How to improve the ordering process next year? Your thoughts.

I have to tell you that the ordering process (in some cases) required a Harvard education.

Some websites weren’t working properly. Ok, so that can happen.
Many winemakers had us running through hoops trying to remember an assortment of ordering codes.
Some websites were very specific where the code had to be entered. ie Put it over in this box, and not that box. You get the picture.

To keep it simple (Kiss), I propose a universal code that uses a form of WB and winemaker when ordering. I’m guessing that the 90 offers had several hundred codes.

Just as an example for a wine company that has 5 packages available for sale.

Let’s start with a universal WineBerserker code of WB, or WBD (wine berserker day).
Then, if this is for the ABC Wine Co tha offers multiple deals, the code should be ABCWB1, ABCWB2, and so on. Trying to remember all the codes, and going back and forth between screens was enough to make ordering a pain. Ordering should be simple. Some of the negatives yesterday took the pleasure out of ordering; and who knows, maybe someone said screw it, and walked away from the computer.

What are your thoughts for improvement?

Everything I bought was cut and dry as far as the ordering process went so I can’t help you here. A cheat sheet helps sometimes though.

I personally didn’t have great difficulties in ordering (other than the LF website glitches), but see the point you’re making.

I think the challenge is that each winery has a different website setup so it may not be possible to customize it just for WB day.

What could help is a more consistent format to the posts/offers, so that the relevant information is all contained in one section of the post, or a second post, or something. Some of the offers start with a long explanation, or tasting notes, or whatever the vendor wants to do. Perhaps Todd could encourage everyone to have a second post in their thread that is just the ordering details or something. But not sure even that would really help.

It would be nice if someone would give me a large amount of free money for use while ordering. That would definitely increase the pleasure of the experience :wink:

Being in PA, there are many wineries that can’t ship to me, but I didn’t find that out until i’ve put in my info, thus a waste of time. It would be nice if they could tell you upfront which states they can’t ship to. (some did have it on their intro page)

On the producer side, I deliberately kept my offers limited to 2 and had one simple way to order. That said, of the offers I bought, none seemed too hard to work with. The only “oops” moment for me was on the Flannery page, where I went to the cart before entering the coupon code.

Also on the buying side, I really like simplicity, like doing sampler packs or themed packs.

This was an awesome Berseker Day, great response from so many people on the board.

I would have liked to order a few bottles of Liquid Farm but the description of all the packages and all the different discounts had me moving on.

For producer/sellers. Simple, man. Simple.

Max 3 packages
Easy discount

Don’t make it tricky or I move on.

And yet, I bet LF did the most volume yesterday.

Michael

  1. Keep your offers simple and less verbose. If it takes more than 30 seconds to figure out, it’s probably too complicated

  2. Go ahead and have an offer for the new customers you are trying to cultivate. but for the existing customers, maybe more offers on things that are “special”…Library selections, mags/375s, special bottlings, value adds, experiences.

  3. More non~wine offers: Glassware, racking, food, experiences and wine related vacation things would be cool. (2 days lodging and a driver to squire you around to some wineries??)

These are minor. The whole thing was pretty great. For an event with so many moving parts, I was impressed by how smoothly it seemed to go.

I loved Liquid Farm’s offerings but I did have problems interpreting them and even more problems when I registered for the club in order to order the pack I wanted. On the other hand, Nikki responded promptly to my emails to her and they entered my order themselves. Some of this I chalk up to being old and senile

Ditto on Chris Blum’s suggestions!

Perhaps the powers in charge - aka Todd, could suggest an “opening format” that everyone uses
We’d write in simple terms how to order and which states the offer cannot ship to.
Then follow with the exciting details of discounts, descriptions of packaged offers, etc.

I didn’t have any problems this year or last year.

+1 as a producer I tried to make mine as simple as possible and I too decided to pass on LF because It was just too hard to follow all the jargon and login stuff.

Simple is better.

I love the passion that Nikki/team puts in to the liquid farm offers, but mannnnnn it’s wayyyy too complicated.

Wine - Price

Package - Wines - Price.

If you join the club - extra x% off.

done.
:slight_smile:

Still, love the write up and the passion!

Keep’em coming.

Todd and I already spent 30 minutes on the phone talking about next year, seriously!

Since I had access to the pre-launch forum I gave constructive feedback to producers as I read through the offers posing as a potentially interested buyer. Even tested links to the ordering sites for them. That worked very well but more than half the offers weren’t even decided by Saturday or Sunday and then we were completely overwhelmed with other administrative issues. The cutoff needs to be earlier, IMHO.

We probably need to create a design template with best practices such as keeping it short and sweet at the top with the offer and clearly stating how to order. But we need to let the producers show there own creativity so if they want pictures, tasting notes, history, dog photos, etc knock yourself out adding them at the tail of the offer.

Your feedback will be incorporated.

You should have seen the draft of the initial offer last year! champagne.gif

It’d be helpful if it were simpler but she smothers that complexity with passion and support. I’d be worried if other producers ran offers like that and then just sat back and waited for the orders but that’s not the LF style. True Berserkers. [berserker.gif]

I thought Beau had a nice balance of offers, content, and payment options spelled out.

What about bringing back the idea of a spreadsheet for the offers? That’s how it was sent to subscribers the day before 2 years ago (BD IV). We were able to print it out, study and plan our buys. At least for the subscribers it eliminates any possible confusion (another reason to be a subscriber).

Good point. Oh, and all the offers are already in a spreadsheet…

Problem solved.

I need a more complex ordering system so I don’t wind up with 3+ cases of wine, 2 bourbons and a $2300 CC bill. [truce.gif]

This is the first year I participated. No issues except for getting kicked out of the pre-forum on Monday night!
I rather enjoyed reading through all the different perspectives/offers. After, all if it was just business it wouldn’t be berserker!