If you’ve been in retail or ecommerce long enough to have some historical tracking data then you may have noticed that your business tends to have natural ups and downs over the course of a fiscal year. The seasonal behavior of consumers is something that has had marketing departments pulling out their hair for a long time.
The reality of buying and selling many products is that some seasonal consumer behaviors are beyond the control of many skilled marketers. But we know that most shoppers pull out their credit cards in the last three months of the year. We also know that smaller holidays like Easter, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, and others tend to prompt more spending—and because we know that, we leverage those opportunities as effectively as possible by working extra hard to keep customers happy so they come back again—even when it’s not a holiday.
So what about the rest of the year? Companies might offer clearance prices, run free shipping promotions, boost the discount offers through affiliate coupons, and so on. Off-season promotions are the go-to method for luring in shoppers when they seemingly have no real desire to shop. There’s no doubt that it’s important to do what we can to drive business during the dog days of summer when people are spending less money at many ecommerce sites, but here’s what I think really matters most: Really focus, buckle down, and do your best to maximize efforts during those times of the year when you know things are about to pick up.
Analyze sales trends and identify annual patterns (beyond the obvious) that indicate seasonal spikes in traffic, then do everything in your power (that includes providing superior customer service) to lure in customers and capture business when you know people are going to be visiting your site. You may just find that the following year your highs may be a little bit higher, and although every business will encounter seasonal lows, they just may not be as low as they used to be.
Having powerful enterprise ecommerce solutions on your side will help you manage the anxiety that can come with experiencing seasonal sales by helping ensure your customers find their way to your site, find what they’re looking for, and have a clear, simple path to checkout. Who doesn’t want that? Contact HotWax Media today to see how our experts can help you create a web presence that will make it easy for you to sell ice to an Eskimo—even if it’s the middle of winter.
