Tell me a little about your eCommerce journey

My sister and I founded Lavender Hill Interiors (LHI) in 2012 based on our shared passion for classic French Provincial and Hamptons style furniture and a wish to make it accessible for everyone – not just those with deep pockets.

My background is in public relations. I had my own public relations company for 12 years, and my sister’s background is in law. We ran a small online gift soap business just prior to opening LHI where we learned the fundamentals of running an online eCommerce business.

We did our homework and spent almost a year researching the market and establishing contacts with suppliers and importers. We invested time in creating the website and our image so that it was not only a beautiful site but also easy to navigate.

We offer a high-quality, beautiful range of products, backed up by impeccable customer service and competitive prices.

Our customers live in both rural Australia as well as towns and cities far and wide where they don’t have access to French & Hamptons furniture. For the first time, customers located around the world can order this kind of furniture and have it delivered to their front door.

How different is your life now compared to 5 years ago?

5 years ago I was in between businesses and never imaged I would be running a successful furniture and homewares business.

What was it like getting your first sale?

We were so excited to receive our first order online, via Google search – I still remember the moment!

What does a typical day look like for you?

I work from both my home office and my office at our warehouse/showroom. Every day is incredibly busy and full on, but I love it! I wear many different hats including:

• coordinating all our online marketing, social media, online content, blogs, IT issues, sales & promotions, and VIP club as well as
• designing furniture and
• dealing with customers in our showroom.

What is your main area of focus right now?

Widening our reach through online marketing.

What sets your brand/product apart from others on the market?

We have created a totally unique online concept: offering complete collections of classic Hamptons & French styled rooms online, at affordable prices. We have done all the research and will act as both the store and the interior designer rolled into one.

The packages are professionally curated, so they provide the look of a designer-planned space in a way that’s both time and cost-effective.  All of the products in the furniture packages can also be purchased separately.

Every element of the room’s design is integrated into these creative packages, including not just the hand-selected furniture but also the color palettes and the accessories that give each room a distinct, one-of-a-kind feel.

We hold the majority of our furniture in stock at our warehouse in Alexandria in Sydney, so we can usually despatch it within 2-3 days of you ordering. Our delivery speed is unique in our industry as it is common for people to have to wait up to 12 weeks for furniture.

Have you ever considered opening a physical store?

We have entertained the idea but would prefer to put our funds into:

• developing our range
• keeping our prices as competitive as possible
• continuing to offer beautifully crafted and designed furniture.  

Have you noticed a difference in online shoppers since you first opened your online store?

When we first started out, we were one of the first online furniture stores. Now, there is a greater variety and choice of eCommerce stores, so customers are much savvier and do their research before buying.

How important is email marketing to your store?

Absolutely crucial. We gather our subscribers through a number of sources:

• Facebook & Instagram advertising,
• Google advertising,
• opt in boxes on every page of our website, and
• abandoned cart and follow-up emails.

We use Unbounce for our landing pages and Active Campaign for our automated email marketing sequence.

How do you manage and optimize your content?

We wouldn’t have a business without SEO.  We have a fantastic company who coordinates all our SEO and Google marketing. We have a great copywriter, too, who writes all our content.

How did you define your branding and website layout?

The branding and website layout is a collaboration between ourselves, our graphic artist and web developer.

How do you target and define your target audience?

We send out regular surveys to our customers as well as talk to our customers both in our showroom and over the phone (if they are interstate). We ask them questions about their needs and the issues they face when buying furniture.

Where do you see the future of eCommerce over the next 5/10 years?

The number of online furniture/homeware stores has grown exponentially in the last 5 years, and I believe that it will only continue to grow. Who would have thought 10 years ago that someone in Perth or Tasmania (or anywhere in Australia for that matter) would be buying from an online store in Sydney to furnish their home without seeing the pieces in person?  

How do you handle customer service, customer issues and returns?

Customer service is at the heart of our business and is equally as important as the quality of all our products.  We are a small boutique company and place the utmost importance on treating our customers’ issues with respect.

Because we are a small business, our products are so physically large and we ship all over Australia, we do not accept returns. The cost for the customer and the potential for damage on return is too large. However, we do offer free swatches for all our upholstered furniture and supply detailed descriptions and photos for all our products so the customer can make an informed decision.  

Also, our testimonials are a great source of information for our prospective buyers.

How important are good product images for your brand?

Good product images are essential. As mentioned above, customers purchasing online require as much information as possible to make an informed decision. So product images of all angles of each piece of furniture or soft furnishing are crucial.

We use a professional photographer for all our shoots and use Pixc for all our photo editing (they are brilliant).  We use Canva for some of our designs, though most of our work is done by our graphic artist. We also have a copywriter to write our product descriptions and blog posts.

Why did you choose Magento?

We use the Magento platform, which was recommended by our web developer. For our needs, their main strengths are:

• the ease in uploading new products and
• managing the back end for non-IT experts like myself.

What tactics have you tried to grow your online store?

SEO is one of the cornerstones of our marketing. We focus on

• building a mailing list through an automated email marketing program,
• updating regular online content, blogs, and newsletters,
• placing online advertisements like Google Shopping ads, Google Re-Marketing Ads, Facebook and Instagram ads,
• and building other public relations connections.

If you could magically automate any of your tasks, what would it be?

Coordination of social media. That would be the main one because it is so time-consuming.

Any exciting announcements in the pipeline?

We are excited about our product development and our new ranges being introduced in the next few months.

Quick Fire Questions:

Favorite holiday destination? Currently … New York

Best memory on your eCommerce journey? Seeing it all come together

Must read blog? Cote de Texas

Shout out to any influencers or mentors? My mentor PJ from Herbusiness.com

5 apps you couldn’t live without? Google Analytics, Facebook, Instagram, Calm & Weatherzone

Favorite sources of inspiration? Blogs, Pinterest, Travelling

Favorite quote? “Nothing changes unless you change”

Goals for your product over the next 5 years? Continue to develop and create beautiful new ranges of Hamptons and French furniture

3 things you couldn’t live without? My family, my health and my iPhone!

What would you do with an extra hour every day? Turn off my iPhone and computer, and totally switch off!

Top tips for someone getting started? Find yourself a mentor