Summer Slump? Not This Year!
Summer solstice typically means that online sales slow to a crawl. However, that doesn’t have to be your reality this year! Instead, use that extra daylight to make the most of your ecommerce business. Follow the ten tips below to boost sales and keep website traffic vibrant.
While it may be hot outside, you may have noticed that your website stats have begun to cool. Here are creative ways to get your business hopping once again:
#1. Go with the seasons.
By updating your website to feature seasonal decor, you are demonstrating that your website is up to date and more trustworthy. Your traffic will see your professionalism with a website that constantly looks for ways to improve. The website you created one, two or five years ago just wouldn’t cut it in today’s market.
#2. Give it away.
Well, don’t give everything away, just a few things. Summer contests are very popular and can increase brand recognition and social media followers. Remember to be very specific about the terms and what the prize is to avoid any issues. Allow customers to enter by submitting their email address or by sharing on social media platforms. You will be surprised by the response.
#3. Update product descriptions.
While this might not sound like the most exciting task, giving your product descriptions a polish will also boost your search engine optimization (SEO). Perform a little keyword research before you get started, and try to really make your products come alive with well-written descriptions.
#4. Create a loyalty program.
While you might not want to attempt this venture alone, it is worth considering partnering with a company that specializes in loyalty services. With just a few phone calls you can create a program that takes the pressure off from having to find new customers in the slower summer months.
#5. Publish new content.
There’s no better time to start writing new content than right now. One engaging blog post can be shared across social media, bringing in new summer business. Find an interesting topic that includes your most used keywords and try to answer some of your most frequently heard questions. Or, if you are really feeling sassy, create a new video to share. Try demonstrating an often searched-for task. The options are endless!
#6. Write a newsletter.
The most important aspect of a successful newsletter is making sure that you include truly engaging topics or offers. Consider the email that you are persuaded to open – what do the subject lines offer that entices you to click? Are there coupons or discounts that catch your eye? By examining what works well for other companies, you can usually mimic their efforts for email success.
#7. Have a sale!
This may seem like an obvious task, however, you will need to really push the excitement to the limit to capture your tough summer crowd. Try to offer items that your customers might be searching for anyway. When they see the deal, they will remember that they needed to pick up that very same item.
#8. Reduce shopping cart abandonment.
Ahhh, shopping cart abandonment. The monster under every ecommerce owner’s bed. Take advantage of the summer slowdown to figure out how to decrease your shopping cart abandonment. Are there specific products that are often abandoned? Are your shipping rates too high? Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and try to see what is preventing them from final checkout.
#9. Collaborate!
While it may seem like the world of ecommerce is a dog-eat-dog world, this is often not the case. Oftentimes, there are other websites who would love to work with you in the spirit of collaboration. Offer to write a blog post for a website that you admire and see if they will do the same for you. Maybe consider offering a sample of their products with every purchase. Be creative, and the rewards will come.
#10. Do something good.
Summer is the perfect time to get out into your community and lend a hand. You will meet new people, get additional PR, and harvest those warm fuzzy feelings for the cold winter that is only months away. It’s hard to step away from your workspace, but the rewards of extending yourself to others are without parallel.