Well, mine is an online lingerie store. A healthy one, ok ?! My level of HTML is simple one… things like css, php, still don’t know how to use.. What kind of contents of article should i have?
Pictures, man, we need pictures so we can properly assess your site and offer up suggestions on how to improve it. 🙂
Seriously, you ask an interesting question that relates to the design and deployment of just about all online sites, whether they be a storefront like what you have or a purely informational site for a non-profit organization: what should be included and what should be omitted?
I believe that the key point here is to write about what your customers are interested in reading, not what you want to sell. This is tough for most entrepreneurs and marketing types because why would you write about your industry, about market news, about anything other than your wonderful – buy me – products and – buy me – the latest information – buy me – from the factory or trade – buy me – show? 🙂
The answer is: because if you write about what you want to sell, you’re producing a sales page or a sales site, not a site of general interest to your marketplace. I don’t care if you’re Boeing or Mike’s Camera, if you believe that you have already captured every potential customer in your market, you’re doomed to eventually fail and die. Every marketplace has potential customers who haven’t yet learned about you and your service or product line.
In the modern age, the way they learn is by poking around with search engines. Curious about what companies make commercial jetliners? Your first stop will be Google. Ready to figure out what bicycle is best for mountainous terrain? Again, start at Google or your favorite search engine.
And so, let’s talk about lingerie. First off, it’s worth pointing out that the reason Victoria’s Secret is so darn successful is because the catalog and business was initially designed to appeal to men, not women. It wasn’t about selling underwear to women, but selling romance (and sex, or the potential for sex) to the men who would buy lingerie for their wives, sweethearts, significant others, etc.
This is important because it illustrates my point: if you want to be a successful online lingerie store, I believe your additional / supplemental content (hopefully a blog) should focus on addressing topics relevant to why your customers buy your wares, not on the items of clothing themselves.
If I were running a lingerie store, I’d have a blog associated with it that had a number of major topics: how to create a romantic evening, how to be/get your partner uninhibited, how to unplug your cellphone (only partially kidding on that one), dating dos and don’ts, lingerie styles to flatter any figure, how to be seductive, and even more pedestrian topics like finding the perfect bra fit, whether thongs are comfortable, why a merry widow is called a merry widow, and so on. I could also see you having a funny gift giving story of the week where you invite visitors to submit their best – or worst – experiences giving lingerie as a gift and offer up a gift certificate to each winner.
I think the key would be to keep it fun, light and amusing. Not sleazy, not tacky, not about sex, per se, but rather about the wacky, crazy and goofy things men and women do to try and find – and keep – that special someone.
Really, there are lots of potential topics for articles and/or blog entries once you think about the world and shared interests of lingerie shoppers rather than just the lingerie itself. Perhaps our readers will offer up some of their own suggestions here too [keep it clean, lads!]
Good luck with your store!
I agree with Dewani, reference is victoria’s secret, which is not geared towards women, but to pleasing men. I believe that the only woman who wears clothes to please a man is the lingerie. It’s a great theme.
Hey I was searching for the same. Thanks for the post. 😉 🙂
Dave, fully agreed with your comments. Seek your input on my blog. Thanks.
Hi Dave, very nice advise and analyse of victoria’s secret, selling stuff for women using men are very effective in that case. But i think you need a very good brand to sell “dream” and romance.
Just wondering if men really like fantasy costumes made for roleplaying?
Hi Dave, I was wondering if I should put up a blog for my own site, but wasn’t sure how to structure it… You gave me some great starting points here, thanks..
Totally agree with all points raised in this blog, encompassing all that is associated with lingerie is essential, I.E. romantic dates, first dates, dressing to seduce etc etc.
Also very important are pictures if you are trying to tempt potential customers , people love to be able to see what you are blogging about, and they are more likely to visit your site and buy something.
Dave’s advice is right on. Your content should cover a variety of topics that would be of interest to your audience.
One way to spice up your content, just as your lingerie will spice up your customers’…oh, let’s not go there. Let’s just say that one way to add variety to your content is by soliciting guest posts from other writers.
You get great free content, and the guest posters get read by a new audience and a link back to their site or blog. Everyone benefits–you, the guest posters and your readers.
An easy way to find people to guest post on your blog is with my free service, http://BloggerLinkUp.com/. Just sign up, then submit your request for posts. You can learn more about it at the website.
Good luck with your blog!
Hi Dave,
Just wondered if you write blogs for companies, or know of anyone who does. I would like a blog written about my new lingerie website and products.
many thanks
Kirstie
Dave, great blog. You validated what I had already put into place. Thank you again.
“And so, let’s talk about lingerie. First off, it’s worth pointing out that the reason Victoria’s Secret is so darn successful is because the catalog and business was initially designed to appeal to men, not women. It wasn’t about selling underwear to women, but selling romance (and sex, or the potential for sex) to the men who would buy lingerie for their wives, sweethearts, significant others, etc.” That made me laugh lol =P Good statement =) My two cents, layout is very important, with pictures of models wearing the items rather than just on its own, I would be more inclined to purchase it if I knew how it would “potentially” look on me. You could blog about specials on certain items, and the benefits of the featured item. And if affordable prices won’t get your target audience coming back, then blogging about news or other products (not necessarily linking to another product, just talking), that would go great with the items you sell. Perfect gift ideas, with items from your line, and also other things you could get them (and from where) to help guys out =P