Around the Workstand Workstand

There are many things in life where clear-cut answers are difficult to come by. Websites and marketing certainly fall into this category. Do you ever wish someone would just tell you the answers? We will.
Today, based on our own experience - even if you only consider us, Suzie and Mark, that is a combined 20 years here at Workstand working with bicycle retailers all over North America - and with as little bias as we can muster, we’ll just tell you the answers to some common yet confusing questions we often hear.

Direct and simple, ready?

The one we hear the most often - SEO - how can I do better in search?

I’m a local business, why should I sell online? I want people to come to my store and I don’t want to encourage them to shop online.

Why should I pay for ads? Why should I pay Workstand to run my ads?

Does my homepage look good? Is my homepage effective? We don’t hear these questions often enough. 🙂 Request your Complimentary Website Review by the Workstand Client Success Team
Can you help my website perform better without adding additional costs?

The admin navigation has moved since we published this video on how to streamline communications but the info is still valuable and relevant. Use the admin site search to find things that may have moved around.

What am I paying Workstand for in my subscription? I don’t use all the features in my subscription/what could I be taking advantage of more effectively?

Puppies or kittens? Well both, of course.


Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

Ryan joins Suzie and Mark for our monthly industry update. This time around, it's also a quarterly update and we look at results and trends thus far in 2024. Ryan tells us about the Bicycle Leadership Conference (BLC) he recently attended and where his travels will take him in the coming months on behalf of all at Workstand.

BLC
300 bicycle industry leaders in attendance 
Pragmatic about inventory and optimistic outlook 
Inventory situation, talking heads too critical of bike suppliers
Strong consumer sales paired with dealer Just In Time (JIT) orders means wholesale velocity is picking up
Electric bike maturing, growth in transportation
Data presentation
Outstanding service award - Ryan accepts an award on behalf of Workstand! Yay us.

Q1
Ecommerce growth +10% across our platform, February strongest at approximately 22% YoY
Order volume off, with Average Order Volume up double digits
Bike discounts driving sales, especially from Specialized (big traffic increase)
Overall traffic is up every month in Q1
Top performers still driving, typical dealer -3% for the quarter

Google Search Index
General consumer interest in bikes steady with last year
Specifically “bike shop” is a bit softer YTD
That has been the general trend, but learn more as the season develops when “bike shop” volume increases
All search volume has been spiking dramatically on March weekend
It's important to win search, must have products online as consumers shift away from channel-specific search
Electric bike search volume outperforming general terms

More travel for Ryan and team
Our team at Sea Otter meeting with suppliers - look for Matt Lolli and Chris Gardner from our Supplier Team
Speaking at NBDA retailer summit in May
Collision Technology Summit in June

Questions this week:
Q: When will the Workstand POS be able to replace Lightspeed?
That’s not our goal but ...
For many retailers it can today, even if some of the features are lean we are enhancing them rapidly
Perfect fit for our initial target market, merchants with a more outdated POS

Q: Do I have to pay for Google Ads to show up in local search results?
No. Your product pages and location pages in particular are optimized for organic and if you maintain your website properly then the content you create should perform well.
Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

We talk a lot about marketing and selling by way of great websites, Google Ads, email marketing, and more but this week is different. This week we want to point out that stores shouldn't hard sell all the time. One of the best things a store can do to build long-term value within their community is to meet consumers where they are and help them find value in bikes, riding, and being a part of a healthy and fun-oriented community. That means that in addition to catalog-enabled, commerce-focused websites, merchants should be offering content aimed at helping riders get the most out of their bikes and the bike riding community. Workstand offers so much to help with that! Library pages, brand-supported landing pages, Premium Content Packages, and easy tools to build whatever type of page content is needed. Winning search starts with providing content your customers (and prospective customers) find valuable. Sales follow.
Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

The band is back together! Ryan is back and will join us each month to share key takeaways from current inventory data,  talk about big-picture topics in our industry, and answer your questions.

Higher total sales amounts (by the dollar) in 2023 but lower total unit sales
The most recent report from PeopleForBikes provided some summary information about 2023. Last year’s market value was nearly $1 billion over pre-pandemic markets. A lot of people rightly point to the dollar growth coming from a higher average selling price, meaning dollar growth is outpacing units. 4% decrease compared to 2022 but a 7% increase over 2019 Electric bikes now make up 20% of total bike sales.What’s happening now?
Look at more recent data, we're paying careful attention to the December through February data. Important key metrics have turned the corner across the network. Total online sales are up about 11% and site traffic is up about 10%. Most of 2023 was down relative to the prior 12 months but that trajectory is changing.What are the areas of growth in our industry? What’s doing well?
A lot of the growth we're seeing is coming from bikes - largely electric, 29" mountain, and sport/performance road. Heavy discounts in those categories is achieving the intended result of increasing total dollar sales volume.Interestingly, discounts in sport/performance road are actually driving up the ASP for bikes in the category. But who’s doing well?
While the largest dealers continue to drive most of our sales volume, in February we saw the first significant uptick for the small and medium sized retailers. Crystal ball time - how is 2024 looking? Can we make any predictions? 
Sizing up the IBD channel right now suggests that 2024 is going to be a tough year. Google Search Data, ridership data, and the sales of consumables like chains and nutrition indicate that people are interested in and riding bikes. Retailers on the whole are running their businesses pragmatically and relying on just in time ordering to stay flexible. Okay, you’ve taken us through a number of ups and downs…how can retailers take action to make a positive impact on their sales? 
My one piece of advice to our customers is to stay very active with your marketing. Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

In this engaging episode, we had a lively conversation with Julie Walsh, our marketing strategist at WorkStand, discussing the Spring Marketing Playbook. Julie shared insightful tips and tricks for preparing your business for the spring selling season. We delved into the importance of cleaning up your website, updating settings, and ensuring a fresh, spring-like feel to attract customers. Recommendations included activating the shopping cart feature and utilizing Google Local Shopping Ads to boost sales.

https://blog.workstand.com/spring-2024-marketing-playbook
https://workstand.com/help/google-shopping

We touched on the significance of automated post-purchase email campaigns and maintaining consistent communication with customers through newsletters and engaging social media content. Julie emphasized the value of simplifying content, making it visually appealing, and ensuring it aligns with the brand's personality.

Additionally, we explored the role of incorporating brand content, such as product launches or collaborations, to enhance your website's appeal and keep customers informed about new arrivals. The conversation highlighted the ease of implementing pre-designed content to give your website a fresh look without overwhelming yourself with intricate details.

As we wrapped up, we encouraged listeners to explore the available resources on our website, engage with our marketing agency for personalized guidance, and stay tuned for future episodes where we'll have our President, Ryan, back to share his industry insights. Julie's expertise and practical advice provided a comprehensive guide to revamping your marketing strategy for the upcoming season.
Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

Workstand was invited to present this week at the NBDA P2 Group meeting. We were both there along with Lauren Webb, our Agency Director, and Matt Viara, our Paid Search Team Manager, and we talked about ways to improve ecommerce performance. There were some great questions and conversations so we thought we’d hit the highlights of that meeting today.
Custom Websites - it’s about more than just design
Content PlanningOrganic SearchPaid Search DestinationSales metric improvementsAverage Order ValueRevenue Per SessionConversion RateIn-store traffic and salesData Management
What if my Point of Sale data isn’t great?Would it make more sense to manage website inventory manually?Does all that supplier data clutter up the shopping experience?Point of Sale
Why did we build ours and who do we expect will use it?POS doesn’t have to be complicated.

Tech Tip: If you’re already a Workstand website client, our POS features are live in your admin now. Take a look, particularly at how simply an in-store sale can be yet how powerful with all of your suppliers on tap. Check out your Template Publisher and Theme Editor to personalize your look. Let’s talk about custom if you want to go from personalized to customized. Finally, how are you performing relative to those metrics we talked about? 


Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...