照片由Brooke Lark提供，來自Unsplash
Mandatory quarantines, shelter-in-place orders, and lockdowns during the COVID-19 global pandemic have severely affected how bags & leather goods resale commerce is being handled around the world. To comply with social distancing measures, a reimagination of how to conduct business is required, and for many Entrupy verified businesses, e-commerce is now the only viable way to operate. Some businesses that are unaccustomed to selling online, such as traditional brick-and-mortar stores, may find the digital landscape overwhelming and difficult to navigate and even those that are accustomed to it are facing obstacles. We wanted to share this article to provide practical recommendations that support bags & leather goods resellers with business continuity during this challenging time.
We reached out to a few Entrupy verified businesses to learn about the changes they’ve had to make and their advice for fellow business owners. Here’s what they had to say about everything from sourcing inventory, to customer relationships, to how their roles as business owners have changed during this increasingly digital time!
1. 調整庫存採購與運輸以因應當前物流限制
照片由Laura Chouette提供，來自Unsplash
「我認為整體寄件人數確實減少了，畢竟多數人無法在家寄送物品。不過那些仍寄送包裹的人，寄出的數量反而增加了。大概是因為他們有更多時間整理衣櫥了吧！」—— 奢華習慣
Many Entrupy verified businesses like Opulent Habits in New Jersey and The Hula in Hong Kong have actually reported an increase in customers looking to sell their items. Even though meeting one on one is no longer an option, businesses have been able to coordinate curbside drop-offs in lieu of customers coming to their stores. Businesses that previously relied on in-store interactions are seeing an increase in email and phone correspondence with customers wishing to buy, sell, or trade with them.
主要透過郵寄方式收發庫存的企業也面臨阻礙與延誤。據澳洲The Purse Affair表示，對於從事國際買賣的企業而言，延誤時間可能更長——長達四至五週。當地貨幣貶值同樣會對從事國際業務的企業造成壓力，在經濟恢復正常前持續壓縮其利潤空間。
The good news is that consumers are still looking to buy, sell, and trade, and Entrupy verified businesses have been succeeding by adjusting their inventory sourcing, pricing, and shipping methods accordingly. The key has been in finding alternatives that work for them and setting clear expectations with their customers.
2. 聚焦於人際客戶關係——在數位世界中
照片由Kon Karampelas提供，來自Unsplash
與客戶進行虛擬通訊
The way Entrupy verified businesses develop and maintain relationships with their customers is more important than ever, but the approach is now vastly different for those that previously relied on in-person relationship building.
「最令人遺憾的是失去了面對面的互動，這對我們買賣商品、認識本地顧客都至關重要。如今一切都改為電話和電郵處理，這方面確實困難許多。」—— Modaselle
The transition to digital-centric customer relationship management presents both problems and opportunities to bags & leather goods resale operators. Business done over the phone or email can be cumbersome, as cited by Modaselle, however, for those able to increase their presence on other channels like social media to connect with customers, there is a huge opportunity to reach a wider audience and deliver more personal customer service.
透過內容與虛擬體驗吸引顧客
「透過更多內容與客戶互動，客戶便會相信並信任你。信任是轉售遊戲中最關鍵的要素。」—— The Purse Affair
Across the board, our verified businesses agreed that finding ways to stay authentic and connect personally with their customers has been key to their success these last couple of months. The Hula is now offering its customers a virtual shopping experience through video calls, and Brooke’s Boutique has found Facebook Live to be a useful tool, because it enables them to broadcast to their audience in real time.
我堅持真實本色，而他們也欣賞這一點。Facebook的演算法一直站在我們這邊，讓我們的觀眾群呈指數級增長，為我們開拓了龐大的新市場，同時吸引了買家與委託人。 布魯克精品店
選擇固定時段在Facebook（或Instagram）開直播，並保持每週持續更新，是讓觀眾回流觀看的好方法！
若想深入了解如何使用 Facebook Live，請參閱 Hubspot 提供的終極指南。另有消息指出，Instagram 正在開發一項功能，可將Instagram 直播同步轉播至 Facebook。
So what can businesses do to keep new customers they’re attracting online? We recommend seeing if implementing a customer loyalty or affiliate program is right for your business. Platforms such as Growave — an all in one marketing platform that offers loyalty rewards, reviews, referrals, and much more — are recommended by our verified businesses, but there are many tools on the market to help you establish and maintain a strong customer loyalty or affiliate program depending on your businesses’ needs.
3. 實施數位行銷與電子商務
照片由S O C I A L . C U T提供，來自Unsplash
社群媒體銷售
企業主們承擔了許多新角色，但幾乎所有受訪者都提到，現在更需要運用社群媒體進行銷售與行銷。所幸Facebook和Instagram都是絕佳的銷售平台，且設定過程相當簡易。在Facebook或Instagram銷售時，您未必需要擁有專屬網站，這對希望快速從實體轉向線上經營的企業而言，無疑是理想選擇。
In fact, many Entrupy verified businesses sell primarily on Instagram by linking products from their website to Instagram. When they post pictures of their inventory, they can directly link it to their website! For guidance on how to set up Facebook and Instagram shopping, check out this article from Facebook. Fun fact: Instagram shopping actually requires product catalogs to be created on Facebook first (so if you set up one, you can have both)! Facebook and Instagram recently just took this feature one step further by rolling out “Shops,” which enables businesses to turn their pages into storefronts.
電子商務工具
您的企業是否該開設線上商店了？談到選擇電商平台時Entrupy 是首選。
坦白說，它確實是最佳選擇。除非開發專屬平台，否則Shopify功能極其強大，無疑是高端銷售的最佳平台。 奢華習慣
《手袋風雲》亦認同Shopify提供最簡便的架設流程與最強大的銷售工具。其他熱門平台包括Wix、Squarespace及BigCommerce。多數平台皆提供應用程式，可為網站增添諸多功能，例如忠誠度計劃、SEO優化輔助、彈出式優惠等，而Shopify在應用程式領域似乎居於領先地位。若需協助選擇適合您業務的電商平台，請參閱本文。
對於尋求更簡便方式管理庫存的大型企業而言，Upright Labs是一款卓越的工具，能助您輕鬆拓展電子商務業務規模。諸如 Goodwill 等企業皆信賴其服務，藉此優化電子商務營運流程。透過其操作介面，您可一站式完成商品攝影、跨平台上架等多項任務。
廣告
With everyone online these days looking to connect, it’s prime time for social media advertisements, and many Entrupy verified businesses have decided to start running ads on social media for the first time. They’re a great way to reach new audiences and help build brand awareness. Plus, if you’re putting in effort to create great, engaging content and perhaps even virtual offerings like Facebook or Instagram Live sessions, getting more eyes on it is well worth it!
以下是Hootsuite撰寫的關於如何準備並啟動首支Facebook廣告的文章，儘管聘請該領域專家絕對物有所值！ 選擇在Facebook或Instagram投放廣告時，關鍵在於鎖定目標受眾。若企業鎖定40歲以上族群，我們推薦Facebook！若目標客群偏年輕且擁有優質產品攝影作品，Instagram可能是最佳選擇！好消息是無論選擇Facebook或Instagram，兩者皆整合於Facebook平台，讓您輕鬆嘗試單一或雙平台！
若您沒有預算投放廣告，也無須擔心！正如《The Purse Affair》所言，持續創作引人入勝的優質內容以連結顧客，將是極具影響力的利器。以下是打造2020年引人入勝內容行銷策略的指南。
4. 透過一致且可靠的鑑定 維持信任
