Four Ways a Pop-Up Shop Can Spice up Your Online Business
Pop-up Shops: What Are They and Why You Should Open One
Running a business online is commonplace these days. Customers prefer doing most of their shopping on the internet. It's a quick and simple way to get things done, and since most marketing is done online anyway whether or not you have a brick and mortar store, it just makes sense. Plus ecommerce sites such as Shopify or Etsy are great places for entrepreneurs to begin making a mark on their industry.
However, strictly online-only businesses have one major drawback: no physical interaction with customers. There's no way for you to really know your customer base outside of online discussion. Your customers also have no way of knowing what your products or services are really like before placing an order. They're taking a gamble on whether or not they'll like what you're selling. Believe it or not, being able to physically touch and try out a product before buying it is still a priority on people's lists. However, there's no need to worry. This can be alleviated by opening your own pop-up shop.
You may have seen these in action before, such as in October 2016 when more than 200 coffee shops across the country became Luke's Diners for a day to celebrate the TV show Gilmore Girls' then 16th anniversary. A pop-up shop, according to BigCommerce, "is a temporary storefront space operated by an online merchant… and [allow you to] test out a physical retail environment."
Depending on where you want your pop-up to be located, how big it will be, and how long it'll be open factor into what it'll cost you, according to an article written by Alexandra Sheehan on the Shopify Blog. However, you can operate "a short-term pop-up for as little as $1,500," Sheehan adds.
Four Ways a Pop-Up Shop Can Generate Buzz and Bring Revenue into Your Online Business
There are many ways a pop-up shop can generate buzz and bring revenue into your online business, but here are the top four reasons for investing in a pop-up.
Having the opportunity to meet customers offline: If you've built up a robust customer base online, it's likely they'll make the trek to where your pop-up is located, and you then have an opportunity to wow them in person. You'll be able to better address their concerns, questions, feedback and direct them to products they might like. You'll also be able to attract new customers with your pop-up as well, ones that may have never heard of your online business before.
Testing out new products or services: If your business has a new product or service that needs to be promoted, why not make that the focus of your pop-up shop? Perhaps offer a free trial or a sample? Customers love free products and services and if those two things go over well with customers, word will spread quickly on social media about it.
Centering your pop-up around the holiday season: The Christmas shopping season is huge for retailers, as the goal is to bring customers in and sell them the perfect gifts for family and friends. A pop-up shop is the perfect way to join in the action as it, like the holidays themselves, are only around for a short time. In fact, Jeremy Baras, the president of PopUp Republic, is quoted as saying in an article on VMSD, that pop-ups, "are ideally suited for holiday shopping because they often sell products tied to the season or feature distinctive gifts." In other words, you will have what customers are looking for and they may end up becoming lifelong customers as a result.
Making people want to buy products now: A pop-up store's stay is temporary, so only being around for a short time gives customers the urge to want to buy something while it's there in front of them. According to a Shopify blog post written by Humayun Khan, "creating a sense of urgency or scarcity… causes humans to take action." The scarcity is only an illusion, but enough to bring in revenue in the long run.
Contact us for more information about how a pop-up shop can boost revenue and build a buzz.