Defining Your Brand Identity: Communicating Your Vision and Values

 Welcome to the Inspired Brew, a podcast for small businesses crafted with intention for coaches and creatives alike. I’m Ingrid, your host and resident brand and web designer. In each episode, I’ll bring you insights, tips, and tricks to help you grow your business and achieve your goals. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re looking into taking your business to the next level.

I got you covered, so grab your favorite brew Sit back, and let’s get inspired. 

Hello, and welcome to another episode of the inspired brew. I’m Ingrid your host and Showit expert in today’s theme is actually going to be very fitting to that because I’m going over all about the power of e-commerce would show it. For those that don’t know, that’s my expertise I love monetizing websites. And you can ask the Showit team about me. I specialize in creating shops and memberships inside of Showit websites, which means I like to flex the platform as much as possible to achieve some really amazing things. So really when we think about this new everybody’s selling online kind of world, Isn’t it amazing how it just keeps evolving just the other day. I was going back into my archives and reflecting on how e-commerce has transformed the way that we as creatives do business. Honestly, we have so many doors open and I hear a lot of opinions, a lot of fears around it, a lot of excitement around it. And that’s precisely what I want to chat about today. The magic and the potential of having your shop opening up e-commerce with your Showit website. And some of these things will apply platform agnostically, so you can absolutely be on anything else. Wix Squarespace WordPress, but obviously I will be able to be your little Showit fairy here because that’s my expertise. So why even having your shop in there why, it might feel like home actually for you. So for those that need a little bit of insight. What is Showit it’s like a blank canvas where you can really, just paint your dreams and have no boundaries. This means that if you have used anything like Adobe Photoshop, illustrator, Adobe XD, or you have used Canva where you have this plain background and you can go crazy and do whatever you want. That is basically Showit. That’s what a Showit website offers. It’s like having this white space that is open for you to build your house, your online house. It’s like having really a powerful tool that is very flexible, but at the same time, you can always start with a base to make it truly yours and showcase your brand showcase your offers in the most creative way. So the first part is that for us that are in Showit, we have everything inside of our websites, right? There is the WordPress side of things, which carries our blog, and we use that for shops. we can also not have a blog and not have that part and still run an e-commerce shop. For those that are kinda new around here or have never read my website before. I am a Shopify partner. So yes, I absolutely love Shopify and I actually use other platforms as well, like Thrivecart it’s really about what’s going to work for you. So let’s break that down. I find myself coming back in to show it with a shop integration. So either adding Shopify starter buttons in there, or adding a Thrivecart button or adding a SendOwl code or even doing wooCommerce, because that is my thing. Woocommerce is the one that I will always recommend, but there are circumstances where I would say start somewhere else and then build a shop that’s going to grow with that. I have seen some of my clients do really well without WooCommerce and staying with something that’s going to be more manual and still keep growing.

But for those that prefer automation and want to see their shop grow with a lot of products. And when I say a lot of products, I do have a couple of clients that have over 200 products. So those would benefit better from what commerce, but I’ll touch on that in a second. Now that we know that if you have a Showit site, you can absolutely stay on it. And if you don’t have one. You can still benefit from some of the things that I will be talking about. In terms of having that shop inside of your site, instead of just. Pushing it into a third party because they know that is something that feels easy. Just open up a creative market piece or just open up a Zazzle store. It’s okay. And it’s a great avenue to still have something else. But it’s never going to be truly yours and you will never really have the ownership that you would have if you just launch it on your own website. Basically your shop, your rules. So I remember that one of my mentees, we were going over her online shops. She was ready to launch, but, she had just all the products and no real store set up. There were so many options and we explore Showit because that’s what she had already built her website on. So it was a little bit of a moment of let me pour my nerd brain on you. And let’s see if that is an option that you want to pursue. And it was an obviously. The whole point was about bringing that tech solution to the table. But it ended up being the right solution because she realized that staying in her own website allowed her to not only sell her products. But actually create an experience. It always goes beyond just speaking. The tech, which I’ll expand in a moment, but basically. It’s not about the platform for your shop. It is about how you are using it. So whether you’re thinking of integrating Thrivecart or Shopify or exploring the nuances of WooCommerce, It’s the journey that will bring you those sales, that part resonates with your audience. That is the money maker. So a cohesive brand journey. When you are being super strategic about how you are creating those pages from the front page of the shop, to the product pages. It makes all the difference. So imagine walking into a boutique anywhere that you love and decore just speaks to you, the music feels right and you walk in and even they have a scent to it. That kind of experience is what you want to create online. Obviously, yes, we have some limitations. We still can’t smell things through the internet, which I think it’s actually a really good thing. But we are creating an experience for them. So this is regardless of what platform you’re in, our brains, love consistency. A study reveals that we have this discomfort when we are faced with inconsistency and it’s called cognitive dissonance. In the e-commerce world, it translates to a potential customer just feeling iffy, uneasy. And when there’s that disconnect between the main site chop, but the main site pages and your shop. We are losing a sale. If you ensure that your brand experience. Feels right from the beginning to the end. So you’re not just having a website and moving them on to somewhere else. You’re actually delivering the same experience from top to bottom. You’re not just making your site aesthetically pleasing, which it’s always a good thing, but you’re tapping into the very psychology of your visitors and making those sales happen.

So when every element, the color schemes, the typography. When they speak to the same brand story, no matter what page they’re on your visitors are more likely to trust your brand. And trust is a foundation of conversions. Consistency, is key. We all say it, but I like to always tap into the psychological part of why. So crafting a journey, not only to resonate with them and provide them with the. Experience that we want. It creates that trust in there. And it’s not just a nice to have. It’s a really strategic move. For more sales. So when it comes to setting up the technical part of your shop, if we’re talking about Showit, there’s not a one size fits all. The beauty of show is that it’s super flexible. So it allows us to choose the e-commerce path that aligns best with our current business needs. Let’s face it, different seasons require different things. So I’m going to go over some popular options for you. I’m going to cover WooCommerce thrive card Shopify starter with embedded buttons and sent owl. These are the ones that I have seen used the most by show it users. But if you have questions about any others, feel free to send me a DM over Instagram. Let’s start with Woocommerce is because that is my favorite of all. I feel like it is great for those that are starting and also those that have a really well established shop already. Actually one of our clients, Jen Wagner, she moved from Shopify, a full Shopify store into Woocommerce with Showit and she saw double her conversions. So I can tell you, even though I do love Shopify for pure e-commerce shops. It’s all into design and the experience that we’re providing, that’s where the sales happens. Woocommerce is often. Called one of the most customizable pieces. And it is because everything needs to be customized. It’s not a, just open it up out of the box and it’s there. Like he did works. But it will look very Woocommerce with their stuff. You need to customize it to make it truly yours, but it seamlessly integrates with show it. And yes, I’m biased. I love it. I have course on it, but if you are familiar with your blog area, which is the WordPress side of things, integrating show it with WooCommerce can be a great solution for you. It’s really perfect for those that want a full fledged shop with extensive features. Like inventory management or checkout options. This is one that I would absolutely recommend checking out.

Thrivecart is another one that I absolutely love. And I use for my courses and some other digital products that I have. So if you’re looking for something that’s going to be robust, but very straightforward. So you have less customization options on some details. This is a straightforward checkout solution.

Please note, this is not a cart. This is a straight up checkout. You are not adding things to the card you’re going straight from. Oh, I like this. I pay for it. And now I have it. So if you want that thrive card might be your best bet. When we are comparing thrive card Shopify or a credit card will commerce. You have to consider the simplicity of the checkout process, how you want that to be handled. And it’s super powerful, especially because it does have affiliate management already built in. Which is a really nice thing. And embedding a thrive card piece into show. It is very easy and it can stream line your process because you just embed the actual checkout for payment, or you can even add a button that pops out. If you’re selling high ticket items, courses, programs, or any other big checkout now offer. Thrivecart is one that you might want to consider. Now Shopify Starter embed buttons. These are great. If you’re not ready for a full blown shop, although no worries. I’ve seen that work. Extremely well. For a big shops, but it is a manual process with Shopify starter. You can embed buy buttons directly into your show at site. It’s a great option for those that are just starting out, because you have typically a limited product range when you’re on that starting season. And it does offer the reliability and security of Shopify, which is always a plus. And you don’t need to really set up more on the front of your show at area. You’re literally just embedding and letting the cart system work for you. So this is one of the most. Simple and friendlier options. If you want to add a cart system and to show it.

The other one is SendOwl so if you are into the digital product space, I SendOwl can be what you’re looking for. This one, I make the emphasis. It’s just for digital products. That is where its strengths are. From selling eBooks to online courses and products that require licensing. Adding it to Showit. It is super easy. Just like with the Shopify started buttons. You simply add the SendOwl code and you have your little embed box and you’re good to go. It has out on features. Like I mentioned, with the license keys and affiliate management. Among other little pieces in there, it’s definitely worth it. Peak for those that are in the digital creation business. So the choice of your platform should resonate with your brand ethos and your business goals. That’s the end of it. There is no. Oh, this one is better. That one is better for this. There are some strengths to each one, but the one that aligns the best of, with the season of business that you’re in and the way that you work, that is the one that you will reap the benefits of. So whether you’re leaning towards a comprehensive feature, Full like Woocommerce or something. Super simple. Shopify started buttons. The process. Always will rely on prioritizing your audiences experience. After all. Happy customer is a returning customer and that’s what we want. So with every website that I craft, I always take a moment to step into the shoes of the visitor. That is how we tend to, or try to get the best experience in planning and strategy before we actually started designing. What would captivate me? What would make me explore more? What will make me happy to spend more? With show it. We have the tools to craft the perfect journey because we have every single thing be customizable. On the backend of the editor from the shop landing page design to the checkout, it’s about making the audience feel valued and understood. We want to give them. What they need and want at their fingertips. We don’t want extra clicks. We don’t want to make things hard. The path of least resistance is what’s going to make your shop really valuable and really successful. So as a little designer insight. It’s not just about the aesthetics. And I know I said it I’m a designer, but it’s not. It’s about having the right offers. If you need help with that, take a look at other episodes because my Offer Synergy course is out there. And weaving the intentional selling points. So you do need to be very mindful of where you are, positioning your calls to action, your bite buttons. How are you moving people from the front pages to the actual shop pages? So when you understand your audience’s desires and their pain points, You can tailor your shop to resonate, deeply creating that connection that goes beyond a simple transaction. This is what makes a loyal customer, which again is what we want. There is this stat out there that it is seven times cheaper to retain a customer than to get a new one. And it’s not a new thing that is something very important that we need to consider. We are not just looking to bring in the next new customer, but if the people that already trust us and that have invested in us, continue to look at our offers and continue to come back. Why would we not consider their experience to make it even better and really grow that trust with them? Because obviously a happy customer will also be talking about us and our offers and how happy they are with their products, which can. In turn, bring in more new sales, e-commerce. It’s more than just a trend it’s happening. We’re all building it in some way, shape or form. It’s very rare that this day and age, we just offer some kind of service. Sometimes with the services that we offer, we create pieces. During our process that can actually be sold. And now you have something in there that’s just collecting dust. And could potentially be used to create passive income.

Think about your shop is more than just having a page with collection of your products. When you are building this new face of it, when you are building that shop inside. That is where the magic starts to happen, because you can see how is this going to serve me as the creator. How am I going to serve my audience? By bringing them more. And you control the narrative. You are creating that story. That’s going to connect with your audience. And in turn. Make them want to purchase your offers. So think about how your products are going to fit into their needs. Why are they here on your website? Why do they need to buy from you right now? That is something that again, can be applied to any website, not just a show, a website. This is just basic storytelling, customer experience, user experience, type of insight. This is of course, a brief overview, but such an important one for when you’re building your shop. Because I feel like a lot of people get stuck on. The tech side and sometimes. That actually produces. A little bit of anxiety that keeps them. Just completely still, they’re not moving. They’re not creating, they’re not putting anything out there and they just delay their launches because they feel like they have to pick the right one right from the start and they can’t change. And yes, I absolutely understand it is an investment when we are putting in our time, tears, blood and money into building something. We want to make the right investment in the right decision.

I particularly always live my life, personal and business through the idea that I need to do it right once, versus having to do it twice because I did it wrong the first time. so I prefer to do things slowly and right. But I’m also very impulsive. At the same time. What I’ve seen when the client is and what I’ve seen through the years of building shops, people get scarred and they delay their launches. They don’t put anything out there. They’re not testing the markets. They’re not even asking their potential audience. Hey, would you like this? And just starting small, for example, if you want to test the waters and see, oh, how would this product. Perform in the market. Choosing something like Shopify starter buttons. That’s $5 a month. You could do a three-month test and then decide, okay, this is actually selling really well. I want to invest in a better experience so you can absolutely start at different stages and move forward with something better. WooCommerce is absolutely free, but it will take code and to really style it and to customize it into what you need. If you want to deep dive into that, want to do it yourself. I have a course for that. If you want a professional to do it, I can absolutely do that for you. But in terms of how can you just start. You have multiple options with different levels of investment that will allow you to test your audience and your market and see where this is going so that you can refine your customer experience for your shop and really put out there. What’s going to beat the best compelling option. So that we are building something that is conversion oriented and you know that I can be very nerdy about everything conversion because there are so many different points that a lot of people just tend to skip over. But in terms of shops in e-commerce. It is so powerful. And for us that our own show it, we have a lot of options to integrate in here. It is funny when I hear someone say, oh I like it, but it doesn’t have e-commerce capabilities. So maybe I just need to go somewhere else because they have that already embedded in there. And I get it. One and done sometimes it’s really nice, but I also like the openness and the flexibility that I have. Because not everybody needs the same things. So there’s no cookie cutter over here. The synergy between show it and purpose for us means that we have a lot of design possibilities. Pretty much endless with a lot of what works for WordPress, which is one of the biggest platforms out there. Hopefully, this gives you some insight and some thoughts for your own passive income e-commerce situation. If you are on the fence of starting or you have been dilly dialing trying to decide on the best tech to use. I always have different resources for you on my blog, on my done for you services. I have courses. I want to make sure that you just at least take a deep dive into why am I stopping and how can I make the best out of it? If you already have your website on show it, I have a lot of resources for you. If you are in another platform, that’s totally okay. Take your journey. The one that you have been presenting to your people in your audience and whether it has been making you money in your service area. And now that you are starting that shop. Make sure that journey is continued. You want that trust factor to continue with your new customers because they are at different stages that the people that you serve one-on-one and that’s okay. But we want to reap the benefits of a well done brand journey on your website. And that does include your shop in product page.

Thank you so much for listening to my very nerdy two cents, all about eCommerce with Showit, because that is my thing. That is what I want to make sure that I can help you with and pour all of my knowledge. And all of the things that I see happening with my own clients day in and day out. So that you can take the best decisions and simply move forward. That is the whole point about the inspire brew. I want to make sure that every episode that I put out there helps you in the season of business that you’re in and make the most out of your brand and your resources. I’ll see you in the next episode.