As the world took to online shopping during the pandemic, the one industry that saw a steady increase in its growth, was the e-commerce pet supplies sector.
About 47% of pet owners said they increased their pet supply online purchases. 30% of them said they spent more on this sector in 2020, as compared to the 10% in 2019.
Well, to put it in even clearer numbers, this industry witnessed a turnover of $42 billion in 2020 alone, a 9.7% increase from 2019!
From what used to be walking into pet stores, we’re now buying daily supplies and accessories for our fur friends online.
In this episode of Content Kettle, our guest, Judith Mori, the founder of Paws Paws Miami, shares her experience about when and how she decided to take her pet supplies brand online.
About Paws Paws Miami
Paws Paws Miami is a brand for dogs, cats and piglets that want to step out in style and express their personalities. But Paws Paws Miami was not always an online store. Judith took her brand online during the pandemic and pivoted her model to hit success with her customers all over again!
This episode will have you wanting to take a step back, re-evaluate your business strategy and gear up for success with an approach no one talked about before.
Here are the key takeaways.
Running a business is like weaving a spider web
The scope of growth in any business, for that matter, is vast. There are literally so many ways one can grow.
Judith says she wanted to start an online store because of the huge market. She further adds the concept of e-commerce also seemed fun and exciting to her, and so she really wanted to get into it.
Along this journey, she continued weaving her own little web of research, implementation, evaluation – on loop, really.
She learnt about digital marketing, sales channels and funnels , built her own shopify store, among so many other things, while also staying true to the vision of Paws Paws Miami.
Do your research…and don’t stop
“Research”, says Judith, when asked about that one thing that is an absolute necessity to ace marketing.
And this research has to keep going. It can never stop. From keywords to pricing to product demands to sales channels to making the most of Google trends, it all adds up to your tiny little web. This research never really finds a ‘halt’ in entrepreneurship.
While doing your research, bear in mind this too – “What works for your competitor might not work for you.” So test it out and move on.
Research, test, modify – is the mantra
Your mindset while running a business plays a huge role in its success or failure. Always start with an open mind that is ever-ready to amend.
As you move forward in your entrepreneurship journey, you kind of forget the initial map that you designed. Not everything in your plan is going to work. When things don’t go your way, it’s obviously going to discourage you.
Always remember you’re building a web. Continue weaving it. Persist with perseverance.
However, do not block your journey by focussing on persisting or doing the same thing wrong over and over again. Instead, try until you fix it.
Test the new modification and see if it works. It’s a never-ending cycle, but an absolute necessity in running a business.
Don’t shy away from starting small
You don’t need to have a lot of products when you start. This is just an overhyped strategy, stresses Judith.
Less is more. Go step by step. Go little by little.
She mentions how when she first started off on Etsy, she included around 10 different types of products. She then analyzed what worked best and then further added multiple options of that same product and made it her star product.
It is easy to get overwhelmed by your competitors and try to incorporate everything they’re doing. But you don’t really have to. Draw your own curve.
Listen more about Judith’s take on picking the right sales channel, investing in traffic, how she re-strategized to change her approach to reach her market and match consumer needs, and how the brand sailed through the tough times without getting bumped to a corner, her two cents worth to budding companies and so much more in this episode here.
Content Kettle is our E-Commerce Special podcast. Starting an eCommerce business may have gotten easier. But taking your products to buyers is getting tougher by the day. In the age of rising competition and a digital-first take on consumer-brand relationships, what eCommerce marketing strategies really work? In this podcast, we talk to brand owners, marketers and eCommerce experts to help you reach ‘what works’, faster.
