How I'd Do It... (for SIGNARAMA franchisees)

ShopSIGNARAMA.com is the newest vehicle you can use to increase your store’s sales.  It’s a website where clients can design their signs, choose a store, and pay online for their products.  This is something that our competitors don’t have, won’t have and sorely desire.  What an advantage, right?

Yes, if you do something with it.  I’ve spoken with franchisees that are early adopters who embraced the program and are now receiving orders.  I’ve also discussed the “hows” and “whys” of this new tool with franchisees that haven’t seen the need to join in yet.  Some cite that for an ongoing $200 each month, they aren’t sure how they can get a return on that money or ring up enough “anonymous” online sales to eclipse that amount.  Some say they’ll wait for results from others, a few are on the fence, but each week more franchisees see the system as a plus and sign up for the service.  Is this you? Do you understand that “At participating dealers” signifies those SIGNARAMA stores that believe in this method of selling products and are ready to serve a new customer?  Membership in this program denotes the operators in our system that recognize more people check in at the airport using a kiosk than at the service counter. They’re the ones that see self-serve checkouts at Home Depot and WalMart and recognize that shopSIGNARAMA.com is our version of that convenience.  They center on the reality that there is a generation of sign buyers that would rather “drag & drop” than “drive and shop.” 

Would I do it with my money? Would I have a shopSIGNARAMA website and accept orders and money from my customers over the Internet?  You bet!  I’d love telling all my existing clients about my “new” advance in technology.  I’d be all over taking too much credit for this website in my store.   It’s a full time salesperson, 24/7.  Could I generate $200 each month to “break even” on the hosting fee?  I know I could! Really, it amounts to a banner and some magnetics over the course of 28, 30 or 31 days each month.  I could at least get that much volume through the system.  I wouldn't rely on "anonymous" purchasers to magically show up via the web.  I’d purposely push customers I knew would be placing a order to try their next one online.  (Even if they stood in my showroom!)  This would undoubtedly spread the buzz about how neat and easy to use the site is.  I would want the word to get out and let people try it, even if they didn’t purchase a sign…  Remember the first few times you ordered anything online, and then it actually showed up at your door?  Let your clients get THAT feeling about your SIGNARAMA online store in 2009.  I’d encourage existing clients to try it for their repeat orders instead of coming in.  I’d love getting paid in full on each job before I made the sign.  Send me a finished, APPROVED design every time for production?  Yes, this I’d take great interest in!

Outside the store my efforts would be just as creative.  We’ve made business cards with the website address available for marketing purposes.  These would be very popular in my community.  “Try this”, would be my mantra  - in person, on my site and in print.  If I was attending a meeting in a group setting, I’d give a demo on my laptop.  Have you met anyone who hasn’t thought our shopSIGNARAMA site was cool stuff?  Not me, not yet.  Do you think I would upload a customer’s logo (that I had prearranged to carry to an appointment) and make a quick sign of any type to impress them?  Yes, I’d do that, too.  Most of you know me well enough to believe that this is not just me yapping about the site… I’d really try these methods to see which ones could encourage clients to visit and engage MY NEW SITE.  That’s the point, if I made the commitment to this financially, I’d follow it up with a sense of ownership.  "I am going to make this succeed", I would promise myself.

So far, the average order coming across to our stores is in the $100 range.  That’s good. I can sell those types of jobs and more, and get more “followers” to try and like the order online process.  I believe if I spent time with clients showing them how to do it, I’d breed a segment of my store’s customers that would make this their norm.  So I’d do it. I’d spend the money, get my staff educated on the system, and roll forward.  It would be a change from what I’d done before.  So was digital printing when I bought that Roland machine.  Looking back, have I embraced the “new” in my business consistently to grow and improve?  I'd say yes, you can, too.  Call me to discuss – you know where I sit. This  new initiative is worth it, providing you don’t relax and expect orders to pile in like you’re the new Amazon.com.  Your users need to try it, become comfortable with it, and make it a habit.  Making signs and money for that matter is the same way.  You get really good at it once it becomes a habit!