Summer can be a great time for family vacations, trips to the beach, and spending time outdoors. However, all this time away from electronic devices means there are fewer eyes looking for the next great online deal or business opportunity. Combating this summer ecommerce slowdown effect in business can be difficult – but it’s not impossible.
With some companies seeing drops in revenue as high as 30% compared to winter months, it’s no wonder there’s a need for creative paths to recapture your share of the market. Here are a few techniques you can use to help keep your summer revenue strong.
Host a Flash Sale
Impulse buying is a legitimate phenomenon, and it isn’t solely applicable to physical stores. Ecommerce can take advantage of the same concept by using coupons or sales to get customers “in the door.” Just as enticing customers into a physical store exposes them to other products offered, sending details via email and social media can help customers anticipate your sale and visit your online shop. This will naturally encourage them to browse other products.
Run a Contest
Sales are a great way to get customers exposed to your site, but actually increasing your revenue begins with boosting your brand awareness. Brand awareness can help you reach new customers who may not have been exposed to your business before. Contests can be a great way to accomplish this. With a contest, you can spread the word about your brand and even offer your products or services as prizes so customers can appreciate the quality of what you have to offer. Using your social media to promote the contest and encourage reviews not only increases your social media following but can increase your customer base.
Start a Reward Program
It seems everyone today has a rewards program, but that’s because they work. Earning points for free products or discounts is a nice reward for brand loyalty and can boost your brand recognition. Brand loyalty not only creates repeat business, but it also creates free word-of-mouth advertising as word of your products spreads.
Roll Out New Items
There is no better way to generate buzz than with new products. Using social media and email blasts to roll out new products or services is a great way to show customers that no matter what the time of year, you care about providing them with the latest and greatest. If you aren’t creating new products, consider rebranding your current products into “seasonal collections” that help generate buzz no matter the time of year.
Ramp Up Advertising
While marketing is a long game that develops over time, effective and efficient advertising can help you reach your customers quickly and boost summer sales. With social media or Google advertising, online advertisements can be created quickly and launched almost immediately. Knowing where to focus your advertising to generate the maximum return can help you invest your money where it counts.
Keep Cart Abandonment to a Minimum
Cart abandonment occurs when people visit your site and place their favorite products into a cart but then never follow through on the purchase. Industry estimates suggest this rate hovers around 70 percent, meaning that as many as seven out of every ten people who choose one of your products will never purchase it. While there are many causes for cart abandonment, an effective way to combat it is to minimize your surprise costs, including things like high shipping rates and service fees that may not be revealed until checkout. Customers want to know as much about costs as they can upfront, so they can make the right decisions. The slow season is a great time to test different shipping methods, price points, and cost structures to determine what works.
Increase Your Website’s Speed
Revenue slowdowns in the summer don’t mean your customers should keep suffering from slow website speeds. When your website doesn’t run efficiently, it can lead to a poor user experience which will drive customers away instead of drawing them into your purchase funnel. Optimizing your site to improve speed can help customers find what they are looking for more quickly and decrease bounce rate and cart abandonment. Better yet, the time of the year when user traffic is naturally slower is a great time to address your user experience. While this may not drive more traffic to your site, it will help prevent customers from leaving it.
Improve Your SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most effective and cost-saving ways to improve your summer business. The better your company performs in online searches, the more eyes see your site link and business name – and the more likely they are to visit and purchase. There are many strategies used in comprehensive, effective SEO, but they hinge on increasing your exposure. With the right keywords, link profiles, and more, your site will rise in the online rankings and increase the chances you will be seen.
Consult With Imagine Monkey
Whether you’re looking to optimize your website for the summer or have been planning on improving your SEO, it’s the perfect time to contact the team at Imagine Monkey. We can build you a custom website, manage your online services, increase the speed and performance of your site to create a user-friendly experience, and much more. Contact us today for a free quote.
