In a competitive industry, a little marketing can make a big difference.
Like all retail stores, dive shops face increasing competition from online dealers. However, dive shops are unique in that diving is a hands-on activity, and customers want to see air tanks, wet suits, and fins in person before making a purchase. They also want advice from experts to help them make the best decision about which equipment to buy.
Marketing helps you remind divers what your shop has to offer that other dealers don’t. By understanding your audience and using the right channels, you can increase awareness and interest in your business — which means you can sell more.
In this blog, we’ll discuss best practices for dive shop retail marketing, so you can stand out in a sea of shops.
The key to successful marketing is understanding your audience. When you know who your target audience is, you can create messages that resonate with them and use the in-person or digital communication methods where you’re most likely to reach them.
First, segment your audience. Split them up into different groups and craft specific strategies that catch their attention. Here are a few examples:
As you plan your retail marketing strategy, research your customers and identify common themes. You may find a group that’s missing — like beginning divers, for example — and create a marketing campaign to reach customers you haven’t successfully sold to in the past. When you’re conscious of which customers you’re marketing to, you see better results.
Consistent and recognizable branding helps your dive shop stand out among the competition. Branding encompasses the look and feel of your in-person store and the imagery and design of all your business’ digital media.
Choose your colors and keep them consistent across your brand — consider shades of blue that evoke the ocean. Use these colors to paint the walls of your dive shop and create a recognizable logo. Try interesting fonts that area easy to read for logos, advertisements, and web pages.
Remember to develop the right tone of voice for your social media and website text, too — you want a voice that’s enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and trustworthy.
By creating a cohesive and consistent brand, you can make your business more memorable and increase customer loyalty.
Related Read: Visual Merchandising Tips To Boost Dive Shop Sales
To win the trust of customers, you need to position yourself as an authority in the world of diving. You can do this by training your employees to inform customers about diving equipment and techniques, posting helpful information around your dive shop, and creating digital content that educates your audience.
Post blogs on your shop’s website about dive equipment, maintenance, and safety. Or film video tutorials and interviews with experts to post on your website and other sites like Instagram and YouTube. If your shop hosts dive excursions, you can post videos taken during these trips to build a sense of community and advertise these services.
Content filled with helpful tips for divers increases trust among customers and makes them more likely to buy dive gear. In all facets of your business, strive to be truthful, informative, and reliable.
They say “if you can’t beat them, join them.” To compete with large online retailers, create an online store of your own. In addition to bringing in more revenue, it increases awareness of your in-person store. Selling online extends the reach of your business further than the local area to divers across the globe — but to be successful, you need to make sure your website is user-friendly and offers a quality shopping experience.
Use high-quality product images and detailed descriptions so customers have a good idea of what they’re buying. Since customers won’t have the same access to expertise when buying online, offer as much knowledge and guidance as you can in product descriptions on your website. By following search engine optimization (SEO) best practices, you can make your site more likely to show up in search results for those looking for dive gear.
Set up a simple and secure checkout process and try to reduce the number of clicks needed to make a purchase. The longer a customer has to remain on the page to make a purchase, the more likely they are to postpone their purchase decision or abandon it.
Setting up a website can feel overwhelming — luckily, with the right tools, you can get your site up and running quickly. Point of sale (POS) systems often offer website building tools to get you started, and customer support to help you maintain your site.
Related Read: Balancing Online and In-Store Inventory for Dive Retailers: 6 Best Practices
Social media is a great tool for retail marketing. You can increase awareness of your business, interact with existing customers, and share important updates. Posting consistently on social media keeps your business top-of-mind for your customers and encourages additional purchases.
Not sure where to start with your social media content? Here are a few post ideas:
If you’d like to extend the reach of your social media content, you can also pay for ads on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube. These platforms allow you to target specific groups so your target audience is more likely to see your ads. Social media makes your brand more visible so you can gain more customers.
Related Read: Social Media for Dive Shops: 5 Best Platforms To Use
Email and SMS are great ways to market to your existing customers — especially if you have a digital program that can automate this process, like your POS system. You can send customers email and text messages to let them know about in-store events, new products, or make personalized recommendations.
Automated mail and SMS messaging are examples of customer relationship management (CRM) features, which are included in many modern POS systems. These systems track customer purchase history so you can make better recommendations. Sending personalized recommendations to customers builds loyalty and makes them more likely to choose your business over a competitor.
Related Read: Customer Loyalty for Dive Shops: 6 Tips and Tools
Good marketing makes a world of difference. Start by determining who your target audience is and segmenting them into logical groups. Make sure to emphasize your expertise in the diving world and create a recognizable brand. Use resources like social media and CRM tools to communicate with your customers.
But to fully (and effectively) market your dive shop, you need the right digital tools. POS systems offer helpful retail marketing features, especially one with features catered to your business.
Dive Shop 360 is an all-in-one POS solution designed specifically for dive shops. Our system is equipped with both general and dive-specific features, including extensive retail marketing features. You can use CRM to communicate with customers, create and maintain your online store, and manage social media posts, so you can take your marketing to the next level.
To see what Dive Shop 360 can do for your business, schedule a demo today!