The Marketing Potential of the Holidays
With the holiday season upon us it’s a good idea to take advantage of this time of year and give your marketing campaigns a boost. It would be a shame to miss out! Don’t forget that people are shopping for gifts, clothes, food and drink as well as many other items as the seasonal sales begin and with the internet just a click away, you can reach these people and offer your products and services just when they need them the most.
Take a look at your website
If you haven’t already done so, you need to make sure that your website is properly optimized. If your website is slow then this can lead to fewer sales – recent research shows that more than half of online shoppers will go elsewhere if a website takes more than a few seconds to load. If you have a small business then this can be an expensive situation so take the time to address it and make sure that your website is fully functional and easy to use. Analytics can be very useful to show exactly what people are searching for so you can make sure that your website will attract visitors and offer them what they’re looking for.
Don’t forget to make sure that your website is also suitable for those who shop on the move. Mobile optimization is essential because so many people want to place their orders while they are out and about, maybe on the commute to and from work or even while they’re picking up take-out! So many people are shopping from their smart phones now that it is a very lucrative market for most businesses.
Shipping
When you’re planning your holiday sales campaigns don’t forget to rethink your current shipping policy. People are going to want their items to arrive much more quickly or on specific days and this could cost you more. Whether or not you pass on any changes in cost to the customer is up to you, but you need to make sure that you’re aware of any differences and that you have this information available to your customers in good time.
Social media
Social media and email marketing can make sure that your special offers for the Christmas season are brought to the attention of all the right people. So many people go online and a carefully planned social media presence can make all the difference. Make sure that you choose good images and if you can give them a Christmas twist then that’s all the better. Your usual stock photos may be good quality, but at this time of the year people expect to see something a little different.
Segmentation
This is where you remember that not all of your customers are the same. There are those who will buy once and then move on, but you also need to consider the customers that will buy from you on a regular basis – these are the ones that you want to keep. Long-term customers can be cultivated with special offers and loyalty programs that are designed to keep their interest.
The sooner you can get your marketing campaign moving the sooner you will see the returns – the holidays are a great way to boost revenue and it is all there for the taking!