Remove the overwhelm of taking your business online with Nathalie Reiter.

“An online store is no longer optional anymore” says Nathalie Reiter from the efficiency hub. Whether you’re closing a bricks and mortar store to make the move online or you’re launching an online business and want some human-centric help to get your ecommerce store up and running, the efficiency hub should be saved to your bookmarks.

So boil the kettle and settle in to the online overwhelm free-zone.

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Nathalie and I’m an eCommerce specialist and founder of the efficiency hub. We work with artisans to turn their creative ideas into profitable eCommerce businesses and are known for removing the overwhelm of selling online.

What does that actually mean?

We don’t do jargon and instead focus on explaining things in simple, practical ways. Selling online does not have to be complicated or overwhelming. Isn’t the whole point of running our own businesses to enjoy what we do?!

We have a team of over 20 digital experts, who all specialise in a specific area of eCommerce (e.g. marketing, website development, graphic design, social media, PR, etc.) This allows us to offer our clients fully customised strategies and get it all done for them. We take a very human-centric approach and understand that every situation is different, which is why we always start by positioning a brand in the market and crafting a bespoke strategy that focuses on the business, its people and its goals holistically to minimise cost and maximise results. 

How did you get into the eCommerce world in the first place?

Back in 2012, I was the first employee of hardtofind.com.au. I grew with the company and helped over 900 artisans grow their sales online.

I was in awe of the products people were able to create through inspiration and passion, and realised that many lacked something I could offer: a strategic approach to running and growing a business online. It’s been a great match ever since. I get to surround myself with people who inspire me and help them make a living out of what they love doing and bring joy to the world one purchase at a time. Everyone wins.

How important is it for creatives and artisans as you call them to have an online presence?

I think it’s crucial for product-based businesses to have a presence online.

I definitely think there’s beauty in going to a store, browsing products and soaking in the inspiration, but an online store has the ability to reach a world-wide audience and opens up a lot of possibilities. We see more and more sales move online, which is due to the convenience-factor and general behavioural changes in our society.

I’m a big advocate of consumer-focused omni-channel solutions, which allow the customer to interact with a business in whichever way works for them and get the same amazing experience every time. Given the online world is such a huge part of everyone’s day-to-day life, an online store is no longer optional anymore.

However, having an online store alone is not going to do much, the key lies in connecting with the right people online to drive valuable traffic to that online store and turn those visits into sales.

What are your biggest tips for creating an efficient eCommerce business?

• Be very clear on the benefits of your product (what’s in it for the customer?). Don’t just list the obvious benefits like ‘it’s organic’, think about why it matters to the customer that your product is made of organic materials.
• Be very specific about who your product is for because a product is never for everyone (don’t be afraid to niche).
• Connect with your audience and put your customers’ emotions first. How does your website and social media make them feel? How does your product make them feel? How does your customer service and order delivery make them feel? This is what people will remember.
• Don’t overcomplicate. Keep it simple and focus on one step at a time. You don’t have to incorporate every feature or apply every marketing technique to be successful online.
• There are no quick fixes. Put in the hard work and keep going.

What are the common mistakes people make when DIYing their eCommerce store?

What we see most often is that people don’t have a proper plan and launch right into setting up their store, skipping the most crucial steps of first crafting their brand message and positioning it in the market.

It’s not necessarily their fault; we only know what we know and the online world does make it sound all too easy to start selling online. But there’s a lot of misinformation out there and it’s usually not long before someone realises that sales don’t just come by setting up a website. Next thing you know they’re down the rabbit hole of online advice and tutorials, jumping in and out of activities that don’t really work. This often ends in a lot of overwhelm and discouragement, with too much time and money lost.

In addition to that, with more and more resources available, it’s become difficult to know which information or “experts” you can trust. People are often attracted by scare techniques or the ‘get rich quick’ promise, which both promote a single something that will transform an online store to generate thousands of orders overnight.

Of course, we want to believe that’s true, but it’s unfortunately never quite this simple.

The last mistake I see people make is to assume shiny big agencies do better work, when in reality they often charge more for less and, due to the business structure and a high amount of clients, don’t have the time and resources to give small businesses the TLC and proactive attention they need to be successful.

Which of your clients inspire you the most?

This is a very hard one because we’ve worked with so many amazing and inspiring clients. If I had to pick one I’d say www.twodesignlovers.com

Two Design Lovers is a platform to sell and buy pre-loved designer furniture. I’ve always thought their mission and purpose were very current and relevant to their audience, which made it a strong brand from our very first workshop onwards. I’ve loved being a part of their journey and seeing them evolve from a solution-focused idea to a growing business that continues to go from strength to strength.

What’s your marketing super power?

Removing the overwhelm of selling online.

What would be your one big tip for people struggling with launching their brand online?

Focus on the basics and figure out who you’re talking to, what you’re saying and why they should care.

Once you know this, you can determine where these people hang out and how you can reach them.

It’s important to understand that people need time to get to know you before they decide to buy. If you know who you’re talking to and what they care about, you can build an audience and connect emotionally with them. This is a crucial part of launching your brand online.

Finally, how can people get in touch with you if they want to know more or work with you?

Either email us at hello@efficiencyhub.com.au or get in touch via our website https://www.efficiencyhub.com.au/contact-us/.