The Art of Apparel: Branding Boosts

In my last post I focused on the banking, healthcare and field service industries to give a broad feel for the types of apparel an online company store can offer and how to select the best fit for your organization. 

Going beyond industry or apparel types, here are a few examples of the many applications for the apparel shop in your online company store:

Uniform shop –offer pieces that will give employees a range of options and stay within specifications.  Choice is an important motivator and will give your staff a real feeling of pride in their appearance.

Insider Tip: I talked about brand control in an earlier post and the concept of uniform appearance is just as important.  It also has a very similar solution – your online company store keeps your uniform pieces coming from one source where branding and presentation can be controlled without extensive effort from your staff.

Events – whatever your reason or your venue, logoed apparel makes a good impression, presents a strong brand image for your guests, and keeps your staff easily identifiable.  Putting event pieces on your online company store ensures that each person gets the right size and color without any extra work.

Branding –apparel pieces foster team spirit and give your brand high visibility. See the impact when you offer logoed apparel for both on and off the job.

Insider Tip: incentivize your apparel program – give new employees a gift certificate to your online store so they can buy wearables that show they are a part of the team!

Whatever your application, offering apparel on your online company store just makes sense.  Call me today to get started.

Josh Kozinski
President, Sky High Marketing
1-888-204-4403 x220

The Art of Apparel: Industry Matters

In my first series, I focused on why an online company store should be a part of your business plan.   Over the course of 2012, I shared the building blocks of great online company stores in my second series of posts. As part of that series I talked about the importance of the right product mix for an online company store.  This next series will focus that discussion on apparel in your online store.

Whether you provide everyday wearables or apparel for on the job, the right mix is important to your store’s health.  You’ll want to choose pieces that fit your organization’s culture and appeal to your end users.  Keeping the apparel in the store fresh will help keep sales up. 

Though every store is unique, we can look at some broad industry categories to illustrate how apparel mixes might differ.

Banking

Start your career-wear collection with basic oxfords, a ladies’ cardigan, and fine-gauge sweaters.  Keep your mix fresh by adding in fashionable name brand pieces like a set of Calvin Klein button-downs.

Health Care

Scrubs are an obvious choice, as is a selection of professional wear with polos and wovens.  Give sales a boost while promoting employee health by adding in a line of fitness pieces like yoga pants and moisture wicking shirts.

Field Service

Whatever field your agents are in, a savvy mix will keep your team’s morale high and everyone looking their best.  Go with snag resistant performance polos in a host of colors.  Change it up with variables like sleeve length and trendy colors or styles with color blocking.  Add an outerwear collection for extra brand visibility.

Your online company store provider should partner with you to find the right mix of apparel pieces for what you do. 

If you’re ready to launch a store with wearables that are on trend, increase brand visibility, and boost sales call me right now.

Josh Kozinski, President
262-542-8286

Keeping it Fresh

As marketers we recognize the importance of keeping website content changing and moving.  We’ve been trained by those who know best that while content is king, keeping it relevant is of the utmost importance.   All too often online company stores are neglected and left out of the constant process of updating an organization’s online presence.  An online company store is a website like any other – the same rules apply. 

When analyzing store platforms look for these easy methods of keeping your content moving:

• Skin or splash page – typically a dynamic entryway to your store, this page is the perfect place for seasonal specials or other messages for your store constituents.  A skin page can be changed as often as you like without affecting the structure or look and feel of your store.

• Featured products – If your store platform doesn’t have this basic element then you need to look elsewhere.  Featured products can showcase new items, clearance pieces and season shifts. They should be changed up at least four times a year. 

• Home page – if your store doesn’t have an entry page, then your homepage should be refreshed with new product slideshows or other updates, like changing the product category photos to keep your users engaged with your products.

A professional partner will keep your store looking fresh with content that converts sales and keeps your bottom line healthy.  Sky High Marketing is ready to work with you, give me a call today.

Josh Kozinski

President, Sky High Marketing

1-888-204-4403 x220

Putting the building blocks together – Online company stores powered by Sky High Marketing

Transparency and a simple, straight forward approach are important to us. Let me walk you through our process from start to finish.

 First Contact

Your responses on our quote request form give me a sense of what you’re looking for in your online company store.  I’ll reach out right away with an email.  Our first conversations will address what you are looking to accomplish with an online company store.  Your questions are welcome at any point.  

Be sure to ask about how we can help you accomplish your goals by tailoring our services to your needs.

For example, a company out of Texas recently asked about our special packaging capabilities.  Being able to offer gift wrapping was essential for them.  

Insider Tip
As a promotional products distributor, Sky High Marketing makes an ideal online company store partner.  Not only do we have access to thousands of items to build a robust product mix for your store, we are able to provide the best in packaging.  From bags, boxes and tissue, to gift wrap, stickers, and ribbons – we have the top notch packing you need.

Webinar

Next I’ll host a webinar where you’ll receive a virtual tour of existing stores.  You’ll notice that every site has a different look and feel – unique to each client’s branding and needs.  Customization is essential in building an online company store. We make sure your store delivers your brand visually and performs exactly as you require.  

Your Company Store 

The last part of the process is our multi-pronged approach to getting your store launched efficiently; our Online Store Action Plan.

1.) Product Development – Our creative team curates a product mix developed specifically for your store.  

2.) Product Placement and Ordering – We meet to discuss the items in the product development documents either in person or online.  Your final selections are ordered immediately.

3.) Web Site Development – While the orders are in production we’ll begin the development of your online company store.  We typically launch sites within four weeks of order placement.

We are developing stores for January 1, 2013 launches right now.  We still have a few slots for January launches available.  There is no charge for a consultation, so call me right now.  

Josh Kozinski, President

262-542-8286

Best Practices in Branding

It’s no secret that an excellent way to introduce your brand as a leader is by pairing up with someone or something that is already widely recognized as the best at what they do.  

In the same way, the products you make available in your online company store project an image of your brand.  Whether you have a retail store, or a store that serves your employees, integration of nationally recognized brand name items gives your brand a boost. 

In March, our corporate blog covered the anticipated launch of the Eddie Bauer and First Ascent lines:

From SUV’s to car seats and cribs, the Eddie Bauer brand has become synonymous with quality and performance of the highest degree.  The brand, founded in Seattle in 1920, has been on the forefront of outdoor gear innovation since the beginning. 

…

With the launch of the Eddie Bauer line to the ad specialties market, you have the opportunity to co-brand with this premium, internationally recognized brand.  Providing your customers or staff team with Eddie Bauer apparel immediately introduces your brand as a premier partner.  Eddie Bauer is American innovation, outdoor adventure, and most importantly, high performance designed by doers. 

With the cooler weather returning to many states, and the holidays approaching, now is the time to get these premiere pieces into your store.  Outfit your brand, your workforce and your customers with the best.

Eddie Bauer and First Ascent apparel are available for your store now.  Upgrade your store’s product mix today with a simple phone call.

Josh Kozinski

President, Sky High Marketing

1-888-204-4403 x220

Building Blocks of Great Online Company Stores

In each of the seven posts in this series I have highlighted a best in class online company store component. They have spanned everything from feature sets to products and fulfillment.  Together, they are the things that set a great store apart from a store that just barely makes the grade.   When you examine online company store solutions, keep these in mind and don’t settle for anything less than the best.  

• Live Inventory

Inventory management is essential and a live inventory system is a powerful tool with the right options.  Outstanding stores make it easy to choose to hide or display inventory, allow backordering, and receive stock level email alerts.

• Checkout Options

The shopping cart and checkout process are parts of the online store purchasing experience which need to be dynamic.  Top stores have shopping cart tools like custom fields, donations, payment options and coupons that provide buyers extra choices in personalization or services and help convert sales.  

• Reporting

Strong reporting should serve the needs of both marketing professionals and accountants.  This allows for a seamless integration of the store throughout an organization.  

• Budgeting Solutions

Great stores have the flexibility to define user budgets, set exclusions, create custom ledger entries and allow manager approval for overrides.  These options put budget control where it belongs.

• Products

The key to the best product mix is in knowing an organization inside and out.  Good partners will do their homework learning your brand and its mission.   Best in class online company store partners will monitor product sales to keep perennial favorites in the mix and will supply you with a host of suggestions for new products regularly.

• Categories – Store Architecture

A successful online store has an intuitive design that intelligently categorizes products. This keeps the store clean and navigation simple.

• Fulfillment and Distribution

Superior online company store providers don’t outsource fulfillment and distribution. They control the process start to finish from their own facility to maximize convenience and the reach of your dollar.    

At Sky High Marketing, best in class solutions are our specialty. It’s time to put our experience to work for you.  Call me right now.

Josh Kozinski

President, Sky High Marketing

1-888-204-4403 x220

What’s in a Name: Defining Fabric

In the Building Blocks of Great Online Company Stores: Products post, I stressed the importance of selling the right products for your audience.  It should be no surprise that apparel choices are an important component of your mix. 

Sky High Marketing’s recent blog post really did a nice job of covering the most widely available fabric options for shirts, providing a glossary of terminology found when describing apparel.  I think you’ll find it helpful.

The following recommendations for fabric application provided in the post are great:

“Retail or Company Store, Employee Outing or Loyalty Program - Check out combed and ringspun and/or pima cotton shirts. If you decide to go with a blend, focus on cotton/modal fabrics. 

Golf Outings, Team Apparel, Office Apparel - Keep your eye on the performance wear, pure poly or a poly blend is sure to achieve your goals.” 

Polo shirts, top sellers for most online company store applications, are commonly found in two knits.  I would expand on the Sky High Marketing post by adding the following definitions: 

Pique - This tightly knit fabric has a rough or raised surface. Because of its texture, a pique shirt typically needs an embroidered imprint.

Jersey - A soft plain-knitted fabric which has a smooth finish and works well with screen printing and embroidering.

Wrap Up

• Read “The Hunt for the Perfect Shirt” on the Sky High Marketing blog; it’s great information.
• Check back next month for the return of my Building Blocks of Great Online Company Stores series.
• Call me today to get your online company store started.

1-888-204-4403 x220

Josh Kozinski

President, Sky High Marketing

Building Blocks of Great Online Company Stores: Fulfillment and Distribution

Your site architecture is organized and intuitive.  You have a successful mix of products and inventory management systems.  You have shopping cart tools that help you convert sales.  You have detailed, relevant reporting, and options like user budgets available to you.

But, without a partner that has dedicated fulfillment and distribution centers, you can’t be 100% confident in the product you’ll be shipping.

Any drop in quality between your online company store experience and the final receipt of goods will lead to unsatisfied customers and decreased store activity.

Poor quality control can result in sloppy packaging, mis-shipped packages, incorrect branding, and higher shipping charges.  

Best in class online company store providers don’t outsource fulfillment and distribution; they control the process start to finish from their own facility.

Once the order is packaged and ready to go you need shipping options that maximize convenience and the reach of your dollar.  

• When the warehouse is in your area, the convenience and cost effectiveness of order pick-up is a foregone conclusion.

• If your organization already has an interoffice mail system, your store should take advantage of that.  Save on shipping costs by batching orders and having them shipped to your central distribution center then on to their final destination.  Even individual orders can benefit from this model – shipping to a business address reduces cost.

• Your online store partner should be able to help you take advantage of existing agreements your organization may have with shipping companies.  Using third party collect shipping or supplying your shipper number to your store administrator allows you to receive those savings on every order from your store.

At Sky High Marketing we’re proud to offer the exceptional customer service and quality that comes with the total control of our fulfillment and distribution process. 

It’s time to get a quote on an online company store that puts you first by offering control and confidence in operation.  Call me right now to get started.

Josh Kozinski
President, Sky High Marketing
1-888-204-4403 x220

Building Block of Great Online Company Stores: Categories

Having an exceptional mix of products won’t boost store sales if finding a product in your store is like looking for a needle in a haystack.  In other words, your store architecture is as important as your product mix.  Don’t let your store get out of control; organize your products into groups that make sense. 

A successful online company store has a homepage that clearly represents your brand and directs the customer’s next move with an intuitive design.  Stacking products within categories and sub categories makes site navigation simple.  The easier it is for a customer to navigate a website, the more they will be driven to return.

There are several options when it comes to architecture, choosing the best layout for your store will drive traffic and convert sales. Best in class solutions will be able to work with architecture that includes both categories and sub categories.  

If your store is heavy in apparel you might organize your categories like this:

Less apparel heavy stores might leave apparel as a stand alone and focus on breaking down another category, for example:

If your store has great products, but is a jumbled mess, you’re wasting time and money.  Get organized with an architecture that makes sense.  Once you do, your customers will find what they are looking for and a few things they didn’t know they needed as well. 

When you’re ready to bring your store to its full potential with an architecture that works, give me a call. 

Josh Kozinski

President, Sky High Marketing

1-888-204-4403 x220

Building Blocks of Great Online Company Stores: Products

The topic of this post seems a bit obvious at first glance.  Yes, a store needs products.  But it is having the right mix of products and the regular infusion of new products which keeps a store healthy and working for you.  Recall my post Reason 101 – “You need a partner company who can take your project, develop it and handle the ongoing management of it, while you focus on your industry.”  Getting the right mix of products for your store and managing the development of new product ideas is exactly what an online company store expert will do.  This, as I’ve said, keeps your focus where it belongs – on your business.

What’s important in the mix?

In developing your initial product mix your online company store partner should look at who your store serves and what type of merchandise that audience would buy.  Good partners will do their homework learning your brand and its mission; working with you to know the organization inside and out.  A good initial mix of products is essential to store success – products that hit the mark will sell, ones that do not resonate will not.  A successful store sells – that’s the bottom line.

A wide selection

Your online company store partner should be able to provide you with a large selection of products to fit your needs.  Corporate and casual apparel, outerwear, sporting goods, drinkware, housewares, desktop and stationary items, and the latest tech products should all be available for your store.  You should have access to name brands and more competitively priced alternative brands.

Looking ahead

A great online company store balances between a tried and true mix of products and an ever changing selection of new items.  More visits = more sales = healthy store.  Best in class online company store partners will monitor product sales to keep perennial favorites in the mix and will supply you with a host of suggestions for new products regularly.

Where do you stand?

• Are you happy with the product mix in your current store?

• Are you ready to work with a premier partner who works with you to supply your store with the best products for your brand?

Get a quote today.  

Josh Kozinski

President, Sky High Marketing