An online business rarely benefits from a bit of local trade. After all, you can be accessed by customers anywhere in the world – as long as you allow for international shipping. If you do, you open up your products to the entire global market, which is quite the successful move to make.
But you could also turn a very good profit by setting up a stall at local trade shows, fairs, and networking events. Not only does this open you up to other business contacts, but it puts your products front and center in a way the digital medium doesn’t allow.
And if customers can walk up, start up a conversation, and physically interact with a product before they buy, you could secure some loyal custom for life. As such, here’s why setting up pop up stalls as part of your sales campaign is actually quite a good idea.
You Get a Concentrated Amount of Custom
Setting up a pop up stall at a trade event means you come into contact with people in the mood to buy. You’re in the midst of a big shopping whirlpool, and you’re going to have hundreds of people passing back and forth right in front of your booth.
Not only does that expose you to various new future customers – who take note of your name and products – but it ensures you’ll get at least a handful of well paying visitors on the day itself. They’ve come to this event to find new traders to buy from, and you’re there right in front of them.
Now the only thing you have to do is try and stand out, and that’s easier to manage than you might think. Make sure your name is easy to read, even above the head of the crowd, and try to incorporate more dynamic visual effects into your display. Lighting and decor is always crucial, and you can come up with a brand display that’s easy to put up and take down again.
It’s Easier to Take Payment Than Ever
If you’re worried about how many people will be carrying cash, we’re here to tell you that you don’t have to be. Trade stalls can benefit from in-person card payments just like any other business, especially if you invest in a contactless card reader for your phone before you’re due to exhibit.
Having tech like this is convenient for both sides of the sale, but it’s also incredibly intuitive. You’re not held back by cash needs or maximum transaction amounts, and you don’t have to pay for a full POS system that has portable capability. You just need to link up a mini card reader to your phone and voila! You’re ready to take payment on time and with no fuss.
People Can Still Buy Online Too
The more trade events you do, the more chances you have for double profits. After all, you’re an online business that runs 24/7. That means your usual online traffic can still find you and buy from you even while you’re ‘not there’.
In one weekend you may get 50+ sales at the trade event, and when you check your phone at the end of the event, there’s 20+ new orders sitting in your inbox as well. Now that’s a profitable 48 hours!
It’s part of the reason the pop up hype has never quite died down. The more you can set up a stall like this, the more well known you become on the circuit, the more access you have to concentrated custom, and you can still run the website with no problem in the background too.
Should You Take on a Pop Up Stall?
We think it could be good for an online business like yours. Really, there’s a lot of benefits to exhibiting in person as well as running a digital business at the same time. It’s not just the ones listed above!
While you may have more travel costs to cope with, you can easily counteract these with the promise of this increased custom on the other side.
And you can choose to put up a stall at your own discretion. You can take on the events that you know would be good for you, while turning down the costs of exhibiting in places you’re unsure about.
Take your online business to the next level with a bit of in-person trading. Think about trying out a pop up stall when you next get the chance.
