There’s no sense in starting this blog with the overused “think it’s too early to think about the holidays” stuff as you can walk into any store and see all the Halloween/fall/Thanksgiving items put up. Depending on the store (we’re looking at you, Hobby Lobby) there may be Christmas items out already!
So it’s obviously time to get your store ready for the fall and winter months ahead before they rush up on you from out of nowhere. One of, if not the biggest, days of the season is Black Friday, the “day after” Thanksgiving. Day after is in quotes, of course, because Black Friday has drifted well into Thursday and your family suppertime.
As far as you’re concerned, though, Black Friday starts right now! Get your online store ready with the following ideas.
Figure Out Your Theme
One sure way to let customers know you’ve got something good going on for autumn is to redesign your website for the season. Something as simple as a graphic of orange and red leaves can make interested parties click around to see what deals you might have.
You should really go a step further, though. A great landing page or banner can work wonders as it points to various deals you have that week. Also, don’t hesitate to put up reminders on every page that “Black Friday is coming” and they should check out the deals page you’ve set up.
Social Media
During the ramp up to Black Friday, your customers will literally be inundated with ads, emails, pop-ups, news reports, and any number of other messages telling them to go to this store or another. You cannot honestly expect them to somehow remember your little online shop in the midst of all this madness.
However, you can help jog their memory by utilizing social media. Let them know there will be many more deals coming over the next months and if they want to take advantage they should follow you on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Even better, ask them to sign up for your email newsletter. Incentivize this by offering a discount or freebie for newsletter subscribers.
Now you just have to remember to regularly update these accounts over the next few months. Don’t spam their inboxes, but give them a few updates a day to basically remind them you exist. Definitely remind them when new deals hit so they make a point to check out your store again.
Cross Promote
Have any friends, colleagues, or even enemies who have a shop? Ask them about partnering up for the season to expand your reach. They benefit from your customer base and you from theirs; plus, you can even set up special deals like a buy-this-get-that promotion.
Sound like a strange idea? Again, Black Friday and the rest of the holiday season is extremely cutthroat. It’s one of the busiest times of the year and also holds the most potential for making big bucks. What’s the sense in going it alone?
Of course ,it may not behoove you to team up with someone who sells the exact same items as you. However, if you sell snow globes from around the world and your colleague sells ugly Christmas sweaters, what’s the harm in a cross-promotion? Its far more likely customers will go for both items rather than wrestle inside as to which one to pick up for their loved one for the holidays. As long as both parties hold up their end of the deal you should be able to make some big money together.
How do you start preparing for the holidays when the weather is still warm out?