Blog /
No E-Commerce Site? No Problem: How to Sell More Without an E-Commerce Site
Don’t have a fancy e-commerce website? Social media can help!
Social media is a great tool for small businesses to connect with their clientele. You might not have the budget for an all encompassing e-commerce website that can compete with the likes of Target, Walmart or Amazon. That doesn’t mean that you can’t give your customers timely access to information about your available inventory and services.
82.76% of shoppers report that they’d prefer to buy from a small business instead of a large corporation. 8 out of 10 of those shoppers also said that they’d be willing to spend more at their local business. Let’s go through the best ways that small businesses can use social media to stay in touch with their customers despite the lack of a colossal e-commerce site.
- Post Timely Promotions
When consumers are looking for a new store to frequent, they often turn to social media to see a snapshot of that store’s inventory, style and personality.
Take advantage of the scroll by posting pictures of the items you carry or the services you offer. Take the time to include detailed information about the item or service featured. This gives consumers the chance to get a sense of your business’ expertise and personality.
You can also create simple graphics that announce upcoming promotions. This incentivizes users to follow your profile across social media platforms.
- Get Personal!
One of the great benefits of shopping small is the opportunity to engage with a business’ story, mission and personality. Small businesses are seen as pillars of the community, which are shoes that major chains like Target and Amazon will never be able to fill.
Incorporate content that showcases your team’s character. Highlight employees, outline company history and share personal anecdotes that make your customers feel like they are part of the family.
GATOR TIP: Instagram Reels are a great way to showcase company culture. Just pick a trending song and film a brief video directly from your Instagram app!
- Encourage Customers to Reach Out
The main advantage of big e-commerce sites is that they are easily searchable. Within a matter of minutes, consumers know what items are available and where they’re in stock.
You can create the same sense on social media by encouraging customers to message or call you about the items they’re looking for. Here are some of our favorite prompts for encouraging your customers to reach out:
-DM us with any questions!
-Looking for something specific? Send us a message!
-Don’t know where to start? Our team would be happy to chat with you. Just give us a call!
- Highlight, Highlight, Highlight
Have you heard of Instagram’s Highlight feature? Adding Highlights on Instagram lets you save Instagram stories to your business’ profile. Highlights will display right under your Instagram bio and will stay there permanently (not expiring after 24 hours like stories usually do).
Instagram Highlights can be a great tool for providing your customers with information about your business. For example, you can try posting some Instagram stories that outline your business’ hours. You can then save those stories to a Highlight labeled “Hours” for your profile visitors to access at any time.
If your business offers several categories of products or services, Highlights can be a great place to provide profile visitors with a little information about each branch of your business.
GATOR TIP: Add custom Highlight covers that match your logo and brand colors. This will help your profile look professional and polished.
Not all businesses have the budget or time to maintain a massive e-commerce website. Stay connected with your customers and provide them with all the information they need by using these small business social media tips.
