The holiday season is just around the corner. As a small business, it is imperative that eCommerce and marketing planning start, well right now.
As the 2020 shopping season revealed, even with COVID-19, customers are eager to keep the holiday traditions alive, with in-person or online shopping to ensure they get everything on everyone’s wish list.
This holiday shopping season may prove to be just as make-or-break for small businesses in retail or business-to-business (B2B), especially with changing customer behaviors, pushing for a seamless shopping experience from online to in-store purchasing.
It’s important to start preparing your business for a jingle all the way to sales success by using these 5 tips to prepare your small business for the holiday shopping season:
TIP 1
Build an eCommerce Store
If you haven’t already, make sure to plan and build your eCommerce store now so your products are stocked and ready for purchase in a user-friendly online store for the holidays.
If you are not the techy type, consider partnering with a software company (quickbooks software for small business), like Orders in Seconds to help create your online store and mobile app. They even offer a free demo.
Lastly, ensure your eCommerce store is available in a web and mobile version since many people prefer to shop on their mobile devices.
According to a survey conducted by Heady.io “customers overwhelmingly use apps with the intent to shop and purchase, with 74% of respondents claiming that was the most-used feature”.
It’s a no-brainer, shoppers like convenience, so give them a wonderful eCommerce experience we can all celebrate this holiday season.
TIP 2
Create a Holiday Marketing Plan & Promotion
Brainstorm what products are popular this holiday season and how you will market to your customers.
Create a plan to promote your special deals, through email campaigns, social media outlets, or mailers.
Identify special shopping days like Black Friday or Cyber Monday, when people are ready to make purchases. Consider offering promo deals like ”free shipping” or “BOGO” to encourage larger purchases.
Remember to set up social media campaigns, creating a buzz around upcoming deals and holiday must-haves for the season.
TIP 3
Automate Where You Can
As a small business, automating your workflows will be a huge time saver during the holidays. There are many eCommerce solutions, like Zapier, that will take repetitive tasks, such as following up on a sale and sending your team notifications, so everyone is ready to take action on order fulfillment.
You should also consider automating your social media posts because posting daily while fulfilling orders can become overwhelming when the holiday rush hits.
Plan your holiday posts in advance and schedule, using affordable apps like PostPlanner or Later.com this way you can focus on other tasks.
TIP 4
Efficient Shipping Fulfillment
As we now live in a world with Amazon 2-day shipping from purchase to delivery. Your online store will be held to a similar standard of efficiency.
Ensure if you promise customers 5-7 days delivery time, you must commit. It’s all part of the customer online experience.
I understand, shipping delays are inevitable, but make sure to keep your customer informed with emails or special offers for a longer than expected delivery time.
TIP 5
Create a Hassle-Free Customer Experience
There are two things that will create more sales for your small business and a happy customer experience.
An easy checkout experience and impeccable customer service.
Your online store and mobile app should be user-friendly and provide an easy click-and-buy checkout experience. This is crucial to improve sales efficiency for maximizing sales and orders.
Secondly, invest in customer service via phone, online chat, or email to help customers during the trials and tribulations of the holiday season.
This way your customers trust you are ready to help when questions or issues arise, making their holiday season merrier.
Now that your small business is ready to take on the 2021 shopping season, preparation is key.
Start today, so you have time to create a plan and work out the logistics for building an eCommerce store, creating a marketing plan, automating tasks, working on order fulfillment efficiency, and providing a hassle-free customer experience.
Is your small business ready for an eCommerce online store and mobile app in preparation for this holiday season?
If the answer is YES! Orders in Seconds (OIS) is here to help.
OIS is a software solution company with over 15 years of experience that offers b2b brands and retailers an affordable eCommerce online store and mobile app that will prepare your business for a successful holiday shopping season!
Schedule a free demo today.
