Have you ever wondered what ‘best practice’ looks like for online retail marketing? I have found one of Australia’s best in the business. Kelly Baker-Jamieson left her job with a top tier law firm to start her own online retail store ‘Edible Blooms‘ with a great idea and a small list. From day one she had orders streaming in and she’s never looked back.
Our resident online retailing expert Paul Greenberg from the National Online Retailers Association (NORA) had this to say about Kelly and Edible Blooms:
“In Kelly we see the very best in female entrepreneurship… We use Edible Blooms in our business and I will go on the record saying that the if you want immediately the best ROI in marketing today, it wouldn’t be Google, but it certainly would be an Edible Blooms hamper’
How about that!
In this fireside chat with this online marketing expert we explore:
- How Kelly used a small list of people she had met to get orders in the door from day one.
- Tips on how to capture email addresses and other data through your website
- The power of understanding your customers and how to translate that knowledge to your website
- How she has used PR to drive awareness
- The power of gratitude
We also discuss what makes Edible Blooms different and authentic. Edible Blooms employ over 50 staff members and have 7 offices across Australia and New Zealand. Using high quality products and florists to create what they call a unique floral experience. Kelly also talks on the benefits of starting her business and how she balances her business with her family.
Edible Blooms has an incredible website, here are Kelly’s top tips for a top performing website:
- Really good imagery
- Video experience – examples include: how they do what they do, people behind the brand etc. Identify all the barriers people may have to purchasing and address them in video.
- Trust icons – what are the things that you do that are really important to your customers. People need to feel really comfortable with you to give you their email address and/or their dollars. I delve into the trust factor in my book The Boomerang Effect if you want some practical tips on how to implement this in your business today.
Edible blooms can boast 60% of their clients as repeat customers, we uncover how they go about creating an excellent customer experience. Here are Kelly’s top tips to create an excellent customer experience in your business:
- Actively seek feedback from customers
- Don’t just seek feedback but implement improvements and fix problems
- Don’t ask for too much – the key to getting good feedback is making it easy to give feedback.
Also in this episode of Australia’s best small business marketing show we have a listener question about facebook pages versed personal pages which I defer to good friend and previous co-host of the show Luke (Lukeeee) Moulton of Plankton Digital
I’ve got some exciting news for anyone interested in utilising outsourcing as a strategy in their business. I am going to be taking another tour with motivated small business owners to the Philippines from June 13-15, 2016. The tour is for anyone who wants to find more time to work on their business not in it and/or reduce labour costs to re-invest into the business. The tour is with previous guest of the show David Warne and we’re going to host a webinar all about it on April 27 at 10am AEST. We will cover all your questions and explore what it means for you to outsource to the Philippines and if it’s right for you.
PLUS Kelly kindly shares a discount code for Edible Blooms so you can start showing the love to your family, friends, clients and prospects. To get 10% off simply enter the coupon code THANKYOU (case sensitive).
That’s right, another HUGE show, so pen and paper at the ready and let’s get stuck right in.
EPISODE TIMELINE
00:39 Welcome & overview
03:05 Today’s guest introduction – Kelly Baker-Jamieson of Edible Blooms
03:50 Insights into Kelly and Edible Blooms from Head of NORA Paul Greenberg
05:29 Interview with Kelly Baker-Jamieson – Part 1
19:05 Insights in to Netregistry & Key Person Of Influence
21:00 Interview with Kelly Baker-Jamieson – Part 2
46:49 My top 3 attention grabbers from my chat with Kelly Baker-Jamieson
48:49 Motivational marketing quote of the week
49:40 Listener question on facebook pages verses personal pages
53:15 Information on an upcoming outsourcing tour of the Philippines
55:20 Wrap-up and insights in to next week’s guests
EPISODE SPONSORS (PLEASE SUPPORT THEM)
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RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED
Edible Blooms official website
Episode 217 with Paul Greenberg or how to nail your online retail marketing
Episode 111 with Andrew Griffiths on the power of gratitude in business
Episode 255 with David Warne about outsourcing to the Philippines
Buy Timbo’s new marketing text book The Boomerang Effect
MY TOP 3 MARKETING ATTENTION GRABBERS FROM THIS EPISODE
- Build that email list. If you don’t know what to give away in exchange for an email address then join the Small Business Big Marketing Forum over at CrankMyMarketing.com
- Website pro-tips – have great imagery, include video experiences, add trust icons
- Marketing isn’t rocket science!
INSPIRATIONAL MARKETING QUOTE
Rand Fishkin of Moz once said …
“The trend of design toward simplicity and accessibility in software happened for a reason—simple sells, simple is usable and simple scales.”
OVER TO YOU …
What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode?
Leave your comment below.
My guest and I respond to each and every comment.
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18 thoughts on “305 – Online Retail Marketing: How Edible Blooms Founder Sells 1000 products a day, with 20% growth and still has plenty of time for her kids”
Another inspiring podcast Tim, it sounds as if Kelly has a perfect lifestyle business for herself and her family with the flexibility required with children. The product photographs look enticing – I look forward to Edible Blooms opening in London and having a bunch delivered to my wife (that way I get a taste too).
Kelly, if you’d like me to photograph some “London Lifestyle” photographs as you open I’d be happy to help ;-).
Thanks for another great one Timbo. very timely as I just placed my first order! Sounds like you also do another interview with Kelly’s husband. Go the South Australia entrepreneurs!
Timbo great interview. It’s great to be hearing about someone running a global business with all the lifestyle benefits that South Australia offers. Where else can you so easily commute to the centre of the capital city from your Fleurieu Peninsula farm?
Now that’s great thinking, Tony! I think I’ll send my beautiful wife an edible bloom right now!
Thanks Matt. What made you think I should interview Kelly’s husband?
So true, Steve. What a fantastic lifestyle Kelly has established for her and her family. Commuting in to town has hair’s on it!
Might be more of an entrepreneurial interview (not sure what their marketing’s like). Just picking up on the fact that they’re actually running two businesses at once from their home. And they’ve got a family. How do they do it?
Happy to report that my experience with Edible Blooms was a good one. Thanks for the timely interview (and for the promo code!) Because I was ordering from NZ to AUS I also got to experience their great phone service as well as their online shopping cart.
Loved this interview. I’ve used Edible Blooms for years to delight my clients. I found them originally from the Entertainment book and ever since I’ve trusted them. I’m also going to rejig my house design to put my home office away from the main living area based on what Kelly said about working from home. Thanks Timbo
Brilliant SJ. Yep, definitely get that office away from the living area. What were you thinking?!
Great stuff, Matt. Yes, their service is impeccable. I experienced the same.
Ah, now I get you. I’ll keep him in mind, Matt.
Fantastic interview! Learnt so much as a new co-founder. Have one question, what is a trust icon?
Thanks David. Trust Icons are like little ‘stamps’ that generally appear at the top of a website with the sole purpose of developing trust between the prospect and the business. Check out the top right hand corner of http://www.edibleblooms.com.au/
All of these?
They’re the ones Edible Blooms have chosen and had designed, David. Now that you understand the concept, simply create your own.
Hi David, sorry to jump in on your conversation.
So Timbo, are you saying you can just get anything designed and put it up there and use that as a trust icon? I have heard of having ebay approved stamps or media you have been on, but have never thought of getting my own designed and putting them up there?
I need to do that too SJ !!!