The holidays are here – in fact, if you’ve been in a Target lately, Christmas decor has been out since mid-October. If you’re selling online then this is an important time of year for you.
If you’re a small business, it’s difficult to be heard above the noise of the “big guys”. But there are some things that you can do this holiday season – and beyond – to put you in control of your marketing.
Here are 5 Tips to Help Your E-Commerce Business Win on Cyber Monday (and Beyond)
1) Boost on Facebook – Have you tried Boosts on Facebook yet? If you have an active Page you can Boost one or more of your posts to drive more traffic to your site. You can boost a post for as little as $10 – but make sure you have something worth sharing. Maybe you have a special coupon only good for one day, a giveaway, or a call-to-action for holiday-themed photo contest – go ahead and Boost that Facebook post for additional attention and traffic. For more information about Boosting on Facebook, click here.
2) Collect Email Addresses – When you have a relationship with your customers you can own the conversation. In order to control the conversation, you need to control the “line” to your customer. And outside of a phone number, an email address is the best way to keep in touch. Even if you find that sales are flat this year over last, but you’ve collected 500 new email addresses, those addresses will be your path to build your business all year long. (NOTE: Make sure you have an updated Privacy Policy to cover any future email marketing.)
3) Try Live Support – when you have visitors on your site and they have questions, time is of the essence. If there is a day for you to test live customer support chatting on your site, Cyber Monday is probably the day. A few great companies that are easy to set up include LiveAgentChat.com (they offer a 30-day free trial) and LiveEngage. Live customer service adds an extra element of attention that will set your site apart.
4) Organize Your Site for Conversion – If you’re buying AdWords or other traffic to your site, make sure that the traffic is landing on the correct pages. Don’t send everyone to your home page – don’t make your visitors dig into your site once they’re come to you from paid traffic. All paid traffic for specific products should go directly to those products. Also, make sure you cross-sell and upsell other products as needed. Make sure it’s clear on each landing page what is being sold, the price, any discounts for quantity, special deals, delivery dates, shipping, etc. Make it EASY for your customers to buy – put the BUY or ADD TO BASKET in a clear, obvious spot. Make sure your checkout process is clean and straightforward.
5) Follow Up After Every Sale – Add a note in your Order Confirmation that lets your customers know you appreciate them. Don’t forget to include your Social Links (Facebook, Pintrest, Twitter, etc – wherever you’re active). This is also another great opportunity to ask them to opt into your email list for future sales, etc. if they’re not already on your list.
Holiday sales can sometimes feel like a “make or break” time of year – but if you go into the season with a strong marketing foundation and you follow the core principles of great marketing, you will be able to take the sales from the holidays and continue to grow over the coming year.
Have fun!
Sue Laurent, Marketing Consultant specializing in Inbound Marketing, Content Development, Customer and Competitive Analysis, and helping business owners figure this whole marketing thing out.P.S. Remember, if you’re ready to finally put yourself in the position of power over your marketing plans, Click here for the “4 Insider Secrets to Great Marketing”.
