Business of Craft Season 3 Episode 3 Ecommerce Prep

WELCOME TO SEASON 3 OF BUSINESS OF CRAFT

Have you been thinking about how your fiber or fabric business can continue to adapt and thrive? Well, you’re listening to the right show because that’s our theme for Business of Craft season three…Resiliency!

Michael Bird is the co-founder and CEO of Spindustry, a digital marketing agency based in Des Moines IA. Spindustry is a leader in  producing e-commerce solutions, web applications, and digital marketing programs for their clients.  In addition, Michael is the co-author of Run, Grow, Transform: A Manufacturer’s Guide to Digital Marketing

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#1 Let’s begin by talking about some of the obvious benefits to having an e-commerce component for a craft company. Why is it worth the time and effort for a retailer to add that on to a basic website. [2:57] 

#2 What would you recommend for an easy-entry platform to get started? [5:57]

#3 What about shops that have a POS system? How do you recommend they manage that piece? [9:07]

#4 What do you think are the biggest challenges for small retailers getting into e-commerce? What are the pitfalls they need to be aware of? [15:10]

#5 How hard is it to be able to run your own site? [19:43]

#6 With many of our clients, the ones who really doubled down on their ability to sell online really came out ahead during the pandemic. People were stuck at home, we had a resurgence of interest in knitting and sewing and other crafts, and people wanted to order stuff. What do you think were the key commonalities among business owners who thrived during that time? [25:00]

#7 I think we’re going to continue to see deeper commitment to the online shopping experience. What are some easy plug-ins that listeners might want to research that can enhance the experience for their customers? [29:43]

#8 If you were consulting a client asking you how to be more resilient with their website and e-commerce business, what would you tell them to start thinking about or researching? [34:55]

#9 I know at Spindustry, you specialize in customizing platforms for e-commerce. What are some of the coolest applications you’re working on that you think might be mainstream someday? [38:47]

#10 What would you say is the most common type of upgrade that Spindustry can do for clients that has the biggest bang for the buck in the e-commerce space? [43:08]

Key Takeaways

If you haven’t started, start small and grow from there.

If you already have an e-commerce website – look at the data. Michael talked about things like auditing your website to make sure your search feature is returning all relevant product and content, looking at your Google analytics to figure out where you traffic is coming from, heat maps to assess where people are clicking the most on your site – all of that is useful information for incremental improvements that will move the needle.

Definitely start with what you want to achieve. More traffic to your website? More conversions to sales? Building a robust website full of your expertise? Those will tell you where you should concentrate your efforts, and what kind of content you should be creating. Have a plan (even a plan that spans multiple phases and the next few years) so you can tackle things bit by bit, in manageable chunks.

Additional Resources

Connect with Michael Spindustry.com | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram