12 Ways to Prepare for Summer Sales

Black Friday and the pre-Christmas period are crucial for retailers in Australia. The Financial Review cite that 20% of all non-food transactions take place in these months alone. While it's a time filled with potential for substantial revenue, it can also be incredibly daunting for small regional businesses. Revenue is a lagging indicator, which really means that your revenue success matters less about what you do in November and December and is actually a reflection of the groundwork laid in August, September, and October. That's why it's so important to find ways to prepare for summer sales.

Adding to the stress, the current cost-of-living crisis means that consumers are more cautious with their spending, making the competition for their dollars fiercer than ever. For regional businesses, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. You can't afford to leave any stone unturned. Every action you take—or don't take—leading up to the holidays will impact your sales and ultimately, your bottom line.

So, what can regional businesses do to ensure that the busy November and December months are as effective and profitable as possible? Planning ahead is key. From optimising email campaigns to enhancing your online presence, several proactive strategies can make a world of difference. Here are twelve critical ideas that can help your business maximise sales and customer satisfaction during this holiday season:

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1. Grow Your Email List

You've heard it a hundred times, but building your email list is a critical component of your business ecosystem. Somewhere north of 88% of people check their email every single day, and considering there's over 4.4 billion email users in the world, that's a lot of eyeballs looking at email each day. If your audience isn't looking at your email, they'll be looking at your competitor. But building an email list is not something that can happen overnight.

By starting to capture email addresses now, you can ensure that you have a healthier list that you can market to in the lead-up to your busiest season of the year.

• If you're not already, use an email marketing platform like Mailchimp or HighLevel: These platforms provide a place to store all your email contacts and make it easy to regularly send them emails.
• Add a lead capture form to your website: It could be as simple as a Google Form that collects the First Name and Email Address or a robust lead capture form in exchange for a fantastic downloadable resource.

Whichever tool and approach you use, remember that the earlier you add this to your toolkit, the more leads you will capture before November, giving you more people to market to.

2. Optimising Email Campaigns: Building and Segmenting Your Email List for Holiday Promotions

While we're on the topic of email don't forget that although effective email campaigns can significantly boost your holiday sales, they require thoughtful planning and execution. Segmenting your email list is essential to personalise communication and increase engagement.

• Segment Your Email List Based on Customer Behaviour: Group your customers into segments based on their past purchase behaviour, interests, and engagement levels to send more targeted and relevant emails. This ensures that your message resonates with each specific audience. For example, a local boutique could segment its list to target customers who frequently purchase accessories versus those who buy apparel.
• Create Holiday-Themed Email Templates: Design eye-catching, festive email templates that can capture the holiday spirit and attract attention. A well-designed email can enhance the overall experience and encourage more interactions. For instance, a bakery could send beautifully designed emails featuring holiday-themed baked goods, driving anticipation and orders.

By tailoring your email campaigns to different customer segments and using visually appealing templates, you can maximise the impact of your holiday promotions and drive higher engagement and sales.

3. Customer Loyalty Programs: Creating Incentives that Drive Repeat Business

Customer loyalty programs can be a cornerstone of your pre-Christmas strategy, encouraging repeat business and nurturing long-term relationships with your customers. Implementing an effective loyalty program can help drive sustained engagement and sales.

• Introduce a Points-Based Reward System: Encourage repeat purchases by offering points for every dollar spent, which can later be redeemed for discounts or free products. This incentivises customers to keep coming back. We see this in cafés all the time where frequent visitors earn points toward free coffees, but have a think about ways that you could implement this too.
• Offer Exclusive Early Access to Sales: Reward your loyal customers by giving them early access to special offers and seasonal discounts. This makes them feel valued and fosters a sense of exclusivity. A regional boutique could invite loyalty program members to a pre-sale event, ensuring they get first dibs on the best bargains.

A well-structured loyalty program not only boosts your holiday sales but also helps build lasting relationships with your customers, turning them into brand advocates.

4. Local SEO: Enhancing Your Online Presence to Attract Nearby Shoppers

Local SEO is critical for regional businesses looking to attract nearby shoppers during the holiday season. By optimising your online presence, you can ensure that your business appears prominently in local search results.

• Optimise Google Business Profile Listing: Ensure your business information is accurate and fully filled out, including hours, location, and special holiday services. This helps local customers find and choose your business. For example, a local florist could list holiday arrangements and special delivery hours prominently on their profile.
• Create Local Content: Develop blog posts, social media updates, and other content that is relevant to your local community and events. Highlighting local activities can draw more attention to your business. A regional fitness center could create content around holiday fitness tips and local holiday events they are participating in or sponsoring.

By focusing on local SEO, you can attract more local customers to your store, boosting foot traffic and sales during the crucial holiday period.

If you're not sure where to start, our quick Google Business Profile Audit is a great place to start.

5. Preparing Your Website: Ensuring Smooth Online Shopping Experiences

A smooth and efficient online shopping experience is crucial for converting holiday traffic into sales. Ensuring your website is user-friendly and hassle-free can lead to higher satisfaction and repeat visits.

• Test Site Navigation and Checkout Processes: Regularly test your website to ensure that it is easy to navigate and that the checkout process is quick and simple. A seamless process reduces friction and cart abandonment. A local gift shop should ensure that their website’s navigation categories (e.g., gifts for him, gifts for her) are clear and intuitive.
• Optimise Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure your website is fully responsive and offers an excellent user experience on all devices, especially mobile. With mobile users accounting for 60% of global internet traffic, it’s essential. More shoppers are using mobile devices, so this is critical.

By preparing your website for high traffic and ensuring a smooth shopping experience, you can convert more visitors into satisfied customers, boosting your holiday sales.

6. Streamlining Checkout Processes: Reducing Cart Abandonment Rates

A complex or lengthy checkout process can lead to cart abandonment, costing you potential sales. Simplifying and streamlining the checkout experience can make a significant difference in your conversion rates.

• Simplify Form Fields: Reduce the number of fields that customers need to fill out during checkout to make the process faster. The fewer barriers to purchase, the better. For instance, an online craft store could minimise form fields to just essential information—name, address, and payment details.
• Offer Multiple Payment Options: Provide a variety of payment methods, including credit cards, digital wallets, and buy-now-pay-later options. Giving customers flexible payment options can decrease abandonment. An e-commerce site selling electronics might integrate options like Apple Pay, Afterpay, and PayPal to cater to a broader audience.

By streamlining the checkout process, you can reduce cart abandonment rates and ensure more of your visitors complete their purchases, driving higher holiday revenue.

7. Gathering Customer Reviews: Building a Bank of Social Proof Ahead of the Holiday Season

Customer reviews serve as powerful social proof that can influence potential buyers during the holiday season. Proactively collecting and showcasing reviews can boost your credibility and sales.

• Send Follow-Up Emails Requesting Reviews: After a purchase, send a follow-up email encouraging customers to leave a review. A gentle reminder can go a long way in increasing review submissions. A homewares store could send a follow-up email a week after purchase, linking directly to review sites or platforms.
• Offer Incentives for Review Submissions: Provide small discounts or entry into a giveaway for customers who leave reviews. Incentives can motivate customers to share their positive experiences. For instance, a massage therapy clinic might offer a 10% discount on the next appointment for clients who leave a review on Google or Facebook.

By building a robust bank of customer reviews, you enhance your business’s reputation and provide valuable social proof that can attract more holiday shoppers.

8. Cybersecurity Precautions: Protecting Customer Data During Peak Shopping Times

Increased online traffic during the holiday season also raises the risk of cyber threats. Implementing strong cybersecurity measures is essential to protect customer data and maintain trust.

• Implement Multi-Factor Authentication: Add a layer of security by requiring two forms of authentication for account access. This reduces the risk of unauthorised access. A local e-commerce store could implement multi-factor authentication for both customers and staff to enhance security.
• Regularly Update Software and Plugins: Keep your website’s software and plugins up-to-date to protect against the latest security threats. Regular updates ensure that vulnerabilities are patched promptly. For example, a small online clothing retailer should ensure their e-commerce platform plugins are consistently updated - something we cover in our Website Care Plans.

By prioritising cybersecurity, you safeguard your customer's data and build trust, ensuring a secure and successful holiday shopping season.

9. Enhancing Website Load Speed: Ensuring Fast and Responsive Online Shopping

Website load speed is critical for keeping customers engaged and reducing bounce rates. A fast-loading site ensures a smooth shopping experience, especially important during the busy holiday period.

• Compress Images: Reduce the size of images on your website to improve load times without sacrificing quality. Faster loading images enhance the user experience. A local art gallery selling artwork online can ensure their high-quality images are optimised for quick loading.
• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): Employ a CDN to distribute your site’s content across various servers, speeding up load times for users no matter where they are located. An online regional bookstore could use a CDN to ensure fast load times for readers across Australia.

By optimising your website’s load speed, you provide a better shopping experience, keeping customers engaged and increasing your chances of converting visitors into buyers.

10. Mobile Marketing Tactics: Reaching Customers Through Apps and SMS Campaigns

Mobile marketing offers direct and immediate engagement with your customers. Utilizing apps and SMS campaigns can effectively reach shoppers with timely offers and updates.

• Create Holiday-Themed Push Notifications: Send festive push notifications to keep your app users informed of special offers and events. Engaging notifications can drive more visits to your store or website. For example, a regional sporting goods store could send holiday push notifications about flash sales on popular items like bikes or skis.
• Use SMS for Flash Sales: Engage customers quickly and effectively by sending SMS messages for limited-time offers and flash sales. SMS campaigns are highly effective for urgent promotions. A local electronics store might use SMS to announce limited-time discounts on gadgets and accessories during the lead-up to Christmas.

By leveraging mobile marketing tactics, you can achieve immediate and direct communication with your audience, driving increased engagement and sales during the holiday season.

11. Automating Systems for Speed: Leveraging Automation for Business Efficiency

Automation can significantly enhance your marketing efforts by reducing manual handling of information. In fact, automation can not only make life easier, but it also makes the user experience more consistent at all points of the customer journey.

• Send automated messages at key points: Imagine if your customers received a text message 24hrs after they purchased a service from you, simply saying thanks and asking for a review. This is easy with a little automation.
• Connect your tools automatically: The pre-Christmas period is hectic enough as it is, without considering the added data entry that should be happening. Setting up some automation so your tools talk to each other is a great way of reducing the administrative load. Examples could be as simple as automatically adding someone to your Mailchimp newsletter the moment you create their customer profile in Xero.

By automating your business systems, you can increase efficiency, ensure small steps don't slip through the cracks, and allow you to focus your efforts on other critical areas of your business.

12. Email Marketing Automation: Setting Up Drip Campaigns for Holiday Offers

Automation in email marketing can save time and ensure consistent communication with your customers. Setting up drip campaigns allows you to nurture leads and drive continuous engagement.

• Set Up Welcome Email Sequences: Introduce new subscribers to your brand and products with a series of automated welcome emails. A warm introduction sets the stage for future interactions. For instance, a regional fashion boutique could send a series of welcome emails spotlighting their unique styles and upcoming sales.
• Create Abandoned Cart Recovery Emails: Automatically follow up with customers who leave items in their shopping cart without completing their purchase. Tailored recovery emails can encourage them to return and complete their purchase. An online toy store could use personalised recovery emails to remind parents about the toys left in their cart, perhaps with a discount offer to compel the purchase.

By automating your email marketing campaigns, you can maintain consistent and effective communication with your customers, driving better engagement and higher conversion rates during the holiday season.

[Bonus 13]. Effective Upsell Strategies: Maximising Sales During the Festive Season

Upselling is a powerful strategy to increase the average order value during the holiday season. By understanding customer preferences and strategically offering complementary products, you can make the most of each transaction.

• Offer Bundled Products: Combine complementary products into attractive bundles to increase the average order value. Bundles create value for customers and can help move inventory. A hardware store, for example, could bundle a BBQ set together with tools and accessories, presenting it as a complete holiday gift package.
• Use Personalised Product Recommendations: Suggest additional items based on each customer’s previous purchases or browsing history. Personalised recommendations are more likely to resonate with shoppers and lead to additional sales. An online bookstore can recommend sequels or related books based on past purchases, enticing customers to add more to their cart.

By implementing effective upsell strategies, you can enhance the shopping experience and increase your revenue during the festive season.

By following these strategies, regional businesses can successfully navigate the holiday season, ensuring that their efforts in August, September, and October yield significant returns in November and December. With thoughtful preparation and execution of these tactics, you can maximise sales, build stronger customer relationships, and create a memorable shopping experience that stands out in the competitive holiday market.