Imagine if managing, and accessing branded company merchandise was as simple as shopping online for your favorite products. Instead of having to chase down approvals, deal with manual orders, or submit requests, all you’d need to do is load up a website and click a few buttons. That’s what you get with online company stores, such as those produced by SplashBrands.
For any company using branded merchandise to keep customers and employees engaged, custom online stores can be extremely useful. For employees, a digital platform makes it easy for anyone to order company apparel, office supplies, or even rewards for reaching performance goals.
Clients and customers benefit too. You can link them straight to your online store whenever you want to treat them to a loyalty gift, or make it easy for them to access promotional items from an event. Here’s your guide to online company stores, and the advantages they have to offer.
What Is a Custom Online Company Store?
An “online company store” is essentially a personal online shop for your business. Only, instead of focusing on selling merchandise to customers (like a traditional ecommerce store), this solution is built specifically for employees, partners, and a few crucial clients.
Just like a typical online store, these tools allow people to easily submit orders for products, customize the items they want, and even track deliveries. All the while, business leaders don’t have to deal with the hassle of hunting down approvals, or managing orders manually.
With a custom online company store, you’re in complete control too. You can customize the branding on the website pages, the products that employees and customers can choose from, and even the order process. Plus, since your store is directly to connected to a merchandise vendor (like SplashBrands), any orders issued are directly created (according to your specifications), and shipped without hassle.
In other words, custom company stores allow you to side-step the hassle of traditional “swag ordering” processes. There’s no need to track down vendors and compare prices, manage bulk orders, handle distribution, or even store excess inventory yourself.
Benefits of Having a Custom Online Store
In simple terms, custom online company stores minimize the headaches of managing branded merchandise manually. Employees and clients can order what they need, when they need it, without having to collaborate with someone in HR, or marketing.
Plus, you get to keep track of all of your branded products, and orders in one place, which is great for ensuring brand consistency, and minimizing risks. With online company stores, firms benefit from:
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Brand Consistency
Did you know that brand consistency can increase revenue by 10-20%? Alternatively, inconsistencies in your logo’s appearance, color palette, and various other factors can lead to lost customer trust. A custom online company store ensures that every piece of merchandise you distribute aligns with your established brand guidelines.
You get to implement strict rules on how your logo should be portrayed (from sizing to placement), to the colors that customers and employees can choose from. You can even ensure your merchandise aligns with your brand values, by prioritizing eco-conscious or sustainable goods.
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Convenience
Traditional methods of ordering company swag are usually time-consuming and cumbersome. Employees have to go through numerous approval workflows, team leaders need to navigate interactions with countless vendors, even clients have to connect with sales and marketing teams.
An online company store eliminates these issue, by allowing anyone approved by your company to order the merchandise they want directly. This reduces administrative burdens, and gives both your customers and your staff members a more streamlined, straightforward experience. That convenience can even improve your brand’s reputation, and help strengthen brand loyalty.
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Cost Efficiency
Creating a custom online company store with a company like SplashBrands can also save you money. You don’t have to pay a fortune for an ecommerce platform, or hire additional team members to manage your store. You can also take advantage of bulk pricing for the merchandise you want, meaning you cut the cost of each product you purchase.
Additionally, real-time inventory management minimizes the risk of over-ordering. On top of that, with a vendor like SplashBrands, there are no minimum orders, and no extra fees to pay suppliers and various different vendors. That means you can more easily keep on top of your budget.
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Improved Employee Engagement
Branded merchandise is a great way to show recognition and appreciation to your employees. But it isn’t always easy to identify the exact items your staff members will value most. An online company store gives you the option to allow team members to choose their own rewards and gifts.
That means team members can order supplies, apparel, and gifts that resonate with their personal needs and preferences. Over time, this can lead to higher levels of engagement and morale among your team members, as well as a stronger sense of belonging.
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Streamlined Gifting for Clients and Events
Distributing branded merchandise to important customers can be an excellent way to strengthen their relationship with your company. However, it’s easy to run out of promotional items to give away at a conference, or grapple with the challenges of figuring out which reward to give a VIP.
An online store simplifies the process, allowing clients to order products they might have missed out on when they were late to arrive at your event booth, or choose a custom reward. This fosters further engagement with your brand, and can lead to more loyal clients in the long-term.
Examples of Businesses Using Custom Company Stores Effectively
Plenty of growing companies have discovered the benefits of building their own online company store with the help of SplashBrands. Many of these organizations use these stores not only to distribute branded merchandise among team members, but to boost revenue and reward customers.
For instance, Enhabit Gear built a custom store where volunteers, clients, and employees can order custom apparel in just a couple of clicks. They’ve even created a collection of branded duffle bags, drinkware options, and technology gadgets for team members.
Rehab Vision’s company store makes it easy for staff members to order the gear they need, such as t-shirts featuring company logos, and office equipment. Fitleaders has even expanded its portfolio of branded products with a range of luxury items from brands like Nike and Carhartt.
How to Set Up a Custom Online Store
Setting up a custom online store doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right partner, you can create a fully-branded digital experience in no-time. All you need to do is:
- Choose a Merchandise Provider: Pick a reputable merchandise manufacturer like SplashBrands to help you create your custom product. Make sure your chosen vendor offers a wide range of high-quality products to choose from. For instance, SplashBrands offers access to more than 1,000 customizable products, with no minimum order quantities.
- Choose your Products and Branding Options: Select the products you want to list on your custom store, and add your unique branded elements. You can customize your products with your logo (in a range of sizes), add your own custom color palettes, and even introduce slogans and taglines into the mix.
- Integrate your Store into Your Business: Finally, integrate your company store with your internal processes. SplashBrands provides comprehensive tools for setting up buying groups with separate invoices, order approval workflows for simple automation, and branded gift certificates for reward programs. By aligning the store with existing reward programs and employee recognition initiatives, you create a seamless experience for everyone.
SplashBrands makes it quick, simple, and convenient for any business to set up the perfect online company store. Simply reach out to our team and request a “test drive” of our platform. From there, you can submit your brand information, and our experts will create a custom store tailored to your specific preferences.
Once your store is fully operational, you maintain complete control through a user-friendly backend. The platform offers tools for managing user groups, advertisements, messaging, and product launches. Additionally, a reporting dashboard provides all the metrics and insights you need to monitor the store’s performance.
Elevate Your Brand with a Custom Online Store
Online company stores are an excellent tool for businesses that need help managing and distributing branded swag. With a custom store from SplashBrands, you’ll be able to make your merchandise more accessible, your processes more efficient, and your brand more consistent. Plus, you’ll benefit from more engaged employees and clients.
Make it easier for the people that matter most to your company to access your branded merchandise. Contact SplashBrands today, and give your employees, clients, and partners an easy, engaging way to connect with your brand.
Request a test drive with SplashBrands to discover how a branded online store can transform the way you manage your company’s merchandise.