The holidays are upon us! Many retailers rely on these next six weeks for the bulk of their sales. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the biggest online shopping days, but consumers will continue to shop online until the last minute. Keeping your brand front and center with great promotions, competitive prices and reliable shipping will help you make the most of this season.
Your business should be ready to rock. Make sure your bases are covered by following our holiday preparation tips below.
Give Your Website a Holiday Makeover
Make your website a fun place to shop! Add festive photos and icons to get shoppers in the holiday spirit. Consider creating a winter collection that combines multiple products – this is great for cross-selling and upselling your products. Offering them at a discount helps with conversions.
You can also create a holiday gift guide that includes high quality photos and product descriptions. Shoppers are always looking for suggestions! Most important, make sure that your site is optimized for mobile users. Many people will be shopping from their phones and tablets.
Create a Social and Content Marketing Calendar
The best way to share information about upcoming promotions, holiday discounts and limited inventory is through content. You should also be using your content to nurture customers through the funnel. To take charge of your content marketing strategy, put together a social and content calendar.
Content calendars provide structure and allow you to offer consistent, relevant content at every touchpoint. To appeal to everyone in your audience, post a wide variety of content. Some people prefer watching videos, others like visuals and others enjoy interesting copy.
Launch Holiday Promotions
Consumers are ready and willing to spend money – the question will be with who. Running holiday sales and promotions is the way to win over consumers. You’ll have to think about what discounts you can afford to give, as you still need to make a profit. At the same time, don’t hesitate to offer big discounts. This is what drives business at this time of the year.
If you can only offer a 20% discount, pair it with another attractive offer such as free shipping. This could make all the difference in a customer choosing your company over another. Also, include a sense of urgency to help shoppers make an immediate decision. Run your sales for a limited time or carry a limited stock of sale items.
Promote Your Business
Now is the time to promote your business, so don’t be shy! You need a combination of direct marketing and content marketing to stand out. Direct advertising includes landing pages, paid advertising, email blasts and banners. Use this advertising to share your promotions with the right audience in the right moment.
Content marketing includes organic social posts, blog content and your website. Use this marketing to educate, inspire and entertain your audience while nurturing them through the pipeline. If you have a physical location, use local SEO to drive more foot traffic into your store.
One last reminder – make sure that you are prepared for the rise in customers. This may include hiring extra staff, stocking up on inventory and preparing packing and delivery labels. By delivering a great experience, you can capture customers for the long term.
