Is it me or do you notice that the holiday season begins earlier every year? This year Christmas music was playing at CVS on Halloween and Starbucks introduced their joyful red and white holiday-themed cup promptly on November 1st. It made me anxiously think, it’s time to make my list and shop, shop, shop.
As we gear up for the busiest shopping days, it’s a constant struggle to ensure we have the right mix of products and offers for our customers. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have customers patiently waiting for the “perfect” promotion.
It’s critical that we recognize, especially in this economic environment, that customers are constantly comparing products and prices to get the BEST offer. They are using scanning applications like RedLaser on their smartphones to compare prices when shopping in stores. And online collaborative coupon sites (like RetailMeNot.com) provide the most recent sales for shoppers in an aggregated format.
This means you need to know what your competitors are doing from a price and promotional standpoint and be one step ahead. Also, it’s important to understand what’s trending. For example, companies like L.L. Bean have made free shipping standard. So while L.L. Bean might not be your direct competitor, if you offer similar products, shoppers might be more inclined to shop there for what they perceive to be a better offer.
To be successful this holiday season, it’s simple and basic. Take a few hours to be your customers – shop online and/or walk through a store. Observe (and scrutinize) how your paid search ads are written. Look at how well you are ranking organically. Do your display ads grab your attention? Are the products and signage in your store windows appealing? Do you have offers that will incentivize customers to purchase? By making objective, customer-focused observations about your products, services and marketing initiatives throughout the holiday season, you can make adjustments as needed, and position yourself for end-of-year success.
Facebook
Twitter
Blog
