Editor’s Note: If you missed part one of our two-part series, click here to catch up!
Black Friday. It’s coming. In fact, it’s three business days away. Your customer service reps are probably already dreading the madness that will ensue on Friday, this weekend, and pretty much through to the new year. With their struggles to meet the demand and needs of your customer base, we’ve put together some tips for you to implement, even this “late” in the game, to get your business to peak performance just in time for the holidays.
Be your best business this holiday season:
Change your marketing strategy.
Let customers know you are ready for the holidays by giving your marketing strategy a makeover – a holiday spirit makeover. Whether you advertise through newspaper ads, holiday fliers, or email newsletters, now is the time to switch gears into holiday cheer and savings. Let your customers know you are ready for the season by distributing holiday-themed promotional items with your name and logo, like calendars, ornaments, and magnets. Change your displays. Play holiday music. Get in the spirit!
If you send out emails to your customers, help them get in the holiday spirit with gift giving guides, holiday budget suggestions, or special coupon codes. Special sales, promotions, and other money-saving goodies will put you on the radar and get customers interested in doing their holiday shopping at your store.
It is also important to think about your SEO strategy if you have it in your budget. Customers’ search terms will be changing, and adjusting your approach for the holidays will give you the highest conversions.
Stock up.
Before the holiday rush, make sure you have more than enough inventory ready to go. Take a look at sales from previous years to determine quantities and specific products you’ll need to order; this includes packaging supplies and raw materials! It is also extremely important to have a backup plan if you start running low on a product or supply. Contact your suppliers to find out who can produce product quickly in a last-minute situation.
Offer special sales or promotions.
It’s the holidays – people are expecting discounts! Help your store stand out (and attract more customers) by offering the opportunity for saving money. Shoppers are planning on spending more during this season, and are always drawn to stores that advertise special sales, coupon codes, free shipping, or other promotional incentives.
Keep in mind that many holiday shoppers start browsing for deals months in advance, so preparing and advertising your incentives early is your best marketing strategy. To keep customers interested in returning to your store throughout the holiday season, consider switching up your offers once or twice a month.
Keep an eye on your finances.
The holiday season is often a time of ups and downs when it comes to sales. While your business may have several months of increased sales (especially if you are offering holiday discounts), there will also be times before and after the holidays when customers are making fewer purchases. Having your finances in order will keep you prepared for lulls in sales, additional production expenses, and everything in between.
Adjust business hours.
The holidays are stressful enough for customers; there is never enough time to get all the shopping done. Make the holiday chaos a little more manageable by extending your business hours. Businesses that open early and close late during the holiday season often attract more customers – convenience and availability are key for holiday shoppers!
Have you even taken a good, hard look at your customer support tools? Now is the time to give a solution like HappyFox a try! Learn more about how HappyFox can help you reduce the chaos this holiday season by scheduling a one-on-one live demo today!
