The holidays can either be a busy or slow time for your business, depending on the type of business you own. 360 Web Designs helps by covering some quick topics that can keep you afloat this holiday season.
Organization and Planning
Keeping records of sales during past years can give you an indication of how much you can expect in sales and what to do about it. If you get fairly steady business during the holiday season, you might want to consider special holiday offers such as coupons or loyal customer offers to boost sales. If you believe you might need more help during the season, expect to hire seasonal help or set up a call overflow service. Some business are normally slower in sales during this season, so you might have to do the opposite. You may need to consider cutting back your expenses or even close shop for a certain period of time. Keeping a consistent schedule will also help with your seasonal woes. Set aside a period of time in your day to respond to emails and create a to-do list for the next day. It will help you keep focused on what you need to do and get the most out of your day.
Customer Service
The holidays will bring in new customers for your business, so it’s important to have excellent customer service during this season. Extra training for employees and a good customer service policy will keep your business philosophy intact. Be consistent about picking up the phone in a timely manner and having good interaction with your customers. If you have a Facebook business page, make sure to respond to Facebook Messenger queries quickly. Remember that as a small business, you have a responsibility to stand out in terms of customer service. Your business should be able to give your customers a more personal experience than a larger business. Break the mold by offering small creature comforts, such as a small cup of coffee, snacks, or candy. If you have a store-front, you should also have a festive decoration for the holidays.
Holiday-Themed Websites and Social Media
Don’t forget to update your website and use social media to promote during the holidays. This can be as simple as creating a holiday-themed header and footer for your site. Having a holiday-themed video for your homepage slider will also get your customers in the mood to celebrate. Using a calming holiday theme should invoke a sense of nostalgia and fond memories for your clients, inviting them to do business with you. Using social media feeds will keep you competitive against large corporate business. Keep your customers engaged by having special daily offers, and be creative! Remember that social media is great leverage against the marketing campaigns of large corporate entities.
Mobile-Friendly Website
During the holiday season, people are going to be on the move A LOT! This means that they will be using their smartphones to look up information while doing shopping and driving from place to place. To stay competitive, your website HAS to be mobile-friendly. Make sure that your site loads fast, and don’t clutter your website with irrelevant information. Important events and details about sales should be displayed on the homepage, with eye-catching graphics or pictures. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and VSO (Voice Search Optimization) will help customers and clients reach you even easier.
Happy Holidays!
In conclusion, we hope that some of these tips will help your business survive the holiday season. Everyone at 360 Web Designs wishes you a successful holiday season and a Happy New Year!
