We’re thrilled to have been recently featured in a news segment on CNET! The video segment is titled A Toast To Online Wine and focuses on the benefits to consumers and to wineries when selling online at AmericanWinery.com The news piece also includes an interview with AmericanWinery.com founder and CEO Lloyd Benedict, as well as a visit to Farella-Park Vineyards to meet with winemaker Tom Farella!
CNET is a highly respected technology and business news outlet which focuses on providing information and tools about how technology can enhance your life. With millions visiting their site each month, it’s an honor for them to take an interest in how AmericanWinery.com is helping wineries around the U.S.!
I worked for Starbucks Coffee Company for 5 years. I started working there in college, and after graduation I got suckered into a management position and opened a drive-thru store right here in Walla Walla, WA. I learned a tremendous amount working for the Green Monster (the coffee version, not the baseball version) but the most important training they gave me was the art of connecting with customers and providing excellent customer service.
I may get pursued by Starbucks head-hunters for sharing what might be their “intellectual property” (I remember signing something…), but I’m about to impart the cheesiest and most useful customer connection philosophy that I think we in the wine industry could afford to adopt.
Winemakers, many of you will spend your entire lives perfecting the fine art of making premium, awe-inspiring, life-changing wines.
Very few of you will spend even a small fraction of this time perfecting the fine art of connecting with your customers.
I understand that in many cases a winemaker cannot be bothered to do a vineyard tour, participate in a Winemaker’s Dinner, or man the tasting room for an afternoon. Your time is not best-spent in these pursuits.
However, understanding the importance of connecting your winery with your customers is vital to creating the loyalty that will have you selling out of futures and retiring in style.
Direct-to-consumer sales are a vital component of a winery’s business plan. Many wineries are utilizing the power of the internet to build direct-to-consumer sales, from winery’s online stores to online marketplaces. Reaching and retaining the e-consumer is becoming an increasingly important aspect of direct sales.
Here are a few strategies to help wineries RETAIN the customers they reach through online sales and marketplaces like AmericanWinery.com.
1. Ensure that your wine info is as complete as possible – tasting notes, label images, accolades, technical info, and more. The customer is about to make a purchase from your winery without ever tasting the product, and this information helps consumers make a confident purchasing decision.
2. Add the personal touch. Marketing materials, wine club information, your most recent newsletter, a personal thank you note – the extra effort helps to connect the customer to your WINERY in addition to your wine.
3. Ask for feedback from your consumers! There are plenty of ways to do this, from a personalized comment card included in the package, to inviting the customer to rate and review the wine at AmericanWinery.com. A customer who feels that their opinion is valued is much more likely to buy from them again!
I’ve been very impressed with the efforts of wineries like Fantesca Estate and Winery, Forth Vineyards, and Miller Wine Works, and there are many other ‘best practices’ that I’d love to see posted here. The great news is that it’s possible to create loyal customers without them ever visiting your winery.
The AmericanWinery.com blog was launched in 2008 with the goal of providing meaningful, educational and cutting edge content to wine enthusiasts and wine makers alike. Our goal is to connect with the AW community more directly and create commentary on wine, current events, trends in the industry, and more.
