5 Digital Tips That Work for New Zealand Businesses in 2021
In my day job as the founder and CEO of Pure SEO, I get to see first-hand what New Zealand businesses are doing to adapt and thrive during what has been one of the strangest periods in our lives. Here are five digital tips I’ve seen have the biggest impact.
1. Sell Online
Having helped thousands of New Zealand businesses generate revenue online, I feel that e-commerce adoption is growing at the fastest rate I have ever seen.
If you are a small business interested in selling online, I recommend a website built in either Shopify or WordPress and Woo Commerce. You can then take advantage of Google shopping and potentially social media selling (if your product is right for that).
2. Understand what is working
Understanding where your marketing dollars are going and what outcomes you get from your marketing efforts is key. Try not to be too focused on vanity metrics (like views, shares, or impressions). Try to understand what is driving business and understand the lifetime value of a customer.
3. Spend, spend, spend
If it’s working, don’t be afraid to invest more into it. I have lost count of the number of times business owners get stuck on how much they are spending without looking at the return on investment.
For example, we recently had a customer that was enjoying a 700% return on their media spend in Google shopping. This means that for every dollar they spent, they were getting $7 back. They were fixated on a maximum spend of $1,500 per month and didn’t want to go beyond that.
To illustrate the point to them, I said, “If you give me $1 and I then give you $7 back, how many $1 coins would you give me?”
They understood then that they would keep giving me money ad infinitum. With their media spend, however, they had fixated on minimising their spending rather than maximising their return. This client spends a lot more today and enjoys a much more profitable business because of it!
4. Mix it up
You have so many channels and platforms to take advantage of. Make sure that you leverage multiple platforms and measure the results of each.
At Pure SEO, we have been successfully helping numerous clients get on to Amazon to sell their products globally, yet many Kiwi merchants wouldn’t even have considered it as an option!
5. Free Delivery
Interestingly, we are seeing encouraging results for clients when the cost of delivery is either free or integrated into the product cost.
Also, a visible section for “coupon codes” can send a customer off in search of a coupon at the critical minute. Therefore, you need to be careful how you display and market these promotional codes.
In New Zealand, $1 in every $4 is now spent online. According to Shopify NZ, online shoppers over the age of 60 were up 62% in the first half of 2021.
Clearly, online commerce is here to stay. If you are thinking about or have recently embarked upon an e-commerce venture, then time, patience, and some robust marketing spend could start your business on an amazing journey.
