Challenge: Identify gaps in digital strategy
The Faraway Tree is located in Charleville and sells handmade childrens clothes, books, games, toys and other items focussing on a nostalgic, old-school vibe through wooden toys and classic books. The venue additionally has a historic shed as a tourist attraction providing an extra drawcard for visitors.
Michelle sought out the Digital Solutions program to mainly undertake a health check of what I was currently doing to identify any gaps in my digital strategies as last year retail sales were significantly down compared to previous years.
Solution:
I was able to find that what I had already established was a solid foundation for my online presence. It was reassuring to know that retail was very slow generally, and I didn’t have any glaringly obvious issues in what I was currently doing.
I was able to streamline some of my online marketing, to make it simpler, quicker and more effective when using social media posts.
I was able to discover quite a few online shortcuts to make my planning easier.
While I haven’t found an increase in sales – I believe this is due to the current cost of living pressures having decreased in luxury purchases generally – I have definitely been able to save myself time, and to me that is as valuable as money as it allows me to spend time building other parts of my business.
“Excellent program, full value for time and money, and it can really open your eyes up to anything you might be missing.”
Michelle Ebsworth
I fully recommend this to anybody – if you can be brutally honest in what you hope to achieve then you should be paired with a great mentor who can help in many aspects of your business. Then, ask all of the questions during your sessions – even if they feel silly to you, it’s much better to ask and find the answer, than to wish you had later on.
