~ by Greg Gitzel, Yearbook Project Specialist – Manitoba, North Dakota, and Southwestern Ontario
Getting your yearbook store up and running is one of the best ways to make sure your sales season goes off without a hitch. Whether you’re the type who likes to dive in and do it yourself or you’d rather hand it off and let someone else take care of the setup, there’s a path that works for you, and we’re here to help every step of the way.
Why Set Up an Online Yearbook Store?
Let’s face it. Families are busy, and students aren’t always the best at bringing home paper order forms. An online store makes it easy for parents and guardians to order yearbooks anytime, from anywhere. No lost forms, no missed deadlines, and no scrambling for cheques or cash.
Here’s why it’s a smart move:
- Convenience: Parents can order from their phone, tablet, or computer, day or night.
- Fewer Headaches: No need to collect money or track down missing orders.
- Real-Time Tracking: You can see how many books have been sold and who’s ordered.
- Boosted Sales: With early bird pricing, personalization options, and reminders, an online store can help increase overall sales.
- Professional Presentation: A clean, easy-to-navigate store adds credibility and makes the buying experience smoother.
Plan Ahead for a Smooth Launch
Before you open your store, take a few minutes to sort out the following:
- Yearbook pricing
- Early bird pricing and deadlines
- Personalization options and cut-off dates
- Final store closing date
Having these details ready will make setup a breeze and help you stay on track with your sales goals.
Write a Clear, Helpful Description
Your store description is your chance to answer questions before they’re asked. Let buyers know what’s included, when books will arrive, and how personalization works. A clear, friendly description can help boost confidence and sales.
Time Your Store Closure Carefully
If your yearbooks are delivered mid-month, it’s a good idea to close your store at the end of the previous month. That way, all sales are included on the same invoice. For example, if your books arrive on June 6, aim to close the store by May 31. Otherwise, any orders placed in June will roll over to next year’s invoice.
As a Friesens school, you are eligible to set up an online yearbook store at no extra cost. Purchasers have to pay a 5% order transaction fee which is not uncommon for online stores. If you’re short on time or just want to make things easy, your Project Specialist can set up the store for you. Just send over the details, and we’ll take care of the rest. It’s quick, simple, and gets your store live in no time.
Prefer to set it up yourself? No problem! Head over to the ConnectMe Help Menu and follow the step-by-step instructions. Just one important tip: don’t clone last year’s product. It might seem like a shortcut, but it can cause issues with linking your store to this year’s book quantity, and that’s a headache you don’t want.
Greg Gitzel brings over 15 years of experience in yearbook prepress, followed by a recent transition in yearbook project management. That prepress background has been a huge help when supporting you through your projects! Outside of work, he’s passionate about music, having played bass guitar in several bands and toured across Canada and parts of the US. He loves concerts, road trips, sports, and spending time with his wife and two boys.
