3 Steps to Gauge Buyer Interest in Farm Delivery
In an "Amazon-era" of shopping, convenience wins. To build a successful, sustainable business, Independent Farmers must give Buyers a simple way to shop that fits into their busy schedules and daily routines. While many Farmers rely on a variety of avenues for distribution — the most successful Farms drive 2x more monthly revenue when offering convenient, direct delivery to a Buyer’s doorstep.
Delivery is proven to be one of the most effective ways to attract more customers and capture more sales, as your products are both convenient and dependable. However, before you invest in delivery vehicles and routes, it is crucial to understand the desires of your local community.
How to Gauge Buyer Interest
Here are 3 easy steps to gauge market interest to help you build a delivery service that will delight your Buyers and increase your Farm profits.
1. Survey Your Target Buyers
Top-performing Farmers don’t guess what their Buyers want — they ask. Surveying your potential customers via email and social media allows you to better understand their preferences for product mixes, packaging sizes, and fulfillment schedules.
A simple 5-question, 30-second survey can provide all the data you need to ensure your delivery service is profitable from day one. Key questions should include:
Interest: Are they interested in home delivery?
Scheduling: Do they prefer weekdays, weeknights or weekends?
Household Size: Are they ordering for 1, 2, or 3+ people?
(This helps you offer the right packaging options).
Product Demand: Which core staples do they want most? (proteins, produce, dairy)
Location: What is their zip code for delivery? (to help with route planning)
2. Launch a 3-Part "Delivery" Email Campaign
Email marketing is one of the most successful ways to provide consistent communication to your Buyers. Once you have identified your ideal Buyers, use a targeted email campaign to drive engagement and secure orders.
Email 1: The Interest Survey
The goal of this first email is to build trust and show that you value your community's input.
Value Prop: Gauging interest to build a service tailored to the community.
Subject Line: Help us bring our Farm Food to your Front Door! 🚚
Content: Explain that you want to make accessing fresh, sustainable products easier for their busy schedules. (include a link to your Survey)
Email 2: Highlight Convenience
After the initial Email (and Survey), shift the focus to the primary benefit of delivery: Convenience is King.
Value Prop: Reclaiming time with direct delivery on weeknights and weekends.
Subject Line: Reclaim your weekends with Home Delivery 🏡
Strategy: Compare your service to the ease of ordering from Amazon. Remind Buyers they can "skip the trip" and stay cozy while products arrive on their doorstep.
Email 3: Establish a Routine
The final push should emphasize Routine Access to the products they love.
Value Prop: Putting Farm-fresh favorites on "autopilot" to avoid the mid-week empty fridge.
Subject Line: Never run out of [Top Product] again 🥩🥚🍎
Strategy: Encourage Buyers to make your Farm a part of their regular routine. Note, this is the perfect time to mention Ongoing Subscriptions, which provide the ultimate convenience for Buyers and consistent cash flow for your Farm.
3. Analyze and Adjust
Once your Survey and Email campaigns are live, analyze your outcomes. Focus on your open rates to see if your subject lines are enticing, and your click-through rates to see how many Buyers are visiting your online store.
If interest is high in specific zip codes or for specific product options, then you can tailor your Delivery Zones to target areas with a higher density of Buyers and adjust your storefront to feature certain products "Pinned" at the top of the page.
Mistakes to Avoid
Two common mistakes to avoid when implementing a Farm Delivery Service. First, always charge a Delivery Fee to cover your costs and ensure you are building a profitable business. Buyers have come to expect to pay for convenient delivery of groceries to the doorstep (even Amazon charges $9.95 for Whole Foods delivery). Second, limit the products available for delivery to high-value items (e.g. Bundle Boxes and/or Subscriptions), before allowing customers to unlock add-on products. This will help increase Farm revenues and justify the time and expense of completing deliveries.
Ready to Get Started with Delivery?
Barn2Door offers the software and services to help Independent Farmers make more money, ditch the office work and look like a pro. This includes a “Delivery-as-a-Service” program that enables Farmers to leverage turnkey delivery partners that service major metropolitans in America. When Buyers experience the convenience of delivery on their doorstep, they will keep coming back to your Farm for more.
Curious to learn more? Watch this 5-min Video.