I started my business in 2022 and sales were reasonable however it started to dip massively late last year to a point that no sale in Q4. Outsourced SEO, boosted speed, improved bounce rate, campaigns on social media. We deal in high end retail of old and rare whiskies so our clients are a bit ring fenced. also tried to launch sample boxes without subscription so as not tie customers in a payment prison, and also lower end range to lure customers to no avail. Not sure what is going wrong.
Topic summary
A whisky retailer specializing in high-end, rare bottles experienced reasonable sales after launching in 2022, but saw a dramatic decline in late 2023 with zero Q4 sales. Despite efforts to improve digital presence (SEO outsourcing, site speed optimization, reduced bounce rates, social media campaigns), sales haven’t recovered.
Attempted solutions that failed:
- Launching non-subscription sample boxes to avoid customer commitment concerns
- Introducing lower-end product range to attract broader customer base
Key advice offered:
- Verify SEO outsourcing quality, as poor execution is common
- Define core demographic more precisely given the luxury price point
- Explore partnerships with complementary brands
- Reconsider subscription model for recurring revenue
- Choose clear brand positioning: either high-end OR low-end, not both (mixing confuses target audiences)
- Evaluate social content quality honestly and prioritize video over static images
- Focus on community building and engagement with core customers
Status: Discussion remains open with no resolution yet. The business is still seeking solutions to reverse the sales decline.
Tough one, sorry to hear that. 2-3 years of sales is still very young, so chin-up. Sounds like you’re doing the right things in-terms of addressing your digital footprint (assuming that the company you outsourced did a good job - it’s possible that they didn’t optimize for you…we’ve seen that before). Have you tried to identify your core market? Presumably your products are $$$ and therefore you are already dealing with a very specific demographic. You’ll need to truly understand who you are selling to, why they would buy, and what the competitive landscape is. Have you tried any collaborations or partnerships with complementary brands? Subscriptions are a great way to ensure recurring revenue so I wouldn’t toss that one out yet, and re. high end rare whisky vs. low end you’ll need to decide who you want to be. No right answer there, but if you want to be high end, then don’t mix low end in there, you’re speaking to two very different customers. For your social campaigns, how is your content - be honest? Mediocre, Good, Great, Amazing? Stills or Video? Video is important. You need to engage with your core customers and build out from there. It’s all about your community. Good luck.