‘Tis the season to be jolly! Not right now – but it will be soon, in just 10 weeks time! This time of the year is a prime shopping season for most people which means it’s a good time for retail businesses and many others, especially those who want to get ready before the Xmas period begins. It’s best that your business is prepared so it can make the most out of this season. Are you all set for this year’s Holiday Season? Check out these guidelines to get your business into the holiday spirit and maximize holiday revenue and enjoyment.
Develop your holiday strategy
Consumers can be fickle, so being nimble is important. An approach that worked in 2013 may not be right for 2014, and especially not in 2022! Take time to analyze your business’s previous holiday sales and replicate the strategies that worked, while modifying those that didn’t.
Create a marketing calendar for this holiday
Create a marketing calendar and budget that leads into and covers the full holiday shopping season. If your business isn’t one that sells things during the holiday period, then make your calendar and budget based on your own business’s seasonal steps.
Use special offers and other incentives to target first-time and returning customers, leveraging all appropriate channels to reach and draw in different audiences. Engage customers on social media by offering deals to the first 50 people who like a Facebook post or who retweet a comment about your business; hold customer-appreciation nights for small groups; reward customers who refer new customers. These are just a few ideas you can use, so get creative!
Have holiday promos or special deals
Did you know that 69% of shoppers now seek more deals and coupons online? (source: Brand Report). Promotions make it more appealing for customers to actually purchase so it would be beneficial to create some promos or special deals. This works well for product-based businesses, however some service based businesses may not want to use a discount lead – however they could use a ‘value add’ instead.
Here are some sample promotions you can implement:
Free shipping. According to the National Retail Federation, 75% of consumers expect no delivery fee, even on orders under $50. While this may be tough to swing as a small business, meeting customer demands will be more important than ever this holiday season.
Sitewide discounts. This is a common sales tactic for eCommerce retailers, but that’s because it’s been shown to work year after year. Whether it’s 10%, 50%, or somewhere in between is up to you. Decide what discount works best given the products you sell and your financial position.
Select bundle deals. Sometimes, bundling is the way to go. Customers love convenience. Try putting together complementary products you find customers often purchase in the same order, or that naturally pair well. For example, if you sell hair products, you may bundle together a shampoo, conditioner, styler, and comb set. You can even offer a percentage off the bundle to make it more appealing.
Value added offer. Instead of offering a discount, offer something in addition to the main product that is complimentary or a natural add-on to it. Find a way to give them something to increase their perceived value and experience of your product.
Review Sales History
One of the most reliable insights you should always check is your sales history. It is a library of information that you could use in creating your marketing promotions and strategy. For this holiday season, you can check your sales history and determine which product or service should be the ‘star’ of the season.
Improve Your Customer’s Journey
It is a fact that focusing on optimising the customer journey has become a vital activity for businesses. Your customer journey will help retain customers and get you loyal ones.
People are expecting effortless shopping experiences throughout all parts of their journey. We have written many articles here about the Customer Journey and the importance of getting it right! Make sure that your customer journey does not have any gaps. There are a lot of ways to do this, check out some ways to improve or innovate your customer journey here.
