During the year you try to keep your head down. You’re selling like crazy, making money, and barely have any time to breathe much less try new things. However, there comes a time when you should consider trying a new approach to your business. Otherwise, things could become stale and your buyers may dry up.
While it seems arbitrary, the beginning of a new year is a great time to try out some things with your store. The rush of the holidays is over and people are generally in a mood to branch out with their life experiences.
But what aspects should you change? Let’s take a look.
New Products
This is where most business owners like to branch out and for good reason. A new product could potentially breathe new life into a business altogether. It could lead to new customer bases and a whole new direction for your company.
But where to start looking for new products? You have two options, in a sense; go for something brand new, or try something related to your current products. They both have their advantages. A brand new product is a huge risk – you could end up alienating your fan base or wasting valuable time and money. However, the rewards could be equally great. Perhaps start with selling a new product related to your existing lines and go from there.
New Campaigns
While a new product can expand your customer base, sometimes all you need is to literally go find new customers. This is accomplished through a new campaign, whether it’s social media, public relations, or something else entirely. You just need a new direction and approach.
For instance you might usually focus on a social media campaign because your audience age is fairly low. Branching out to the outside world, though, could be a big hit as older customers would have access to it. You would’ve never known elderly grandmothers loved your products until you went out into the communities and talked to them face to face.
Fresh Website
When was the last time you updated your website? While the initial one you created served your purposes, you’ve now since outgrown it. It’s time to take a brand new look at what your website should be doing for your customers.
Try to break down the experience for your customers. Ask questions like “How long does it take them to check out?” or “Have I made it easy to find my best products?” Try to make these paths as short and fun as possible; otherwise, you risk people leaving without buying anything.
Payment Methods
You’ve been staunchly anti-online payments ever since you started. The last time you tried logging into PayPal you ran away screaming. However, this is a good time to change all that. Basically, the more payment methods you have available, the more likely you will get that sale.
Imagine you’re a customer of your store and you go to check out only to discover there are only options for check or money order. How likely is it you’ll actually buy something? Or would you look for the item somewhere else because they have a PayPal option? Most likely the latter – which is the same thing going through your customers’ minds.
Make sure your store is up-to-date with the latest payments technology.
Do you have something you’re dying to try in the New Year?