Tips for Preparing your Business for the Holiday Season

Preparing your business for the holiday season is something every business owner needs to do. The holidays are right around the corner. People have been saving all year to in turn spend it on those that they love. Studies have shown that people start researching, and even sometimes start purchasing gifts in September! Here is the time to increase your profits and celebrate the success of your business. Many business owners start planning their holiday season marketing in June, but it’s not too late if you haven’t done it to start! Here are a couple of ideas that are great to get you started in the right direction.

Prepare a Holiday Marketing Campaign

– Ask yourself, why do your clients buy from you? What makes YOU special? Answer that incredibly important question and build your marketing campaign around it. Speak to those clients that love you and your business. Is there something that your company continually sells out of that could make a great gift? What about something smaller you could upsell as a “stocking stuffer.” You want to let your target audience know you have what they need. With social media still at an all-time high. Facebook ads, Instagram ads are where you can see growth in not only your following online but an increase in traffic to your website and an increase in sales. Now is the time on why you should be using social media in your small business.

Give your website a fresh update!

The holiday season moving into the new year is the perfect time to give your website a once over! Research has shown that the average user spends 15 seconds or less to decide if they will stay on your website or click away. You have precisely this amount of time to capture their attention. Making sure that you are speaking directly to your target audience is vital. Be sure to check hyperlinks to make sure they work and lead where they should. Make sure your content is up to date; spelling and grammar are accurate. We can’t stress enough to make sure your images and pricing depict accurate and correct information, as well. Don’t be that company that has reviews for a product where clients are reviewing items saying colors were off or dimensions were incorrect. It might be in your best interest to hire a professional product/content photographer to photograph your details to make sure your images look professional and can be well trusted.

Order Supplies.

Make sure you’re anticipating the sale of more products. Crowds will increase, online traffic will as well. If you are the type of business that carries high-demand items. Make sure you know what inventory you have and what you might need more of. You want to be the business that people not only are relieved that you had what everyone else had out of stock, but you want them to tell other people that you took care of them! You also want to make sure you understand what your vendor holiday deadlines are. What order and shipping deadlines are so you ensure prompt arrival. Be sure to mark these deadlines on your calendar in advance and maybe let your clientele know they should pre-order any high demand items.

Have a clear return policy drawn out.

The holiday time is known as the season giving, with saying that, sometimes, the product might not work, or might be as well-received to the recipient as you thought it would be. Therefore, returns must be made. Whether you are a new business or an existing one, making sure you have a clear return policy is essential. A lot of stores will offer any purchases made through Nov. 1 and Dec. 31, an extended return period that lasts through Jan. 15. But make sure to be specific for electronics, beauty supplies, and what can be returned opened or unopened.

However, you choose to prepare your business for the holiday season, remember that you want the approval from not only your customers but your employees as well. Here is are great tips for keeping your employees motivated through the holiday season.