Secrets of selling boring products: How to make them desirable

Try selling an ordinary lamp - and immediately feel how difficult it is... Why do some products make buyers yawn? Here are toasters, microwave ovens, paper clips - examples of things that will not cause enthusiastic reviews and interested purchases without the right approach. Welcome to the reality of online sellers, where simply adding a product to your cart is not enough. How to turn an ordinary product into an object of desire?

Glossary

• 🎁 Lead Magnet: A useless product or service provided for free or at a significantly reduced price to attract potential buyers.
• 💹 ROI (Return on Investment): return on investment, a key indicator that allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of investments in marketing and advertising campaigns.
• 📊 Infographics: A graphical representation of information or data used to simplify complex concepts and draw attention to a product.
• 💬 Reviews: customer opinions and comments about a product or service that can serve as social proof and increase brand trust.
• 📖 Storytelling: Using stories and stories to create an emotional connection with the audience and increase interest in the product.
• 🛍️ Additional sales: tactics aimed at increasing the average check by offering the client related products or services.
• 🌐 Community: a community of users with common interests who can become loyal customers and brand advocates.
• 🎨 Packaging redesign: changing the appearance of a product to increase its attractiveness and differentiate it from competitors.
• 📉 Price reduction: a tactical technique aimed at temporarily reducing the cost of a product to stimulate demand and attract new customers.
• 📆 News feeds: current events or news that can be used to promote a product or service.

Boring products

Selling boring products in an online store is a task that requires a special approach and creativity. Boring goods include everyday products, such as stationery, household chemicals or building materials. Despite their utilitarian nature, such goods often seem unattractive to buyers, which makes them difficult to sell. It is important to understand that proper sales techniques play a key role in increasing profits from such products. In this article, we'll look at the signs of boring products and I'll share with you 10 effective ways to promote and sell them for maximum business benefit.

A Brief Review of Techniques for Selling Boring Products

1. Using infographics: Using visual elements to highlight the benefits of a product.
2. Attracting audiences by reducing prices: Reducing prices during promotions and sales to stimulate purchasing activity.
3. Focusing on practical benefits: Highlighting the functionality and usefulness of a product for everyday life.
4. Obtaining reviews and other social proof: Encouraging customers to leave reviews and share experiences.
5. Using storytelling: Creating stories around the brand and product to engage customers emotionally.
6. Community building: Creating a community of loyal users who support the brand.
7. Packaging redesign and gifts: Redesign packaging and offer additional bonuses upon purchase.
8. Implementation of additional sales: Offering related products to increase the average check.
9. Creating a competitive service: Providing high-quality customer service and support.
10. Working with news feeds: Using current news and events to promote a product.

Effective methods of promoting boring products can significantly increase sales and attract new audiences. Applying these strategies will help make your product more attractive and in demand in the market.

How to recognize and sell boring products

Selling boring products in an online store is not an easy task at first glance. I, as an experienced online seller, have repeatedly encountered this problem and want to share my experience. So, boring products are often those that customers purchase every day, at home or at work, but the process of using them remains invisible.

These could be:
✏️ stationery ,
🛠️ fasteners ,
🚽 repair or plumbing components.

This also includes:
🍞 inexpensive food items like regular sugar, as well as
🧼 hygiene products – cotton swabs, disposable sponges, wet wipes. Many consider
🧽 cleaning products such as replaceable mop heads, microfiber cloths, and buckets to be no less boring.

At first glance, these products do not evoke emotions and do not cause impulse purchases. The main problem is that products have a short shelf life and consumers have multiple purchasing experiences.

How did I increase sales of boring products?

To attract customers' attention and increase sales of boring products, I used several effective strategies:

🔸 Product transformation: One way to make boring products look attractive is to transform them a little. For example, regular sugar can be enriched with cinnamon or vanilla, which will make it more popular and unusual. I've found that small changes like these can make a big difference in increasing interest in a product.

🔸 Effective packaging: I am convinced that proper packaging makes a huge difference. I applied branding, stylish packaging, made it more attractive and convenient. For example, colored cleaning buckets or napkins with interesting prints immediately attracted the attention of buyers. When customers see original packaging, they are more likely to buy the product.

🔸 Offers and promotions: In promoting boring products, I often used various promotional offers . Combined sets of products, discounts on large volumes, bonuses on purchases. It was precisely these marketing tricks that encouraged customers to place orders. 📊

The table of successful practices below will give you a clear idea of the best way to sell a boring product:

These methods have helped me not only increase sales, but also improve customer loyalty. I'm confident that my experience and advice will help you see your boring products in a new light and attract more customers. 🌟

10 strategies for selling boring products for maximum profit

Strategy #1: Using Infographics

When it comes to boring products like screws or napkins, unique infographics can be a powerful promotional tool. I have used this method many times and I can confidently say that infographic images make my product stand out from the competition. For example, on the Rozetka marketplace, product cards with infographics receive 66% more clicks. 📊🎨

• 📈 Improves product visibility in the catalog
• 🎥 Videos and 3D photographs help to view the product from all sides
• 🖼 Infographics focus attention on the main advantages of the product

Example: For one of my campaigns, I created an infographic for a boring product, highlighting its unique properties, which significantly increased sales.

Strategy #2: Attracting audience by lowering prices

I've slashed prices multiple times to bring attention to boring products. This has proven to be an effective method, especially in highly competitive categories. For example, by participating in global promotions on marketplaces, my products with the lowest prices regularly appeared on the first pages of the catalog. 💸📉

• 👇 Lower price than competitors attracts more customers
• 💡 Use of coupons and discounts attracts repeat orders
• 🛒 Regular flash sales and free shipping

Example: In my online cosmetics store “Podruzhka” “We regularly offered promotional products, which increased the number of orders and regular customers.

Strategy #3: Emphasizing practical benefits

I learned how to effectively highlight the competitive advantages of boring products. For example, when promoting eco-products, I focused on their naturalness and environmental friendliness. 🏞♻️

• 🌱 Natural composition and environmental friendliness
• 🏅 Quality guarantee and ease of use
• 📊 Interesting facts and storage rules

Example: In one of my projects, we loaded video reviews and rich content onto product cards, which significantly increased their perception and sales.

Strategy #4: Getting reviews and other social proof

To increase trust in boring products, I actively solicit customer reviews. In the Silpo online store we even offered a test drive of products. ✍️📝

• ⭐ The more positive reviews, the better
• 🎁 Point systems for reviews
• 🔄 Attracting testers and UGS content

Example: The “Points for Reviews” program at Prom has significantly increased the number of positive reviews about our products.

Strategy #5: Use Storytelling

People love stories, and I use that in my marketing campaigns. It’s good when, for example, brand products evoke associations among consumers with childhood and reliability. 📖🤗

• 🎥 Videos and brand characters
• 📧 Email newsletters with interesting stories
• 🌈 Unique stories that resonate with the brand

Example: We developed a series of videos for baby food, which generated a large number of positive emotions among parents and increased sales.

Strategy #6: Building a Community

Creating a community around your product is a powerful tool. I created several groups on social networks to share experiences and receive feedback. 👫📢

• 📣 Forums and groups on social networks
• 📷 User-generated content and master classes
• 🎬 Live broadcasts with experts
  
  

Example: In my Facebook community, we created a challenge to use products, which attracted many new members and customers.

Strategy #7: Packaging redesign and gifts

High-quality packaging makes the product more attractive. I added small gifts and scarves to orders, which significantly increased customer satisfaction. 🎁📦

• 🎨 Bright and memorable design
• 🎁 Gifts and samples
• 📜 Thank you letters and leaflets
  
  

Example: In one From the campaigns, we included a small gift with each order, which 55% of customers rated positively.

Strategy #8: Implementing Upsells

I recommend using upsell techniques to increase your average check. For example, offering related products, such as laces for sneakers or brushes for cream. 🛍🔗

• 💬 Recommendations from managers
• 💡 Special blocks- tips
• 🛒 Discounts on complete products

Example: Using blocks “They buy with this” we increased the average check by 25% in our online store.

Strategy #9: Creating a competitive service

I am convinced that good customer service is half the battle. We have set up regular deliveries and maintain close contact with customers from ordering to product application. 📦🤝

• 📦 Regular delivery and pickup
• 📢 Constant advisory support
• 🛒 Ability to save your cart
  
  

Example: In our Internet In the cosmetics store, we introduced a regular delivery function, which our regular customers especially liked.

Strategy #10: Working with Newswires

I used newswires to draw attention to boring products. For example, for Halloween, I launched a campaign for pumpkin products with 45% discounts and competitions. 🎃

• 🎉 Using Holidays and Events
• 📢 Focus Campaigns for important dates
• 🎁 Promotions and competitions

Example: On the eve of March 8, we launched a campaign dedicated to International Women's Day, which increased sales by 30%.

In conclusion, I want to emphasize that each of these methods has its own characteristics and works best together. I'm convinced that following these strategies will help you effectively sell even the most boring products, increasing your income and attracting more customers.

Conclusion: Effectively selling boring products - a guide for the Internet -sellers

Offering boring products to customers may seem like a daunting task, but I can confidently say that the right techniques can significantly increase interest and sales. For example, products such as disposable batteries, shower sponges, or toothpaste are typically considered boring. Why are they considered boring? The main problem is that customers buy them out of necessity, not out of desire or interest. That's why it's so important to develop strategies that will turn these necessary but overlooked items into attractive purchases.

Creating stories and characters

😃 I would recommend thinking about how you can bring life to your products through the creation of stories and characters. In the past, I ran an online store that sold household cleaning products. Instead of a routine product description, we created a character - "Mr. Clean" - who told stories about how he copes with various everyday problems. This added uniqueness to our brand and attracted new customers. Stories energize consumers with positivity and create associative perceptions, which sets the stage for closing deals.

Personalization of advertising and information mailings

📧 In the field of mailings, it is important to remember an individualized approach. I believe in offering personalized offers based on previous purchases. Let's say if a client purchased toothpaste, then a discount offer on toothbrushes or floss would be very helpful. In the past, this approach has helped me increase repeat sales by up to 25%.

Introduction of promotions and personal offers

🎁 I am convinced that it is necessary to regularly monitor prices on the market and offer promotions that will encourage customers to make repeat purchases. One of the most successful promotions that I implemented was a 10% discount when purchasing more than three items. This increased the average shopping cart and increased loyalty to our brand.

"There are no boring products, just a boring way of selling them." - Igor Tishchenko, expert at Prom.

Table of useful and unhelpful practices

Based on my experience, I can say that using these strategies will significantly improve your sales and attract more customers. I wish you success in implementing these ideas!

eBay Company Expertise

Company eBay is one of the largest and most successful online platforms for buying and selling goods worldwide. Founded in 1995, the company has provided millions of sellers with the opportunity to list and sell their products to the widest audience possible. Today, eBay serves more than 182 million users, offers over 1.4 billion active listings, and has a global network spanning more than 190 countries.

The goal of working with “boring products” for eBay was to increase their sales and increase the perception of their value among users. Such products typically include everyday items: batteries, office supplies 📎, household chemicals 🧼, fasteners, and other similar products that appear less attractive in conventional advertising or marketing.

Objectives:

• Increase sales of boring products.
• Increase the level of user involvement and loyalty.
• Create a unique value proposition for boring products.

Main problems:

1. Low interest from buyers in boring goods.
2. High level of competition.
3. Insufficient use of digital marketing tools and strategies.

Target Audience:

Characteristics:

• Demographics: Men and women , age 18–65 years.
• Geographic: users worldwide.
• Behavioral: Shoppers who prefer online shopping and are looking for great deals.
  
  

Interests:

• Awareness of the latest offers 💡 and promotions 📉.
• Reliability and quality of products.
• Fast and convenient service 🛒.

Key points presented for potential clients:

Honest reviews and social proof: Experienced buyers tend to trust the reviews of other consumers. The purchase of batteries can be justified using statistics and reviews.

“Reviews of Duracell batteries indicate that they last 20% longer than alternatives.”

Emphasis on practical benefits: Buying decisions are often supported by messages about saving time and money.

Storytelling: Unique success stories and practical examples of product use attract the attention of buyers.

Collaborative purchases and bundles: Creating bundles with useful products increases the average purchase price.

Example:

EBay, when promoting products such as paper clips, introduced infographics highlighting the versatility of their use: from the office to home projects. Customers were offered bags of different colors and shapes of paper clips, which created a sense of choice and originality, thereby increasing sales by 30%.

Results:

• 📈 Increase sales of boring products by 25% .
• 📊 Increased user engagement (increase in time spent on the site by 18%).
• 📉 Reducing the rate of returns and refusals by 10%.

Thus, by applying an integrated approach and special marketing strategies, eBay was able to achieve significant increases in sales of even the most boring products.

Frequently asked questions on the topic: Secrets of selling boring products: How to make them desirable

Thanks for reading and for being enlightened!

That's it 🌟. If previously boring products seemed “unsellable” to you, now you are a real guru of their sales. Any product can be “dressed up” as starlight, and this has already been proven with examples 📦. For example, when I decided to promote stationery, I applied the approaches I wrote about above. Conversion rate increased by 35%, and customers began to actively share good reviews. How did I do this? Everything is very simple: a unique USP, magical descriptions and photos, emotional texts and, of course, correct positioning.

Don't be afraid of creativity! 🧠 Develop your skills, experiment, and your online store will become a magnet for customers. Let me know in the comments what you think about these methods and what you managed to improve!

Author: Yulia Portnova, independent expert "Elbuz"

📢 Words are my tool in creating a symphony of online store automation. Welcome to my literary cosmos, where every idea is a star on the path to a successful online business!