In a previous post, we discussed a few ways smaller businesses can easily start selling their goods and services online. But how do you take it to the next level once you’re up and running?
For many small businesses and entrepreneurs, big sales events such as Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM) offer a big opportunity to boost sales and awareness. Some of these events may be more relevant to your business than others, but it’s important to plan well in advance (at least two or three months), to ensure your marketing efforts are impactful.
Start by taking a detailed look at your internal processes. This is essential to ensuring you can deliver what you promise, which ideally is more than just a specific product or service. You want to offer an exceptional customer experience from start to finish so first-time buyers will become repeat customers and recommend you to others. Before any major sales event, take extra care to optimize all of your logistical processes (such as testing your website to ensure it can handle increased traffic, updating your inventory, and optimizing your fulfillment workflows).
You also need the ability to segment and target the right customers for certain promotions. Conduct a thorough SEO keyword search to drive traffic to your site and to specific products. Consider offering different discounts to first-time buyers and repeat customers. Also, be sure your site is optimized to cross-sell while customers shop (Amazon does this incredibly well, for example). Finally, once the sale is complete, reach out afterward to ask for customer feedback and reviews — and keep reaching out with new offers and promotions that may interest them down the road.
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