How consumers eat/cook/use your products

Your online consumer might be different

You should have a very good idea of how consumers use your products. This can include many things and some products even have some different uses with different consumers. To ensure you are getting the best return on your marketing and sales investments you should really understand what people do with your products.

When selling online there can be differences from people buying your products in stores. For example, the online consumer can be more convenience driven or they might make the decision to buy very differently.

Just the same as selling in bricks and mortar, success is not just about making great products to sell, it is about selling the great products you make. To help you do this we have designed a new SKUFood C.A.R.T. process specifically for e-commerce. We have been learning a lot about this channel and invested the time to develop our proven process for this channel.

You can maximize the opportunity when you put the resources and effort into selling your products in a different channel. In the first segment of our C.A.R.T. process for e-commerce we ask the question ‘How do your online consumers eat/cook/use your products?’

You can target your online buyer when you know their interests

Consumers who shop online can be different than the people buying your products in store. You should make a list of the different uses there are for your product. This will be very important as you develop your digital strategy.

One of the real advantages to selling online is the ability to promote your products to the right audience. When you know how they use the products, you are well on your way to developing an effective strategy.

If your product is used as an ingredient you can target consumers who are searching for the recipes where your product(s) are used. This can be very effective. I am sure you have seen the ads come up in your social media after you have searched a specific topic. These cookies that are used can really impact consumer behaviour. Some perceive them to be crossing the line where as online marketers would say they make life easier for online shoppers. You are sharing information with consumers on topics or items they have already indicated they are interested.

Find your online consumers

When you know how people use your products you can find them online much more effectively. There are millions of people online all the time but there are also millions of places for them to be. If your product is something that is popular with parents of young children you can promote your products in place online where these people are likely to be. You can also sell your products or at least make it easy to get to your e-commerce site. Many people buy online because it is convenient so make sure it is easy for them.

Another opportunity to sell more effectively is to work with influencers. When you have a great idea of how consumers use your products you can also develop relationships with influencers who can share with their online community that is a great fit with your target market. You can also provide some ideas or suggestions to influencers to help with the posts they will create.

If you have any questions or help figuring out how to get your product online or in the virtual shopping cart you can always call me at (902) 489-2900 or send me an email peter@skufood.com.

We are adding more industry updates and interesting ideas to your SKUFood newsletter. Hopefully you have heard me say this before and that it resonated with you in your business.

“Success in this industry is not just about making a great product to sell; it is about selling the great products you make”

Peter Chapman

If you see things happening let us know so we can share them with our community. We also want to hear if you find this helpful and benefits your food and beverage business!

Food Marketing

The new summer campaign from Heinz calls for hot dogs and buns to be sold in equal numbers. Heinz doesn't make hot dogs but says they make them better. You may remember this hot topic from the movie "Father of the Bride".