120 | Managing a wholesale & retail e-commerce shop with Kaitlin Fontenot, Kait Studio

On the Proof to Product Podcast we cover so many topics, from marketing and operations to tradeshows and product launches, but today I’m super excited to have Kaitlin Fontenot on the show to talk about what every product-based business absolutely needs to be successful in our modern world - a well-built eCommerce platform. Kaitlin is the founder and lead designer of Kait Studio, a branding and web design company specializing in retail. Kaitlin is passionate about helping entrepreneurs feel more confident with their online presence so that they can show up in other areas of their business where they are needed daily. In addition to running a successful studio that develops e-commerce sites, as well as digital marketing, social media, and branding strategies, Kaitlin is also a mom and head of a rapidly growing team.    On Episode 120, Kaitlin and I sit down to talk about how you can best prepare before building an e-commerce site and ways to manage both online wholesale and retail shops. We talk about hiring, building a team with intention, and the importance of delegation. Kaitlin and I also discuss some misconceptions some product-based business owners have about e-commerce platforms and she shares a few important social media marketing strategies you definitely should start leveraging today.  ON TODAY’S EPISODE:  How Kaitlin built her business and the kind of work Kaitlin specializes in today Her favorite projects to work on   The importance of integrating your website into your strategic plan Misconceptions about managing an online presence  Strategies for driving and maintaining traffic on your ecommerce site What types of product pictures work on various social media platforms How Kaitlin plans and executes the web build process  The pros/cons of various e-commerce platforms  Best practices for brands selling in both retail and wholesale  How to get more eyes on your site & tips for widening your reach Hashtags, videos and other tactics you shouldn’t be ignoring The life-changing benefits of delegation KEY TAKE-AWAYS:   “If I had to pick one aspect of my business that I completely loved and was so passionate about, it would be the design development side” - Kaitlin Fontenot “People would ask, “Who's growing your Instagram account? Who's helping you with all of this? Is it just you?” And I would just say, "Yeah, you know, it's me. I built the site. I'm doing all of this myself."  - Kaitlin Fontenot “You need to be leveraging your website in a very strategic way to not only get people coming through to your site, but to get them engaging with your products and purchasing your products and engaging with your brand.” - Katie Hunt  “You have to think about the amount of time people are spending on social media and how they're getting to your website. There's so much that goes into it, and you have to know your customer 100%.” - Kaitlin Fontenot “I truly believe that if you're solving problems for people, especially through your website or your online shop, they will convert into paying customers.” - Katie Hunt  “Everyone's customers are different. Everyone's audience is different. So really, it's all about what your audience is responding to the most.” - Kaitlin Fontenot “Once the build phase is done sometimes people get stuck. They don't move forward with any other strategies. So I always recommend the website is done, step away. Let's try some other things. Go to Instagram, go to Pinterest, see what you can do.” - Kaitlin Fontenot “Hiring a team, it's really scary. But as a mom and a business owner, it has been the most life-changing thing for me.” -  Kaitlin Fontenot “I was doing everything myself for a very long time, had small children at home and when I started delegating and outsourcing, even just small pieces, it changed my life. I was able to do more in the business and focus on the high-level strategic things that needed my attention.”  - Katie Hunt  “Find someone you feel comfortable with, that's okay with answering your questions no matter how crazy you think they are. Find someone who understands where you're coming from because it is a big investment and anyone you work with should understand as a business owner themselves.” -  Kaitlin Fontenot   LINKS Website: http://www.lovekait.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/kaitstudio / http://instagram.com/kaitlinfontenot https://tsbc.teachable.com/p/delegating    SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.  WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!  ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!