Increase Your Online Sales This Christmas
Business surveys suggest Christmas is the best time of the year for most retail businesses. It’s when they typically achieve their highest sales volumes. Some firms routinely make more sales in November and December than they do for the rest of the year combined. However, this only works if customers know about you.
Online stores might face a challenge if customers are unaware they exist. With millions of websites currently active on the Internet, and with new ones coming up every day, you need to execute a successful strategy in order to get potential customers to click through.
Develop a social media campaign
Friends and family can help with this. If you don’t already have social media accounts for your business or your store, get them. Create a targeted Christmas campaign that will tailor your products and services for seasonal needs. For example, you might offer Christmas service discounts, or limited edition Christmas merchandise.
Ask friends, family, acquaintances, and social media contacts to share your posts, and ask them to ask their friends to do so, too. Many netizens have learned to subconsciously screen out brand content, but if it’s seasonal and relevant, they’re more likely to pay attention and click on your links–especially if those links are coming from someone they know. A skilled content provider can make your social media persona less “salesy” and more customer-oriented.
Have a flash sale
Physical stores can drum up a lot of business with a well-timed sale. The virtual equivalent of this is a flash sale. Your business can offer deep discounts for an extremely limited period. Flash sales typically last for as little as an hour or two. Use your social media channels, newsletters, and other promotional content to let your customers know about the sale.
Before the sale, make sure your website is in top technical condition. Flash sales attract surges of online visitors, and this can crash the site if it isn’t able to handle that level of traffic. The large volume of click-throughs can also slow the site, which can lead to delayed or incomplete purchases.
Flash sales generally have limited stocks, so use a payment processor with instant verification to reassure buyers and speed up the purchasing process.
Change your landing page
The largest advantage of flash sales – apart from the spike in traffic – is it retains visitors. As customers explore available items, they can browse the rest of your store and see what else you offer. They may even choose to buy additional items that are not sale.
It’s generally a good idea to make their purchase decision easier with clever web design. You can build a new landing page specifically for the sale, or you can make a Christmas-themed landing page. Make sure your online ads and social media link to this landing page rather than your home page. Below every sale item, it is wise to include prompts and links to related items.
For more information on how to increase sales for your online store this Christmas, or to sign up for a merchant account, please call (888) 924-2743 or go to Charge.com.