We’re sure you’ve often noticed, and sighed about, the fact that the first quarter of the year is often slow, slow, slowwwww?
The constant hustle and bustle of the holiday season create an energized vibe that can be highly addictive, and when the new year rolls around you often feel a little bit deflated. Well, fear not! We run on happy vibes here at Unbound Web Design and would love to share a few neat little tricks that we learned. Here are 7 simple ways to maintain momentum during the slow season.
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Capitalize on Sales Seasons
People tend to be in the mood to spend during holidays, when you want to be with your loved ones, rather than busy working. However, by taking advantage of those opportunities, you can profit financially, and enjoy it more when the holidays are over.
Give a small, but enticing, discount and encourage the family to help you out for a few hours to process those holiday sales, and you will have time to enjoy together afterward. We have found January and July to be the slowest months for online sales, so use that time to launch something new and exciting.
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Take A Vacation – But Keep Your Store Open
As small business owners, we tend to think that our businesses can’t survive without us. But we need a vacation every now and then, so why not take it during slow season?
TIP: Do not shut your online shop while you are on vacation. Leave it open, but put up several notices to let clients know that you’re not available for those few days and that shipping will only take place when you return.
Be sure to announce that your shop is open. Use this opportunity to send out a newsletter to your subscribers.
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Create Excitement
After a few years in business, you will know exactly when your slow time is about to hit and will be able to pinpoint the best times to fill in the slow times with excitement, like:
Put together some irresistible sales to push your slow times into amazing times.
- Celebrate your business birthday with fun promotions, giveaways or contests.
- Launch new limited edition products or services that are only available for a short period of time.
These activities will fill in the slow gaps and create excitement. Best of all, you will get some great sales, which will help you avoid the slump.
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Reward Loyal Customers
Making your loyal followers and customers feel appreciated, is the best way to ensure they stay loyal. When offering a “slow season” discount, give your newsletter subscribers a slightly bigger discount. Add in a little something extra to make them feel extra special in their orders, such as an unexpected discount, an extra item, or a coupon.
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Get Up Close & Personal
The holiday season is a great time to connect with your clients on a more personal level, which in turn will inspire them to buy from you. People are more likely to buy from someone they like and trust. Here’s how:
- Tell an uplifting, inspiring story about your holiday memories.
- Share your favorite holiday traditions or recipes.
- Organize a food drive, toy drive or book drive.
- Share your passion and inspire others to get involved.
- Start something new and inspire others to do the same.
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Spread the News
This is a great time to engage with your audience on social media and your blog. Share your messages, tips, videos, and pictures, and all manner of goodies on your social media accounts. But, remember to also engage other people too, by commenting on and sharing their content too. Sharing is caring!
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Change Is As Good As a Holiday
As you can see, we took advantage of the quiet season to relaunch my brand – fresh and new for the new year. Everyone likes something new, so why not consider giving your website a fresh new look, too? If your branding is not consistent, take this opportunity to get consistent new designs created for all your various needs, from website images to Facebook and Twitter covers to profile pictures and email signatures.
At the end of the day, it is all about reminding potential clients that you’re in business, and making it worth their while to stay in touch.