What on earth does it mean to boost online sales with complementary products? I get it—it’s kind of a weird title. But there’s almost no other way to say it.
Let’s break it down.
The first part’s pretty straightforward, right? After all, increasing sales in your online store is a happy, HAPPY thing. Huzzah!!!
Complementary Products
What about the complementary part? Complementary products are essentially just taking one thing and offering a second item that your customers can use with it. You know, they just naturally go together–like peanut butter and jelly, spaghetti and meatballs, tea and biscuits, eggs and bacon…and yes, I am feeling a little hungry at the moment.
Shannon Bennett is the perfect example of having one product and adding a perfect complementary product to it. As she did this, her online sales began to skyrocket. She’s talking all about how she did it in this episode of the How to Sell Online podcast. Her story just may inspire you to find that perfect complementary product and boost your own online sales.
Shannon started her first business in SUCH a genius way. You see, she didn’t have a lot of cash to invest. As she put it, she needed to figure out how to make something to sell out of nothing.
The answer was right in front of her. What was it? Something that pretty much every parent of young kids is familiar with: broken crayons.
They were in pencil boxes and toy boxes and backpacks and in the silverware drawer, everywhere really. (Seriously—those things spread almost as fast as glitter!)
With a little heat and a very cool idea, she melted those broken bits down and molded them into one-of-a-kind, wildly colorful custom crayons.
Shannon posted them on Facebook, wondering if anyone might be interested in them. There was. And pretty soon, kids were asking for specialty shapes of her unique crayons.
In her town, she became known as “The Crayon Lady” and even began designing custom crayon molds for local businesses.
How Did Shannon Boost Online Sales?
Shannon wanted to figure out the best way to scale…and eventually, that meant coming up with a complementary product she could sell along with her crayons.
What she chose has pushed her business forward in ways she could never have mentioned. She has created a beautiful website, has a great social media presence, her customer base has grown so much that she shipped over 5,000 packages in just a matter of months—and she has crossed over 6 figures in sales.
Shannon’s interview on the podcast is not only inspirational, but it gives a perfect how-to when it comes to adding new products to your online store. You can and will learn so much just by listening to Shannon’s journey.
Top Ten Takeaways:
- Marketplaces are the perfect spot to test your products.
- You need to know how to sell before you begin to market.
- “If you sell milk, you need to sell cookies.”
- Talk to local service providers; small businesses make a big impact.
- Realize how valuable your time with family is.
- Fulfillment centers are fantastic…but may not be right for every product.
- Use multiple platforms to promote your product (look for the one the works best).
- Selling is about building relationships and enriching peoples’ lives.
- A business degree isn’t required, but passion is.
- Don’t wait for perfect or take too long in making a decision.
Additional Resources
Shop with Shannon: CreativeCrayonsWorkshop.com
Special Offer: Enter CanWinner at checkout to receive 40% off your purchase (limited-time offer; subject to expire)
Find Shannon on Social:
Facebook: @CreativeCrayonsWorkshop
Instagram: @creativecrayonsworkshop
TikTok: @creativecrayonsWorkshop
Connect with Alison:
Facebook: @alisonjprince
Instagram: @alisonjprince
Get your free ebook copy of Permission to Sell here.
Click here to learn about the 0-100K System and how you can launch and grow your own online business.
