Preparing Your Small Business for the 2022 Holiday Season
Who’s ready for the holiday season? Even if you could use more time to prepare, there’s no stopping this time of year! And this season will be like no other. According to a report in Business Wire, U.S. holiday gift spending may drop by $30 billion. The biggest drops are expected to come from clothing and footwear, as 25 percent of people plan to cut back in these areas.
While holiday spending is expected to decrease, retailers are still optimistic about the holiday season. However, they also know that since money is tight, they’ll be responsible for meeting customer needs, providing great experiences and offering personalized solutions. This will involve balancing technology and human interaction.
Below are some of the ways you can prepare for a successful 2022 holiday shopping season.
Set Reasonable Goals
Start by setting reasonable goals so that you have concrete numbers to work with. Look at your numbers from the last few years. You want your numbers to increase each year, as this is an indication that your business is growing and thriving.
You may also want to focus on other goals during this time, such as growing your customer base or attracting more visitors to your website. We recommend using SMART – a framework that allows you to create goals with a bigger impact.
Stock Up On Inventory
Inventory plays a crucial role for many businesses. The last thing you want is to promote a product and then not have enough to fulfill your orders. Assess your inventory numbers so that you can have enough product on hand, and do account for supply chain problems and shortages. Some industries are still behind.
Also, think about how you are going to balance your spending with inventory. Can you afford to order all of the products you need? Or would you benefit from a small business credit card that allows you to earn rewards on your purchases?
Establish a Marketing Plan
You’ll need a holiday marketing plan to stay competitive in your industry. There are lots of ways to get in front of new customers, such as by using social media or Google ads. If you don’t have time to manage your marketing plan, outsource this to a digital marketing agency.
Your marketing plan should include a mix of content and strategies, such as how-to videos, holiday gift guides, promotions and discounts and special events. The key is to get your brand noticed so that you can sell more products and get additional exposure once the holidays are over.
Review Your Website
Online sales are expected to lead this year, with Adobe predicting 2.5 percent growth. Knowing this, it’s important that your website is ready to handle excess web traffic and provide each customer with an optimized experience.
Give your business website a once-over to make sure that it’s ready for the holiday season. Pretend you are the user – can you find information easily? Are the product descriptions informative? Are the images and videos clear? Do the pages load fast across devices? Are the forms easy to fill out?
These tips will start the holiday shopping season off right for your business! It’s not too late – if you haven’t prepared for the holiday season, WSI Star Web Solutions can help! Contact our marketing professionals for a free consultation.