Today, there are various business types that people who want to start a business can choose. Gone are the days when companies were only limited to specific industries. Now, you can create a business out of your interests, hobbies, and preferences.
One of the business types that have become popular over the last decade is furniture shops and home-use products. In 2023, almost every home product has many businesses offering them exclusively. You can now find a shop for the home item you’re looking for, from carpets to bedsheets.
The thing is, it’s hard to market and position a business that offers exclusive products and services, like carpets. Of course, every business comes with its set of challenges. But for “exclusive” businesses like a carpet shop, it’s essential to make a plan to help you strive. In this post, let’s look at some tips to construct an effective strategy for an online carpet business.
1 – Determine the uses and functionality of a carpet
First, let’s start with understanding your business ‘why.’ Every product on the market has a purpose. However, not everyone recognises and sees an item’s purpose–hence they don’t think they need it. As you make a business strategy for your online carpet shop, you must first identify the uses and functionality of your product.
Knowing the uses of your business asset will help you formulate better marketing strategies that align with your product. Also, it will be easier for you to appeal to your target market and help them see why they need to purchase one.
2 – Identify your target market
I just mentioned that knowing your “why” will help you appeal to your target market. And as we know, every business has a specific audience. If you don’t know who your target audience is, it can be hard to be consistent with your branding. As a result, your taglines and messaging won’t have a specific audience to reach.
Today, you can classify homeowners into their life stages or generations instead of generalising them as one. If you’re planning to design carpets that have minimalist designs, maybe the best audience for you is millennials. Since many people in their 30s are now living in studio apartments, they can be a great target audience.
3 – Be clear with your business’ branding
Once you identify who your target audience is, it’s now time to determine your business’ branding. You must know your target audience because it’s easier to determine the branding you want once you know. And as you work on your plan, it’s helpful to be clear with what branding you like.
Today, many small and starting businesses position their brands professionally, targeting young adults. After all, they’re one of the leading customers online. Since people are after quality and affordability today, branding your business in a professional yet approachable manner is one of the best ways. But again, that would depend on your preference and target audience.
4 – Focus and highlight what makes your carpets different and a must-buy
As you make your plan, it’s essential that you already know what makes your carpet business different from the rest. If you already know it, it’s best to focus on and highlight it as you make your business and marketing propositions. Why? So you’ll be consistent and specific with your branding.
You must align your branding with what makes your business unique from your competitors. That way, you won’t lose sight of your business identity while you tweak and refine it to meet your branding standards. Also, it will be easier for your target market to identify and recognise your brand if you focus on what makes you unique.
5 – Think of ways you can share your brand’s transparency and sustainability
One of the things many consumers look for today in a business is transparency. Aside from that, people also value sustainability as their way of showing appreciation and respect for the environment. If you think your brand is not as sustainable as many people would like, it’s best to be transparent with what you’re offering.
I’m not saying you should bring your business down by admitting that your products are not as sustainable as others. Instead, you should not lead your target audience into believing your products use organic materials. You can rebrand that by saying your carpets can last for years because of the materials you use. You can also highlight that your mats are not disposable and could survive for as long as a customer takes care of them.
6 – Research and look into the success and down stories of other carpet businesses
Experience is indeed the best teacher if you choose to learn from it. But you can also look at other people’s experiences to discover what to do or what you shouldn’t. You can start by researching and looking into other carpet businesses’ success and failure stories.
You don’t have to have a role model or inspiration in the carpet industry to do this. Simply research how leading carpet businesses and manufacturers still thrive today. If you can’t find any articles or stories about other carpet businesses, you can look into furniture businesses instead. Use their experience to develop better ways of managing your business and avoid potential risks.
7 – Review and refine your plan once you finish
Once you’ve finished your plan, it’s time to review and refine it. I know that if you work hard on something, you can tend to think that it no longer has anything to improve. But, like all things in life, everything has room for improvement.
It’s also better to ask someone you trust who doesn’t have biases to review your plan. That way, you’ll have suggestions and opinions from someone with a different perspective. You don’t have to incorporate them if you disagree with their recommendations. But the point is, at least you can also consider other people’s opinions you haven’t thought of before.
A well-thought-out plan increases your business success.
Behind every successful business is a hardworking team that executes strategic business plans and strategies. You’re wrong if you think working on an agenda for your carpet business is useless. Because, like everything in life, planning and calculating your possible risks and successes could get you ahead. With these seven simple tips, you can start building your carpet business into a success.
About the author:
Bianca Banda is a writer for Williams Bros Ltd., a one-stop flooring shop specialist in Manchester known for its high-quality vinyl, carpets, blinds, and Karndean products and services.