Ever wanted to get away from your hectic, monotonous life and take a break? Most of us (if not all) will answer yes to this question. Slowly but surely, people are starting to realize that they need a distraction or a hobby to keep them sane with this hectic lifestyle. Who wouldn’t wanna spend the weekend camping at some quaint & cozy patch of greenery or kayaking or maybe something else entirely?
Each day more & more people act upon this realization and take up something they really enjoy. For many people, it is some kind of outdoor sports. The takeaway? The outdoor sports industry is booming at a rate never seen before! If you intend to put your money in an Outdoor Sports eCommerce Store then, this is the time.
Outdoor sports is one of the industries which has offered a promising market right from the beginning. Unlike the other sectors, Outdoor Sports never really goes out of trend; some may even call it an Evergreen Sector. As of now, outdoor sport is one of the fastest booming markets out there. With social media exploding with feeds relating to outdoor exploration, the demand for outdoor sports seems to be at an all-time high.
Some of the significant outdoor sports that are popular today include hiking, camping, fishing, kayaking, etc. If you are active on social media, you might have noticed how often you stumble upon a photo/video of a friend snorkeling or river rafting and so on.
Why Sell Outdoor Sports Gear Online?
Millennials don’t want to spend their whole life scrolling through their phones, watching the adventurous life of others anymore; they want to be a part of it. And every day more and more people take a step towards this adventurous life. Some take up hiking and camping, while others get into kayaking or fishing or rock climbing or even sky-diving depending on their taste. The fact that the number of people participating in Camping has grown by a million in one year is proof of this. In the US, there are 75 million active campers out there; of this, 38% are millennials. The long-term growth potential of the outdoor sports industry is undeniable.
42.1 million Americans were reported to have gone backpacking last year alone!
What makes the outdoor sports industry stand out from the rest is that all outdoor activities need specialized clothing and gear. You can’t take your old running shoes on a trek where you know you’ll encounter rivers or streams. You’d need trekking boots for the task, and you’ll also need every other accessory to go with it, like a tent, trekking bag, trekking jacket, and so on.
How to Start Your Outdoor Sports eCommerce Store?
The key to running a successful eCommerce store is to have a business-centric approach to it. Always choose the best strategy for “your business”, from picking your eCommerce platform to marketing. A business-centric approach ensures a high functionality of your eCommerce store.
Some of the best platforms preferred for an outdoor sports eCommerce store are -
- Magento
- WooCommerce
- Shopify
They offer many plugins and aesthetic themes that blend well with an outdoor sports store. Choosing a certified eCommerce developer who can adapt to the specific needs of your eCommerce store is paramount in creating a well functional eCommerce website.
Choosing The Products to Sell on Your Outdoor Sports eCommerce Store
The products you sell on your outdoor sports eCommerce store will ultimately will make or break your website’s success. When it comes to an outdoor sports eCommerce store, it is imperative that you sell quality products to your customers.
Imagine a customer buying a new pair of trekking shoes only to find it got damaged midway through the trek. It’d devastate the customer, and it’s unlikely he’ll buy from your eCommerce store again. Quality of product is of paramount importance for outdoor sports gear.
The customers looking for outdoor sports gear want quality products from reliable brands at a reasonable price. Customers are looking for products that give them value for money and excellent functionality. Customers often opt for mid-value outdoor sports gear. This will provide them reliable products without burning a hole in their pockets.
One thing you need to keep in mind is that unless you have a big team & a massive budget to support yourself, it is always better to start small & specialize in a category. You can always expand your product catalog as your business grows bigger.
Additionally, opting for an eco-friendly approach to your outdoor sports business can have a positive effect on it. A reason for this is the customer persona you are targeting when it comes to an outdoor sports store. Any person who enjoys outdoor activities is bound to feel better for using anything eco-friendly.
Apart from camping, fishing, and kayaking hunting is also one of the major outdoor activities in the US. According to a survey, 29% of firearms customers report having already purchased a firearm online. And 58% are willing to consider purchasing one online. But, unlike the other outdoor gears, firearms have strict regulations for its online trade.
Drop Shipping
Drop Shipping is a supply method that allows the product to be shipped from the manufacturer/wholesaler to the customer. This means the retailer/online store does not have to keep a stock. All they have to do is transfer the customer orders and shipment details to the manufacturer/wholesaler.
Drop Shipping is especially useful when it comes to outdoor sports stores. One of the reasons being bulky outdoor gear and camping equipment are quite challenging to store.
Many outdoor sports include heavy and often bulky gears, let it be kayaking, camping, or even rock climbing. Implementing Drop Shipping on your online outdoor sports store would avoid a great deal of hassle. It'll also save you a great deal of time and effort, which you could apply somewhere else.
How to Market Your Outdoor Sports eCommerce Store?
Outdoor sport is a segment that can be pretty much marketed on all digital platforms. It is especially true for mainstream social media platforms like Instagram & Twitter.
Outdoor sports are physically demanding, and hence you can't target every age group. Your prime target audience should be the youth. Millennials & Generation Z are the perfect audience for marketing your outdoor sports eCommerce store. This makes social media the ultimate tool to reach your prime targets
Make use of influencers to market your products and use the right content for marketing them. Videos, which include real-life stories or documentaries showcasing adventurous expeditions, are effective ways to drive traffic to your outdoor sports eCommerce store.
We often come across breathtaking rustic pictures on platforms like Instagram. And we have no choice but to swipe for the next image because it’s so captivating. Pictures from influencers who have proven their credibility through their work are bound to have a positive effect on the customer.
Using location data to target customers could be a game-changer for an outdoor sports store. This will help to provide a relevant, personalized experience to every customer. Segmentation involves bringing the relevant products to each user. Make sure that you don't bombard the customer with an array of products that may or may not be relevant to him/her.
Optimize Your Outdoor Sports eCommerce Store for Maximum Revenue With CRO-HD
Conversion Rate Optimization or CRO is a data-driven discipline to increase the percentage of users who perform any desired action on a website. For a conventional CRO process, the desired action is almost always making a purchase.
Traditional CRO only focuses on conversion and doesn’t necessarily lift the revenue of the eCommerce store. What you need is a CRO process that boosts your eCommerce Revenue without adding another $0.01 to your marketing spend.
With this goal in mind, Virtina developed the most comprehensive, Data-Driven CRO approach tailored for eCommerce sites. We call this CRO-HD or Holistic, Data-Driven Commerce Revenue Optimization.
We have expanded the very definition of CRO to Commerce Revenue Optimization.
A Holistic, Data-Driven Approach that achieves the Maximum Revenue & Profits while providing a memorable User Experience!
CRO-HD not only optimizes your outdoor sports eCommerce store for high conversion but also ensures revenue lift.
A well-implemented eCommerce CRO-HD process would have a positive effect on all visitor/customer types. It is irrespective of the type of acquisition (Organic or Paid) OR degree of customer affinity (One time, Repeat or Loyal) OR method of acquisition (Content or Paid media) or sources (Search Engines or Social Media Channels)
Expert Questions
What is the downside of using drop shipping in an outdoor sports eCommerce store?
Outdoor sports gear are often stressed to their limit, how can we ensure that the product meets the customer’s expectation?
How can we make sure that the products are apt for the specific needs of the customer other than using a long descriptive explanation?
What are some of the practical methods that can be implemented to ensure customer loyalty for an outdoor store eCommerce store?
Virtina can help you to increase your revenue, improve profit and enhance customer experience.
