How to Win this Holiday Season
By Andrew Patricio
October 02, 2017
Small Business & Entrepreneurship
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The holiday season is often the busiest time of year with the majority of business revenues generated in the fourth quarter. It can be a great opportunity for small businesses to end the year on a high note. So let’s look at what it takes to win this holiday season.
Win Local Search
It’s been written about so often, it’s any wonder so many businesses haven’t heeded the advice. So now, as you prepare to win the holidays, take the time to finally optimize your small business website for local search. The two best ways to do this that will yield the best results:
Win Subscribers
To win this holiday season, you need to start building a community now. Run a contest giving away your top sellers every week starting in November. Aggressively advertise a high-value piece of gated content. Start emailing offers and encourage subscribers to refer a friend. With an audience in place, you can start selling to them.
Win Shipping
If you sell products, you’re not only competing against similar products. You’re also competing against Amazon’s two-day shipping and buy-online-pick-up-in-store options of major retailers. This holiday season, offer free shipping or a free upgrade to overnight or same-day shipping. Especially as you get closer to the big holidays, you may be surprised by how much this small offer boosts your revenues.
Win Goodwill
Give back during the season of giving by hosting a fundraising event at your physical office or store. Work with the local chapter of a nonprofit that can help promote the event and get the local news to cover it. This free publicity and ability to acquire new customers will help you win the holidays.
Have an ecommerce business? Don’t get left behind! Offer an opportunity for customers to donate money to a nonprofit of choice during checkout, or match donations up to a certain amount. Make sure it’s a cause that will motivate your customers.
This time of year can be stressful for a lot of reasons, but with a little planning and some ingenuity, you can set your small business up to win this holiday season.
Win Local Search
It’s been written about so often, it’s any wonder so many businesses haven’t heeded the advice. So now, as you prepare to win the holidays, take the time to finally optimize your small business website for local search. The two best ways to do this that will yield the best results:
- Add your physical address and phone number to every page on your website.
- Update your contact information and hours on Google Places, TripAdvisor, Yelp, etc. If you have holiday hours, post them. Set a calendar reminder to change the business hours back to normal after the holiday season.
Win Subscribers
To win this holiday season, you need to start building a community now. Run a contest giving away your top sellers every week starting in November. Aggressively advertise a high-value piece of gated content. Start emailing offers and encourage subscribers to refer a friend. With an audience in place, you can start selling to them.
Win Shipping
If you sell products, you’re not only competing against similar products. You’re also competing against Amazon’s two-day shipping and buy-online-pick-up-in-store options of major retailers. This holiday season, offer free shipping or a free upgrade to overnight or same-day shipping. Especially as you get closer to the big holidays, you may be surprised by how much this small offer boosts your revenues.
Win Goodwill
Give back during the season of giving by hosting a fundraising event at your physical office or store. Work with the local chapter of a nonprofit that can help promote the event and get the local news to cover it. This free publicity and ability to acquire new customers will help you win the holidays.
Have an ecommerce business? Don’t get left behind! Offer an opportunity for customers to donate money to a nonprofit of choice during checkout, or match donations up to a certain amount. Make sure it’s a cause that will motivate your customers.
This time of year can be stressful for a lot of reasons, but with a little planning and some ingenuity, you can set your small business up to win this holiday season.