‘Tis the season to be jolly. ‘Tis the season for joy. But for business owners, ‘Tis the season to bring the money rolling in like crazy.
According to the National Retail Federation, holiday sales are expected to rise between 3.8% and 4.2% this year. This equates to a sale of goods worth a total of more than $730 billion!
That’s a humongous amount of customer spending. And if you cannot manage to nip away even a small portion of this total spending, you are definitely shooting yourself in the foot.
Smart business people always know the right tips to boost holiday sales. After all, it is said that most small and medium-sized businesses earn around 20% to 40% of their total annual revenue during this time period.
Maximizing holiday season sales not only increases your profits, but also helps manage the finances in the first few months of the next calendar year when sales are usually slow.
However, in order to maximize holiday season sales, you need to think beyond just advertising your goods and services.
Here are some useful tips to boost holiday sales that will help you collect a ton of money as customers rush to vendors looking for the best products for themselves and their loved ones.
Use Holiday Decorations to Make an Impression
If you have a brick and mortar store instead of being an exclusively online business, decoration items can work wonders like you wouldn’t have even imagined.
All you need to do is put some extra thought and effort into decorating your store in a way that makes it stand out amongst others – quite literally.
Create a stunning wall display, or go overboard and revamp the whole place to make it Instagrammable. The key is to achieve a majestic look that will catch the eye of every passerby from afar. Do something visually intriguing that prompts the store visitor to share the pictures on social media. This, in turn, will attract more attention towards your brand and lead to higher sales in the season.
All Hail the Mighty Media
Speaking of Instagrammable holiday décor, don’t forget to tap into the power of social media sites to boost holiday sales. Though it’s highly likely that you must be using social media marketing already, a little reminder is always helpful.
However, don’t make the mistake of waiting until the last minute to advertise your holiday sales on social media.
Have you got great deals for Christmas? Start promoting them now.
Are you launching a new product on New Year’s Eve? Give your customers a sneak peek today!
Creating hype will only do your business good at a time when every retailer is trying to call attention their way.
Introduce Holiday-Themed Products
Introducing your own range of holiday-themed items is a great way to increase sales. Of course, it requires some investment, but if you plan it properly, the investment is sure to pay off.
This is especially helpful for home-based startups that deal with fashion accessories and other similar items. For instance, if you manage a small-scale business that specializes in handmade soaps, launching a range of star-shaped or tree-shaped soaps and the likes is bound to be an instant hit.
Personalized products are always in high demand. Therefore, try to offer customized items that will make a fine present for the buyer’s friends and family members. The best part about personalized products is that customers are willing to pay up to 20% higher as compared to their alternatives – a fact that’s proven in the Deloitte Consumer Review Report.
Ramp up Your Email Marketing List
If you haven’t been using email marketing to promote your goods or services so far, it’s high time to rethink your marketing strategy.
Email is an effective technique for alerting your customers about discounts and promotions, and thus, driving more traffic to your sales.
Update the signup form on your website (you do have one, right?) to encourage visitors to provide you with their email addresses. Add a catchy message like ‘Sign up now to get the best deals for Thanksgiving,’ to ensure that you have something in store for them.
Bid on Relevant Keywords in AdWords and Bing Ads
If you use platforms like AdWords and Bing Ads to market your goods and services, make sure to get the most out of it. Although the trending keywords will differ from niche to niche, one thing is certain – customers want every item at a ridiculously low price.
Regardless of what goods and services you have to offer, launch campaigns for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Thanksgiving deals through your AdWords or Bing Ads account.
Gear Up on Manpower
Be it dealing with the increased foot traffic in stores, or handling the customers’ queries that are likely to pop up over the internet; you must ensure that your customer service stays on-point.
Shopping season is often stressful for business owners and employees alike. But it tends to be equally taxing for buyers as well. From price comparisons and product selection, to carrying around numerous bags and long lines at the cash counter, customers want businesses to be considerate of their problems.
To avoid losing customers on both online and offline avenues, train your staff on how to deal with complaints effectively and efficiently.
It might be a good idea to introduce your own delivery service, especially if you sell bulky items. This is because delivery service is one of the main factors that customers consider when buying certain household accessories and kitchen appliances that they cannot transport on their own.
End Note
Although there are various ways to maximize holiday season sales, you may find that most of them require a large marketing budget. However, the tips to boost holiday sales discussed here are cost-effective and quite easy to follow.
Implement these ideas at your earliest to take your revenue for the last quarter to the next level.
