For a small business, holidays are the most stressful days in the calendar but also the most lucrative ones, if you are wise enough to seize the opportunity. Simply accepting orders before and during the holiday season is not enough since chances are that, if you don’t give it some thought, your business won’t be able to deal with the holiday shopping fever.
What you want is for everything to function perfectly so that you can both increase your profit and ensure those customers purchase from you again. The best way to achieve for your small business to thrive during the holiday season is to prepare on time so let’s see how to go about it.
Make the purchase process flawless
The first step to success is to confirm that the purchase process works like clockwork or otherwise, your customers will not be able to complete any purchases. So, test the system by making an order yourself, and note everything: the time it takes for the system to respond, any glitches that you noticed, whether the price or some other elements should be written in larger or smaller font, etc.
Your website’s loading speed is an especially vital feature because it is often what makes a difference between a visitor browsing through your offer and leaving even before casting a glance. In addition to that, your website and the entire purchase process need to be optimized for visitors that use smartphones for purchases. If you conclude that some features can be improved, don’t hesitate to make those changes because they can boost your conversion rates.
Provide superb customer support
The efficiency of your customer support team is not only important during the holidays but during the entire year because they represent the face of your business. Their ability to find the right words to calm disconcerted customers down and, if possible, come up with a solution for their issue is what sometimes leaves a stronger impression on them than your products.
This is why you need to prepare your team for the increase in customers’ questions so they can arm themselves with patience and additional pieces of information, if necessary. Of course, you need to help them by creating reasonable schedules for the busiest days so they can recharge. Also, it would be good to prepare some bonuses for their hard work, especially if they worked extra hours. Your support’s team satisfaction will emanate onto your customers.
Introduce management software
Amongst the multitude of holiday-inspired orders, it is crucial for the information flow to be efficient. You need to have a singular system in which you will be able to find data on the individual items from the inventory, purchase information, sales rates, and the numbers related to manufacturing.
One of the biggest benefits of an orderly management system is that it can help you monitor the situation in real-time. This is why many small businesses are putting their trust in a management software ERPAG, so they can react on time and produce or obtain items from a distant warehouse. Well-integrated software helps with streamlining all business processes and that contributes to a better service for your customers. A timely reaction is a crucial element in making the most of the holiday shopping craze.
Create a hype via social media
When you make sure that the basic elements are able to adequately support the influx of orders, customers, and their queries, it is time to think about attracting the customers. One method you should definitely use is advertising via social media because they allow you to communicate with your customers directly.
You should consider creating a campaign and create a series of teaser posts so that you get them intrigued over what you are preparing for them. You can do it via images or short videos since they are highly efficient in that domain. And most importantly, don’t ignore your customers’ comments, even the negatives ones because that might drive more than one customer away.
Do the best that you can
If you happen to catch the holiday fever a bit late, don’t panic or stress about it because that would not get you anywhere. What you need to do is to sit down and look at the current state of your business in terms of inventory and service levels and assess whether you can implement any of the above-mentioned tips.
Even if you don’t fulfill your maximum capacity, this can serve as a preparation for the next holiday season. You would then start earlier and have a better understanding of what works for your business and what doesn’t. So, if you are joining the game just now, don’t despair but simply do your best and you will see some results.
Wrapping up
The holiday season is the perfect time to test your small businesses structure and see if anything needs to be tightened up, and also, a great opportunity to earn a bit extra. Spread the word throughout social media that you have something special in store for your customers and test all your systems to ensure they are ready for a surge of orders. Proactivity is the key ingredient for your holiday season’s success!