Treat Your Business as a Boutique Experience by Gihan Perera

I recent podcast episode from the Wharton Business School was an interview with George Taber, author of the book "In Search of Bacchus: Wanderings in the Wonderful World of Wine Tourism". Nice work if you can get it, right?

One of the points he made in the interview was tourism is no longer just a novelty for many small wineries; it's a significant part of their business. He says:

"The tourism is key because the producers can sell directly to the consumer who comes in off the street. That is especially important for the small wineries, which often have great difficulty getting into the regular distribution channels."

It struck me that this is the perfect analogy for many small business owners who start marketing on-line.

For example, I see too many people who want "to be #1 on Google" for some ridiculously broad and expensive keyword phrase. If you do that, you're competing with the big boys, who have deep pockets and huge networks. Instead, be like a boutique winery, which offers a very different experience from the large liquor outlets.

If you've published a book, for example, don't go head-to-head with Amazon.com - that's a way to guarantee failure! Instead, offer things that Amazon.com doesn't offer, in a different environment, for a different experience.

So what does this mean in practice? Glad you asked... Here are five things you can do to position yourself as a boutique service.

1. Show your face.

When you ask to see the manager at your local liquor store, it's usually because there's a problem. But when you meet the owner of a winery, it's usually a privilege (for both of you).

The same applies to your Web site. Amazon.com, Apple and Facebook are brands in their own right, so they don't need Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg to show up on their Web sites. But your Web site is different. Your face is your brand, so show it! For example:

Write in a friendly, informal manner.
Show your photo on your home page.
Publish your e-mail address.
Tell people how to follow you (you, not your business) on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Publish a blog to share your thoughts.

2. Serve a niche.

Small boutique wineries aren't for everybody. They are usually in rural areas, and even then they are off the main road (by necessity). They don't stock hundreds of wines, they don't have the same things in stock every season, and they might not every be open 9 to 5 every day. So they cater for a particular kind of person - not necessarily a wine connoisseur, but certainly not the average wine drinker either.

Adopt the same attitude with your Web site. Don't market to the masses - leave that to the bigger guys. Instead, focus on a niche (or niches), where you can truly stand out and be an authority.

3. Invest in reputation, not advertising.

The small boutique wineries survive because of their reputation, not because they spend squillions on advertising. They build that reputation by being good, attracting a loyal following, and then attracting more through word-of-mouth marketing.

You can do the same. I'm not saying you shouldn't invest in on-line advertising; just don't make that your main marketing goal. Instead:

Write a blog.
Send an e-mail newsletter every two weeks.
Answer some questions on LinkedIn.
Tweet and re-tweet links to interesting, relevant stuff.

4. Make connections, not transactions.

This follows from the previous point. Because a boutique winery depends on organic, word-of-mouth marketing, they can't rely on a bunch of single transactions. They need to cultivate that loyal group of fans who'll come back again and again. A few of them - the smart ones - have started doing things like loyalty cards, e-mail newsletters, membership cards, and the like.

Do the same on your Web site. Sure, getting a sale from a new customer is good; but what are you doing to build a relationship with them? For example:

Give them an option to join your newsletter list
Send them a bonus gift a few weeks later
Put them on a special list, so they get things non-customers don't
Invite them to be friends on Facebook, and put them in a special list

5. Create experiences.

You go to a liquor shop to buy wine - it's a simple transaction. But you visit a boutique winery for the experience. It's not just about the wine. It's about the beautiful setting, the restaurant or cafe, the souvenir glasses from the wine tasting, the winemaker herself describing this year's vintage, and so on.

What are you doing on your Web site to create a memorable experience for site visitors? This takes a bit of creative thinking, but start by thinking of what you can do that the big companies don't. For example, if you're selling a book, what can you do that Amazon.com doesn't? Here are some ideas:

Include a brief welcome video
Bundle it with a CD and 12-month e-mail coaching package
Give them the e-book version immediately, so they don't have to wait for the printed version in the post
Give them access to your membership site
Autograph every copy
Publish your e-mail address and personally answer customer e-mails
Publish your Skype address or phone number, and take phone calls

How can you use this in YOUR business?

Are you already positioning yourself as a boutique service? Or are you struggling to compete with the big-name brands? If the latter, it might be time to take another look at your on-line marketing.


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