18 June 2020

Nextra Ellenbrook sees the silver lining during COVID-19

Husband and wife team Marilyn and Darren own the Nextra Ellenbrook Kiosk and Newsagency and were quick to adapt during COVID-19.

Marilyn says this time has provided an opportunity for them to try new things and experiment with a store website to promote their giftware, which has paid off.

“I was disappointed we weren’t making more sales through the website. Then we realised people were using it to browse first, and then visiting us to purchase. It was actually bringing more customers in-store!” she said.

How did they do it?

“Firstly, we researched how other stores like Myer, Kmart, gift stores and our wholesalers set up their web pages, and paid attention to the look, and how well the site flowed,” Marilyn said.

“Once we knew what we liked, we then chose a platform that would work with our point of sale (POS), was easy to use, sent e-newsletters, and posted directly onto our social media channels. We now advertise on Snapchat and love this function!

“Our POS provider helped us integrate the website. Soon products will be directly uploaded to the website and prices will be updated automatically, so I won’t need to do it manually.”

Marylin says take the dive! Setting up a website can be overwhelming, but everyone needs to start somewhere.

Marilyn’s advice

  • Do lots of research on how a website works and how it integrates into your POS
  • Ensure your POS is set up with the correct structure
  • Create a story board and think about what you want your website to look like
  • Plan how your site will flow so that it’s easy for your customers to use

Nextra Ellenbrook blog insert