2021 moved consumer shopping from brick and mortar to eCommerce – most likely for good. Increased demand for online shopping turned retail into an Omnichannel experience over night. Right at the cusp of experiential retail taking over, many retailers pivoted to eCommerce. So online was the only experience in shopping last year for many. Some stores and services even stayed exclusively eCommerce for the better part of 2021 – and remain so still.

Moving a brick and mortar business to eCommerce – like a restaurant, a doctor’s office, a clothing boutique – isn’t easy, and in 2020 many retailers moved their businesses years into the future in an instant. How exactly did they do that?

Pivoting from bricks to clicks

While planning to add the services of tele-health such as video sessions and text therapy, our client Apple Counseling sped up their timeline when 2021 presented them with a situation where their services were more in demand than ever. Yet, in-person brick and mortar was not the preferred method for experiencing mental health services.

By putting the infrastructure in place to accommodate many types of digital health services, and a robust new website, Apple was able to pivot quickly from exclusively brick and mortar to ecommerce. Going forward, they’ll keep the digital services they’ve added as they open their offices back up to in-person sessions. This new hybrid model is one that is being replicated all over the world of retail.

How to incorporate brick and mortar to ecommerce into your business model

Making ecommerce part of your long-term strategy is a smart move. eMarketer estimates that ecommerce sales grew 27.6% in 2020. Start by assessing how your customers use your business. For instance, if you are a restaurant, what percentage of your business is already take-away and to-go orders? What are you doing to maximize this experience for your customers already, and how can you streamline it or plus it up to make it better? Increase your eCommerce sales by adding new ways to order like website, social, text or 3^rd party apps.

A consumer Incisiv survey  indicated that 80% of shoppers expect to continue to use contactless and curbside pickup this year. Can you repurpose part of your brick and mortar space to make it easier to fulfill your eCommerce orders? Instead of a clothing boutique, can you make your merchandise accessible on-line?

Our client GNB, a women’s clothing retailer, quickly built out website and Instagram last year to showcase her customer’s favorite brands and fulfilled orders in a new way. Now that she has opened her brick and mortar up in a new space, she is keeping the online store in place to continue to cater to the wider audience she developed when she was exclusively online.

Your Business Strategy Pivot

When you move from in-store to on-line you’ll need to perhaps rethink your business plan to accommodate a regional versus local audience. Rely on your social media analytics for demographic information to guide your choices. Cater to the right audience. Think about the yoga studios that pivoted to teaching class online, or the wineries that now offer Zoom tastings with professional sommeliers.

Your “physical” space might become an order fulfillment center, or a showroom only. Showrooms are a growing choice for retailers (like Sephora) to show off a smaller portion of their total inventory. Customers can then place their orders in the showroom. Or, return to pick them up in a few days or have them sent to their home. But the customer will have had the chance to interact with your retail brand in person to some extent.

Your New Brick and Mortar to eCommerce Product Mix

Products that factor into an eCommerce retail business versus an in-person retail business may vary. Consider shipping, logistics and storage when rethinking your product or service mix. Think about what consumers are looking for – the needs of the market. How your brand can make your customers’ lives easier in some way?

Marketing for a digital-first business

With an eCommerce-first model, more of your budget will go to digital improvements in your website, digital marketing and social media. Upgrade not just the look of your website to really give customers the feel of your brand – upgrade your SEO. Search engine optimization can help the right customers find you on search engines. Use a combination of keywords, content marketing, targeted digital marketing and social media. Optimizing how you talk about your business online can help new customers find you faster.

When your brand transitions from brick and mortar retail to eCommerce, you can reinforce your brand’s benefits with your current customers while growing a new audience online. Then the convenience of online retail opens up a whole new world of potential business. With some thoughtful strategy and a digital marketing plan, your retail business can capitalize on this trend, and you can double down on your brand smoothly and successfully moving from brick and mortar to eCommerce.

Remote work happens and has before 2020. Newsflash!

The pandemic made it essential. Corporate offices closed. ODL. Now what are we going to do?

Many were unsettled.

Front Porch Marketing didn’t miss a beat.

Going back to 2011 when our company was founded, I was inspired by a business leader who started her business on a virtual model years prior. They still are rocking remote work and a “galactic headquarters.” F yer I. Successful companies have been using this model for years and years.

Companies functioned virtually decades before 2020. Really? Yes, friends, yes, they did.

Many questions were asked in 2020:
• Team engagement. How can we function as a team without our myriad of useless meetings?
• New business development. How would I do new biz development if not meeting one-on-one? Talk to your business partners. Existing clients, associations, affiliations, time to find new connections via LinkedIn.
• Meetings. We must be in person and spend an hour at least pontificating all the thing. Nope. No, you do not.
• Client relationships. How can we nurture them if they aren’t in person? Pick up the phone.

5 key reasons, and there are more, remote work works

• It is more efficient. Less time spent commuting, more working.
• Remote work is flexible. Choose the hours you work. Throw in a load of laundry between emails. It is important to remember, however, you don’t always have to be “on.” Walk away from the computer light, Carol Ann.
• Enhances the work horizon. Our team is all over North Texas and Colorado and and and which means we can benefit from being a part of many communities and have access to top talent anywhere.
• Business development happens. Less disruptions, more focus. Biz dev doesn’t have to be face to face. Utilize your resources. Resourceful people find new ways to make shit happen so their businesses thrive.
• Saves money. Eliminates the unnecessary things. I pay my mortgage only, not rent for an office and its utilities too. Only one cleaning service. Less tax burden.

How we work impacts everything from our satisfaction to the broader economy. Speaking of broader economy, we are seeing wide reaching benefits from the pandemic. More small business owners are open to working with agencies that aren’t in their own backyards.

I will save the story of the business referral someone gave to a rocking business owner in California that recently led to our newest client relationship.

We aren’t “remaking work.” Remote work is how we have worked for 10 years. We focus on doing great work with people we love for people we love while taking care of our loves.

From day one of my FPM internship, I quickly realized the importance of active learning and most importantly active application. The world of marketing thrums on the excitement of people bringing new ideas to life and sharing them with others. It’s only natural that this excitement creates a lively and dynamic environment where you learn lessons as quickly as you apply them.

Along this journey of active learning and active application, I was able to stretch myself in new ways. From trying to figure out how to prioritize your tasks to navigating uncharted waters, I give you – the ultimate list of lessons.

Top 5 Ultimate Lessons Learned

Ultimate Lesson #1

Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Whether you get a job in the business world or take your neighbor’s dog on a walk, everything is a learning journey. When you don’t know what a certain word or task means, ask for example pieces. Once you see examples, you’ll be able to tweak your work as you go. By being open about your confusion, you’ll be able to get more clarity and open the channel of communication with your team.

Ultimate Lesson #2

Embrace your mistakes! No one is perfect – we are all human. Although we strive for perfection, the only way to get better is to learn from your mistakes. Aim for a more efficient and effective thought process the next time you get a task you have trouble with. Undoubtedly, practice makes perfect!

Ultimate Lesson #3

Communication is key! A million and one things happen throughout the day and you can’t expect everyone to know what you are doing, nor can you assume that once you are done with your task that there isn’t more to be done. When you effectively communicate throughout the day with your team members, everyone is able to be on the same page. As a result, better teamwork is able to unfold.

Ultimate Lesson #4

Time management is KEY! When you are delegated multiple tasks with multiple deadlines, it’s imperative to write down a to-do list. Write the list from most important to least important and work your way down to increase efficiency. By creating this list, you’ll be able to track your progress throughout the day and create a drafted timesheet. At the end of the day, a completed list can give you the best feeling of accomplishment.

Ultimate Lesson #5

If you’re on time you’re 10 minutes late! When there is a time set for a meeting, client call, or even deadline, always aim to be present, poised, and punctual. Show initiative by being early. You’ll need those extra minutes for a bathroom break that would have overwise left your client awkwardly waiting for you at the front or needed when you attempt to submit a project right on the deadline but then your computer dies. Without a doubt, you never know what may happen so it is always best to be prepared with a pocket of time.

Conclusion

From being a senior at Baylor University to being an intern at Front Porch Marketing, I’ve used these pockets of wisdom in many facets of my life. These lessons have served me in more ways than one and now my hope is that they will serve you. May you flourish in all of your future endeavors!

Next up in the Rocker Spotlight series is Front Porch Spring Intern Sarah Kiburz! A recent grad from the University of Arkansas, Sarah gives us the scoop on her internship and all things marketing.

What is the biggest misconception about marketing today?

That it is pushy and unwanted. People think marketing is all about selling something, which is partly true, but it is more so about meeting people’s needs.

One of the biggest lessons you’ve learned throughout your career?

Be confident and assertive! It is okay to highlight your accomplishments in order to get noticed. Hard work goes a long way, but you can’t expect people to note every good thing you do. Speak up and be your own advocate!

What does good marketing look like?

Good marketing meets the customer where they are. It connects on a deeper level, is expertly timed, and highlights the purpose behind the business.

If you could be anywhere in the world right now where would it be?

Either on a beach in Maui or watching a Broadway musical in NYC.

If you could describe yourself in three words what would they be?

Loving, thoughtful, driven.

What is your favorite thing about FPM?

As Front Porch’s Spring Intern, I am able to work diligently on projects with minimal supervision. It is a great feeling when your boss trusts you and your work!

In what ways does the team at FPM have aligned values?

The team at FPM has aligned values in that they truly believe in the clients they work with. They establish deep relationships and are therefore able to create meaningful, high-quality work that resonates with customers.

Your goals for FPM?

I hope Julie and the team can continue to grow the business by adding clients and potentially expanding the team to take on a whole host of new clients. They are some of the busiest people I know, and they love a challenge!

How would you describe the culture at FPM?

I would describe the culture as incredibly inclusive. The team is a tight-knit group that likes to have fun, but everyone gets down to business whenever necessary. It is a fast-paced work environment where there is always something that needs to be done.

How does FPM differentiate itself from other marketing companies?

FPM has an incredibly experienced team that acts as a powerhouse when it comes to meeting clients needs. They differentiate themselves with a casual and humorous approach to marketing but are no strangers to hard work.

Fun fact?

I am musically inclined! I danced(mostly ballet) for 12 years and played the violin for 6 years, which I have been wanting to pick back up. 😊

Sometimes a big idea can be daunting, especially since it is often much easier to think of brilliant ideas than act on those ideas. In fact, Forbes says “giving ideas life is much like giving birth to a child.” All jokes aside, there is validity here! Since most folks are working from home now, we thought it would be an excellent time to give you some tips on how to turn your ideas into action!

Goal Setting:

Fast Company highlights the importance of first setting a goal. Defining your end result is critical, no matter how abstract. Physically writing down goals rather than keeping them in your head is a great start. Following this step, visualize!

Visualization is an incredibly powerful tool and one that should never be overlooked. That same article explains how “Coming to understand and appreciate exactly what you’re trying to reach is the first step toward actually reaching it.” It is okay to daydream, as long as it is productive! Imagining the feelings and emotions that come with achieving your goal puts you one step closer!

Be Confident:

Another component to bringing ideas to fruition is believing in yourself. Most people quit working towards a goal because the consequences are too difficult. Accountability plays a key role here, and Forbes says this “requires believing in yourself enough to be 100% dedicated to getting the work done.” To build on this confidence, have your own circle of advisers you trust and can learn from. Always be open to suggestions from anyone because you never know when you will hear a good idea.

Have a Road Map:

Roughly jot down how you will get from point A to point B. If you get stuck, take a break. Figure out who from your circle of advisers could help you, or any resources you already have that could be of aid. Once you are done planning it is time to turn those ideas into action. It can be sloppy but needs to be good enough to share with those you trust. Then revisit your rough draft and focus on the details. Once you are ready, plan what channels and tools you will use to share it with others.

Patience is a Virtue:

This is where true grit and determination come into play. As stated earlier, it takes relentless pursuit to make ideas a reality. As the saying goes, “If it were easy, everyone would do it.” Patience is what separates great entrepreneurs from mediocre dreamers. Adjusting your mindset to welcome risk is a key part of this step. With every new idea comes risk, so learn to expect unexpected outcomes.

Have Passion and a Purpose:

If your passion for your work shines through, you will be an inspiration to others. This will open countless doors for you. Purpose is the fuel behind why you do what you do- without this, you are more likely to quit along the way. The Porch is committed to turning ideas into action; make the commitment to yourself today!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about business leadership.  What makes a good leader today?

As luck would have it, I recently watched The Founder, starring the underrated actor Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc, the “founder” of McDonalds.  Turns out, stealing the McDonalds brothers’ intellectual property and last name aside, Ray Kroc had some pretty good ideas about leadership that ultimately led to the success of the company and can still be applied today.

Side note: yes, I know McDonalds is not doing great right now and other restaurant chains are, ahem, eating their lunch. But, at the time, Ray Kroch was able to capitalize on a few key ideas to great success.

A Good Leader Takes a Step Back

The McDonald brothers, the original founders of McDonald’s, spent years perfecting their “Speedee Service System,” the assembly-line style fast food kitchen we all know today. They cut down on costs by eliminating wait staff and paired down their menu to the top-selling items – burgers, sodas, shakes, and fries.

Their first foray into franchising was a disaster. It was difficult for the brothers to control quality standards because 1) they were in California and franchisees were far away in a different city or state and 2) they hardly ever ventured outside of their original location.

So, you can imagine their consternation when Ray Kroc, who they trusted to create and supervise their second attempt at franchising, started suggesting new menu items, sponsorship opportunities, and that the brothers should expand the franchise even more. Who was this yahoo to tell them how to tinker with their creation?

It is a difficult thing to go from working in your business to working on your business, to giving up some control and letting others take on the day-to-day details and hands-on work. It’s a risk – what if a staff person comes back with less-than-stellar work? You have spent all this time growing your business and now you’re just supposed to what, give up the reins?

In a word, yes. In three more words, a little bit. What the movie makes painfully clear is that the McDonalds brothers were never going to grow their business to the fast food behemoth it is today by themselves. They needed right leadership, and the right people, to grow and they needed to let those people take the lead.

Finding the Right People Is Worth It

Initially, Ray sold McDonald’s franchises to a few friends from his country club. This was not a great success. They changed menu items without consulting him first. Burgers were overcooked. Locations were messy. And what was worse, they did not care. Their livelihood did not depend on these restaurants and so they let standards slide.

Ray then decides to fish for the right franchisees in different waters. He found them in VFW halls, American Legions, Shriners Clubs, churches, and synagogues. He sold franchises to regular, working-class people who were willing to work hard and had some skin in the game.

The lesson in all of this: finding the right people is tough. But, hiring the wrong people can be a costly mistake. Is it time to expand your talent search?

Leaders Work on Growing Their People

Let’s be clear: Ray Kroc was not a nice guy. But, he knew good talent and ideas when he saw them.

Ray didn’t immediately squash new ideas from his staff, he tested them out first. He took chances on people who might otherwise be overlooked, because he liked their work ethic. His original Director of Operations, Fred Turner, started out on the line of one his restaurants. Ray initially took interest in him because he literally liked the way Fred flipped burgers.

Ultimately, good leaders grow people. And by growing their people, they grow their business.

A Strong Brand is Worth a Lot ($2.7 million in fact)

Ray Kroc understood the value of a strong brand. He knew that even more than burgers and fries, McDonalds was selling the chance to spend time with your family, a sense of community, a slice of Americana. He also knew he could copy the Speedee Service System all the wanted, but no one was going to go to a restaurant named after him. Kroc’s doesn’t quite have the same ring as McDonald’s.

This is the point in the movie where things take a dramatic turn and we see Ray basically bullying the McDonald brothers into selling their very name to Ray for $2.7 million.

While I don’t advocate bullying, I do suggest looking at your brand and identifying what makes you stand out from the pack. In a world of increasingly commodified goods and services, what is special about your company?

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Its an old saying, but its true: what got you here won’t get you there. The things that make a business owner successful at first –a great product or service, hard work, attention-to-detail – are not enough by themselves to take a business to the next level.

To level up, business leaders must step back from the day-to-day, find and grow the right people, and cultivate their brand.  What steps are you taking to get to the next level of your business?

As I skim materials for my upcoming Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Marketing and Sales class, my mind wanders (Hey, a squirrel! Or is it procrastination, perhaps?). I must blog. Now.

This post builds on my colleague Jacqui Chappell’s last blog on differentiating against competition. She is known as being the writer extraordinaire on the Porch, so I do not want to disappoint as I follow a post from her! So just read this blog for content and nuggets of marketing and sales knowledge. Puhleeeease!!

There is no one size fits all marketing and sales strategy. And this post does not suggest it, either. Period.

However, as I stare at a document asking me to define “current and aspirational competitors and their market share,” I realize Front Porch Marketing has a million and one competitors. I do not watch them daily, nor do I care if they are watching us.

I was asked recently by a client if they should list names of their clients on their website, collateral materials, etc. My answer: Heeeelllll, yes! If you are doing your job well, then no competitor can cold call your client list and take them away from you.

Doing your job well is obviously the first way to weed out your competitors.

Here are five more:

1. Define your brand. Know your pillars.
2. Communicate your brand consistently inside and out. If you look like every other company in your category, you are not doing this, nor is your brand defined.
3. Look outside your industry. Take key learnings from strong or unique brands in other spaces and consider how you can use them to help your brand.
4. Talk to your clients / customers. Ask them why they selected your company or product over others? What didn’t they get from their last partner or other product?
5. Ask yourself if who you consider your main competition is really that. Speaking to two business owners independently recently, they named each other as direct / primary competition. The more we learned about said businesses, the more we found them to be great complements to each other’s concepts and thought of more than a dozen ways they could leverage each other to grow their businesses. (Maybe if they use our ideas, they will let us blog about them specifically in the future.)

Identifying and evaluating your competition is an important exercise, there is no doubt. But it’s a delicate balance. Knowing they are there keeps you on your toes, pushes you to do your best work, and provides occasional inspiration. But ultimately, what will differentiate you from your competitors is your brand, the work that you do, and the way that you do it.

So rock your brand, rock your work and rock your competitors! TTFN!

 

Customer experience is a daily topic on the Porch. Those who know me are probably like “smh” that I would say I learned about customer experience from Disney Princesses ‘cuz mama be like, Hey, Cinderella, what’s the story all about … you know, the Suzy Bogguss song?!?! No? Well, Google it …

Did you know Millennials ranked Disney number one in the latest Brand Intimacy Report***?

***Survey was not by the Porter family nor was the Porter family surveyed for this report.

Why did they rank Disney number one you ask? Millennials tend toward “escapism and the need for respite” during this point in their lives. Disney delivers. The Disney brand rocks it with Millennials, children, teens, parents, grandparents and everyone in between.

My latest experience at Disney World brings me back to why the most powerful brands are the ones that have mastered customer experience, among other things.

Three customer experience takeaways from Disney:

1. Hire people who love their jobs and continually give them reasons to love it. They have to love it. There are people of all ages touching Disney Princesses and their hair and clothing for hours on end. Random lils asking questions about the Princess’ movie or last episode of their Disney Junior show. Upon each interaction, there were smiles and dialogue about the show and questions about whether they liked the outcome of that episode or if they knew what Belle’s favorite book was. My favorite answer, “Yes, princess, your hair is the same color as mine.” Swoon.
2. Consistently deliver on the brand at every touch point. When you call the front desk or housekeeping or the restaurant at a Disney property, you always hear, “Welcome home.” If you ask, “Are you open tomorrow?” You will most certainly not hear, “We are off tomorrow. Sorry.” Take note friends.
3. Words your team speaks matter. You are called your highness or majesty. Your children are called princess or prince or your highness every time you turn around. How can you not love being at Disney?

Customers and clients are the new royalty. The quality of customer experience you must offer to compete in your market and win is of the utmost importance — now more than ever.

Dream big marketer. Be A Champion.

Disney, you got me hook, line and slipper.

 

 

We are giving thanks for so much. We on the Porch are feeling very grateful. We have the best clients, amazing business partners, wonderful colleagues and the most rewarding professional work imaginable. AND, we get to do what we love Every. Single. Day. It rocks!

Our Team is grateful for all of you. And more!

Some beautiful words from the Rockin’ Roller: “I am thankful for our freedom. As I am ready to head to my childhood home to spend Thanksgiving with my family – my husband and daughter, my parents and my sister-in-law, niece and nephews – my brother will not be there because he is currently, voluntarily deployed to Kuwait where he is an Army Blackhawk pilot. I am thankful that there are people in this world like him who selflessly serve and risk their life so that we can enjoy freedom in this country. And I am thankful for amazing people like my sister-in-law who give everything to keep life as normal as possible for their three kids while he is away. And I am thankful for all of the veterans – including my dad and grandfather.”

The Rocketeer says, “This Thanksgiving I am so thankful for my education, my family and my health. If I have learned anything from this year, it is that life is way too short and can be taken from us at any moment. I’m so thankful for the people I surround myself with every day.”

The Rock is thankful for, “Family, friends, a flexible job and, most of all, living in a country where we are free to celebrate the things we are thankful for.”

We celebrate our Rock Artist when she says, “I am thankful for my health. I just had my five-year checkup with my oncologist and I am an official five-year breast cancer survivor! Health is definitely something I did not used to take for granted, but I’m grateful every second of every day now. I am also thankful for our daughter – for my husband and me, being parents is the biggest joy in the world. Watching our six year old learn how to read, make friends and teach us (adults) how to see life from a new perspective is just amazing.”

• Family
• Friends
• Community
• Opportunity
• Charity
• Kindness
• Dallas CASA
• Teachers and coaches
• and last, but not least, comedians and laughter!

Our Chief Rocker weighs in: “I am so grateful for our team, family, clients, advocates, U.S.A. and Thanksgiving! This holiday rocks. My children continue to amaze me. Coming off Grandparents Day for my freshman and a blessed day with our lil. A highlight from last week was when our intern didn’t know who Snoop Doggy Dog was. I am forever grateful for always learning and gaining a new perspective. I am humbled to work with such great people in a country that allows me the opportunity to run my own business. I am very grateful that I can do this without sacrificing time with my family.”

The Future Rocket says, “I am thankful for opportunities I have. The opportunity for me to be positive and happy. The opportunity to go to class everyday and learn something new. The opportunity that I have to make healthy choices and be active every day. The opportunity to look at events as a chance to better myself, rather than something that will take up my time. Looking at everyday events as a chance to become a better person rather than looking at things as a chore, because so many people would love the chance to go to class early in the morning or go to the gym, but don’t have the opportunity to do so.”

Our Back Porch Rocker wraps it up by saying: “I am thankful for the insight, clarity and perspective that this year has given me. Sometimes, when things fall away, you are given the gift of rebuilding better and stronger than before.”

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. From our Porch to yours!

On the porch, we LOVE social media. We are OBSESSED with leveraging and analyzing it to benefit our clients.

Although … I am the mother of a 14-year-old teenager, and I should probably be writing this post about how to lock down your child’s devices … but that is for another day.

Instagram is one of my favorite social media networks at the moment. Not only is it a rockin’ sales driver for our clients, it is also not riddled with advertising and other noise that some social media networks have evolved into.

Here are some of my favorite Instagram accounts today:

• crazysexykris – Inspirational and uplifting.
• liveinthedetails – Emotive.
• the_luxury_list – Luxurious.
• mommasgonecity – Darling dogs and children.

And, of course, a few of our rockin’ clients’ accounts:

1. ellenhoffmandesigns
2. feizyrugs
3. thegemjuicebar
4. suzandavidsondesigns

I would love to hear what you are lovin’ on Instagram and with whom I can refresh my feed. So share!

Julie Porter is chief rocker at Front Porch Marketing. You can follow her, julie_porter, or her company, itsfrontporch, on Instagram.