7 Reasons Why People You Know May Not be Shopping Local, Small, or Woman-Owned
The short answer
to why people may not be shopping local, small, or woman-owned is it's just too hard. When you ask someone to shop local, small, woman-owned you
are asking them to take additional steps away from the easier choice, which is
to do what they always do follow their shopping routine. You are asking them to
break their old shopping habits and be more intentional when making their
purchases. If you ask me that’s a lot of asking especially if it’s a new habit,
or you have had a not great experience in the past with small businesses.
As a small business owner, it’s good to look at all the reasons
why you may not be gaining new customers and keeping the ones you have. Studies
show once someone makes a purchase from you it’s easier for them to make a
second and third purchase. Do you know if this is true for your business?
If you don’t have a tracking system for your customers
purchase habits, you might want to think about establishing customer profiles, implement
customer surveys to evaluate your customer service procedures and implement a reward
program to encourage additional purchasing.
The reasons you don’t shop local, small, women-owned are the
same reasons those around you don’t either. Are any of these a reason you may
be losing revenue or is there something else?
1. 1. It’s easier to just hop online, go to one website
that has everything you need, your credit card is saved and in just few clicks
the item is on its way.
2. 2. People are impulse shoppers and big business is
counting on it. They have huge advertising budgets designed to encourage the
feeling “I can’t live with it” impulse.
3. 3. The prices are
cheaper from big box stores, they can afford to offer “the lowest prices” in
town small businesses cannot.
4. 4. Inconsistent hours
of operation. This could be due to many reasons all legit; however, all the
customer knows is you are not there when you said you would be.
5. 5. Undependable
deliverables. Items, products, or services not on time, inconsistent or not
delivered at all. Small businesses are more likely run out of supplies,
materials, and labor to deliver when promised however, to the customer it does
not matter, they did not get what they paid for, when promised.
6. 6. Your Google
Business Profile (for example restaurant) and your Google
Business Attributes (such as woman-owned) are not identified with your Google
Places listing creating a barrier to finding your business when searching
the internet.
7. 7. Customer service not what was expected. People expect customer service to be bad or non-existent from big business, but not from small, local businesses. From a small businesses people expect more of a personal touch, an extra kind word, thoughtfulness, being appreciated for going out of their way to make a purchase from your business.
Which of these are keeping your customers away from your small business? Or is there something else?
Something else to keep in mind is a happy customer tells on average 6 - 10 people about their good customer experience; however, an unhappy customer will tell 20 or more of there friends about their bad experience. Just in case you are wondering if that unhappy customer will tell you they are unhappy, most likely not. Only 1 in 25 will complain right to you.
Stay Healthy. Stay Connected. Stay You.
Founder, President
C2 Your Health Women's Initiative Inc.
Women Move Forward Mentoring Community
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