Will Cyber Monday produce the 6.6 billion dollars in expected online sales today? With the impact and residual effects of Harvey and Irma this year, we could all use a boost in sales. The big question is….. Do you have an online offering and/or do you at least have an online presence? If not, why, and what are you going to do to grow your business in 2018? The big box retailers have been ramping up their online sales to compete with Amazon simply because their traditional brick and mortar business isn’t what it used to be. Nordstrom’s is even price matching like Walmart. To compete, you must be online and mobile friendly with either a simple online package or at least have an online presence. Remember, more and more consumers are using their mobile devices to purchase goods and services or just to find you.
Here are some ideas that can help you compete this year…….yes there is still time to act!
- Create a mobile-friendly website. This can be as simple as buying a WordPress template with a simple shopping cart.
- Create a Christmas or Holiday prepackaged gift basket or special. We are all so busy this time of year and giving your customers ideas will increase your sales.
- Email specials, updates, and new products through MailChimp, Constant Contact or Swiftpage with a link to your special to “buy now”.
- Invest in Technology to capture valuable customer information today. It is simple to implement and affordable at the Point of Sale now. Whether you are a Retail, Restaurant or even a Wholesale business you simply cannot afford to not know your demographic. It is easy with a loyalty program that rewards and records what your customers are spending their hard-earned dollars on. Imagine greeting your customer with “would you like to order our fabulous Chicken Crepe again with a glass of your favorite Far Niente Chardonnay”. What a wow factor!
- Order gift cards today and increase your sales and brand awareness. Yes, you can still offer online or text gift cards before the holiday. They are the number one seller each and every year and not just during the holidays. Gift cards continue to add profits to your organization by introducing new Customers, bring back existing clients or just a great give-away at a chamber of commerce event, charity or fundraiser.
Cyber Monday – Did You Know? (source)
- As of 7am Pacific, $850M had been spent online
- Shoppers are expected to spend $6.6B online today, passing the $5B that was spent online during Black Friday
- If predictions are correct, this year’s Cyber Monday will represent 16.5% YOY growth over last year’s Cyber Monday
- Tonight from 8-11pm (in each time zone) is estimated to be the peak time for Cyber Monday shopping