Stacy Reeves
December is the last month of the year and probably the most magical time for all people on the planet. However, this is also the closing time for salespeople. While the majority of people are making plans for New Year’s Eve and thinking about their Christmas shopping, salespeople worry about how to keep selling after the new year.
The holiday season is one of the best times of the year for many store owners. It’s promising the best profit of the year for eCommerce businesses. But suddenly after the December holiday shopping rush, everything usually comes spiraling downward and a sudden lapse in customer activity is registered in the following two months. According to Gallup data, January and February are considered the lowest spending months of the year for the average U.S. consumer.
Do you think it’s possible to keep selling after the new year when everyone has finished their holiday spending sprees? Thankfully, there is a way out!
Here is a short survival guide for your eCommerce store to keep selling up once January arrives.
1. Prepare a Post-Holiday Deal to Keep Selling Strong After New Year.
Think outside the box! The majority of salespeople run contests and sales in December. You can create an additional special offer online at the beginning of the year. Offer your store visitors 5% (or more) off or free shipping with orders over $50. Use the eCommerce holiday checklist to prepare it beforehand.
Let’s say that starting another sale just after the one that you had in December can be exhausting and tiring for you, but your customers are never tired of sales. Thus, after you’ve already provided all your promos, reduced prices, freebies, and free shipping options you can possibly get ready to do it all over again.
Customers buy from you not only because it’s the holiday season, but because of discounts. In such a way, if you continue to offer discounted prices, then you’ll win your shoppers back for a second round.
Chances to get free goods, discounts or any prizes always arouse the interest of the customers. So, another option is to run a contest or a sweepstake and offer the winner a prize or some reward that will give you the opportunity to promote your product or service. It’s a win-win!
2. Give a Discount Coupon or a Gift Card for a January Purchase.
In December, most people buy Christmas gifts for their family and friends, that’s why shopping during this month is natural and likely to happen. Make the most of it! Give your customers attractive discount coupons on future purchases with items sold in December.
In fact, including a promo code or a gift card for a purchase to be made in January should increase the number of sales and will help you to keep selling on your business present and future.
Experienced digital marketing professional Geoff Beers thinks that:
“It is a great way to get people back into the store during lower traffic periods.”
Linda Bustos, Director of Digital Experience Strategy at Skava and eCommerce blogger is another expert that shares her opinion on the matter:
“Not only does offering a gift card incentivize purchase during the holidays, this tactic encourages repeat purchase during the slow January time, and its short redemption window creates urgency.”
And note that the professionals say that 10-20 percent off a purchase or a $10-$20 gift card is a strong incentive to get clients returning to your shop after the new year season.
3. Handle abandoned shopping carts.
Do you know how much-lost revenue abandoned cart emails can recover? If you’re still out of step, check our email marketing tutorial, especially the section where we highlighted best practices for email marketing.
Maybe a prospect was caught up in the end-of-year bustle and simply forgot about his intention? Just capture an email address on abandoned carts and recoup sales from the unfinished purchases! Send unpressing reminders that are supposed to encourage clients to complete their purchase.
4. Give holiday shoppers an exclusive opportunity to make start-of-the-year savings.
Express your gratitude to your most loyal customers and holiday shoppers with special start-of-the-year deals on popular winter products.
Tim Peter, founder and president of Tim Peter & Associates, gives such advice:
“Send customers who purchased during the holiday season a thank-you email highlighting exclusive offers or targeted deals for an exclusive period.”
He also adds that:
“And you can extend the reach of the promotion by asking your customers to share these deals with their friends and family.”
Make your clients an offer they can’t refuse! For instance, ‘buy one get one for free’ or ‘buy one get the second one half off’. You can work out an offer that will particularly fit your niche and attract more shoppers to your store.
For example, people adore clearance sales. Announce winter clearance that will help move seasonal fashions or holiday-themed items in the coming year off the shelves. Or even create a clearance category on your eCommerce store and drive traffic there.
If all else fails you can always throw in those items as a free gift. Do you know that freebies are always winners? Your customers won’t be able to resist such tempting deals!
The platforms like Facebook and Twitter are great for sharing free content and engaging your community, the same way as announcing sales and offers addressed only to the followers and members of the already existing social media community. Donna Pahel, Senior director of growth, innovation, and digital at Walmart advises rewarding your customers for being connected to you with social-only incentives.
6. Release a new product or service.
The next practice you can put in place is launching a new product. Why not?
The new year is not the time to stall or waste of time. Besides, from a psychological standpoint, it’s a perfect time to start something new. New Year, new beginnings, new opportunities, new experience. You’ve got the idea!
Of course, launching a new product or service requires a lot of planning and preparation in advance. But as long as you plan ahead, you’ll be able to do it successfully.
Susie Wang, a co-founder of cosmetics company 100% Pure, suggests the idea to consider giving away a new product with any purchase after the New Year Season in order to keep selling. Nevertheless, the decision is up to you!
7. Reward your mobile shoppers.
Is there a person who will deny the fact that mobile phones are widely used nowadays? I guess not. Do your best to reward mobile shoppers with deals and exclusive items that they can’t find elsewhere. In this regard, marketing strategy consultant Ken Barber says the following:
“You want to encourage your shoppers to pull out their phone and shop whenever the impulse occurs, so make it very attractive.”
We know how simple is to give away all the efforts for the Christmas sales promotion and have nothing left for the start of the year.
To get back into big-time sales mode use these tactics that will help you avoid the post-holiday selling slump and start the new year strong! Almost forgotten… Have yourself a merry little Christmas!
