Consider all sources when searching for wedding needs.
Many people hold the false impression that if something is not found on the first page of the search results, then it does not exist. It would seem we have become lazy, spoiled or just plain stupid. How soon we forget.
Until the late 1990’s anyone looking for wedding favors or accessories or anything else for that matter, would be forced to read a number of bridal magazines, spend hours at the library and countless days seeding out and talking to wedding planners and suppliers.
We now have the luxury of the Internet and in ten short years we have gone from doing thorough logical searching to dashing off a few search terms and throwing up our hands after fifteen minutes in front of the computer. Of course some of this is the fault of the website owners and the webmasters and copywriters who insist on misleading customers with false claims and poorly constructed websites.
Take for example the term “unique wedding favors”. If you do a search for this term the results are guaranteed to be anything but unique. Without fail 8 out of 10 sites who claim to be unique offer basically the same things. So how can we out wit these witless wonders who are taking a valuable resource and polluting it with meaningless content.
We have already written about the value of image search which is a good way to get a look of what a site offers with out having to wade through content that is not pertinent. But many other options, that were here before the Internet are still available. They just take a little more work.
One source is word of mouth and the referrals from friends and family. Most people love to be helpful and if they are aware you are looking for a special item they will help you run it to ground by spreading the word to still more people. Some where in the network some one is liable to have attended a wedding where a special gift was given to the guests and that one contact could lead to the answer to the search.
Another good source is the phone book, both on line and the one you keep by the phone. Look under the appropriate category and several close ones. Make a few phone calls and you may open even more avenues to explore. Most party stores either carry a line of favors and accessories or they have a catalog and can order them.
Try to think of the most obscure resources you can, but don’t hesitate to check the most obvious ones like wedding magazines and books.
The other day we had a customer call for an order. She had been looking high and low for a unique wedding favor with no luck. Then, while she was looking through a bridal magazine she came across an article about the 300 best wedding websites. Since our site was listed there she checked our site and called with an order. The catch is that article was written 7 years ago so the magazine she was reading was published in 2000. And we have had many other calls from that single magazine.
So we were very pleased when the editors of My Day Magazine decided to feature our fall leaf wind chimes in the current issue. Hopefully brides who subscribe will keep a copy around so that in 7 years we will get a call from a frustrated bride who looked all over trying to find just the right favor.
And hopefully some bride in the future will have the initiative to look a little further than the top 3 search results.
Tags: wedding planning, wedding search