Birding Business Blog

It's the simple things

2010-09-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

To increase overall sales in your store and increase profitability you don't need to spend a lot of money, or go into fancy promotions. Many times it is the simple things that make the difference

Take for instance the wild bird store I visited a few weeks ago. The owner pointed out to me that something as simple as making sure the facility was clean and neat, plus making it easy for customers to find things, made a big difference in sales.

This owner put small handwritten signs on materials that were hard to access. He used promotional materials supplied by his vendors to highlight new products. He let customers know the product existed in a clear and easy to understand way. Just those few changes resulted in a fourfold increase in sales.

People are not just in your store to spend time (although some are) they are there to buy. Make it easy for them to buy in a neat, clean, inviting environment and you will reap the rewards.

John

PS: When was the last time you did a thorough housecleaning of your store, your storage area, your bathroom, your checkout area, and your windows? Remember its the little things that count.

RESEARCH: Summer use of feeders

2010-08-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

Birds Favor Feeders in the Good Ol' Summertime
by Al Gies, Ph.D. National Bird-feeding Society Research Grant Recipient

A popular myth states that birds lose interest in feeders in summer. Research observations indicate the reverse is, in fact, true. A much larger population visited test feeders in summer than in winter.

Extensive research was carried out at a Maryland study area near Baltimore. The study was carried out over a 24-month period. Some surprising and important similarities were recorded in comparing mid-winter feeding activity with June, the peak of the breeding season.

During the two years, population estimates were made based on marking the birds. The number of birds visiting the area in summer was nearly 7,000, while only about 1,000 visited in winter.

This change was reflected in food consumption. In summer, the consumption of oil sunflowers per day was slightly more than seven times greater than winter. White proso millet consumption was more than twice as great in summer than winter.

The significant similarity between seasons was that the favorite food for a species remained the same during summer and winter. Feeders make it easy for adult birds to obtain their own food, but it should be recognized that seed eating birds feed insects to their young.

Observations of marked birds indicate that very high summer bird use of feeders is the result of birds concentrating on an easy seed source much more in summer than winter when natural seed and other feeders are more available.

It seems ironic that tradition suggests feeders should be put out in the fall (when natural food is most available) and taken down in spring (when natural food becomes really scarce). This biologically irrational tradition results in more food being available at feeders in winter than in summer.

High summer bird use of feeders resulted in some competition problems. Goldfinches could not feed in the area unless special feeders were used to permit them to feed while house finches could not. Competition from grackles and blue jays also required attention.

On the plus side, summer feeding has some very special joys, the presence of brightly colored songbirds and the opportunity to view hummingbirds.

This research re-enforces the pluses for summer feeding. Both for the birds and for the people who feed the birds.

POP Displays

2010-08-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

Great displays go a long way toward stimulating customer interest in your products, but there are some tips that you need to keep in mind.

* Cross-market your merchandise to make buying easier for the busy consumer or working parent.
* Look for bold graphics and attractive designs in your display fixtures.
* Use displays that set up quickly and easily without tools.
Search for displays that show product from every possible angle and from great distances.
* Use in-store displays that reflect your store’s image. Customize your display with special features: interesting graphics and colors; a header to maximize product awareness; wheels for cross-merchandising; etc.
* Don’t go overboard. Bigger is not always better.
* Aim for multifunctionality to get more use out of a display. Consider modular designs. They offer tremendous versatility and accommodate varying amounts of products.
• Know your merchandiser’s life cycle. Temporary POPs are generally effective for only two to four weeks.

Have you set up your Mother's Day Registry ?

2010-04-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

In my experience many mothers shop at your wild bird store.Their family know that it is one of the Mother's favorite places to shop. Thus you should be sure to set up a Mother's Day Gift Registry and advertise it well.

I suggest a loose leaf book with a page for each Mother who registers set out on a small table. I guarantee you will see extra business coming your way on Mother's Day..

YIKES

2010-03-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

According to the National Foundation of Women Business Owners, a dissatisfied female customer will tell 19 other people of a bad experience.

I knew that on average a dissafied customer would tell 10 people of their bad experience, but the ladies must really get upset when customer interaction does not go as expected.

I am sure your wild bird store depends on female customers, so happy customers are critical to your success. What are you doing to maintain a 'happy customer' base. Let me know.

FACT: 68% of customers leave because of an unhappy customer interaction experience.

How to Kill your business in 5 easy steps

2010-03-16T17:24:00.000-07:00

1. When you have a great product that’s selling well - look for ways to make it cheaper – your customers won’t be able to tell the difference.

2. Never honor a warranty if it’s expired – even if it’s only been expired by one day.

3. Don’t ask for feedback from your customers. Make them take surveys but never engage them in a conversation with you.

4. Don’t worry about what one customer might tell another – after all, you have millions of them, right?

5. Do everything you can to keep your customers from creating a community – you don’t want them talking to each other.

The above are from a pdf file titled: 101 Ways to destroy your tribe by Ed Welch. Check it out.
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Yikes !

2010-03-10T06:32:00.000-08:00

According to the National Foundation of Women Business Owners, a dissatisfied female customer will tell 19 other people of a bad experience. I knew that on average a dissafied customer would tell 7 people of their bad experience, but the ladies must really get upset. Wild Bird Stores depend on female customers, so happy customers are critical to their success. What are you doing to maintain a 'happy customer' base. Let me know.
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Saving money is still a priority

2010-02-17T12:08:00.000-08:00

Despite signs that the economy is improving, U.S. consumers are still exercising caution with regard to small purchases, according to The Harris Poll in their survey held between Jan. 18 and Jan. 25, 2010. For instance, the poll found that nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults (63 percent) said they have bought more generic brands in the past six months to save money, while another 12 percent said they have considered doing so.

When it comes to wild bird food our experience is, your customers are looking for a blend that will attract the most birds, is fresh, is clean, and is from a manufacturer that they believe will give them the best value for their money. I can recommend an East Coast manufacturer who will give you the quality and service you and your customers look for: Lizzie Mae's Bird Seed. Contact them at - Customercare@lizziemaesbirdseed.com
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Five Times the cost

2010-02-15T12:02:00.000-08:00

To be successful It is vital that you cultivate your existing customer base. Your growth and your profitability is in their hands

Statistics show that it takes about five times the money and effort to get a new customer over what it takes to increase an existing customer's annual purchases.

Ask yourself "What have I done today to make my customers feel special?" You better have a real good answer.
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Do Your Customers Know You ?

2010-02-03T12:56:00.000-08:00

In today's retail environment it is rare to do business with a store that demonstrates a genuine concern for the actual outcomes that their customers experience as a result of a purchase.

The days are long gone when simply being committed to the satisfactory performance of your product or service is good enough. Today you need to show customers and prospective customers exactly how what you’re selling “fits in” to what they are already doing.

In the final analysis, your prospects and your customers should feel like they know you as a person from your marketing & advertising. More importantly, they should know you as the kind of person they would call a friend, someone they look forward to hearing from and happy to buy from.

Anything less won't do...
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Do your Headlines cut through the clutter

2010-01-31T16:07:00.000-08:00

There are three things a good headline needs:

1. Benefit - What does it do for me the reader ?
2. Proof - Prove it does what you say!
3. Uniqueness - Not what others are offering.

Let your headline (No matter what medium) have those three elements and your chances of success are tripled.
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The #1 thing you can do in 2010 to build your business

2010-01-25T13:07:00.000-08:00

Send your key suppliers and customers a simple handwritten letter. Nothing has more impact than simple, person-to-person communication. In a world of instant messages, Tweets, emails and disposable marketing you have done the unexpected. Your traditional letter will grab attention because it is so different. But, beyond this aspect, you have removed all the business barriers and expressed yourself.
Click to read the entire article from Business Week
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Your Flyer, Your Web Site, Your Blog,

2010-01-24T15:30:00.000-08:00

Research has shown that it is important to be consistent. Don't change things when you get bored. Don't change things when your support people get bored. Change things when your sales tell you things are not working any longer.
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Prescription for Nature Defecit Disorder

2009-12-27T18:54:00.000-08:00

You might want to share this with your customers.
Prescription for Nature Deficit Disorder
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Nature Deficit Disorder

2009-12-27T08:26:00.000-08:00

I first heard of this on the ABC Evening News. Owners of Wild Bird Stores might want to check this out. You may have the cure.

Author Richard Louv believes that America's children are now suffering from a syndrome he identifies as "nature-deficit disorder." In his new book, Last Child in the Woods, Louv suggests that the current generation of American children knows the Discovery Channel better than their own backyards--and that this loss of contact with nature leads to impoverished lives and stunted imagination.
Resource:Children and Nature

Customer Promotion/Activity

2009-12-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

Here is an activity that many Wild Bird Stores have used during the Christmas Season. It revolves around 'Reindeer Food' Click here to share this with your customers.