If for you wine is not just a drink but a real passion, I’m sure you have thought about how to sell wine online (and make money).
Maybe you already have your own wine shop or cellar and want to expand your business by opening up to the online world. Or maybe, after a 2020 (and part of 2021) of closures and restrictions, you want to guarantee an extra income for your business. Or you may be a connoisseur who has decided to change careers and try the road of selling wine online.
Whatever the reasons that drove you to get here, if you are reading this article there is a good chance that you want to understand why, how and where to sell wine online.
Why sell wine online?
Let’s start by saying that I’m absolutely not going to scare you with this question. True, selling wine online is by no means an easy feat. This does not mean that it is impossible, much less that you cannot do it successfully.
As we mentioned in the introduction, the reasons for selling wine online can be different: bringing your business online, finding a new way to make money, turning your passion into a job.
Let’s see some of the most common reasons for selling wine online:
- Traditional sales channels are becoming less reliable, and customers are increasingly appreciating the possibility of having their beloved bottles of wine delivered directly to their home.
- The world of ecommerce is growing rapidly, and creating an online store to sell wine is an incredible business opportunity.
- A digital store allows you to have more control over your business and maximize profits.
- You can build lasting relationships with your customers by continuing to keep in touch with them with email marketing and other strategies.
These are just some of the reasons why you might start selling wine online. The advantages are many, but as we have said there is certainly no shortage of challenges.
How to sell wine online: the golden rules
So what are the best ways to sell wine online? Of course, it’s not enough to just go to eBay and try to sell your precious bottles there.
You must be able to make yourself known, create not only a store but a real brand , and there are some rules that you must follow if you want this company to become a way to make money online.
1. Help customers find what they are looking for
Your customers are the essence of your business. You might even have the coolest online store, the coolest design, the coolest slogan of all, but without paying (and satisfied) customers, your business will be short-lived. Indeed, very short.
That’s why the first rule when it comes to selling wine online uk mobile number list is to get to know your customers and help them find what they’re looking for.
One way to do this is to always keep up with the trends of the moment. Well yes, even in the world of wine there are real trends, particular characteristics that at certain times are most requested by the market. It can be the raw materials, the origin, the fact that a wine is organic or not, or other details related to production.
Also, make sure your site navigation is intuitive, so your visitors can figure out where to find what they are looking for.
2. Create a smooth and elegant shopping experience
Your customers’ shopping experience includes everything from their first visit to the site to what happens after they purchase your product.
You have to make sure that their entire experience is extremely fluid, right from the first click.
Put yourself in their shoes.
Imagine arriving on a wine e-commerce and wanting to buy a bottle of Cabernet from Veneto. You will expect to find the bottles for sale divided by type of wine and by region. You should be able to find your wine in no time, and not have to go through an endless wine list with no filters or categorization. Once you have chosen the bottle you want to buy, you will want to complete your shopping in the shortest time possible. Add to cart, payment information, shipping address and go! And you will also expect to receive immediate confirmation on your email address, and maybe even tracking emails that update you on the path of your order.
When dealing with the shopping experience, you need to take each of these aspects into consideration.
Additionally, you may want to add any important information you think your customers would like to have before making their purchases: delivery times, shipping, any rates.
Make sure everything is clear, without them having to contact customer support to clarify any concerns.
Basically, your goal is to satisfy your customers, give them the opportunity to make their purchases without wasting time and, at the same time, to offer them a site so captivating that they will choose to continue browsing. .
3. Demonstrates competence and authority in the field
It goes without saying that you have decided to sell wine online, not mugs or other gadgets. This means that it is not only your products that have to meet high quality standards, but your entire store.
You need to have some credibility (which you can build and strengthen over time), and demonstrate competence and authority.
Offer your customers and visitors detailed information about the wines on sale on your store, help them juggle the available bottles and show them that you are a true expert in your field.
4. Upselling and cross-selling to increase revenue
You know when, after watching a movie or series on Netflix, the streaming giant offers you other titles that you might like?
Have you ever thought it was cross-selling? True, Netflix is not “selling” you a new movie, but it makes its offer more and more interesting and relevant. The same can be applied to your wine ecommerce.
Upselling and cross-selling are essential in any type of ecommerce, because they offer your customers the opportunity to buy a better product than what they have in mind, or to integrate their shopping cart with a related product that is perfect for them.
Hence, these marketing strategies can be extremely effective in your online wine shop as well. Just as Netflix offers TV series that customers who have seen a certain movie might like, you could offer wines similar to those that your customers have shown interest in.
Have you tasted this wine? You may also like …
An excellent idea is to ask your customers directly for their preferences, perhaps with a questionnaire sent via newsletter, or with a special section on the site. Let them tell you what kind of wine they prefer, what food they like to pair the wines with, so that they can offer them a special selection that will reflect their preferences.