How do you protect your (web) store against the competition of large players from abroad?

Distinguishing yourself in this ever-growing retail industry is a challenge. As a local retailer, it is difficult to compete with the major players and the increasingly popular Chinese suppliers. They are usually cheaper and the delivery conditions and service are getting better. You may be able to play an intermediate role in this, but the question is for how long. Alibaba will have more distribution centers in Europe and the delivery time and conditions are almost as good as with conventional wholesalers.

It is therefore important for wholesalers and suppliers to be able to serve their customers as well as possible. So no more old-fashioned processes, malfunctioning web shops and an untraceable catalog: now is the time to modernize. Why else would people choose you if they have a cheaper option?

Retailers also have a huge challenge. The products you sell as an (online) retailer are often elsewhere. The competition is so great online that you simply do not stand out with your own webshop. How can you distinguish yourself from the giants? Orderchamp gives you 5 tips!

1: Offer your customers a range of distinctive products

As an (online) retailer it is therefore important to see yourself stand out! There are several options for this. How do you do this? With unique products and inspiring brands, suitable for your type of (web) store. The choice is enormous, and we understand that. That is why we started Orderchamp. Did you know that we only allow inspiring brands and unique products on our platform? This is how we guarantee our retailers that their customers will love it. Orderchamp also does everything it can to offer you as an (online) retailer or buyer as favorable conditions as possible! Discover more benefits on our purchase page for retailers.

2: Personalization

Personalization is yet another strategy that can be used. Although this tends to be time-consuming and at times difficult, it does differentiate businesses from their competition. As an example, instead of selling basic iPhone covers in your store, you can instead allow people to include a personalized engraving on an iPhone case, and offer a selection of unique case materials. Now you’ve gone from simply selling a product to selling the customer a unique feeling and experience.

3: Deliver a good omnichannel experience

In 2020 you can no longer use different channels to increase your visibility and accessibility of your (web) store. Whether you are mainly an offline or online retailer does not matter, since customer behavior can no longer be placed in a single box.

Start by making sure that you are active on as many relevant channels as possible and that you are giving ample attention to each of these channels. Your business can easily develop a negative image if you fail to post on social media for long periods of time. In order to prevent this, it may be helpful to use a content calendar. This way, you ensure that your content is spread across your channels, especially for special events or dates where you can draw more attention to your business.

By linking all of your channels, and letting them work together, you can guarantee the continuous growth of your business. This starts with standardized communication across all of your channels, ensuring that the look & feel of each channel remains consistent. Then, by connecting all of your data streams, you’ll be able to accurately analyze your data and optimize your overall success.

You also have to ensure that different customer touchpoints can overlap on your different channels. Has someone ordered the wrong size in your webshop? Make sure your customer can also go to your store offline. Conversely, this applies just as well!

4: Always ensure satisfied customers

Remember - the customer is always right, no matter matter what. If a customer is not satisfied with their purchase or with your service, make sure that you offer them the best solution possible so that they walk away with a smile on their face. Not only will they be more likely to return in the future, but this will also reduce your chances of getting negative online reviews.

Customer service should be seen as a way to market to your customers. Although solutions to customer issues may be costly in the short term, they will certainly pay off in the long term. Offering customers with quick solution will almost always cost you less than trying to fix a situation after the fact.

5: Retargeting within your marketing strategy

If you are looking for a refrigerator on Amazon, you’ll almost always end up getting targeted online and slowly persuaded into making a purchase. The retargeting will continue through Google, in your e-mails, on social media, etc.

As a business, you can use this to your advantage to target potential customers. Through the advanced selection options that Google and Facebook offer, you can influence customers’ purchase decisions, down to a very detailed level, both online and offline.