Establishing yourself in the e-commerce space can be intimidating, to say the least.
But your brand has so much to offer and an online company store is the perfect place to showcase how awesome it truly is.
In a study of Gen X, Gen Z, and Millennial consumers, 67% are now shopping more online than before the pandemic, and 91% admitted they’ll continue down this road of convenience. Share on X
Considering that Amazon is the top name we turn to for on-demand products shipped right to our homes, it’s safe to say that the landscape of online shopping has continued to shift since the pandemic. People are adding-to-cart and Apple-paying their way across the internet in record numbers.
As the online shopping trend shows no signs of slowing, now is the time to plant your flag in the world of branded online company stores. And good news – chances are your company swag store won’t need to carry everything from AAA batteries to Zumba gear (we’re looking at you, Amazon)!
From the initial spark of inspiration to the details of execution, we’ll navigate the twists and turns of creating a virtual store stocked with promotional products that reflect your company’s brand identity and get people talking.
Let’s get started, shall we?
Page Contents (Click To Jump)
What Is an Online Company Store?
An online company store is your business’ virtual branded merchandising hub. It’s a website where employees, customers, partners, and patrons can snag company-branded goodies like apparel, outerwear, accessories, and swag.
The purpose?
To make it easy for folks to get their hands on all things “YOU” branded.
While traditional company stores are the brick-and-mortar stores you can stroll into and peruse the shelves of logoed mugs, tees, and knickknacks of all shapes and sizes, online company stores are simply the digital pop-up store version of those storefronts. Shoppers can still find everything from everyday essentials to high-end items, but they can do it from the comfort of their sofa.
A custom online company store can also offer shoppers an even bigger smorgasbord of branded goodies than traditional storefronts. Why? Because you don’t have to keep a backroom full of inventory on hand at all times to keep the shelves stocked. And bonus! There are no set business hours with an online merch store since they’re accessible 24/7 from anywhere with just a smartphone and an internet connection.
Benefits of an Online Company Store
Sure, it takes some work, but there are definitely perks to having your very own online company store:
✅ Convenience
No more rushing to physical stores during their lunch break! With an online company store, your shoppers can add-to-cart whenever and wherever, whether they’re in their PJs at midnight or taking a break between meetings.
✅ Customization Heaven
Want your company swag to scream your brand’s personality? 80% of consumers are more likely to complete a purchase when they can customize their goods. Your online company store ensures personalization so your merchandise reflects your company culture to a tee (pun intended).
✅ Global Reach
Say goodbye to geographical limitations! With an online store, your company swag can reach employees or clients across the globe. From New York to Tokyo, your branded goodies can make a bold statement worldwide.
✅ Time Saver
Forget the hassle of managing inventory and processing orders manually. Online company stores automate these tedious tasks, freeing up your time to focus on more important things, like brainstorming the next big idea or perfecting your office ping pong game.
✅ Data Delight
Ever wondered which merchandise gets people buzzing? Online stores track purchasing trends and gather valuable data, helping you make informed decisions about future products and marketing strategies. It’s like having your own personal merch genie, but instead of granting wishes, it grants purchasing insights!
How to Set Up an Online Company Store
Time to roll up your sleeves and get your checklist ready. From selecting your company store platform to choosing the vendors and distributors for your company merchandise, we’ve got all the virtual company store solutions you’re looking for.
1. Define Your Objectives and Audience
Before diving into your branded store setup, take a beat to define your goals and ideal clients. Objectives are your big-picture goals – think boosting morale or increasing brand visibility. Your audience is who’ll be browsing – employees, customers, maybe both? Knowing these details upfront helps tailor your store for success.
2. Choose the Right E-commerce Platform
When setting up your online company store, picking the right e-commerce platform is key. Look for user-friendly options with scalability and features that fit your needs, like customization and analytics. It’ll make your shop setup and order fulfillment a breeze!
3. Design Your Store
Your online company store should be an extension of your business, complete with your logo and brand colors. Keep it clean, easy to navigate, and mobile-friendly. Use high-quality visuals to showcase your products. That way, your customers will have a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience!
4. Curate Your Product Selection
Always consider your audience when choosing product options. Offer a diverse selection, prioritize quality, and include customization options to keep things exciting. With a mix of classic and creative items, your virtual shelves will be packed with goodies everyone will love!
5. Set Up Payment and Shipping Solutions
When setting up your online company store, make paying and shipping a breeze. Offer various payment options like credit cards and PayPal, and ensure transparency with taxes and fees. For shipping, provide reliable and affordable options to get products to customers quickly. The easier the process, the happier your customers will be!
6. Implement Inventory Management
Implementing an inventory management system for your online company store is essential for keeping track of what’s in stock and when to restock. Use software to automate tracking and analyze past sales to predict future demand. Then, ensure smooth logistics to get your products to your customers efficiently. Stay organized and keep the goods moving!
7. Create Clear Store Policies
Creating clear store policies for your online company store is crucial for smooth operations. Clearly outline return/exchange procedures, shipping times, and accepted payment methods. It’s all about setting expectations and ensuring everyone knows the rules for a hassle-free shopping experience!
8. Market Your Online Company Store
Marketing your online company store is all about spreading the word and generating excitement. Use social media to showcase products, engage with your audience, and run contests. Email newsletters keep subscribers in the loop about promotions. Partnering with influencers can expand your reach, and SEO ensures your store is easily found online. Get creative!
9. Launch Your Store
Launching your online company store deserves a virtual grand opening party! Double-check that everything’s ready, drum up the anticipation on social media and through email, and hit that launch button to welcome eager shoppers to your store.
10. Monitor and Optimize
This step is essential for keeping your online company store running smoothly.
Keep an eye on key metrics like website traffic, conversion rates, and sales revenue to gauge performance, and use analytics tools or your dashboard to track them. Optimize by analyzing your best-selling products and adjusting your inventory or marketing strategies according to what’s hot and what’s not. Also, ensure a seamless user experience by regularly reviewing and tweaking the website layout and checkout process.
11. Security
Security is a crucial must-have! Protect your customers’ data on the back end and maintain PCI compliance for secure transactions.
The top cybersecurity experts recommend managers keep their software updated, apply encryptions, and invest in firewalls and antivirus software. Training your employees on best practices for staying safe online keeps them vigilant and secures your customers’ trust (and recurring business).
12. Customer Support
Offer multiple contact options like email, live chat, or toll-free number to make it easy for customers to reach you. Be prompt and friendly in responding to inquiries and proactive in reaching out to offer assistance. By being accessible, responsive, and friendly, you’ll keep customers coming back for more.
13. Engagement
Keep things interesting with fresh content like coupons, new product promos, giveaways, and behind-the-scenes peeks. Build relationships by interacting with customers on social media, showing appreciation for their support, and asking permission to use their content to promote your brand. Don’t forget to ask for customer feedback and use it to improve your store.
Best Online Company Stores
Check out a few examples of online company stores that are slaying the e-commerce game:
1. Swag.com
🏅 Best for: Onboarding new employees with all the company-branded gear they could need.
Time to take your branding game up a notch? Slide over to Swag.com to explore a ton of cool customizable goods that’ll make your brand pop!
Swag.com is a one-stop shop for all things branded merch and company swag. From custom t-shirts and tote bags to sleek tech gadgets and trendy drinkware, they’ve got it all. With easy customization options and top-notch quality, swag.com makes it a breeze to deck out your team or impress your clients with swag that speaks volumes about your brand.
❤️ Why we love this online company store: Whatever you can imagine your employees or clients wearing or using, swag.com has it and can customize it with your brand elements.
⭐️ Standout features:
- Extensive Product Range: With a diverse selection ranging from socks to Skullcandy, there’s something for every industry and branding need.
- Customization Options: Their easy-to-use customization tools allow users to personalize products, ensuring a unique and memorable touch.
- Quality Assurance: Swag.com prioritizes quality, ensuring that every product reflects well on the brand it represents and makes a lasting impression.
“The biggest value of Swag.com is the hundreds of hours that my team has saved in sourcing and producing our custom swag.” – Dan F.
2. Stadium
🏅 Best for: Taking your employee engagement and recognition programs to a totally new level.
Swing by the Stadium Shops to find out how they can help you knock your recognition and engagement records outta the park!
Here, you’re not just a shopper – you’re a designer, a curator of coolness, and a trendsetter in your own right. Elevate the look of your employee uniforms with sleek apparel and load your employee merchandise store with the flyest gear and accessories. And the best part? You get to put your own spin on it all!
❤️ Why we love this online company store: Buying in bulk is a breeze since you can control your inventory online and trigger shipments as needed.
⭐️ Standout features:
- Swag Locker: No need to add warehousing to the annual budget since Stadium offers inventory management and space to store your goods until you actually need them.
- DIY Shop Set-Up: Have your online company store up and running in no time with their user-friendly templates and simple set-up process.
- Built-In Analytics: Keep tabs on performance, inventory, and click rates, all in one platform.
“This is exactly what I have been looking to build for our employee’s swag and customer gifts!” – Audrey C.
3. Goody
🏅 Best for: Gifting of all shapes and sizes – employees, customers, potential clients, executives, milestones, retirement, recognition – the possibilities are endless!
Check out the crazy deep menu of gifts that Goody offers and snag the coolest goodies, gizmos, and gadgets to make your employee’s or client’s day a little more awesome!
From tasty teas and treats to wellness gifts everyone will love, Goody is your go-to destination for all things brilliantly branded. With a wide range of verified quality products, Goody is locked and loaded with anything you could want to offer your online visitors.
❤️ Why we love this online company store: Goody offers products that aren’t just items your shoppers will love for themselves, but also items that support the things they love like their pets and kids or supporting charities and value-based brands.
⭐️ Standout features:
- Pricing Based on Usage: Why pay for services or options you’re not using? Goody’s pricing scale considers your intended usage when offering monthly or annual payment plans.
- API Options: When partnering with Goody, you can design your online company store for sales or make it an intricate part of your employee recognition programs.
- Seamless HR Integration: Merge Goody with your HR Management platform and streamline your employee gifting process with automations.
“Our team has loved the option to swap the gift for anything they want. This is such a helpful feature when ordering for several team members.” – Rothy’s
Online Company Store Challenges & Overcoming Them
Of course, there will probably be a few hiccups when setting up your virtual venture. Whether it’s functionality or funding, being prepared for the unknown is the best business move you can make.
❗️Tech Gremlins
Setting up the back end of an online company store can be a bumpy road, especially if you’re not exactly a tech whiz.
- ✅ How to overcome it: Don’t panic! Take your time, maybe enlist the help of a tech-savvy friend, or hire a pro if you’re feeling fancy. There are also plenty of user-friendly e-commerce platforms out there that make the process a breeze, even for beginners.
❗️Inventory Woes
Figuring out what to stock on your virtual shelves can be a head-scratcher. Too much of one thing and you risk your goodies gathering dust. Too little, and your customers might feel like your store is too minimal and unprofessional.
- ✅ How to overcome it: Start small and scale up as you go. Pay attention to what sells like hotcakes and what collects cobwebs, then adjust your inventory accordingly. It’s all about finding that sweet spot.
❗️Design Dilemmas
Ah yes, the eternal struggle of making your online store look as snazzy as possible. From choosing the right colors and fonts to arranging your products in a way that’s pleasing to the eye, it can feel like a never-ending game of Tetris.
- ✅ How to overcome it: Keep it simple and consistent. Stick to your company’s brand colors and style, and don’t overcomplicate things. And hey, if design just isn’t your jam, there are plenty of creative pre-made templates out there that’ll have your store looking slick in no time.
❗️Marketing Mayhem
So, you’ve got your store all set up and looking fly – now what? Getting folks to actually visit and buy stuff can be a whole ‘nother beast.
- ✅ How to overcome it: Spread the word like wildfire! Use social media, email newsletters, heck, even good old-fashioned word of mouth to let people know your store exists. Offer special deals, gift cards, or discounts to entice folks to check it out, and don’t be afraid to get creative with your marketing efforts.
People Also Ask These Questions About Online Company Stores:
Q: What strategies can be used to effectively market an online company store?
- A: A few strategies that can be used to effectively market an online company store include social media posts, email campaigns, trade shows, influencer partnerships, and referral programs.
Q: How can companies measure the success of their online company store?
- A: Companies can measure the success of their online company store by tracking key metrics like website traffic, conversion rates, sales revenue, and customer feedback. Analyzing these factors offers direct insights into how well the store is performing and helps identify areas for improvement.
Q: What are common challenges faced when setting up and operating an online company store, and how can they be overcome?
- A: Some of the common challenges when setting up and operating an online company store are managing inventory, designing an engaging user experience, attracting customers, and handling technical issues. These challenges can be overcome by implementing effective inventory management systems, investing in user-friendly website design, implementing marketing strategies to drive traffic, and having technical support in place to address any issues asap.
Q: Can an online company store be integrated with existing company systems, such as HR and procurement?
- A: An online company store can be integrated with existing company systems, such as HR and procurement, easily simplifying processes like managing employee accounts and tracking purchases. These integrations make it easier to maintain consistency and efficiency across different departments and ensure that everyone has access to the same company swag and supplies.
Q: How does an online company store contribute to a company’s branding strategy?
- A: An online company store contributes to a company’s branding strategy by providing a centralized platform to showcase branded merchandise and materials. It helps reinforce brand identity among employees, customers, and partners by offering consistent and high-quality products that reflect the company’s values and image. Plus, it increases brand visibility as people sport company swag, spreading the word far and wide.
