Streamline Your Cuts Sheets (and Increase Sales)
BUYER EXPECTATIONS
Buyers expect convenience, including an easy purchasing experience that can be completed with the click of a button. As 70% of Americans have made an online purchase, large companies like Amazon, Dominoes, and Starbucks, spend billions of dollars investing in the online experience of purchasing anytime, anywhere (across any device) to delight Buyers.
Today, convenience wins. For your Farm business, convenience has the potential to attract prospective customers who may have no familiarity with your brand or products. By offering a streamlined ordering experience for your buyers, Farmers save time, as they average 7+ touches before an order is complete (before using Barn2Door). Even your most loyal buyers prefer a simple point-and-click experience (versus calls, forms, emails, and texts). And yes, this includes their experience when purchasing custom meats!
COMMON FARM PRACTICES
The practice of requiring Buyers to make a series of decisions on a lengthy cut sheet must evolve to meet buyers’ expectations. Most Farms require buyers to download an order form and complete specific processing instructions. For many buyers, this is overwhelming, time-consuming, and could prevent potential customers from placing an order.
While a side of beef may be a significant investment, consumers today spend thousands of dollars purchasing a variety of costly products “sight unseen” (i.e., home electronics, furniture, and mattresses). Buyers are willing to order your products online as 80% of Buyers would prefer to purchase Food from a local Farmer. Creating a streamlined purchasing experience will make prospective customers more likely to purchase, and your conversion rates will improve.
MOVING TO “STANDARD” CUT SHEETS TO SIMPLIFY THE PURCHASE PROCESS
At Barn2Door, we’ve helped Farmers and Ranchers implement a “Standard” Cut Sheet for their products, allowing Buyers to browse two or three cut options for a given product. The goal is to simplify the decision-making process and inform buyers of available cuts (versus a blank cut sheet that requires buyers to assemble their preferences and may contain errors).
When faced with too many options, Buyers often experience paralysis and often don’t complete an order. (Note, typical cart conversion hovers around 5-20% with most eCommerce vendors).
With simplified inventory, regardless of whether you offer quarter, halves, and wholes or specialty cuts and bundle boxes, Buyers will convert at a higher rate when they understand what’s available and can simply “add-to-cart.” (As a result, Barn2Door’s average cart conversion rate is consistently between 45-50%).
By providing a “Standard” Cut Sheet that can be purchased with the click of a button, your Farm can save time, increase your sales, and reduce the number of touches before an order is complete. When “offline” steps are eliminated (filling out a form, calling to confirm orders, explaining different cut options, etc.), Farmers actually attract more buyers and complete more purchases. In turn, Farmers enjoy higher average order sizes and save time by automating order management.
BUNDLE BOX SUBSCRIPTIONS DRIVE HIGHER CONVERSIONS
From streaming services like Spotify to eCommerce platforms like Amazon Prime, companies are using subscriptions to secure cash flow while building ongoing relationships with their customers. Farm businesses are no exception to this trend. We’ve found that Farms offering subscriptions drive 2x the monthly revenue versus Farms that do not.
Like a “Standard” cut sheet, Subscriptions arrive with a pre-assortment of items, leaving buyers with no additional steps. Subscriptions act as a win-win for Farmers and customers. Your Farm can secure revenue, retain customers, and move cuts that are regularly available, all while letting buyers know their favorite products will arrive consistently.
When Subscriptions are packaged into Bundle Boxes, they drive the highest conversion rates as buyers enjoy the ease of recurring access to a range of products. Given that less than 5% of Americans own a chest freezer (to accommodate a quarter, half, or whole animal), it is no surprise that 90% of customers opt-in to Farmer recommended bundles on Barn2Door.
With Bundles, Farmers give customers a chance to try different cuts while moving more inventory and driving higher conversion. This tactic can be utilized for every type of livestock to offer various cuts - like a mix of ground beef, pork, lamb, chicken, or sausages - and move all your product. Paired with subscriptions, Farmers lock in recurring cash flow.
When packaging Bundle Boxes, it’s important to appeal to a wide variety of buyers. As ⅓ of Americans live alone, ⅓ live in a family of 2-3 people, and ⅓ live with 4+ people, offering a range of sizes (5lbs, 10lbs, and 20lbs) to appeal to more Buyers.
CHARGE A PREMIUM FOR CUSTOM CUTS
While more than 90% of Farm businesses have transitioned to “Standard” Cut Sheets on Barn2Door, some do choose to maintain a “Custom” Cut Sheet that is available at a premium. Usually, we see Farmers charge $50-$200 for a “Custom” Cut Sheet given the increased time or cost requirement for Farmers and butchers (ensuring the additional time and effort is accounted for). Ultimately, it’s the Farmer’s decision on what to charge for special orders. Ask yourself: how do you value your time? Is your processor flexible, or does your processor charge a premium for a “Custom” Cut Sheet?
Barn2Door provides an all-in-one solution to grow and manage your Farm business. If you’re curious to learn how successful Farms run on Barn2Door, watch this 5-minute video.