium materials, incorporating innovative design elements, and ensuring exceptional craftsmanship. By providing products that stand out and resonate with your target audience, you can cultivate a loyal customer base that values the unique value you bring to the market.
Embracing Social Responsibility
Consumers are increasingly conscious of the ethical and environmental implications of their purchasing decisions. By embracing social responsibility and incorporating sustainable practices into your business operations, you can appeal to values-driven customers and foster loyalty among those who prioritize responsible consumption.
By cultivating customer loyalty through these strategies, you can create a strong foundation for your business’s long -term growth and success. Loyal customers not only provide a steady stream of recurring revenue but also serve as powerful brand ambassadors, driving word-of-mouth marketing and attracting new customers to your business.
Fostering Creativity and Innovation: Staying Ahead of the Curve
Complacency can be a death knell for small businesses. To thrive in the age of Amazon, it’s important to embrace creativity and innovation, continuously seeking new ways to differentiate your offerings and enhance the customer experience.
Encouraging Ideation and Experimentation
Foster a culture of ideation and experimentation within your organization. Encourage your team to think outside the box, explore new ideas, and embrace a mindset of continuous improvement. Regularly brainstorm and solicit feedback from employees, customers, and industry experts to identify areas for innovation and potential game-changing ideas.
Leveraging Emerging Technologies
Stay attuned to emerging technologies and trends that could potentially disrupt the e-commerce landscape. Explore the possibilities of incorporating virtual reality, augmented reality, or voice-enabled shopping experiences into your business model. Embrace data analytics and machine learning to gain deeper insights into customer behavior and preferences, enabling you to make more informed decisions and deliver personalized experiences.
Continuously Adapting and Evolving
What works today may become obsolete tomorrow. Embrace a mindset of continuous adaptation and evolution, regularly reevaluating your strategies, processes, and offerings to ensure they remain relevant and aligned with customer needs and industry trends.
By fostering creativity and innovation within your organization, you can stay ahead of the curve and position your business as a trailblazer in the e-commerce space. This not only differentiates you from competitors like Amazon but also establishes your brand as a forward-thinking and customer-centric entity, attracting and retaining customers who value innovation and exceptional experiences.
Forging Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations
Strategic partnerships and collaborations can open up new opportunities for growth, innovation, and customer acquisition. By leveraging the strengths and resources of complementary businesses, small business owners can amplify their reach and enhance their offerings.
Identifying Complementary Businesses and Potential Partners
Conduct a thorough analysis of your industry and identify businesses that offer complementary products or services to your own. These could be businesses operating in adjacent markets, sharing a similar target audience, or offering products or services that could be bundled or cross-promoted with your offerings.
Exploring Mutually Beneficial Collaborations
Once you’ve identified potential partners, explore opportunities for mutually beneficial collaborations. This could involve co-marketing initiatives, cross-promotion, product bundling, or even co-creating new offerings that leverage the unique strengths and expertise of both businesses.
Leveraging Influencer Marketing and Brand Ambassadors
Influencer marketing and brand ambassadors can be powerful allies in amplifying your reach and building brand awareness. Identify influencers or industry experts who resonate with your target audience and explore opportunities for collaborations, sponsored content, or ambassador programs that can help you tap into their established following and credibility.
By forging strategic partnerships and collaborations, you can expand your reach, access new customer segments, and leverage the collective strengths of multiple businesses. This not only enhances your competitive position but also fosters a spirit of collaboration and innovation within your industry, creating a win-win scenario for all parties involved.
Embracing Continuous Learning and Professional Development
Continuous learning and professional development are essential for small business owners to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to emerging trends and challenges. By investing in personal growth and upskilling, you can cultivate a growth mindset and position your business for long-term success.
Attending Industry Events and Conferences
Industry events and conferences provide invaluable opportunities for networking, learning from experts, and staying up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in e-commerce. Attend relevant conferences, workshops, and seminars to gain insights, exchange ideas, and explore potential collaborations or partnerships.
Engaging with Online Communities and Resources
The internet offers a wealth of online communities and resources dedicated to e-commerce and small business growth. Join relevant forums, social media groups, and online courses to connect with like-minded individuals, share knowledge, and access valuable resources and insights.
Seeking Mentorship and Guidance
Seeking mentorship and guidance from experienced professionals or successful entrepreneurs can be a game-changer for small business owners. Identify individuals or organizations that offer mentorship programs or coaching services, and leverage their expertise and insights to navigate challenges, develop effective strategies, and accelerate your personal and professional growth.
By embracing continuous learning and professional development, you not only equip yourself with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the ever-changing e-commerce landscape but also cultivate a growth mindset that fosters innovation, adaptability, and resilience – essential qualities for thriving in the age of Amazon and beyond.
Remember, success in the age of Amazon is not about trying to replicate their model but about leveraging your strengths, embracing your unique identity, and delivering exceptional value to your customers. Whether it’s through personalized customer service, niche market dominance, strategic partnerships, or continuous innovation, the path to thriving lies in playing to your strengths and differentiating yourself from the competition.
The journey may not be easy, but with determination, creativity, and a unwavering commitment to excellence, small business owners can not only survive but thrive in the age of Amazon, leaving an indelible mark on the ever-evolving e-commerce landscape.
