10 ways to keep sales high all year round
In our earlier article “How Ecommerce companies should prepare for the Holiday Season amid the Covid 19 Crisis,” we shed light on how an e-commerce company can plan ahead to get maximum sales in the upcoming holiday season during corona spread. But what when this seasonal spike comes to an end? After the holiday season, companies start witnessing a falling curve in their sales. Not to forget the requirement to manage plenty of returns as well. So what are the ways that ecommerce store owners can apply to keep online sales up (and even otherwise) and going all year round? Let’s take a look:
Plan ahead:
Carry out trend analysis to help you with forecasting sales during each season. This will assist you in planning and responding quickly to the current market trend. Christmas is just around the corner, and while businesses are busy managing the rise in current sales and hence revenue, it is a good idea to plan as well. Brainstorm ideas with your team and come up with marketing strategies that you should apply to your e-commerce site after you are done with the Christmas sales. Marketing strategies to plan ahead of the holiday season:
- Keep your communication with your loyal customers through e-mail, social media, or SMS after the holiday season. You could promote your special deals and products in the marketing emails. Provide interesting and beneficial content using social media to remain in the public’s attention.
- Plan on starting another sale: You have worked hard during the holiday season and followed all the marketing tactics to maintain your holiday season sales. However, you should not become tired of sales at this moment, because your customers aren’t just yet! Offering discounts is a sure way to bring back your customers. You can apply a less percentage discount than it was during the holidays, however.
Carry out marketing projects:
There are some months when you might be having fewer sales hence leaving you with more downtime. Utilize this time by working on your marketing plan for the next month/season. Carry out marketing projects that you might not have been able to do when you were busy managing high sales. You can update and redesign your e-commerce site, for example.
Early payment special deals promotion:
One of the ways of keeping sales high all year round is to offer discounts for early payments. For example, you sell books. So whenever a new book is released you can offer discount to people who pre-order the book before it is released.
Referral marketing:
Get in touch with your previous customers and ask them to refer you to other people that might be interested in your products/services. Offer your customers a reward for referrals such as gift coupons. You can also partner with other businesses offering the referral customers a discounted offer on the products/services that your e-commerce site provides.
Diversify:
Offer a different range of products/services for every occasion and season so that customers keep visiting your e-commerce site for purchase. For example, if you only sell the drink Eggnog or Christmas trees, that are only sold in the holiday season then you will only be busy in November and December. If you sell other drinks and plants as well, you will have customers all year round.
Hold contests:
Where people get to win prizes. Utilize the contest or giveaways that you carry out to collect e-mail addresses and increase your subscribers’ list. This will allow you to regularly send this list of emails about your latest products and offers.
Online reviews:
Online reviews are increasingly playing a vital role in the customer’s decision whether to buy a product/service or not. So, ask your previous customers for their feedback and reviews of your products. You can ask them via e-mail by sending them the link to the review section.
Stay updated about the economy:
Stay updated about the financial changes happening in your country and the world. Covid 19, for example, has caused an economic downturn. So, if your product is a luxury item, reduce its inventory.
Use Social Media:
Use Facebook Live and Instagram to share news about your products or services. Even if you aren’t releasing a new product, use social media as a way to interact with your consumers. Listen to what more are they looking for and if there’s anything you can do to enhance their user experience. For example, a children’s book e-commerce site now has different people using Facebook live for story-telling to kids. Develop content that is beneficial to your consumer in some way to build your business’s credibility.
Offer reliable and good quality products/services:
Reliability is a significant factor in gaining the trust of your customers. Techniques such as advertisements and referrals build the credibility of your brand and help spike up your sales all year round. And, lastly, make sure the quality of your product/service doesn’t suffer because of high demand. Conclusion: Following the 10 ways to keep sales high all year round will help you strategize and plan your sales ahead of the holiday season and will help in increasing your sales offseason.
